ProRes Log Video on iPhone: What is it and should you use it?
The iPhone 16 Pro has a great camera with a really nice 4K slow motion mode, but like the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max before it, Apple’s Pro phone can also record Apple ProRes video in a Log color profile at a resolution of 4K. If you’re not a professional video producer, that might sound like a bunch of jargon (because it is). What it really means is that you can create professional, stunning video footage with your iPhone.
But what do terms like Log and ProRes mean? How are they better than your phone’s default video? And, crucially, should you actually use them when recording your own videos? Here’s what you need to know.
Read more: The iPhone 16 Pro’s high-resolution slow-motion video is the best Apple feature in years
What is ProRes?
ProRes is a video codec created by Apple in 2007 that is widely adopted by video and film professionals. Typically found on high-end video cameras costing many thousands of dollars, ProRes files capture more data while shooting, resulting in better quality images than you would normally get from a phone or even some specialty cameras.
What is log video?
Log (short for “logarithmic”) is a color profile found on some professional video cameras and now available on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Log recording preserves more image information in the highlights and shadows, allowing greater flexibility when editing color and contrast in post-production.
On the left you will see unclassified log images. On the right you can see what that same footage looks like after some basic color correction in Davinci Resolve.
How do you enable ProRes and Log video?
On your iPhone 16 Pro or 15 Pro, go to Settings, scroll down and tap Camera. Then tap Formatsand in this submenu you will see a section for Video recording. Switch Apple ProRes on and below are the options for ProRes encoding. Tapping it will allow you to switch between the two HDR, SDR or Log.
You can enable ProRes and Log recording in the main Settings app.
Note that you can enable or disable ProRes directly in the Camera app, but you’ll need to go back to the Settings app if you want to switch from Log to HDR or vice versa. You can shoot 4K recording at 30 frames per second on the phone, but if you want to record at 60 frames per second, you’ll need to connect an external SSD drive via USB-C and record directly to it. Although you can shoot ProRes without Log, you can only record Log with ProRes.
Why does Log video look gray and washed out?
Log files straight from the camera look flat and have low contrast and saturation. The files are designed to be edited in programs like Adobe Premiere or DaVinci Resolve, where colorists reduce contrast and hue based on the look they’re trying to achieve, a process called color grading.
Read more: Best iPhone Camera Accessories for Photos and Videos
The low-contrast appearance of ungraded images gives colorists the best starting point for customizing the video image. Log recordings should always be edited and reviewed before being used.
How do I edit log video?
While Apple hasn’t yet implemented specific color editing tools for log images on the iPhone, you can get a little closer to that point by using some of the lighting tools in the ‘Edit’ options in the Photos app. However, you’ll get the best results by transferring the files to your iPad, Mac, or Windows PC and editing them in dedicated video production apps.
My favorite is BlackMagic’s DaVinci Resolve, an industry-standard piece of software used in professional productions and Hollywood films. It’s known for its flexibility in color editing, and I enjoyed using it to see what looks I can achieve with video footage from both the iPhone 15 Pro Max and BlackMagic’s own Pocket Cinema Camera.
Davinci Resolve on desktop can seem intimidating, but its color correction tools make it an industry-standard software package.
Resolve is available on Macs and PCs, but there’s also an excellent iPad app version. Best of all, the software is free to use on all platforms, with only some advanced features requiring the paid Studio version. But anyone looking to spruce up their footage will find the free version more than capable.
BlackMagic has also launched a color editing panel designed for use with the iPad. The Micro color panel gives fine grain control over color editing in Resolve and allows you to quickly edit your footage with the same professional hardware used in Hollywood films.
Can my phone record ProRes Log video?
Apple introduced the ability to shoot with the ProRes codec on the iPhone 12 Pro, but currently only the most recent iPhone 16 Pro, Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max can also shoot in Log.
I took over 600 photos with the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
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Should You Use iPhone Camera App to Record ProRes Log Video?
No, Apple has opened this feature to third-party apps. My recommendation is the BlackMagic Camera app, which gives the same level of control over settings as on the company’s professional cameras. It’s a fantastic tool for getting the best video out of your phone and, like DaVinci Resolve, it’s free.
The BlackMagic camera app is the best tool to use if you want to record professional-looking video from your iPhone.
Do I need to record video in ProRes Log?
ProRes footage in the Log profile is highly specialized. It takes additional time in post-production to review the images in color, and the file sizes are many times larger than those of regular video files. If you just want to capture footage of your family gathering or your friends at the beach and upload it to Instagram or YouTube, then you don’t need to worry about ProRes or Log.
However, if you want to use your iPhone 16 Pro as a professional video production tool and you have the time and resources to review and edit your footage in color, then you should definitely give it a try. Its recording flexibility lets you get video out of your iPhone that would give dedicated cinema cameras a run for their money, and it makes the iPhone 16 Pro an exceptionally powerful camera for content creators who want to add some professional flair to their videos.
