SEOULiAN. Hello, it's SEOULiAN here. Reasons why you must get the iPhone 15 Pro this year. For me, it was quite simple. External ProRes recording and support for the Log profile. These two reasons alone were enough. ProRes filming was possible from the previous model. I've personally tried and reviewed it. At that time, I wondered if Apple really intended for us to use this feature practically. As a result, after my review, I never once filmed using the ProRes codec. The primary reason was the tremendous file size. Or, to be more precise, iPhone storage options are outrageously expensive, and transferring the files feels so painfully slow that it's almost unusable. Even if you buy the iPhone with 2TB storage, it's never enough. Therefore, you often have to clear out storage after filming, and with the lightning cable, there's no efficient way to do that. This feature in the previous model felt like an underutilized luxury. The second reason was that the ProRes original was already a finished product in terms of video. This is connected to the Log profile I will describe later. We use the ProRes codec because it offers a wider range of expression during post-production. However, when you look at the footage shot in ProRes on the previous model, it has a pleasing contrast between highlights and shadows, and the saturation is also appropriately increased. And the most significant downside. An excessive sharpness is already applied during recording. The reason we tolerate such large file sizes is to have the freedom to express our desired outcome during post-production. However, if you start with an already finished video and try to adjust it, the gradation and color will inevitably deteriorate. Yet, the ProRes codec is incredibly lightweight and pleasant when doing post-production on a Mac. So as long as you're using a Mac for editing, you're never truly free here. If you establish a shooting and editing workflow with ProRes, what you'd typically need an M2 Ultra to do can be covered even with an M2 Max. Moreover, if you shoot in the Log profile, you can choose your expression style as you wish, either a weighty feel or a light and brisk one, thanks to the rich gradation information. But again, an enormous file size accompanies this. For my YouTube video shoots, I use the Ninja V and Ninja V+, switching between externally purchased SSDs placed in a dedicated caddy case. If the iPhone doesn't have a similar workflow, it's practically unusable. Now, all of this has been completely resolved in the iPhone 15 Pro series. When you launch the camera app with an external SSD connected and have the ProRes codec setting on, you'll see a USB-C icon at the bottom of the app, indicating that recording will be saved to the external storage through USB-C. At the top, it also shows how much recording space is available. You can also select the ProRes 4K 60fps shooting option only when external recording is set, so adjust the frame rate if needed. Then, you simply press the record button. The video is not stored inside the iPhone but saved only on the external SSD. After filming, simply connect it to a Mac, and you're ready to continue editing. When filming a video, there are several essential settings. First, you need to fix the white balance. ProRes is known for color correction in post-production, but if the white balance keeps changing within a clip, you can't adjust it. In settings, under the camera and video recording options, scroll all the way down, and you'll find a white balance lock option. Please make sure to turn it on. This ensures that the white balance remains fixed during filming. Second, it can be cumbersome to set ProRes every time you turn the camera app on and off. You can set it to retain this configuration. Go to settings, camera, and then "keep settings" to maintain ProRes and Log settings. So even if you go do other tasks or completely shut down and restart the camera app, the settings remain, and you can resume filming immediately. Let's compare the actual footage. Non-Log footage looks like a typical smartphone video. The video details are excessively represented, and you can easily spot areas with clipped highlights and blown-out exposures. In contrast, with raw Log footage, it might look bland, but upon closer inspection, you can see details in both the highlights and shadows. Let's quickly adjust it for a better view. Adjust the contrast using shadow and highlight details. Find the right exposure for the mid-tones based on the time of day. And then adjust the saturation to match the mood and atmosphere I remember from the scene. It didn't take much thought, but the difference between standard footage and Log footage with minor adjustments is day and night. Without supporting the Log profile, achieving such rich tonal expressions through correction would be impossible. All I did was restore the exposure and color, but you can add any feel or mood you want to the clip. While working on it, I kept thinking, "Am I really editing a smartphone video?" The editing workflow itself was surprising, and the results exceeded my expectations, proving its worth. With the iPhone 15 Pro, it feels like I've purchased a compact video camera. The workflow is seamless, and the end product is meaningful. One downside is that monitoring in Log makes it challenging to determine the correct exposure due to its flat appearance. Professional cinema cameras usually use tools like histograms or False Colors. The iPhone may not adopt such UI, but there's an Apple Log LUT in Final Cut Pro. It would be helpful if we could monitor the iPhone's display with the LUT applied during external recording, giving us a sense of the exposure. This makes me look forward to it. The reason I never reviewed smartphone gimbals was that I felt they weren't necessary for smartphones. But now, I'm suddenly considering them. I'll shoot fun videos with the iPhone and share the results. Leave any questions you have. I'll see you in the next video. Goodbye. The end. Everyone, I'm using the iPhone 15 a lot and will continue to share exciting news. Please look forward to it, and leave any questions in the comment section. I'll take them into account when planning future content.
