Who actually needs these iPhone features?

Brief Summary:
This video explores who actually benefits from Apple's advanced iPhone 17 Pro camera features, breaking down which features matter for different users: industry pros, working professionals, creators, and everyday people. The creator introduces a "Creator Pyramid" to explain how feature complexity matches different kinds of users, and offers hands-on advice, practical settings, and recommended accessories for everyone from filmmakers to casual smartphone photographers.
If you've ever wondered if you really need things like ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2, or anamorphic lenses, this is the guide for you!

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1. Understanding the Creator Pyramid

Right from the start, the host sets the scene by saying:

"Apple has been, for a while now, effectively the most important camera company in the world."

Whenever Apple announces a new iPhone, the buzz is always about impressive-sounding new camera features—like ProRes RAW, Genlock, or Apple Log 2—but most users are left wondering: "Who is actually supposed to use all this stuff?"

To answer that, the host introduces the Creator Pyramid: a way to visualize how different levels of content creators need different levels of camera features. The pyramid has four tiers, from top to bottom:

1. Industry Professionals:
   People making movies, TV, streaming content, and big commercials.

   "These are generally big teams that can turn into enormous teams depending on the size of the project."

   Though a small group, their cultural impact is huge.

2. Working Professionals:
   People like event photographers, wedding videographers, YouTubers with bigger productions, commercial photographers, and social media managers.

   "We're working with small to mid-size crews, often three people. It can scale up to 10 or 20 depending on the project."

   This tier produces the majority of professional content we see (by volume), but each project is seen by fewer people compared to Hollywood blockbusters.

3. Creators:
   Everyday folks making content for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

   "People just sitting at home talking to TikTok can reach 100 million people."

   It's mostly individuals or small collaborations, with a potentially massive audience.

4. Everyone:
   The biggest group—regular people using their phones to snap personal memories and moments.

   "This is how we end up capturing our own personal histories. It sort of shapes our memories of the world around us."

   Apple focuses most design effort here because, as the host puts it, "this group is all of us."

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2. iPhone Features for Industry Professionals

The host dives into the top of the pyramid: those working on major film or broadcast projects. While these folks usually use massive professional cameras, the iPhone is increasingly joining their workflows.
For example:

"The movie '28 Years Later' was recently shot entirely on iPhones, and I think it's the first shot on iPhone movie that you can't tell."
"Major League Baseball has shot some recent games on iPhones with very complicated rigs, but they are integrated into the system in the same way that they would have with a traditional camera."

And, of course, even Apple's own keynotes are shot on iPhones to set an example.

The Essential App:
Big productions rely on the Blackmagic Camera app.

"If you're not already familiar with Blackmagic, they're a huge company in the film industry. So, the app quickly became an industry standard."

Key Features Explained:

• Apple ProRes RAW & Apple RAW HQ:
  Incredibly high-quality video formats.

  "If you're wondering if you need ProRes RAW, then I can give you some simple advice. You do not."
  Only those who know they need ProRes RAW will actually need to use it, as the files are enormous and require special external SSDs to capture.

• External SSD Accessory (Freewell Pro SSD Hub):
  Lets you record those giant files to an external drive instead of the iPhone.

  "You can just unplug the SSD, plug it into your computer, and edit directly off of it."

• Apple Log 2:
  A log color profile that captures more color information, making it easier to color grade in post-production.

  "Apple Log 2 isn't a huge change from what we had in the original Apple Log. It's basically just Apple's new wider color space so there's a bit more color information that can be recovered."

• Open Gate Recording:
  Lets you use more of the camera sensor for a less-cropped, more flexible image—especially useful for shooting vertical content or with anamorphic lenses.

• Anamorphic Lenses:
  Special lenses to create cinematic, super-wide images.

  "This is the most true anamorphic we've been able to do on the iPhone ever."

Bonus Tips:

• The Blackmagic app can desqueeze anamorphic footage automatically.
• You can use these advanced tools for fun, but most of us won't see a major day-to-day improvement.

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3. Features & Settings for Working Professionals

Dropping down the pyramid, the host talks about those who shoot events, commercial content, and smaller productions. Most of the time, these users don't need the maximum settings used by Hollywood, but still want great quality.

"Most of the work that we're using our iPhones for is creating social media content for clients."

Recommended Settings:

• No ProRes RAW Needed:

  "What I'm usually shooting at is HEVC H.265, and make sure that the bit rate is turned up as high as possible."

  • For broadcast/TV: Up to ProRes 422 LT or ProRes 422.
  • For web/Youtube: H.265 (HEVC) is usually fine.

• Still Use Open Gate:
  More sensor area gives extra room for cropping or changing aspect ratios later.

  "We're not using it to desqueeze anamorphic anymore. Now, we just have more room to crop."

• Apple Log 2—for Everyone at This Level:
  Even with HEVC, using Log gives more flexibility if you want to adjust colors later.

  "Your color space is not connected to your codec. You can absolutely use Apple Log and H.265. Just make sure that it's on a high bit rate."

• ND Filters for Exposure:
  To control brightness in bright light, add a neutral density filter.

  "I've been using Freewell's Pro Hybrid filter kit… if I twist this glass, you'll see it gets darker and brighter and gives you a clean way of adjusting the exposure."

• Shutter Speed Tips:
  Match your shutter speed to double your frame rate (e.g. 1/60s for 30 fps), then use ND filters to control overexposure.

• Accessory Recommendations:

  • Good microphones (the host likes DJI minis for wireless audio)
  • Filmmaker cases for a firm grip
  • Optional Bluetooth handles and tripods

Other Camera Apps:

• Final Cut Camera: Official Apple app, simplifies controls compared to Blackmagic.
• Kino:

  "Even easier to use… you can access LUTs directly from the app and it saves it without having to do color grading afterwards."

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4. For Creators and Everyday Content Makers

For the "Creators" group—people making personal projects, YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram posts—the host recommends keeping things simple:

"I wouldn't recommend using one of those more complicated apps. Blackmagic can really add a lot of hassle. I would just use the built-in camera app most of the time. It'll just do what you need and you don't have to think too hard about it."

Basic Good Practices:

• Camera Settings:

  • 4K at 30fps for important content

  • HD (1080p) for everyday use (saves space)

  • Turn on guidelines (grid and level) for easier composition:

    "The guidelines let you make sure that lines are straight and even. And then the level will turn yellow as you have it uneven. And once it is perfectly level, it will go white."

  • Turn off "view outside the frame" – it's distracting for most.

• Selfie Camera Upgrades:

  • The iPhone 17 Pro selfie camera is a huge leap:

    "Now there's a square sensor. So even when you're holding it vertically, you can record in both directions."

  "The update to the sensor is so much larger and the field of view is so much wider that we now have better image quality than in the old ultra wide lenses."

• Remote Monitoring:
  You can monitor your recording using AirPlay to a MacBook, Apple TV, or even Apple Watch.

  "I do this all the time. Right now I'm monitoring off to the side looking at myself on my laptop."

• Accessories:
  Fewer accessories needed—maybe just a little tripod and a good external mic for YouTube.

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5. Tips for Everyday Users (Everyone)

For the base of the pyramid, the "everyone" group, the emphasis is on making memories easily—no complicated settings needed!

"The iPhone 17 really has a lot of power built into it. And this is what most of us use most of the time."

Recommended Settings for Everyday Users:

• Turn off HDR Video:

  "HDR is fun. If you happen to love it, you can leave it on, but it will complicate a lot of your workflows. It might look different when you post to social media. I just don't really think that it's worth it."

• Exposure Control:
  Tap and drag down on the image to darken; the iPhone often overexposes a little by default.
  Or manually adjust exposure in settings (negative 0.7 or negative 1).

• Just Shoot!
  The automatic mode offers great results for almost everyone without any tweaks.

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Conclusion

If you've been feeling overwhelmed by all the new iPhone camera features, you're not alone. The real key is to match the settings and add-ons to your actual needs:

• Most people only need the basics.

• Pros can unlock more with great apps and a few extra accessories.

• And remember, the host reassures us:

  "We've gone from ProRes, RAW, OpenGate, Apple Log 2 for industry pros all the way to automatic mode that we use every day."

If you want to dive deeper, check out the host's other tutorials, especially about the Blackmagic Camera app—and most importantly, enjoy shooting with whatever settings make life (and content creation) easiest for you! 📱✨