Theres nothing more frustrating than finding out that youve been shooting at the wrong resolution or frame rateafterthe fact.
Head to parameters > Camera and tap Record Video to toggle between 720p, 1080p, and 4K resolution.
Frame rate is another thing to consider.
24 fps is the frame rate used by filmmakers to get a cinematic look.
HDR is another setting you might want to consider.
The iPhone 12 and later can shoothigh dynamic range video in Dolby Vision.
Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
This captures a wider range of colors, better shadow detail, and higher peak brightness.
Use the HDR Video toggle to turn the feature on or off.
Once youve seen your videos in HDR, its hard to go back to SDR footage.
Most video editors do a decent job of converting HDR video to SDR when necessary.
As time passes, HDR video will become much more prevalent until it is eventually a standard feature.
Think of HDR video a bit like 4K.
Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
The iPhone could shoot in 4K way before most people had a 4K-capable TV.
HDR will pay off in the future, though it consumes more storage space.
Your iPhone may have two or three lenses, but the sensors beneath those lenses are tiny.
Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
This is why your iPhone struggles in low light, despite advances made in computational photography.
The greater a sensors surface area, the more light can enter the shot.
Poor lighting results in grainy footage, which can become blocky and garbled when its compressed.
To give yourself the best chance of success, take lighting into account when shooting video.
This isnt necessarily always possible when you grab your phone to shoot a quick video.
It could mean buying an iPhone ring light or other video light for use in dark conditions.
Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
This means that your focus point wont move, and your iPhone wont adjust its exposure while you shoot.
Now hit record and start shooting.
This prevents your iPhone from hunting for focus points.
It’s also good for avoiding the iPhone blooming and adjusting exposure constantly.
Its the default lens for a reason, and youll do well to stick to it where possible.
Take the iPhone 14 Pro, for example.
I frequently encounter this issue with my iPhone 13 Pro.
Low light shots in particular look noticeably worse on the telephoto.
you could enable Enhanced Stabilization on iPhone 14 and later which zooms in slightly to improve image stabilization.
Otherwise, use aquality tripodor handheld gimbal like theInsta360 Flowto stabilize your footage manually.
This under-appreciated feature can be found as a separate mode in the Camera app.
ProRes captures much higher video quality at the expense of file size.
AppledescribesProRes as one of the most popular video formats in professional video production and post-production.
Youll need to use a ProRes capable editor for editing likefree app DaVinci Resolveor Apples Final Cut Pro.
9Use a Third-Party App for More Control
Cinema P3 Pro Cameraprovides professional-level control over iPhone video production.
Theres a lot more to this app than first meets the eye.
Something like theSaramonic Blink500B2is a great wireless option at around $200 with both USB-C and Lightning connector.
Don’t be afraid to use your iPhone for more adventurous video projects.
Looking for more creatie tips?
Check out our guide togetting the best quality audio recordings on your iPhone.
