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Apple brings HDR video recording to the iPhone
A new ProRAW format gives you more control over photos.
Apple is justifying the “professional” label on the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max by adding a string of camera features. Both of the new high-end iPhones will be the first smartphones to record video in Dolby Vision HDR — you can capture footage at up to 60 frames per second with rich highlights and shadows that should stand out on Vision-compatible displays, like some TVs. Of course, you can play and edit those videos on-device as well.
You’ll have an incentive to spring for the iPhone 12 Pro series if you prefer still photography, too. Apple is introducing a ProRAW image processing pipeline that, like conventional RAW, promises more control over your photos without affecting quality like you’d get with HEIF or JPEG. If you’re the sort who takes long exposure shots, tweaks color balance or otherwise likes to finesse pictures before sharing them, this may be your preferred format.
ProRAW is coming later this year to the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max, but it’ll be editable in other apps going forward. Apple is clearly determined to scoop up creatives and enthusiasts, and these new tools might give it an edge — not that there aren’t alternatives for budding mobile photographers.
