Apple the iPhone 12 Pro Max with ProRAW photos, LiDar and Dolby HDR

[David Saraceno]

This out of Alex 4D's Facebook page:

Apple mentioned today that there'll be a new version of Final Cut Pro coming later this year. One that can work with the Dolby Vision HDR metadata captured and encoded on the new iPhone 12 Pro.

Text from Apple's iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max page:

"Apple‑designed ISP - How does it work? iPhone 12 Pro takes two exposures and runs them through our custom image signal processor to create a histogram, which is a graph of the tonal values in each frame. The Dolby Vision metadata is then generated based on that histogram. It takes the sheer speed of A14 Bionic to do it in real time.

"Dolby Vision editing on a smartphone - Before 12 Pro, you couldn’t shoot Dolby Vision — let alone edit it — on a smartphone. Now you can edit all your Dolby Vision videos right from your iPhone in the Photos app, iMovie, or Clips. Or from your Mac with Final Cut Pro (coming later this year)."

[To see the text, click the "Find Out How" button below the "First camera ever to record in Dolby Vision" text]

I expect this new version of Final Cut will appear on Thursday November 19th. Because Apple told FMC to organize the 2020 FCPX Creative Summit that week. But I won't bet a long-distance plane ticket on that. Their plans might have to change - especially if the Apple Silicon Mac hardware can't be announced that week.

[ahalpert]

In live streaming, using vMix Call for remote participants, we are seeing MUCH better results from the iPhone 11 than from any tablets or laptop cameras. We always ask, "Do you have
one of the new iPhone 11s?" when viewing their crappy 15fps 720p laptop camera. It's quite amazing how good that phone's camera is.

I think being a professional camera op's days are somewhat limited, other than the very high end. As soon as phones have a 12k raster that can shoot in hardly any or crappy lighting, to shoot a 4k signal and use all of the rest of the sensor area as slop for IBIS/Steadicam type processing in real time to make it so anyone who can point a phone can get usable, if not perfectly smooth footage wherever you point the phone camera, it's be all over for many of us, if not most of us.

There are a few silver linings. Supposedly Moore's Law is slowing down, so maybe phones wont get that fast. (But if I had to bet, I'd bet that they will.)

I also think there's a limit to the sensitivity of XMOS, so you will probably need a larger sensor for light-starved scenes until they find a better semiconductor material.

Also, there are a number or high ends - nature filming, sports, commercials, narrative. Pros will still be needed some places.

And I dont think the lower end gets destroyed. At the bare minimum, they still need video labor and a bit of experience. If someone wants to film a conference - that's easy. But if they want a sizzle, you need someone running around with an idea of how all the footage fits together. So, the lowest common denominator is probably someone in their late 20s with a bit of experience who would work for $400/day without gear. Or for $40-60k/year as a full-time staffer. But I would imagine that if you can't match those rates, they wont hire you for those things.

Audio mixers may stay employed a lot longer than us

[ahalpert]

This out of Alex 4D's Facebook page:

The question is why the hell our cameras can't pull this stuff off yet

[dadoboy]

Because Dolby Vision metadata is best generated in finishing and color grading, not in aquisition. Usually you have no need for metadata even if you encode in PQ, you just need to know what your clip level is. Dolby Vision metadata in delivery is then used to scale and tone map for certain target distributions. I think what is lost in the FB translation, is that Dolby Vision metadata can be generated in the editing Apps that you can use on the phone. Once you edit it, color grade it and decide on the delivery path, then yes dolby vision metadata is useful. Additionally without a a Dolby external or internal licensed encoder, the metada generated is usually static, not dynamic tone mapping.

[Mestizo Devon]

Is it me or are we getting to a strange place with phone tech?

In the past I feel like we would get some features that would trickle into last years iphone. That seems to be done.

On one hand Apple says last years iPhone (processor) is still kicking the competitions ass, yet its to weak to gain any new features even though they seem to be OS based.

I get it..... I've bought most all of them (iPhones) Just seems like some stuff could be added in, but won't be, because we all need to purchase a Phone, watch, iPad on a yearly basis then biannual MacBook Pro, AirPods, home pod. Every three years its Apple TV....... Just to get an OS feature that just won't work with last seasons unit?

Don't get me wrong I love me some MAC... I just don't feel like the hardware is getting used to its full potential in one cycle, in the past I feel like Apple products matured and became better with time.

[ahalpert]

Oh snap Chivo shot a promo video for iPhone. Now we all need to get one!

Man the motion cadence in his video looks like s*%t. I wonder if that's a consequence of the HDR double-frame processing. Skin tones look great, though, and very punchy color...of course

[NorBro]

Is it me or are we getting to a strange place with phone tech?

In the past I feel like we would get some features that would trickle into last years iphone. That seems to be done.

On one hand Apple says last years iPhone (processor) is still kicking the competitions ass, yet its to weak to gain any new features even though they seem to be OS based.

I get it..... I've bought most all of them (iPhones) Just seems like some stuff could be added in, but won't be, because we all need to purchase a Phone, watch, iPad on a yearly basis then biannual MacBook Pro, AirPods, home pod. Every three years its Apple TV....... Just to get an OS feature that just won't work with last seasons unit?

Don't get me wrong I love me some MAC... I just don't feel like the hardware is getting used to its full potential in one cycle, in the past I feel like Apple products matured and became better with time.

It's the world we live in; upgrades might eventually come every month in 5-10-15 years while older models will remain...older.

As far as the technology, they are just getting started. These boxes that are glued at the hip for billions will have anything and everything. Apple's #1 priority.

[Mestizo Devon]

It's the world we live in; upgrades might eventually come every month in 5-10-15 years while older models will remain...older.

As far as the technology, they are just getting started. These boxes that are glued at the hip for billions will have anything and everything. Apple's #1 priority.

So true... These refresh cycles are making renting look like the better option

[filmguy123]

This is getting insane. Not sure whether to laugh or cry. I choose laugh.

So the Pro Max essentially has iBIS now. Shoots in true 10-bit Dolby Vision like at 4k 60fps. Camera has RAW with added access to the computational layers? LIDAR with depth mapping for focus... crazy.

When they add pixel dimming (essential, pixel level electronic variable ND) that will be a huge deal. Right now iPhone video still has that edgy high shutter motion and it looks cheap. As soon as that pixel level VND is in and running on auto to lock in 24fps 180 motion, or whatever you set it to... wow.

Let's not forget all the easily forgettable things from last year - multi lens recording simultaneously, etc. Quite seriously, in a couple years an iPhone 14 Pro Max might be a (very) viable b-camera without any level of accessorizing.

[NorBro]

B-camera?!

A-camera for 99%!

Only Hollywood will be left with what I predict will be ARRI's proprietary equipment (or maybe someone else like Google if ARRI's current monopoly changes).

___

All any human will have to do in the future is press (say) record. The images will be optimized by machines.

There will be no need for any other cameras. Or barely any hired camera humans. People will be able to create their own work.