Is The iPhone 12 A True Filmmaking Video Camera? By 120FPS - INGAF

A small centered camera offering 4k 60fps 10 bit video with Dolby HDR optical image, stabilization, a built-in recorder and two built-in lenses for just 700 is an incredible offering, but can the iPhone 12 mini really stand up to the scrutiny of professional filmmakers? Anyone that follows our channel will be well aware of my general dislike of the hyperbole that follows smartphone cameras. Every year we hear the same things from apple, google and the likes. We see the same glossy shot on iPhone commercials and are wowed by the potential of these pocket-friendly cameras. But what annoys me is that every time I do upgrade and go to shoot with these cameras, I'm just left deeply disappointed by the realities of what they deliver. And, despite all of this, I am still a sucker for the marketing and more often than not, I do buy into the hype and true to form. I've opted into the upgrade cycle and dipped into the world of the iPhone 12.

Mini small hands. So when it comes to testing these smartphones video capabilities, my intention isn't to compare this to a similarly budgeted camera or even to look at the bleeding edge cinematic. It will be to shine a light on this phone as a simple, easy to use camera for vloggers content creators and the more casual videographers that, in truth, will be the ones that are seriously using this. As a video camera, the iPhone 12 mini, delivers a beautiful image straight out of the camera. By far it's the best image I've ever seen out of a smartphone, the colors and contrasts are full and saturated.

The detail and dynamic range are really impressive and all without any heavy lifting in post. It's certainly a very usable image, but not one without issues, but we'll touch upon those later on. The image stabilization is some of the best I've seen on a smartphone. It is rock solid. Actually, it's so good that I think it's up there with cameras like the Fuji xt4 and the Olympus em1 mark iii, which both have phenomenal levels of stabilization for sure.

If you push this too hard, you will see the telltale warp in the corners of the frames, but in truth, this stabilization is so good that you can comfortably shoot with this camera handheld, which is definitely a first for an iPhone. I do also love the ultra-wide lens in many respects. I think it's the perfect accompaniment for a smartphone camera for their typical kind of user, that casual videographer or content creator they'll get a huge amount of mileage from this ultra-wide lens in all. This really is one of the most complete pieces of hardware. I've ever used, it's perfectly formed and perfectly produced, especially the 12 mini that I'm using it just feels right and as a piece of camera technology.

It is a huge leap forward for smartphones, but it is still far from perfect the image. In truth, it suffers with the same issues every other smartphone has, if you give it the perfect conditions, maybe golden hour or controlled studio lighting, it suddenly comes alive in a shot on iPhone commercial style, but anything less than that, and it looks well shot on iPhone. There's noticeable noise in the shadows, in fact, I'd go further than to say noticeable, there's a bad level of noise. You also get a contrast, flicker from the autofocus hunting and just a general cheap and unremarkable aesthetic, it's all more than possible for the casual shooter, but for all the hype it can be a little disappointing and speaking of disappointment, it brings me to the native iOS camera app. Why is it still so bad? I understand that they've essentially idiot-proofed their camera, but why are there no options for any manual controls at all? I find the process of filming on it, so limiting it actually hurts a quick trip over to something like film pro, and it gives me everything I need, but why aren't these manual focus shutter and ISO controls present in the native app and going a leap beyond with something like double take? It really excites me allowing you to record with both focal length simultaneously and suddenly the hardware on the iPhone 12 comes alive as a truly remarkable filmmaking tool.

And finally, let's take a minute to talk about that. Dolby HDR recording and yes you're right in thinking that I've put this in the bad parts of this video. You have to acknowledge that it is incredible that apple have managed to develop a phone with the processing power capable of capturing 10-bit HDR footage. All of this insane processing is all thanks to apple's system on a chip. Silicon and truly this represents the bleeding edge of smartphone camera technology.

My issue with it being in the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 mini, is that it seemingly misses who these cameras are actually for. The Dolby HDR footage is only viewable on compatible monitors and devices now for sure, YouTube now supports it, but again only for display on those devices that Dolby HDR supports like the iPhone 12. So if you're, a casual content creator looking to reach the widest possible audience with the least post-production work, that Dolby HDR feature is as good as useless. Now for the price point and as a standalone piece of technology, the iPhone 12 mini is incredible. I've been blown away by this little smartphone.

In truth, some headline features will be totally beyond the needs of most users and the others are limited by the software or just that tiny sensor. Behind those dual cameras. It is the best smartphone camera I've used today, but it is still a smartphone camera and from a video perspective, given anything but perfect conditions, it will capture videos that look short on iPhone now, if you've enjoyed this video be sure to subscribe to our channel, and let us know your thoughts on the iPhone 12 cameras in the comments below that's been my grab and go review of the iPhone 12 mini thanks for watching, and I'll see you next time you.

Source : 120FPS - INGAF