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The iPhone 13 is new Cinematic Mode has been making headlines lately with the new horizons it has opened up to the iPhone family when it comes to cinematography.
In short, this new mode uses the powerful A15 chipset and flagship series neural engine to be able to continuously recalibrate the lens aperture and focus to track a subject while shooting a video. It can also intelligently choose when to shift focus to a different subject, if the scene demands it (for example, if a person walks into a room or starts talking).
While cinematography is a highly skilled profession that requires extensive mastery in general, Apple was hoping to allow even amateur smartphone videographers to play around with professional-style filming with the cinematic mode.
One YouTuber has taken advantage of cinematic mode before, showing off his abilities
The first clip, “Falling in Love”, highlights most of the new capabilities of the new shooting mode, as the wide-angle lens does a good job of keeping the subject in focus and tastefully blurring the picture. background behind (the degree of blur is also something that can be controlled by the user). Dolby Vision HDR color grading, rendered frame by frame, definitely contributes to the impressive cinematic effect.
Stabilization can be really appreciated in some of these shots, especially since the videographer simply held the phone in the palm of his hand as he walked backwards, filming the subject continuously (as can be seen in various parts of the video).
As impressive as the cinematic mode is, some of its limitations can also be easily noticed while watching “Falling in Love” by Jonathan & Friends. For one, the maximum resolution is 1080p at 30 fps, while the iPhone 13’s camera can technically go up to the now industry standard 4k and 60 fps (yes, at the same time).
Cinematic mode is not that cinematic in low light
As can be seen throughout the second video, the camera sometimes struggles to find the right focus, as well as dealing with the difference in contrast, resulting in blurry borders and lack of clarity. around the subject’s silhouette.
However, it’s important to remember that Cinematic Mode on the iPhone 13 series is still a first-gen feature, with plenty of room for improvement going forward. Chipsets will only get more powerful, and Apple will be sure to learn and improve on the shortcomings we are currently seeing in Cinematic Mode in its current form.
