Another interesting experiment by Michael Cioni from Strada tries to prove that the iPhone 15 Pro is capable of producing professional images just like a high-end cinema camera, by strengthening it with an anamorphic cinema lens.
iPhone 15 Pro as a professional cinema camera
Although Apple has already done this experiment when it was executed with $70,000 of professional cinema equipment. The previous experiment made by Michael Cioni from Strada demonstrated even more cinematic imagery by applying AI post-production tools/plugins like Depth Scanner in order to reduce the depth of field. Although the iPhone’s cinematic mode can do that, it lacks the professional look & feel of bokeh. Then AI tools fix that. Additionally, with the help of the best iPhone camera app, which is the Blackmagic Camera App, cinema camera-like results are very much possible. Nevertheless, let’s add an anamorphic lens to the equation to get the iPhone 15 Pro even closer to a fully armed cinema camera.
Depth and flares
The filmmaking advantages of an anamorphic lens are valid. It creates more depth, cinematic distortion, and flare. Of course, there are dedicated anamorphic lenses that can be attached to the iPhone, but they will give you the flare with the look of the iPhone. Cioni wanted to pair the iPhone 15 Pro with a true anamorphic lens, in that case, the Atlas Mercury X1.5 which covers a full-frame sensor. To do that, a bunch of accessories needed to be attached to the iPhone with a total cost of $1,000 (without the iPhone and the lens).
The project was managed by Strada who mentioned: “We really wanted to push the limits of new tech in a way that hasn’t really been done before. We put the gear together, built the set, and put the iPhone to the test”. Indeed, this setup has been delivered. Watch the demonstration below:
Conclusions?
You don’t need a top-of-the-line anamorphic lens to shoot a professionally-looking film on an iPhone 15 Pro. You’d better craft precise lighting, casting, story, and set. That will do the job. You can even use the built-in Cinematic Mode (no… you don’t need a Depth Scanner for a ‘real’ bokeh). Furthermore, in a couple of years, Apple will release (our assumption) an iPhone with a bigger sensor, better codecs, and AI enhancements. In continuation to the iPhone – RED Monstro debate, the line will fade in the next 2-3 years. But yes, the point was proved. You can get an iPhone 15 Pro, add to it $1,000 accessories, pair it with a true anamorphic lens, and shoot with it on a professional set (actors, lighting, makeup, script…all the package). You will get great results for sure.
Hmm.. Or for a fraction of the cost of any massively compromised and over priced apple product, you can buy an old slr, mirrorless camera or dslr that does not require “ai tools” or even adapters to have a far superior image to the gausian blur looking iphone portrait mode with the over sharp artifacts. …. I do understand that the novel idea of using a phone sounds great to iphone fans but the moment you look at what you need to adapt and how massive tail cinema lenses are to use, there are no advantages after having to put your phone in airplane mode to keep notifications and calls from ruining takes.. Then there are zero advantages over a using a second hand gh3 you can buy for $80.00 rather than the price of an iphone which is how much???
Tail = real.