Apple Log Video on iPhone: Pro Filmmaker Guide

Log vs Standard Video: The Difference

Understanding why log encoding exists requires a brief look at how cameras capture light:

Camera sensors capture a wider range of light than any display can show. A modern iPhone sensor captures approximately 13-14 stops of dynamic range. A standard consumer display shows about 6-8 stops. Standard video processing applies a tone curve that maps the sensor's full range down to the display's range — boosting shadows, protecting highlights, and applying color science to make the footage look great immediately without editing.

Log encoding takes a different approach. Instead of applying the final tone curve in-camera, it encodes the raw sensor data with a logarithmic curve that compresses all 13+ stops of sensor range into the video file. The result looks flat and low-contrast because the display does not know how to interpret the log curve without a corresponding LUT (Look-Up Table).

The advantage: in post-production, you have the full sensor dynamic range to work with. You can recover blown highlights, lift crushed shadows, and apply custom color grades that would destroy a Dolby Vision file. Professional cinematographers and colorists work in log for exactly this reason.

Supported iPhone Models

To enable Apple Log: Settings → Camera → Video Log → Apple Log. You can also toggle it directly in the Camera app on supported Pro models using the log indicator button.

File Sizes and Storage Impact

Apple Log uses H.265 (HEVC) at 10-bit color depth — the same codec as standard Dolby Vision. The encoding efficiency is similar, so file sizes are comparable to standard 4K H.265 recording:

Color Grading Workflow

Apple Log footage requires a conversion LUT (Look-Up Table) or manual grade before it looks correct. Apple provides official Apple Log LUTs for download on their developer site. Here is the typical workflow:

Final Cut Pro

1. Import Apple Log footage. Final Cut recognizes the log encoding automatically.
2. In the Color inspector, click the Log processing pop-up and choose "Apple Log to Rec. 709" to apply the standard conversion LUT.
3. Continue grading on top of the converted image with color wheels, curves, and hue/saturation curves.

DaVinci Resolve

1. Import footage and set the Color Space Transform in Project Settings or use a CST node in the Color page.
2. Input color space: Apple Log. Output: Rec. 709 or Rec. 2020 for HDR delivery.
3. Alternatively, import Apple's official LUT file and apply it as the first node.

Adobe Premiere Pro / After Effects

1. Import footage. Premiere will not auto-recognize Apple Log.
2. Apply a Lumetri Color effect and load the Apple Log LUT file in the Input LUT field.
3. Grade on top of the corrected image.

When to Use Apple Log (and When Not To)

Use Apple Log when:

• You are shooting a short film, music video, or commercial where color grading is part of the post-production workflow
• You are working with a colorist who expects log footage
• You have challenging lighting with high contrast (bright windows, harsh sun) where you need to recover highlights and shadows
• Your final deliverable requires a specific HDR or cinema color space

Do not use Apple Log when:

• You are shooting casual videos for family, social media, or events that you will not grade
• You will share the video directly from your iPhone without editing
• You are unfamiliar with LUTs and color grading workflows
• Storage is already a concern — log footage fills up fast

For related reading, see our guide on Dolby Vision video and storage and our iPhone video codec comparison. If your video files are consuming too much storage, see our iPhone video storage guide.