In the film industry, directors always try to get the perfect shot as they want, and they use different types of cameras for that. One of the cameras used in F1 uses Apple technology. This is not a usual GoPro or any other action camera. As Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, said while promoting the F1 film for Apple TV+, the camera they use is an iPhone.
Why Can’t Other Normal Cameras Do This
Directors of this film, Joseph Losinski and Claudio Miranda, wanted real footage rather than animated one from an actual F1 race. But the problem is that the built-in cameras, which are used for action shots or broadcasts, can’t capture high-quality movie shots. They shoot in lower quality, and the video format they use is not suitable for cinema editing. That’s why Apple steps in. They created a new camera module. It is using the iPhone camera sensor, Apple A-series chip, and other internal parts.
What do We Get Inside This Custom Camera?
On the outside, this is not like an iPhone at all. It looks like a typical F1 camera. It was created in that way to stop avoiding the car’s performance. But inside, it is a whole pack of Apple’s tech. The same 48-megapixel sensor found in the iPhone 15 Pro is here, and there is a processor, it is an A-series one, most likely the A17 Pro chip. These things are packed inside a small housing.
- Also, this camera has,
- An iPhone battery
- A ND (neutral density) filter. It is for managing brightness on sunny outsides
- A custom version of iOS
- It supports ProRes videos and LOG formats. This gives more flexibility to editors when they have to do colour grading
This camera doesn’t have wireless features. So, for the control purpose, Apple used a custom iPad app. When using the camera has to connect to the iPad via USB-C. And from it crew can adjust settings like angle, frame rate, brightness, and exposure. They can also start and stop the recordings with that app.
Built for Real F1 Races
Apple makes sure this camera is capable of shooting in real F1 race conditions, not only in controlled studio environments. Means this camera can survive situations with high vibrations, heat, and speeds. As per the reports, it performed better than the standard required from Formula One. The filming happened during real-world F1 races, and it happened during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Other wise making an F1 situation in real life is far harder and can’t get the authentication look the directors want.
Impact on iPhone Users
Building this new camera not only changed the film industry but also improved the iPhone. Thanks to this new camera, Apple added features like LOG video encoding for the iPhone 15 Pro. Also, it supports the ACES means Academy Colour Encoding System. It is a professional colour workflow used in movies.
This is a great example of how Apple tries to make its user experience good each day. By helping to make a movie, they also get a new feature for their precious iPhone and get a phone with a new camera, which gives excellent videos to the users.
This new camera shows that great storytelling and engineering can go hand in hand. Experts say improvements in smartphone cameras and cinematography open doors for many people to start making films at a low cost. Also, it doesn’t remove proper equipment from the shooting sets either. Even though we don’t go to shoot a film, it is really amazing to capture day-to-day life moments exactly as they are, and the iPhone’s new camera is here to give us that feeling.