In the last two years, there has been an interesting development — more and more broadcast stations are using the iPhone and so are filmmakers. There is a reason behind it: Video on the iPhone has improved to the point that filmmakers can shoot entire films on the device. That’s where the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max come in — they are a delight for videographers (and also photographers).

On the iPhone 16 Pro Max, we are not looking at a bunch of specifications around design, size and weight because after so many iterations of the iPhone, the company can’t go wrong in these departments. We will talk about what makes videography and photography special on the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Not only can the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max record 4K 120fps slow motion video, it can do so with little effort

Ultra capability

First off the bat, I’m an iPhone 15 Pro Max user, which means I have used the previous device for a year. So what are the camera updates?

Let me talk about the ultra-wide first. It is now a 48MP Quad-Bayer sensor instead of 12MP. We are still getting the same f/2.2 aperture or essentially the same kind of light gathering but now we get that extra detail. When you do macros, you can get very close. Having more resolution on the ultra-wide means getting more details in every shot.

It, of course, helps improve image quality, especially in well-lit conditions but also in low-light scenarios. Overall, the camera has improved quite a bit.

Understated big update

The main camera has something unique. On paper, it looks similar — 48MP and f/1.78 aperture. But it now has twice the readout speed or 4K@120fps. This has huge implications for video and maybe for photography as well because the phone can shoot extra frames and then stack them computationally. So, there is more to choose from. We should get better dynamic range, sharpness and stabilisation.

iPhone 16 Pro (Max) offers a natural colour palette

Apple is promoting 4K and 120fps because these are terms most of us understand. We know what 4K means and many know the benefits of 120fps. When these two sets of numbers come together, it’s supposed to be magic.

First, Apple has planned out iOS 18 well to offer enough control over the 4K@120fps mode. What is more important is that the mode has full dynamic range. You won’t see anything clip in the highlights or lose colour information.

When you are recording with a standard camera app and disregarding Apple ProRes Log format, file sizes are manageable and HDR looks impressive. The disadvantage is when you shoot 4K@60fps (or higher) in ProRes Log, file sizes are massive and a good quality fast external storage is required.

A new format

The feature that not many are talking about involves going deeper into ProRAW settings or taking photographs without any processing. Head over to the camera and formats to take a look at RAW settings. There has been the ability to shoot ProRAW Max (up to 48MP). But look at the file sizes. It can be 75MB for a 48MP photo (JPEG Lossless). What’s brand new are the JPEG-XL Lossless and JPEG-XL Lossy options. What you can use is 48MP JPEG-XL Lossy, which will result in 20MB photos. These are RAW files in terms of full dynamic range flexibility and white balance. You are able to move colours around in post-production just as much as in the bigger files.

In case you are not familiar with RAW, a regular HEIC 24MP file comes with all the built-in sharpening using the standard profiles, which is a “normal” iPhone 16 photo. I can also use a larger resolution HEIC photo. It’s 48MP and has more detail but all of that sharpening may not appeal to photographers.

Now move to a DNG file (48MP) and zoom in: It strips away the oversharpening; the details are there but post-sharpening gets removed. Let’s go a step further: The new JPEG-XL Lossy format has all the flexibility that you would usually get from a RAW file but in a smaller size. It will help to take the Pro game further. RAW gives you the best image quality possible.

The Pro camera can capture more light

Photography Styles

Apple has gone deep with the new set of Photography Styles, which are not filters. When you dig into them you will find something called undertones. It is smartly designed: These are meant to target skin tones and there is something smart going on.When you shoot in HEIF you can go back and change the Photographic Styles later. There is one option that is most useful: When you look at the tone setting, slide it down to 0.5 and photographs will look amazing. It takes away some of the over-processing but leaves a bit of contrast. Photographs look as if they have been shot on a dedicated camera. Another Photography Styles that deserves recommendation — Amber. There is no right or wrong answer about how to process a photo but Apple has done a brilliant job with Photographic Styles.

Listen to the sound

The next feature is a game-changer. When we shoot with a smartphone, we usually use an external microphone in public spaces to get clear sounds. That is where Audio Mix comes in. It allows you to make a change to the way your audio sounds.

Shots taken in low light or at night show very little grain

There is a new set of digital processing that helps change the quality of audio afterwards. For example, if you choose In-Frame, you can hear everything that is in the frame of a video. If you keep talking and at the same time move the camera away, the audio changes to reflect what is visible in the frame.

If you have persistent noise (which is generally the case on Indian roads), switch over to Studio, which tries to remove all the noise around you. But the usage of the mode can be better applied if you are in a more or less controlled space, like your room. You can remove certain noises to make your voice sound as if you are doing a podcast.

And then there is Cinematic Mix: It brings the voice forward in the mix, so that it’s louder but you can still hear the ambient noise.

Camera Control

The new highlight of the iPhone is supposed to manage your camera. Camera Control doesn’t just launch the camera or take a photo: It can help you move through all the different settings. I love having dedicated features and buttons… anything to make the camera easier to access. The Control offers a good feeling and it tells you when you are pressing it lightly or firmly. There is a haptic response as feedback.

Using the Camera Control, you can access a handful of settings like exposure, depth of field, zoom, cameras, styles, and tone

At first, for 30-odd minutes, I kept launching other settings on the inside of Camera Control. At times, I went from negative 0.3 under to 0.1 under a little too fast. And since I have chubby palms, I thought I would press against the Camera Control all the time. The more I use it, the better I am getting at it.

Edit on a bigger display… and longer

We now have larger displays — 6.3-inch on the iPhone 16 Pro and 6.9-inch display on the 16 Pro Max. Sure, the displays go to 2,000 nits of peak brightness but it’s enough to compose a shot easily.

On a related note, battery life has improved. I have been shooting a lot of 4K@120fps and editing on the phone, yet I am left with 30 per cent battery life at the end of the day. And if you shoot photos only, you may end up with 40 per cent battery life.

Charging time: Wireless charging through the MagSafe charger is quite a bit faster and it almost gets up to wired charging speeds. The USB-C wired charging speed is the same as before.

Make the call

The iPhone 16 Pro Max continues the titanium story. It’s a premium material that feels good in the hand. Besides being lightweight, it can weather drops better. With titanium, you can hold the phone to your ear longer. The 16 Pro Max comes with a slightly larger display and it is far more tougher than the previous generation.

The heart of the Pro Max is kept beating by the A18 Pro chip. Obviously, I don’t have to mention that all apps work seamlessly on the device. What is more important is tackling the question of whether or not it is going to replace the PlayStation, Xbox or Switch? It will take a few more years to reach that point but Apple is in the right direction here. We need plenty more AAA games on this device. Already games like Alien Isolation, Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Resident Evil 4 are playing well. Another thing to notice here is that the phone doesn’t get hot and doesn’t throttle, which has been the biggest downside to smartphone gaming in general.

Many wouldn’t realise the level of change the iPhone 16 Pro Max is bringing for professional creators. If you shoot photos like most people do, that is, point, shoot and upload, then iPhone 16 is enough to get the job done; there is very good image quality.

The 16 Pro supports advanced file formats, including ProRAW and HEIF, in addition to jpeg

Things have changed with the Pro, especially in terms of video. With the coming of Apple ProRes Log, the demand for iPhones has increased substantially. You now have a cinema-friendly camera, ensuring the iPhone fits into all of our workflows. Now you can shoot for multiple formats at one go — social media, website or YouTube and TVs. The wider shots look fantastic and fall in the same category as full-frame cameras. Nobody will ever notice that the footage was shot on a phone… well, almost nobody because Mr Spielberg could be watching. It never used to be like this: A few years ago we would sneak in a few iPhone shots but only if that was very important.

Apple Intelligence? Of course, it’s there on the entire iPhone 16 series but more of that in a future article as and when more AI-driven features become available in the next few weeks.

When you combine everything, it’s obvious that Apple continues to think differently, with the iPhone 16 Pro Max being made for pixel experts.