Apple added a setting called LOG to the iPhone, and most people either ignore it or turn it on without really knowing what it does.
If you’ve seen videos that look flat and grey straight out of the camera, that’s Apple LOG.
It’s not meant to look good on its own. It’s meant to give you more control when you edit.
This is what Apple LOG actually does, and how we use it at iPhone Creator Kit.
What Apple LOG Is Doing
Apple LOG is available on iPhone Pro models starting with the iPhone 15 Pro.
It records video in a flatter profile than the normal camera mode.
There’s less contrast and less colour, but more detail is kept in the bright and dark parts of the image.
When you play the clip back, it looks muted and low contrast.
That’s expected.
It’s doing the same job ProRAW does for photos.
Instead of deciding the look for you, it keeps more information so you can decide later.
How It’s Different from Normal iPhone Video
Normal iPhone video already has a look baked into it.
Contrast is added, colours are pushed, and the camera decides how bright and dark everything should be.
That works fine if you don’t plan to edit, but there isn’t much room to change it afterward.
Apple LOG keeps things neutral.
Highlights are easier to recover, shadows hold more detail, and colour isn’t locked in.
You’re working with a base instead of a finished result.
When Apple LOG Makes Sense
LOG isn’t useful for every clip.
If you’re filming something quick and you don’t plan to edit it, it’s easier to leave it off and use the normal video mode.
It starts to make sense when you want your clips to match each other, when you’re filming in bright or mixed lighting, or when you care about colour and plan to edit anyway.
Turning On Apple LOG
To use Apple LOG, you need a Pro or Pro Max iPhone and Apple ProRes turned on.
Go to Settings -> Camera -> Formats.
Turn on Apple ProRes, and under ProRes Encoding choose LOG.
From that point on, whenever you record in ProRes, it will use Apple LOG.
The files are large, so we only use it when we know the clip will be edited.
If you want to save space, you can also record straight to an external drive using USB-C.
What to Do With LOG Footage
When you import Apple LOG footage, it looks unfinished.
That’s normal.
At this stage, you either build the look yourself or apply a LUT.
Both work, but LUTs are way faster.
What a LUT Actually Is
A LUT is just a preset for video.
It sets the basic colour and contrast in one step. It works the same way a preset does in Lightroom, just for video instead of photos.
Instead of starting from zero every time, you start from a look that already works and make small changes after.
Use Apple LOG with LUTs for Better iPhone Video
If you’re shooting in Apple LOG, using a LUT makes editing much faster and more predictable.
We made a set of Apple LOG LUTs specifically for iPhone footage, based on how the iPhone handles colour and light.
Inside iPhone Creator Kit, you get:
- 4 graded LUTs for quick edits, with clean, natural colour (not heavy or overdone)
- 1 neutral LUT if you want to build your own look from scratch
- A short walkthrough showing how to install and use them
The idea is to give you a good starting point instead of grading every clip from zero.
The workflow stays simple:
- Film in Apple LOG
- Apply a LUT
- Make a few small adjustments if needed
- Export
That’s how we handle video for iPhone Creator Kit.
When Apple LOG Is Actually Useful
If you’re happy with how your videos already look and you don’t really edit them, you don’t need Apple LOG.
It’s not there to make your footage look better on its own.
It just gives you more room to shape the image afterward.
Where it helps is when you want more control over colour, when you want clips to match each other, or when you’re filming in lighting that’s hard for the normal camera mode to handle.
Apple LOG is just a different way of recording video.
There’s less processing and more information saved in the file.
Once you pair it with a LUT, it becomes easy to work with and easy to repeat.
That’s how we do it at iPhone Creator Kit.
We film in LOG, apply a LUT, make small changes, and export.
As simple as that!