Most of us want the same thing from the iPhone camera.
Photos that look clean, natural, and not overly processed.
And because we don’t always carry a “real” camera, it’s nice knowing the iPhone can still produce something we’re happy with.
Over time we’ve tried pretty much every camera setting Apple has added.
Some help.
Some don’t.
These are the correct iPhone camera settings for amazing photos — without getting complicated.
Start with the right iPhone
To really make use of these settings, you’ll want a Pro model.
The 14 Pro, 15 Pro, 16 Pro, 17 Pro — they all work great.
They have bigger sensors and support ProRAW, which makes a noticeable difference.
You don’t need the latest one.
Even an older Pro, set up properly, can produce really solid results.
Setting up the Camera app
Go to:
Settings → Camera
Most of what matters lives here.
You can work through this as you read.
Camera Control
Leave everything as it is.
No changes needed here.
Photographic Styles
Set it to Standard.
Styles lock in a certain look, and they’re hard to undo later.
If you plan on editing your photos, a neutral starting point is best.
Record Video
Most of the time we shoot in:
4K at 60fps
It’s sharp, smooth, and great for handheld or social content.
If you like a slower, more “cinema” feel, switch to:
4K at 24fps
Keep:
- Enhanced Stabilisation → on
- HDR Video → on
HDR is much better now and looks great on modern screens.
Formats (where quality really starts)
Go to:
Settings → Camera → Formats
This section matters the most.
Under Photo Capture:
- turn on Apple ProRAW
- turn on Resolution Control
Then tap ProRAW Format and choose:
JPEG-XL (lossy)
You get the benefits of ProRAW — without massive files.
For video, turn on:
Apple ProRes
You won’t use it every time, but when you do, it’s worth it.
Preserve Settings
Scroll to Preserve Settings and switch most things on.
That way, the camera remembers how you like to shoot.
We leave Photographic Styles and Action Mode off.
Everything else stays enabled.
Composition
Turn on:
- Grid
- Level
The grid helps frame your shot.
The level keeps horizons straight.
Small change, big difference.
We turn off View Outside the Frame — we prefer only seeing what we’re actually capturing.
Fusion Camera
Set Default Lens to:
24mm
It’s sharp, consistent, and gives you a solid base for editing.
You can always switch lenses as needed.
Other useful toggles
Keep these on:
- Lens Correction
- Macro Control
- Lens Cleaning Hints
- Save Captures to Library
They help keep things consistent and avoid weird surprises.
How we actually shoot
Most of the time we shoot:
ProRAW at 48MP
More flexibility later.
If it’s something casual, or storage matters, we switch to:
HEIC at 12MP
We also usually lower exposure slightly.
Tap the EV icon at the top and set it around:
–0.7
It helps protect highlights and gives a cleaner base to edit.
Lens choices
Most photos are shot on the:
1x (main) lens
It handles light the best.
The 4x and 8x are fine in bright daylight, but not ideal in low light.
We often disable Macro Mode, because it can flip to the ultra-wide lens and change quality.
Editing workflow
Shooting is half the process.
Editing finishes it.
We use Lightroom Mobile, so everything stays backed up and syncs across devices.
Once the photos are imported, we apply iPhone Creator Kit presets — built specifically around how the iPhone processes files.
Then it’s just minor tweaks:
exposure, highlights, shadows.
Nothing heavy.
When the base photo is good, you don’t need much.
Why all this matters
These settings simply help the iPhone capture the cleanest version of the image before editing.
More detail. More flexibility. Less “over-processed” look.
Set it up once — and then just shoot.
Over time, you’ll notice photos look more natural, and less digital.
Take it further
If you want to dig deeper into things like ProRAW, Apple LOG, shooting, and editing — everything is broken down step-by-step inside the iPhone Creator Kit.
And if you want more options, the Ultimate Kit includes:
- 150+ ProRAW presets
- Apple LOG LUTs
- Full workflows
- breakdowns on composition, settings, and editing
It’s the same setup we use ourselves.
