- This is our 2021 roundup and review
of the best camera apps for iPhone and iPad right now.
And after testing them all out, I'm gonna share
my top recommendation.
The number one app that I'm using on iOS right now and why.
Hey, it's Justin Brown here from Primal Video,
where we help you grow an audience and scale your revenue
with online video.
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a huge difference.
And all the links to everything I mention in this video,
you'll find linked in the description box below.
Let's jump into it.
Now with a quick app install, you can easily unlock a ton
of advanced functionality to take your results even further
when you're filming with your iPhone.
But there's a lot of apps out there to choose from.
And they're certainly not made equal.
So we're gonna skip through the ones
that aren't worth your time and we're gonna jump straight
to our short list of the top options.
Now, each one has their advantages and disadvantages,
including different features, levels of complexity
and pricing models.
So make sure you're sticking around as we run through
each one to make sure you're getting the one
that is the best fit for you.
So the first app on our shortlist
is called ProMovie Recorder.
And this one has a really simple,
really intuitive interface.
There's no need to dive into menus upon menus
to unlock all of the advanced settings as most of the things
that you want access to are right on that main screen.
To do things like lock down your focus and exposure,
you can just tap on the areas on your screen.
Or you've got full access to all of those things across
the bottom of your screen.
So if you wanna say, adjust your shutter,
you just tap down the bottom.
And then on the right-hand side, you get your shutter speed
adjustment that appears.
And you can easily see at any time, if you do have any
of those settings locked down or manually set,
because there'll be a red line under each one
of those settings.
Now, one thing I think that's a great addition in here
is the built-in exposure meter down the bottom
left-hand corner.
Again, this is something that you normally only see
in actual cameras, but this gives you quick access
to see if your shot is exposed correctly.
Now when you do jump into the settings, you'll see
that there's also support for things like anamorphic lenses
and even the ability to connect this up
to an external display.
Now, I also like that there's really quick access
for changing your recording quality and settings as well,
right from the front screen.
And that even though you can't set a specific bitrate
for your video quality, it at least tells you what
the bitrate is for the preset settings
that you've got access to.
Now, this is something that some of the other apps don't do.
Now in terms of the downsides or the things
to be aware of, while this app does pack a punch and does
have a lot of features in there, it's definitely not
as advanced or as feature rich as some of the other options
that we've got coming up.
And the other thing that I've noticed is that some of
the app icons actually get cropped off on the side
of the screen.
So not a deal breaker but it's something to be aware of.
Now in terms of pricing, there is a free version
of this app available but it does have a watermark
on any videos you produce.
So you're better off paying for the unlocked version,
which is only gonna set you back $2 99.
So ridiculously cheap considering what you're getting
access to.
So I would say this app is a good option for someone
who is looking for simplicity, but still looking
for a decent step up from the built-in apps on our phones.
If you're someone who's looking for more advanced features
and more control, then that's where of the next apps
are going to be better suited for you.
So the next app is FiLMiC Pro.
Now this is one that we've spoken about quite a bit
on our channel.
And if you're interested in seeing a full step-by-step
walk through on how to use and how to set up FiLMiC Pro
then I'll link that up in the cards.
So FiLMiC Pro is a really clean, simple,
easy to use interface with all the information
that you need easily accessible.
So while you're filming with just a quick glance,
you can access all the information you need.
Including stuff like your battery level, the amount
of storage you've got left, your volume levels
and volume controls, and you can also easily bring up
overlays while you're recording.
Like focus peaking and zebra lines.
It's also got a really simple menu system.
Some of the apps out there you've gotta dive into menus
upon menus to find stuff, you don't have that issue
with FiLMiC Pro.
In terms of usability, it's really easy
to do things like lock down your focus or your exposure
just by tapping on those areas on the screen.
Or if you wanna dive into some more advanced,
granular controls, then again with another press button,
you're able to access those at a moment's notice as well.
So again, this is way smoother than some
of the other options out there.
It's also got probably the largest hardware support
of any app as well.
For things like external lenses or gimbals and stabilizers.
And just like Movie Pro, if you are gonna be using
anamorphic lenses, it's also got the desqueezing capability
built in as well.
But FiLMiC Pro also gives you access to eight different
aspect ratios that you can either use as guides
to overlay while you're filming, or you can also crop
to these guides.
Meaning that your end video that you're gonna be saving out
is actually recorded in that aspect ratio.
You also have the ability to make and save presets.
So you could have presets for when you're shooting in 4k,
maybe 24 frames per second.
Maybe another preset for 4k, 60 frames per second,
or 1080P, slow-mo.
Again, all to speed things up while you're actually
creating content.
And again, just like ProMovie Recorder, FiLMiC Pro also
has clean HDMI output capabilities too.
But in terms of monitoring and remote control,
FiLMiC Pro also has a FiLMiC remote app that you can get
and install on an additional device.
Meaning that you can remotely control and monitor your
primary filming device from a second device too.
Now, while there's lots of white balance and color settings
adjustments already inside of FiLMiC Pro, you can also
pay to unlock this cinematographer kit.
Which will give you access to additional color profiles,
like a log and a flat color profile.
All to again, give you more control over
your end video output.
And there's also an additional app by FiLMiC
called DoubleTake.
And this will let you record multiple cameras
from your device at the same time and switch between them
while you're recording.
So that's not really something I can see myself using
but it's a pretty cool feature.
Now, in terms of the downsides or the things
to be aware of in terms of recording quality,
specifically the bitrate, when you go into settings
to make adjustments to it, your options are economy,
Apple standard, FiLMiC quality and FiLMiC extreme.
With obviosly, FiLMiC extremem being the best quality
that you can record at.
But it doesn't specifically tell you what the bitrates are
for each of those preset levels.
And the only other thing, which again is really minor,
is the volume level slider bar is actually pretty hard
to find unless you know where it is.
So pro tip, it's right down the bottom in the middle
of your screen.
And that's something we've had a lot of comments around,
people not finding that.
Now in terms of pricing, FiLMiC Pro currently sells
for $14.99 in the App Store.
If you wanna unlock the cinematographer kit
that is an additional in-app purchase of $13.99.
And for the FiLMiC Remote app, that's gonna cost you $9.99.
But know that you can get bundles in the app store
for a cheaper rate.
The next app on the shortlist is MAVIS or MAVIS.
And this one I would say, is hands down
the most professional app when it comes
to filming on your iPhone.
You'll see immediately when you open the app,
the amount of features and control that is in here.
This really mimics what you would find on a professional
camera, in terms of all the scopes and monitors.
But even the way that the buttons look, they really do mimic
what you would find on a real camera.
So this is not the most intuitive or the easiest to use app.
It is gonna take you some time, especially if you're
an absolute beginner to this stuff, to find your way around
and to get up to speed using it.
But if you ask someone who is on that more professional end
of things, you'll feel right at home pretty quick.
Now, if that primary interface is a little overwhelming,
or you wanna free up some of your screen real estate
for when you're actually recording, then you can press
the button down the bottom left-hand corner, and it will
give you a more minimalist look.
It's gonna shrink everything down and give you
a much cleaner interface.
Now, in terms of the settings and the menu area,
there really isn't too much in there where you can
get bogged down or overwhelmed in that area.
But I think that's because a lot of the functionality
is driven from that front main screen.
Now in terms of hardware support, it's definitely
not up there with the likes of FiLMiC Pro but you can pay
to unlock integration with the Zhiyun smooth for gimbal.
Now in terms of pricing, the app itself is actually free.
But to unlock a lot of the more advanced features
and controls and things you will need to purchase either
the individual unlocking packs for the settings
that you'd like to unlock.
So there's a pack for unlocking the gimbal support,
timecode, pro tools, recording formats,
and even viewfinder settings.
Or you can unlock everything in a bundle for $17.99.
So unlocking this app is really where the power comes in.
You'll be able to use things like the focus peaking,
like the expanded focus for manual focusing assistance.
You'll also be able to specify any frame rate.
Anything from three frames per second, right up
to 240 frames per second.
And yes, there's presets in there for all the standard
frame rates but you can actually dial in whichever
framerate you'd like.
And you'll also be able to specify your bitrates
for recording anything from 10 megabits per second,
right up to 100 megabits per second.
So I think this is an amazing app.
Definitely aimed at the more professional side of things.
I think an absolute beginner is just gonna be overwhelmed
and lost in here.
But if you're looking for the most professional toolkit
that mimics what you would find on a lot of professional
cameras, then Mavis could be the one for you.
Now there's one more app that I just had
to mention in this video.
The more I used it, the more I loved it.
And that app is called Protake.
Now this app, I think is a really interesting one.
It packs a punch in terms of the advanced features
and functionality that it has.
It probably doesn't have as many features as FiLMiC Pro
or as MAVIS.
But what it does have is some new additions,
which are actually pretty cool.
The overall interface is something that's again, really easy
to use, really intuitive.
I'd say it's probably a mix of ProMovie Recorder
and FiLMiC Pro.
It's definitely not as complicated as MAVIS.
But there's also essentially four different modes
that this app can run in.
You've got your default camera mode, which is auto.
Where a lot of your pro functionality is just hidden
from the main screen.
You've got the pro mode, which is kind of a hybrid between
what you see on FiLMiC Pro and in MAVIS.
You've got a dual recording mode, which is the equivalent
of the DoubleTake app for FiLMiC Pro.
Where you can record two cameras at once or as one
video file with both cameras combined.
Either as a picture in picture or as a 50/50 screen split.
And the other mode that you've got is called portrait mode.
So you can think of this like portrait mode for when you're
taking photos on your camera but this is for video.
So what it's gonna do is add that shallow depth of field
or that blurry background look to your videos.
And there's two options that you've got for doing this.
The first mode is called visual, and this is where it's just
done with their AI technology to work out what should
be blurred and what shouldn't.
Or the other mode, which I think is really cool,
is the LiDAR mode.
So it's using the LiDAR detector to actually sense
and measure the depth in your shot.
So it's getting you much more accurate results as
to what should be blurred in the background of your video.
Now, I was actually pretty impressed when I was playing
with this.
The results definitely aren't perfect but they're pretty
damn good considering what it's doing.
And when you're in this portrait or blurry background mode,
you actually get to choose the amount of blur that you wanna
have happen as if it's mimicking the F-stop
on a real life camera lens.
Now as for some of the other features, you've got a built-in
beauty mode.
Which is something that you've kind of seen
on Samsung phones for quite a while.
Where you can adjust the smoothness of your skin,
your chin size.
You can also make adjustments to your eye circles,
iris and teeth.
Maybe there's hope for me yet.
But beauty mode aside, in underlooks there's lots
of different filming profiles or looks
that you can apply to your videos as well.
So for example, you've got Log C, Alexa 709, a vlog preset
and lots of other ones in here to choose from.
Now in terms of hardware support, there's support
for the Zhiyun gimbals, anamorphic lenses
and depth of field adapters.
And there's also a cool feature in here where you
get notified while you're recording if there are
any dropped frames.
Now in terms of pricing, this is another one where
the app itself is actually free but it is a restricted
or limited experience.
To unlock everything this one is a subscription model
where you need to pay $19.99 per year to get access
to it all.
But what that also means is you can download
the free version and have a play around before you commit
to the subscription.
So I think Protake is a bit of an interesting one.
It's definitely not on the level as FiLMiC Pro or as MAVIS
in terms of professional features.
It's got a lot of that stuff built in as well.
But it's also got the extra stuff in there,
like the blurring background feature, using LiDAR and having
that dual camera recording built in.
All while it's got a pretty simple,
pretty intuitive interface.
So those are the top apps on my short list.
Now if I had to pick one overall winner, it is gonna go
again this year to filmic pro.
I really think it is the best mix of advanced features,
functionality, professional grade tools in an easy
to use interface.
It's quick, it's easy to open up the app
to get up and running, to save your presets
so that you're not setting everything up
from scratch every time.
I really think it is a great, really powerful app to use.
But I will say the one that's probably excited me
or intrigued me the most and is probably pushing
the boundaries the most in this space, is Protake.
So well done and I'm looking forward to this video
again next year to see how it stacks up.
So now that you have your camera app sorted,
if you're looking to level up your entire video
creation process, then check out the video we've got linked
on screen, taking you through the ultimate filming process
to get the best results when filming on your iPhone.
And I'll see you in the next one.