iPhone 15 Pro - Best Camera Settings (Photography & Video)
In this blog I will share what I believe to be the best iPhone 15 Pro camera settings for photography and video. It must be stated that this is based on my personal use case with the phone, and it might not apply to everyone. I use my iPhone 15 Pro as a daily carry point and shoot, and while I have my dedicated cameras for when I want to focus on photography, the iPhone is my trusty everyday companion. I don’t use it for any professional or serious work. The best approach is to read this blog, take what applies to you, and discard the rest.
Know The Limitations
Before getting into details, it’s worth understanding the limitations of what an iPhone can do. While Apple is great at making it seem like the best camera in the world that can do everything, the reality is a little different. By far the biggest limitation is the small sensor size. Whatever fancy marketing wording Apple uses, and whatever AI computational 50-layer image processing software they implement, there’s no way to get around physics. To squeeze the most out of this sensor, you need to shoot in places with ample lighting. More light will result in cleaner, sharper images that are more pleasing to the eye. Lower light will prove more challenging.
This brings me onto lenses. Depending on what phone you use, you might have two or three lenses. On a Pro-level iPhone, you’ll typically have the main wide lens, an ultra-wide, and a telephoto. Keep in mind that (at the time of writing) only the main camera has the largest sensor and the fastest lens. So while the other lenses might now share the same resolution, if you want the absolute best image quality, stick to the primary lens.
Another important point is relating to the crops. Depending on your phone, you might have a 1.2X, 2X, etc. These are not physical lenses, they are digital crops of a wider lens. For example, the 2X crop is nothing more than a punched in version of the 1X lens. It goes without saying that while these can be helpful, you will be taking a hit on image quality and resolution.
Apps
I use the default app for 95% of my photography, as ultimately this is a point and shoot camera. For the 5% where I need more specific controls, the Moment camera app is great. For video, I shoot mostly in Final Cut Camera as it gives me some more control over the image.
Photography Settings
In this section, I’ll cover the essential settings you need to get the most out of your iPhone for photography. This won’t cover everything, for that check out the iPhone Photography Guide. To access the settings below, go into the Camera section of the Settings menu.
Action Button – The iPhone 15 Pro now comes with a new action button that can be programmed to different tasks. I personally have it set to open the camera in Photography mode. This enables me to switch on the camera as I’m pulling the phone out of my pocket so it’s ready to go.
ProRAW – This is the most critical setting. Make sure this is switched on to get the best quality image for editing. If you don’t plan on doing any editing, then by all means leave it off. Head into the Formats section, then enable ProRAW. You’ll also want to make sure JPEG Lossless (Most Compatible) is selected.
Preserve Settings – This section allows you to select which settings are remembered when you quit and restart the Camera app. I only enable Macro Mode, Exposure Adjustment, ProRAW, and Live Photo. Whatever changes I make to these will be remembered, all other parameters will reset to default.
Grid & Level – I have both of these switched on to help with composition.
View Outside Frame – I always switch this off, as I find it incredibly distracting when trying to compose.
Fusion Camera – Here you can change the “focal length” of the main camera. You can choose 24mm, 28mm, or 35mm. Of course, these are just digital crops of the main 24mm camera, but the quality holds up well. I personally keep it set to 28mm, as that’s what I prefer for day-to-day shooting.
Global Exposure – For this, we need to exit Settings and open the Camera app. In the top left, you’ll see a small exposure icon. You can also access it through the Control Menu by swiping up next to the shutter button. Here you can set the default exposure level.
If I’m shooting in harsh light, I might drop it to around –0.3. On dull, cloudy days, +0.3 is enough. In low light, I can drop it down to –1 to preserve highlights. With that said, leaving it on 0 will also be fine. The key here is to experiment and see what works best for your style and how you edit.
Focus & Exposure – Probably the most useful tool at your disposal is the focus and exposure lock. If you tap on the screen, you can focus and expose for that area. Tap and drag up or down to adjust the exposure level. Tap and hold to lock focus and exposure on that spot. This is great for focusing, exposing, and recomposing your shot.
Video Settings
For this we will dive back into the camera menu located in Settings.
Record Video – This is where most of your settings will be. There is no correct resolution or frame rate, as it ultimately depends on what you’re shooting, where you are, and what you plan to do with the videos. I personally shoot at 25fps in 4K. If you’re in the USA, Japan, or any other country running on 60Hz, then select 24fps or 30fps. The other two essential settings are Lock Camera and Lock White Balance. I recommend switching both of these on to prevent accidental shifts in the footage.
Formats – I select High Efficiency for the better codec and quality. If you want the absolute best image, then going for ProRes LOG will achieve that. However, the file sizes will be astronomical, and for longer takes you’d need an external drive. This is why I use the Final Cut Camera app, as it allows me to shoot in LOG without enabling ProRes.
iPhone Camera Guide
If you’re enjoying this blog and finding useful information, may I recommend the iPhone Camera Guide. It’s your one-stop resource for getting the most out of the iPhone. It goes deep into setup, settings, and techniques, and also includes a collection of iPhone-optimised presets and free lifetime updates. As new phones are released, you’ll continue to receive updates automatically. This is the most direct way to support my work and keep this blog ad-free. Thank you.
