Apple announces Final Cut Camera 2.0
Apple announces Final Cut Camera 2.0
Version 2.0 takes a giant leap forward with support for ProRes RAW and genlock on iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, as well as Centre Stage front camera on the new iPhone family.
Final Cut Camera, available for free on the App Store, leverages the powerful camera system of iPhone to bring professional filmmaking tools into the hands of even more people. For professional or aspiring filmmakers, content creators, or journalists, Final Cut Camera allows further customisation of video recordings with access to settings like white balance and manual focus. Final Cut Camera 2.0 builds on these features by introducing game-changing support for ProRes RAW and genlock on the all-new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The update also introduces intuitive new manual adjustments for the Centre Stage front camera, available on the latest iPhone family, for complete creative control. Additionally, it provides seamless integration with Live Multicam in Final Cut Pro for iPad.
Final Cut Camera 2.0 unlocks unprecedented recording capabilities on iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the first smartphones capable of capturing ProRes RAW. This allows users to record pristine RAW data directly from the camera sensor for maximum creative freedom in post-production. The update also introduces open gate recording, which utilises the full camera sensor to capture a wider field of view at resolutions exceeding DCI 4K. This gives editors ultimate flexibility to reframe shots, stabilise footage, and set final aspect ratios, all without compromising image quality or performance.
ProRes RAW addresses the substantial technical demands of high-resolution video by unifying professional workflows with a single, industry-standard format that delivers RAW flexibility with the renowned performance of ProRes. By leveraging the dedicated Media Engine in Apple silicon, ProRes RAW achieves both faster exports and smaller, more flexible files than other RAW formats, delivering an unparalleled post-production experience. In the upcoming releases of Final Cut Pro 11.2 and Final Cut Pro for iPad 2.3, editors gain precise control over iPhone ProRes RAW footage, with direct adjustments for exposure, colour temperature, tint, and demosaicing.
Final Cut Camera 2.0 also supports genlock, allowing creators to precisely synchronise iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max with other recording devices to the same reference signal, ensuring each frame is perfectly in sync. This technique lets creatives achieve professional, frame-accurate edits without hours of manual frame-by-frame alignment. Genlock API support is available to third parties and is already being used with the new Blackmagic Design Camera ProDock.
Leveraging the all-new Centre Stage front camera available on iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, Final Cut Camera 2.0 also allows users to capture images in either horizontal or vertical orientation without rotating their iPhone. The Centre Stage front camera is the largest and first square front camera sensor on iPhone, with a wider field of view and higher resolution.
Additional new features for Final Cut Camera 2.0 include:
- Support for Apple Log 2, giving users the ability to record in an even wider colour gamut in ProRes or HEVC with iPhone 17 Pro. Users can apply the Log 2 LUT in Final Cut Pro for iPad and Mac to view and edit their footage with the vibrancy of the original scene.
- The ability to enable Timecode with options like Time of Day, Record Run, or external timecode for precise identification of footage during post-production.
- Support for video capture using the new 200 mm Telephoto camera using ProRes up to 4K60 fps on iPhone 17 Pro for even more framing options.
Final Cut Camera 2.0 will be available for download or update on the App Store later this month. Final Cut Camera 2.0 requires iPhone Xs or later running iOS 18.6 or later, with some features requiring iOS 26 or iPhone 17 Pro.
Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
