With the release of the iPhone, many devices went into oblivion: take the same players, portable game consoles or cameras. It would seem that in 2022, the Apple smartphone has replaced almost all everyday gadgets for us, but the Cupertino people are constantly looking for a reason to surprise us. So, the iPhone 14 has a new feature called Action Mode, which helps when recording video in motion. It turns out that Apple hints that iPhone can replace the action camera? Let’s see how it works new stabilization in iPhoneand whether it can replace real equipment for filming dynamic scenes.
What is Action Mode in iPhone 14
The iPhone 14 introduced the Action Mode function, which in Russian is simply called “Action”. This is not just a system feature: for this, the camera sensor had to be seriously improved so that it had more scanning and advanced correction for camera shifts. Thanks to this, the camera programmatically reduces shaking, vibrations and smoothes twitches. During filming the system crops the wide-angle view of the camerabut this is a feature, not a flaw.
Besides, Action Mode requires good lighting, so it works best outdoors or in brightly lit rooms. In low light, you can shoot video in Action mode, but the picture will be grainy. Can be turned on low light mode, but the stabilization level will decrease. In general, again compromises.
The function is available in the Camera application: shooting is done in 2.8K format at 60 frames per second and supports Dolby Vision HDR, so the video is of sufficient quality. Experts have already tested the new iPhone 14 camera mode and compared it with shooting with an action camera.
How to shoot video on iPhone without stabilizer
Journalists from CNET conducted their own study comparing the iPhone 14 and GoPro Hero 11: they conducted several tests of the smartphone, using it for running in the park and on rough terrain, as well as for driving on cobblestones. It turned out a lot of interesting things.
When running on flat paths in a park on a sunny day action mode on iphone did a great job of stabilizing the picture. Although, at first glance, it may seem that it works well without it.
When running with obstacles, GoPro turned out to be much cooler: the picture looks sharper and richer during jumps, thanks in large part to hyper-smooth stabilization, which is additionally customizable. The camera captured a wider frame than iphone lens.
When driving on cobblestones, both cameras shot the same way, but only at first glance: the frames from the iPhone are blurry, while the GoPro everything is smooth – it feels like the author was driving on a flat surface, only occasionally bumping into bumps. You can take a look at the work of two devices in motion here.
According to journalists, the iPhone constantly required more light for shooting, even when there was a lot of it in the apartment. But the shooting mode in low light helped out: stabilization became worse, but the picture turned out to be brighter than that of GoPro. This suggests that the professional camera is not so perfect – it has difficulty lighting dark videos.
Stabilization on iPhone 14
Generally, iPhone 14 can replace the action camera, but only based on your needs: a lot depends on what kind of content you shoot. If it’s professional, then it’s better to get a GoPro – it won’t be a shame to post a video even without editing.
In addition, the image will be more detailed due to additional system settings that are not in the iPhone 14 – they also play a role when shooting on the move. This is much more useful than trusting a feature that can only be turned on and off.
The fact that the iPhone cannot replace an action camera is also evidenced by the lack of important accessories: there are simply no holders and cases for shooting on the move on the iPhone. And those that exist for GoPro are not compatible with an Apple smartphone. And imagine how uncomfortable attach iphone to helmet instead of a camera. Add to this the lack of wide-angle lenses and the inability to shoot video in higher quality – for example, in 4K and above.
On the other hand, a smartphone from Apple is a great way to shoot a video for social networks, for yourself – so to speak, for unpretentious users, because the phone is always at hand. So Apple recently shot a branded video in which it showed the advantages of shooting on the move with the iPhone 14 Pro. Not bad, what do you think?