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ProRes RAW vs. Apple Log on iPhone: Which Video Format Should You Use?

Apple Log is the more manageable choice for many graded iPhone projects; ProRes RAW suits work that needs added post-production control and can handle its storage and workflow demands.
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Choose Apple Log when you want room to grade footage without taking on a RAW workflow’s storage demands. Choose ProRes RAW when extensive post-production control is central to the project and you can support its large files, external recording storage, and compatible apps. If you need footage that is ready to share without grading, standard SDR or HDR may be the better fit.

How Apple Log and ProRes RAW differ

Apple Log and ProRes RAW are not two versions of the same recording format. Log is video encoded with a logarithmic curve to preserve more dynamic range than standard video. It looks flat and desaturated when recorded, so it is intended to be graded. Apple describes RAW as retaining image information from the camera sensor, giving you more post-production control over white balance, exposure, and color. Apple’s Final Cut Camera guide presents Log as a balance between flexibility and data demands, while RAW is aimed at maximum post-production flexibility.

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That extra flexibility is useful only if the production needs it and the rest of the workflow can handle it. RAW is not automatically a better choice for every graded project; Log may provide ample flexibility with less data and a simpler path through post-production.

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Which format fits your project?

Consideration Apple Log ProRes RAW
Grading and control Preserves more dynamic range than standard video and is intended for grading. Retains sensor image information for more post-production adjustment of white balance, exposure, and color.
Data and storage Less data-intensive than RAW, according to Apple; the reviewed Apple materials do not give a universal iPhone Log file-size figure. Apple describes the files as very large. Final Cut Camera requires external storage to record ProRes RAW.
Workflow fit A practical choice when grading matters but a RAW workflow would be excessive; Apple cites documentary, corporate, and independent work as examples. Best suited to work that benefits from extensive grading, visual effects, or substantial adjustments; Apple cites feature-film and commercial work as examples.
Capture availability Apple says Log recording in Final Cut Camera requires iPhone 15 Pro or later. Apple identifies iPhone 17 Pro models and apps such as Final Cut Camera for capture; confirm support in the exact app and post-production workflow.

These are workflow examples from Apple, not restrictions on which formats can be used for a given kind of production. Apple’s guide does not say that a documentary cannot use RAW or that a commercial must use it.

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Choose Apple Log when grading is planned but time or storage is limited

Log makes sense for a documentary, corporate video, independent production, or fast-moving shoot when you want grading latitude but need a more manageable data footprint than RAW. Plan to grade the footage: its flat, muted appearance is intentional, not a finished look.

Choose ProRes RAW when the extra control is worth the overhead

Consider RAW when a project calls for substantial image adjustments or visual effects, and your capture, storage, and editing setup supports the format. If the work will receive only light corrections, the larger files and more demanding workflow may not bring enough practical benefit to justify them.

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Choose standard video when a fast, ready-to-view result matters most

Apple describes SDR as a fast workflow with broad display compatibility and typically smaller files than Log or RAW. HDR is intended to be ready to view on HDR-capable displays. If you do not plan to grade, either may be more convenient than recording Log or RAW.

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Check your iPhone, capture app, and recording mode

Support varies by model and app; do not assume that every iPhone or camera app offers both formats. Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro specifications list Apple Log 2 and ProRes RAW. Apple says ProRes RAW can be recorded on iPhone 17 Pro models with Final Cut Camera and some third-party apps. Check current support for your specific iPhone, iOS version, capture app, and editor before planning a shoot.

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Apple’s iPhone ProRes support article covers ProRes availability across iPhone 13 Pro through iPhone 17 Pro families, but the supported features vary by model. Its listed external-recording capabilities include:

  • iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro models can record ProRes directly to USB-C external storage.
  • With external storage, the listed ProRes maximums are 4K at 60 fps for iPhone 15 Pro, 16 Pro, and 17 Pro models; 4K at 120 fps is listed for iPhone 16 Pro and 17 Pro models.
  • For those supported external ProRes recording modes, Apple’s requirements are at least 220 MB/s and a maximum power draw of 4.5 W for 4K at 60 fps, and at least 440 MB/s with a maximum power draw of 4.5 W for 4K at 120 fps. Check the current requirements for your phone and mode before choosing a drive.

Apple’s support article says ProRes files can be up to 30 times larger than HEVC files. That is Apple’s ProRes-to-HEVC comparison; it is not a specific file-size ratio for ProRes RAW versus Apple Log.

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For settings and mode limits, Apple’s iPhone user guide explains that ProRes can be enabled under Settings > Camera > Formats, with resolution and frame rate selected in Video mode. ProRes is unavailable in Cinematic, Slo-Mo, and Time-lapse modes. These ProRes recording instructions do not, by themselves, establish that the same settings or modes apply to ProRes RAW in every capture app.

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Plan for the storage and post-production workflow

Apple calls ProRes files very large and says they can be up to 30 times larger than HEVC files, but its reviewed materials do not provide a universal numeric comparison between iPhone Apple Log and ProRes RAW. Actual storage needs depend on the recording setup, so do not use the ProRes-to-HEVC figure as a Log-versus-RAW estimate.

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For Final Cut Camera, external storage is required to record ProRes RAW. Apple also documents direct-to-USB-C external ProRes recording for supported iPhone Pro models. If shopping for a drive for a particular high-frame-rate mode, check its sustained write speed and power draw against Apple’s requirements for that mode, as well as compatibility with your device. A drive meeting the speed threshold alone may not meet the stated power limit.

Before recording a project, confirm that the footage can travel through the whole workflow: the capture app must record the format, storage must sustain the selected mode, and the editing setup must support the files and adjustments you intend to make. Apple’s cited materials do not provide a complete compatibility matrix for third-party capture apps and editors, so verify the exact versions you plan to use.

A quick decision checklist

  • Pick Apple Log if you intend to grade, want more flexibility than standard video, and prefer a less data-intensive workflow than RAW.
  • Pick ProRes RAW if your work needs greater post-production control or substantial effects work, and you have compatible capture, external storage, and editing support.
  • Pick standard SDR or HDR if speed, broad viewing compatibility, or avoiding a grading step matters more than maximum post-production flexibility.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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