6 Tips for Recording the Best iPhone Video Possible
All modern iPhone’s include excellent video recording capabilities and cameras, and while you can certainly simply hit the record button and you’ll get great video right away, there are some additional tips to maximize your video capturing experience.
Read along and you’ll be able to master record the best possible videos on your iPhone. Technically these tricks will apply to iPad too, so if you have an iPad these tips will also help you record better videos with iPad as well.
Tips for Recording Better iPhone Videos
Ready to record the best videos you can with your iPhone? Here are some tips to get started.
1: Adjust Video Resolution & Frame Rate Settings
Any vaguely new iPhone can record in 4K video, and if you want the absolute best quality video captured, you will want to record in 4K.
You’ll also want to record in the highest frame rate possible, for the best possible video.
Therefore, the best setting to use is 4K video at 60 FPS (frames per second).
Just be aware this will cause each video recorded to take up a ton of storage space, so you’ll only want to use the 4K 60FPS setting selectively when you want to capture the absolute best quality video you can get out of an iPhone.
You can adjust iPhone video settings in Settings > Camera > Record Settings.
2: Use the Camera Grid
Enabling the camera grid helps you to compose your videos (and photos), so you should enable it. This allows you to easily obey the Rule of Thirds, and to align things in your video recording.
Go to Settings > Camera > Grid > turn this ON ON
3: Stabilize the iPhone
While the newest model iPhones have Enhanced Stabilization enabled by default, older iPhone models do not have this feature at all, so you’ll want to manually stabilize your iPhone.
You can do this with your body by holding the iPhone with two hands and pulling it in closer to you, rather than extending your arms out, when recording video. If you’re really serious about recording video, you can buy a gimbal or other stabilization hardware.
The latest model iPhones also include Action Mode, which helps to stabilize video considerably even if you’re running or jumping around.
4: Make Sure the Lens is Clean
Having gunk, grime, or fingerprints on your camera lens will make the videos recorded appear murky and clouded, so make sure you wipe down the iPhone camera lenses before you start recording video.
5: Use AirPlane Mode When Capturing Important Moments
Turning on AirPlane Mode before you capture particularly important moments is recommended, because otherwise an incoming call, message, or FaceTime call could interrupt your recording or distract you while recording. You can easily toggle this on through Control Center. Focus Mode can work too, for the same reason.
6: Avoid Digital Zoom
Whenever possible, avoid using Digital Zoom, since it reduced video quality. Rather than using digital zoom, use optical zoom if your iPhone has optical zoom lenses, or simply get closer to your subject.
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And by the way, if you’re later editing your video and want to add a music track, or sound track, you can add that in with iMovie. But you can also record video while playing music from iPhone itself if you’re looking to do that, just keep in mind it won’t sound as good as a soundtrack that is added directly in iMovie or a similar video editing app.
Do you have any tips or tricks for recording the best possible video with iPhone?
The frame rate of 60 is not always the best option. I you want to make movie-like clips it’s much better to shoot 24 or 25 fps.
What is the logic with lower frame rates looking better? Is not higher FPS a smoother video that looks better?
Well – that depends on what you want to achieve. Smooth comes from high rate – correct. The thing is, if you want movie-like shots, 24/25 fps is often better, because this looks more like the “real” movies. 35/70mm film in the old cinemas was 24 or 25 fps – and moviemakers still use these rates :-)