Final Cut Camera 2.0 brings professional-grade video recording capabilities to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, Apple said Tuesday. The free app update makes Apple’s flagship smartphones the first mobile devices capable of capturing ProRes RAW footage.
Final Cut Camera 2.0 packs ProRes RAW video support for iPhone
The marquee feature of Final Cut Camera 2.0 is ProRes RAW support. It captures unprocessed data directly from the camera sensor. This gives filmmakers and content creators maximum flexibility during post-production — even more so than the original app version did. That’s because it allows for more precise color grading and exposure adjustments without quality loss.
ProRes RAW addresses the technical demands of high-resolution video by delivering RAW flexibility with ProRes performance. Apple’s dedicated Media Engine in its silicon enables faster exports and creates smaller, more manageable files compared to other RAW formats.
The update also introduces open gate recording, which utilizes the full camera sensor to capture resolutions greater than DCI 4K. This wider field of view gives editors ultimate flexibility to reframe shots, stabilize footage and adjust aspect ratios without compromising image quality.
Professional synchronization with genlock
Final Cut Camera 2.0 also adds genlock support. That lets iPhone 17 Pro devices synchronize precisely with other recording equipment using the same reference signal. This ensures frame-perfect alignment across multiple cameras, eliminating the need for manual frame-by-frame synchronization during editing.
Blackmagic Design has already integrated support for the genlock feature with its new Camera ProDock, and Apple has made the genlock API available to third-party developers.
Enhanced front camera controls
In addition, the app now supports manual controls for the redesigned Center Stage front camera available across the entire iPhone 17 lineup.
The square sensor is larger than previous iPhone front cameras and offers a wider field of view with higher resolution. So users can now capture horizontal or vertical video without rotating their device. Apple demonstrated it during the Awe Dropping event when it showed more people entering selfie shots and the camera self-adjusting to a wider field of view.
Additional professional features
Final Cut Camera 2.0 includes several other enhancements for professional workflows:
- The app now supports Apple Log 2 recording. That enables capture in an even wider color gamut when using ProRes or HEVC formats on iPhone 17 Pro models.
- New timecode options include Time of Day, Record Run and external timecode support for precise footage identification during post-production.
- The app also adds support for the iPhone 17 Pro’s new 200mm telephoto camera, capable of recording ProRes footage up to 4K at 60 frames per second.
- To complement these mobile improvements, Apple announced upcoming updates to Final Cut Pro 11.2 for Mac and Final Cut Pro for iPad 2.3, which will include specific tools for editing iPhone ProRes RAW footage with direct exposure and color temperature controls.
Final Cut Camera 2.0 requires iPhone Xs or later running iOS 18.6, with advanced features requiring iOS 26 or iPhone 17 Pro models.
Download from: App Store (version 2.0 available later in September)
Source: Apple
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
