6 Quiet advances for creative pros

1) Fast-charging = less time waiting

Although the iPhone 8 ships with the standard iPhone wall adapter we are all familiar with, you have the option to buy a USB-C adapter and use it to charge your iPhone. This allows charging up to 50% in 30 minutes, which is especially helpful if you’re on the run and just need to juice up quickly on a shoot.

Note: You’ll need the 29W USB-C Power Adapter and this USB-C to Lightning cable.

2) Half-size files = double the media on your phone and in iCloud

Thanks to the HEIF and HEVC formats, your media now consumes about half the storage as before. This means more photos and videos can be stored locally on your phone, and double the content can be stored in your iCloud. Cool!

Note: This can be switched on and off in Settings > Camera > Formats.

3) Lock camera mode

We now have the option to lock the camera into a shooting mode so that if you close the Camera app and return to it later, the previous mode will be maintained. This is especially helpful if you are shooting a film and only want to shoot video. Instead of switching from Photo back to Video every time you open the Camera app, it will stay in Video mode.

To turn this feature on, go to Settings > Camera > Preserve Settings > Camera Mode.

4) Toggle the blur

You can now toggle Portrait Blur Effect on and off in post. If you decide you don’t like the blur, turn if off by viewing the image and then tap the yellow “Portrait” button at the top of the screen.

5) The “smarter sensor”

During my briefing with the Apple team, they mentioned I should expect to see improvements in how the iPhone 8 Plus meters for specific scenes like sunsets and concerts, and they also mentioned it should focus more accurately on fast moving objects.

I asked them if they had given these improvements a name and their answer was simple: “It’s a smarter sensor.” I noticed these subtle improvements every time I shot the sky and in the tack sharp images I captured of birds in super low light. It’s hard to describe with words, but it is a smarter sensor, indeed.

6) iOS 11: Dedicated Camera Settings

In iOS 11, there’s now a dedicated settings menu for “Camera,” which, to me, essentially means we’re headed in a direction where we have and will have enough power user controls over the camera to garner its own section. This direction is great news for serious creative pros and we’re seeing it across all iOS devices.