Behind the Lens: How Apple Developed a Unique iPhone Camera for the F1 Experience

You can’t just slap a camera onto a Formula One car and expect great footage. Apple faced this dilemma with the filming of their upcoming F1 documentary. The director, Joseph Kosinski, and cinematographer, Claudio Miranda, wanted to use real driver’s perspective racing footage. However, the onboard cameras used in F1 broadcasts deliver their own unique quality, making it hard to integrate into the film seamlessly.

To tackle this, Apple’s engineering team created a custom camera using parts from an iPhone. This new camera mimics the original broadcast module in shape and weight, ensuring it wouldn’t impact the car’s performance. Inside, though, it’s a different story.

This custom camera includes an iPhone sensor and is powered by an A-series chip—likely similar to the A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro—used in several cars during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. It also has an iPhone battery and a neutral density filter to control light exposure better.

Apple’s team understood they had to contend with extreme conditions, from high speeds to intense vibrations. They rigorously tested the camera, which even exceeded F1’s specifications.

Interestingly, this camera runs on iOS with custom firmware. It captures videos in log format using Apple’s ProRes codec, allowing for detailed color grading during editing. This technology has led to new features in the iPhone 15 Pro, including log encoding and support for the Academy Color Encoding System (ACES).

Without traditional radios, they created an iPad app to make real-time adjustments like frame rate and exposure. This setup allowed the filmmakers to customize as they filmed. Clips from this custom camera appear throughout the documentary, showcasing its innovative use.

This approach is a glimpse into how technology can merge with sports. With experts noting the increasing role of tech in sports production, Apple’s innovation may set a new standard. According to industry trends, immersive experiences in sports media are gaining popularity, suggesting that what Apple has created could inspire future projects.

As technology advances, it will be exciting to see how filmmakers continue to push boundaries in storytelling, especially in high-speed sports like Formula One. You can learn more about Apple’s original content at their official news site.

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