Topic: iPhone 12 - Anyone Else In?

[guitard]

Making the move up from an iPhone 7 Plus - just ordered an iPhone 12 Pro Max (w/ 512GB storage).  I ordered it through Apple and got a 10% military discount, so total with sales tax was $1,334.54 ($1,259.00 + tax $75.54).

As is often the case in pre-release advertising, the camera on this phone is supposed to be a "game changer."  Many of the reviews back this up though.

My primary motivation for getting this phone is that I really like the idea of being able to shoot decent quality video at shows where they don't allow point-and-shoot cameras - but do allow smart phones.  There have been a few times in the last year when security told me to put my point-and-shoot cam away during the middle of a show -- but I was still able to get the rest of the show with my iPhone 7 Plus.  But the video I got with the 7 Plus in a concert setting, while it's certainly better than having nothing - still left a lot to be desired; even at 4K.

I opted for the largest storage size (512GB) so that I can shoot lots of video and not have to immediately remove it (in other words: I'm kind of lazy about removing large files from the phone).

Will it be a game changer for shooting concert videos?  Hopefully!  But we shall see.

I opted for in-store pickup - which will be at the Apple Store on 13 November.

[perks]

I thought about ponying up for the 12 but decided to settle for an 11 because it was only $300 when I made the purchase last week. I certainly can see spending the extra dough if I needed a superior camera. The camera on the 11 is so much better than the 6S it is replacing or the 7 I use for work I’m going to be happy just to upgrade. I’m looking forward to seeing what people can capture with the 12 and it’s 3 cameras.

[Chrisedge]

My buddy ran out of juice on his HX9V during a U2 shoot we were doing in 2018, and he shot the rest with his iPhone XS, and it looked way better. His only issue was he zoomed in a few times and that didn't look great, but just as a 1x or 2x shoot, they work great.

[Niels]

I don't have an iPhone 12 nor do I film at concerts, but find that my iPhone 8 is amazing at video in normal light but also quite impressive in in difficult lighting situations.
One thing I have found I can't do without is a dedicated video recording app. FilmicPro or MoviePro makes a huge difference in complex situations. Locking the exposure and focus or adjusting the white balance, adjusting frame rate to avoid light flickering etc. It is easily worth the price tag of the apps.
4K video does seem to suck a lot of power and using the lightning port for a powerbank blocks it from being used for mic input.
Do you expect the 12 to have enough juice for a set? - and what do you plan to use for microphone?

[guitard]

One thing I have found I can't do without is a dedicated video recording app. FilmicPro or MoviePro makes a huge difference in complex situations. Locking the exposure and focus or adjusting the white balance, adjusting frame rate to avoid light flickering etc. It is easily worth the price tag of the apps.

One of the few apps I've ever payed for is FilmicPro, and I agree it makes a big difference when filming a concert.  Although, with the iPhone 7 Plus it was more of a, "what would have looked like shit, looks sorta OK" when filming with FilmicPro.  Hoping and anticipating that the 12 Pro will look way better.

4K video does seem to suck a lot of power and using the lightning port for a powerbank blocks it from being used for mic input.  Do you expect the 12 to have enough juice for a set?

I think with a full battery, you can get pretty close to two hours maybe?  Word of caution, in one of the cases where I was shutdown early on with my point-and-shoot, I pulled out my iPhone and shot probably an hour and a half of video.  During the end of the encore, I could see that I only had a tiny bit of juice left.  I should have bit the bullet and stopped shooting video, but I let it go.  It ended up shutting off on its own and corrupting the video.   I could play the video back on my phone, but pulling it off from the phone was a nightmare, and after I finally did get it, it was pretty much impossible to get any program to accept the file (it wouldn't open in Vegas Video, VLC, etc.). 

what do you plan to use for microphone?

I always record audio separately with a high quality audio recording rig.  So other than having it as a reference for syncing alternate audio, I'm not concerned about the camera's audio or its audio recording capability.

[guitard]

My buddy ran out of juice on his HX9V during a U2 shoot we were doing in 2018, and he shot the rest with his iPhone XS, and it looked way better. His only issue was he zoomed in a few times and that didn't look great, but just as a 1x or 2x shoot, they work great.

This has me wondering about the possibility of shooting video with a point-and-shoot and simultaneously getting a stage shot with my iPhone.  It would be rough holding on to both at the same time though.  There's gotta be a way though!

[audBall]

I am upgrading from a 6s to 12 mini. Figured it was about time now that my current battery is going and apps aren't as snappy as they once were. It's been a great phone for the last ~5 years or so.

I am looking forward to the upgraded camera - didn't need the quality or size of the larger 12 models. The home button and headphone connector will be missed, but same general size and larger screen area will be welcomed, facial rec aside. 

[jnorman]

One thing to remember about iPhone 12 Pro Max is that only the 1x (main) camera has the larger sensor, so for best results, stick to just that cam and do not use any digital zoom.