Apple Log has proven to be a very popular addition to the iPhone 15 Pro/Max and I think due to that fact there are now lots of LUTs available to color correct Apple Log.
If you've followed my YouTube channel and this website for long you know I have created LUTs for the iPhone since 2017 when FiLMiC Pro first introduced their version of log.
We've come a long way since then and now shooting log on your phone is becoming the norm more than a niche it once was - really meaning that filmmakers who otherwise would have never used a phone for any professional grade production - are now doing it (or at least exploring the idea).
So now there are lots of filmmakers and companies creating Apple Log LUTs and in my latest YouTube video I compare several from FiLMiC Pro, Dave Altizer (iLUTs), Tyler Stalman, OneLUT, LUTco (Evan Schneider) and my own LUTs. And additionally, I look at using third-party film emulation plugins from FilmConvert and Dehancer.
All the LUTs will work in pretty much any and every editing app including Premiere Pro, Davinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, LumaFusion, Capcut and more. The third-party plugins will only work in Premiere, Final Cut Pro or Resolve.
Below are links to each LUT along with some additional samples (on their websites).
It's important to remember that color grading is VERY SUBJECTIVE. There really are no right or wrong ways to do it, especially when talking from a creative perspective. Now if you're doing broadcast work or color grading a film then you'll obviously want to get the levels & colors correct and "legal" for TV, etc. - but that's not really what I'm talking about here.
Using LUTs is the easiest and best way to get started color correcting & grading Apple Log.
FiLMiC Pro Apple Log LUTs (free):
iLUTs from Dave Altizer (free):
Tyler Stalman Apple Log LUT (was free, now $5)
The OneLUT ($20)
LUT Co. from Evan Schneider ($49 or $59 depending on pack)
iPhoneographers LUTs ($12)
*UPDATE: Added an Apple Log Film Look LUT Pack now, too.
iPhoneographers Film Look LUTs ($24)
Note that several of these guys (including me) sell LUTs for other log profiles, so be sure to check those out too.
And if you're interested in the film emulation plugins here they are as well:
FilmConvert Nitrate (save 10% on both of these below)
CineMatch (not shown in the video, but great additional app)
Dehancer (Use promo code IFILMMAKERS to save 10%)
Have you been shooting Apple Log yet? If so, what are your favorite LUTs and/or color correcting & grading methods. Let me know in the comments below or hit me up on YouTube or Twitter/X.
Also, learn more about my new feature film here.
Happy filmmaking!
-BC
P.S. I bought all these LUTs myself and so this is NOT a sponsored post or video. The film emulation plugins are affiliate links.
I agree on the creative side, that it is very subjective, I disagree on the conversion side that it is at all subjective. You can read the whitepaper that apple published which gives the exact math of decoding the Apple Log signal. If you come up with a different value than they do, you are wrong, that's how math works. It's an equation that tells you how to decode a given pixels value from Apple Log to Linear space. If you do the math correctly, you will get what the camera captured on that day back. I guess part of the issue is mixing up "What did the camera capture" with "How do I want the footage to look". I…