Getting two parts of your smartphone's toolkit to work in harmony is incredibly satisfying. And since I've been trying out the iPhone 15 Pro Max, I've been discovering how the Action mode video feature introduced in an earlier phone and this model's new 5x camera work brilliantly together.
I first saw user Tyler Stalman trying out this combination to great effect, and was keen to try it myself. I love using telephoto cameras on phones thanks to the extra "reach" they provide, so trying out the improved zoom on this phone with Action mode fits with my interests.
Action mode launched with the iPhone 14 series in 2022; it gives you extra-stable video footage by accounting for movement as you record. We already know Action mode works well with the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro cameras, and it turns out it works just as well with the newest camera added to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The 5x “tetraprism” telephoto camera is a Pro Max exclusive, at least for this year. It takes brilliant photos of objects that are otherwise too far away or too small to use the regular cameras on, something which only becomes more obvious when paired with Action mode.
If you’re anything like me, you may not get good results from the 5x zoom/Action mode combo straight away. In order to compensate for motion, the iPhone drops in on your video at about 1.6 times magnification, which on a 5x zoom equates to about an 8.5x final magnification. As a result, it can be tricky to frame these videos, especially if you’ve got limited space to move around. This is why you're not seeing my first attempt at this shot, where I managed to consistently chop off the top of the My World and Your World statue by Eva Rothschild through poor aim. Fortunately, I got better.
Original version:
Action mode sample:
My best shots were of stationary subjects, the larger the better, with me moving around them or walking side-to-side while facing them. You can see the results in the videos below feature the statue of poet Sir Jon Betjeman by Martin Jennings inside St. Pancras railway station.
Original version:
Action mode sample:
The original video shows how much shake there is when trying to record with the iPhone while on the move. While the telephoto camera's optical image stabilization (OIS) can account for the movements of your hand while standing still, it can't compensate for footsteps if you're recording in normal video mode.
However, in the final version we see how well Action mode smooths out my steps. It's not quite Steadicam quality, but it's surprisingly smooth for a shot I took on the fly with zero advanced planning.
Here's another sample with The Meeting Place by Paul Day, also found inside St. Pancras railway station.
Original version:
Action mode sample:
No doubt a more skilled filmmaker with greater vision than "point iPhone at still object and hit record" would be capable of taking some very impressive clips without needing to haul a proper video camera around with them. But with a small gimbal for additional stabilization and control and the iPhone 15 Pro Max's maximum 4K resolution and ProRes recording mode enabled, any person could take a fantastic virtual dolly shot of objects near or far.
Sadly, there are some chunky iPhone 15 delays at the moment, especially when you order the Pro Max model. But hopefully, this look at Action mode and the iPhone 15 Pro Max's beefed-up telephoto lens will inspire some creative ideas in you to try out as soon as your new phone arrives.
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