Final Cut Pro adds RAW tools as Camera app powers iPhone 17

Alongside the iPhone 17 release, and as promised, Apple on Friday rolled out major updates to Final Cut Pro and Final Cut Camera adding new features, genlock support, and more.

The updates expand Apple’s video ecosystem at a time when Adobe and Blackmagic are pushing hard into mobile-first tools. Apple wants iPhones and iPads to feel like real options for serious filmmakers, not just YouTubers with nice lighting.

The biggest changes come with Final Cut Pro for iPad 2.3. Editors can now fully work with ProRes RAW footage from supported iPhones, adjusting exposure, color temperature, tint, and demosaicing.

In practice, that means fixing blown-out skies, correcting skin tones, and keeping color consistent across shots.

The app also supports Apple’s new Apple Log 2 LUT, which helps editors see HDR footage closer to how it looked on set. Apple Log 2 expands the range of tones and colors, a clear move to compete with professional log formats like Canon Log and Sony S-Log.

The iPadOS 26 update adds a new menu bar to Final Cut Pro, making it feel more like the Mac version. Swiping from the top or hovering a pointer now brings up commands and shortcuts.

It’s a small change that could make editing on iPad faster and less frustrating.

Final Cut Camera taps iPhone 17 Pro hardware

Final Cut Camera 2.0 is built for the iPhone 17 lineup. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max can now record ProRes RAW in open gate format, capturing the sensor’s full resolution.

Final Cut Camera

Open gate recording is a popular feature in high-end cinema cameras because it leaves room for reframing and stabilization in post. The app also adds genlock, which keeps multiple cameras perfectly in sync when connected to a sync generator.

It’s a big upgrade for small productions using iPhones because multicam editing is now more reliable. The update adds Apple Log 2 recording in both ProRes and HEVC formats and supports multiple timecode standards.

Users can instantly switch to the 200mm telephoto lens on the 17 Pro Max. There are also new manual Center Stage controls with orientation switching for the front camera.

Why Apple is leaning into mobile filmmaking

Apple aims to sell hardware first, but its creative reputation depends on software. Final Cut trails Adobe Premiere Pro, and Blackmagic’s free DaVinci Resolve makes iPad competition tougher.

You can shoot on iPhone, edit on iPad, and finish on Mac. Apple is betting this convenience will attract creators even without advanced color grading on iPad.

Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro for iPad still doesn’t allow full round-trip editing with Mac projects. The subscription model costs $4.99 per month or $49 per year and competes against Blackmagic Resolve, which is free for most use cases.

Apple’s endgame

Apple Log 2 sounds impressive, but professionals are already used to log formats from camera makers with decades of experience. Convincing them that an iPhone belongs on a professional set will take time.

The vision is clear is to shoot ProRes RAW on the iPhone 17 Pro, edit on the iPad Pro, and finish on the Mac Studio. While these updates don’t make that workflow flawless, they certainly bring it closer to perfection.

Apple is targeting creators who want to travel light without giving up quality. For indie filmmakers and social media creators, the new tools could be enough.

The September 2025 updates show Apple isn’t backing away from pro ambitions. Winning over skeptical editors will take more than flashy features, though these are a solid start.

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