 The iPhone 15 Pro has really changed the way we shoot the videos. Advanced camera features like external ProRes log recording allow us to capture videos with more data resulting in better quality footage than you typically get from a phone or even a dedicated camera. That's why I've made this monstrous rig that transforms the iPhone 15 Pro Max into a professional camera for cinematic video capturing. Before we get started, I want to thank Zion for sponsoring this video and making it possible. Now before you say just get a real camera, I've built this rig to meet the needs of professional mobile filmmakers and those looking for ideas to improve their mobile filmmaking setup. I think this is a great option if you own the iPhone 15 Pro Max and don't want a traditional camera. You may not need all of the accessories this rig offers, but you can search for ways to simplify it. This setup right here covers all the essential tools for cinematic filmmaking and provides a great starting point for building your own setup. Now I also wanted to test the limits of the iPhone 15 Pro Max with the available accessories and see how far we can go in terms of image quality and functionality. Now if you have seen the Apple Keynote on the M3, you might know that they shot the entire event on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Now of course they had a professional crew lighting and sound equipment but they chose to shoot it with the iPhone 15 Pro Max which speaks volume about its capabilities. The camera has gotten so good on the iPhone and I really got inspired to build my own rig that works, looks professional and is modular so that it's easy to bring along and can be quickly set up on location. Now there is a difference between someone showing up with just an iPhone and someone with a complete rig like this. It shows your clients that you are serious and that you mean business and I think this rig is worth carrying even if you don't use all of the features. So what does this rig include? Now that we have USB-C on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, this gives us many possibilities and by the way I will also leave links to all the products mentioned in the video description below. So let's start off with the universal quick release mobile phone cage by SmallRig. It has two handles on the side with a quick release mounting system perfect for handheld shots and easy removal of the handle for a more compact setup on the go. It also comes with this Bluetooth shutter for quick start and stop recording without necessarily having to touch the screen. Now what's really cool is that I can remove the Bluetooth shutter button and use this to trigger the record button from a distance. And you can see as I remove it, it also comes with this cold shoe mount for additional mounting options. Now this cage also comes with this phone clamp that securely mounts your phone or if you remove it like I have right now, you can go for a MagSafe setup for a quick magnetic attachment. Now for scenes where you do a lot of camera movement, I prefer the clamp for more stationary shots. I like using the magnetic as I can quickly set it up. Now it has 12 1.25 threaded holes and four cold shoe mounts which leaves you plenty of options to attach accessories. Now the heart of it all is the Belkin USB-C hub. It comes with four USB-C 3.2 ports and supports 100 watt power delivery. Now I attached it on top of the cage using a phone clamp and a 1.25 end-to-end screw. The power is delivered through the far left port indicating a 100 watt PD input. That's where I connected the power bank. Now to better connect the Belkin to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, I attached a 90 degree USB-C extender adapter to the USB-C hub cable. Over here, this is a magnetic power bank by anchor with 5,000 milliamp capacity, enough to charge an iPhone 15 Pro Max once. Shooting videos on iPhones requires a lot of power especially when using third-party camera apps and having a power bank like this allows you to extend your filming time without worrying about draining your phone's battery. I used this phone clamp by Ulanzi. It has a mount option for the Apple Watch which we will look at later. So I'm using this to secure the power bank and I've attached it to the culture mount on this handle. Then I connected the power bank using the USB-C cable with a 90 degree angle to power delivery input of the hub. And if I turn it on, it will start charging my phone. Now the beauty of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is being able to record your Apple Log footage externally to an SSD. So I used the Samsung T5, I believe the newest one is the T9 with 1TB of storage. Now important to remember when purchasing an SSD for video capture on the iPhone 15 Pro Max is that the external storage should have a minimum write speed of 220Mbps. Apple recommends using a USB 3.0 or higher cable. I suggest going for the 3.1 Gen2 just to be safe and should have a transfer speed of at least 10Gbps. Otherwise you'll end up with a choppy video. Now the cool part about using the Blackmagic Camera app is that it will also show you when your video is dropping frames and it's indicated by an exclamation mark. Now I'm using an SSD holder from SmallRig with a cold shoe mount to secure it which I mounted at the bottom of the cage. To prevent the cables from blocking the screen, I used these black Velcro straps to keep it in place. For audio recording, I used the wireless DJI mic. The receiver comes with a USB-C adapter that I can connect to the hub. Now additionally I used an angled USB-C extended adapter so that I can see the audio waveforms when filming myself. This way I can keep track of my audio levels. Now good lighting is essential for any video. Even with the best camera, it won't look great without proper lighting. That's where our sponsor Zion comes in. They just released the Fiverr AM20C a compact 20 watt RGB pocket LED light with professional functionalities. What caught my attention is the impressive 20 watt power packed into such a small light. It has full color RGB and HSI. The brightness and saturation in RGB mode are super impressive for its size. I can also adjust the color temperature ranging from 25,000 Kelvin up to 10,000 Kelvin. It also includes 16 light effect modes for creative lighting. Now what's really cool is that this light comes with some exciting magnetic accessories. It has a camera mounting bracket with multiple mounting solution which is awesome for expanding the rig even more. The bracket is also magnetic so you could attach it to any metal surface. And the coolest feature are the magnetic add-ons like the diffuser for softening of the light, the honeycomb grid for focused lighting, and the four-leave barn door to prevent light spillage. But if I want to, I can easily control it through the ZY Vega app or add a convenience. And the runtime of this pocket light is 40 minutes at full power. But when filming indoors, I usually don't need that much, maybe around 5 to 10 watts extending the runtime to around 3 hours. What's also great is that I can charge a light using a USB-C cable. I can really use the power bank to extend the runtime. The Fiverr AM20C is an impressive light perfect for content creators seeking a versatile and portable lighting solution. It really offers a lot of possibilities to experiment with lighting in your shots and achieve professional looking results. So I use this SpyroKrab Magic Arm by iFootage to mount the pocket light with a cold shoe mount. Now you can use any magic arm but I like this very much because it's versatile and it can easily detach light from the rig for a more modular setup. Plus, I can adjust the lighting angle so that the light hits me more from the side instead of the front, creating more depth in my video. So you're probably asking yourself how can I see myself when using the rear camera? Well if you have an Apple Watch and it doesn't have to be the newest one, also the SE from 2020 will work, you can use it to monitor yourself and attach it to this special clamp from Ulanzi. Now I don't think they sell this anymore but you can also leave it on your wrist to check your shot. Now I always found this super helpful especially when filming yourself because I can easily frame the shot and ensure I'm not getting cut out. Now this feature works with the default camera app and Filmic Pro, hopefully the Blackmagic Camera app will add that feature too. Now to achieve a natural motion blur and therefore a more cinematic look in your video, it's a good idea to be able to attach a V&D filter to your camera. Now I'm using the 52mm universal magnetic filter adapter ring by SmallRig. Now because it's magnetic I can easily detach it and attach it without having to screw on a filter all the time. Especially when filming outside having a V&D filter allows me to adjust the exposure quickly. Now if you're using a professional setup like this, it's really a good idea to use a professional video app like Filmic Pro or the free Blackmagic Camera app. Apps like these provide full control over your iPhone's camera which give you DSLR like settings. Now ultimately whether you choose a DSLR or an iPhone both have their advantage and disadvantage and the choice comes down to personal preference and the needs of your project. But it's really great to see that iPhones are becoming more and more capable of capturing high quality videos making it an affordable option for filmmakers. Now when it comes to performance you might be wondering if the iPhone 15 Pro Max would overheat with this setup especially while charging and using demanding apps like the Blackmagic Camera. So here's what I did. I recorded 4K 60fps with ProRes Log 422 HQ until the SSD was full at home using the Blackmagic Camera app. I had image stabilization on, a DJI mic connected and the iPhone charging simultaneously. And as a result the iPhone 15 Pro Max recorded smoothly without overheating problems or dropped frames. Now I did get a bit warm but I haven't experienced any problems at all which makes this a reliable setup. Let's switch on the lights, it's around 100% alright. So this how it looks like with the complete rig setup I have my lights turned on which is angled more towards the side and also help the viewers focus their attention on me. So this light is really powerful enough to also use outdoors and especially on a cloudy day like today this can really help make me pop. And I'm also using the DJI mic and the cool part is that I can also monitor the audio as I have my audio meter showing and I'm also using the Apple Watch to frame myself and start and stop recording without having to press the record button on the phone. So there you have it guys, the ultimate rig setup for the iPhone 15 Pro Max. I've done my best to make this rig as compact and visually appealing as possible. I think it can really help make shooting smoother and more efficient especially for those who want an all-in-one solution. The setup is fast as I only have to connect one cable and can magnetically attach the phone to the rig. It's perfect for making YouTube content at home or on the go and if you're shooting documentaries, events and interviews on your iPhone 15 Pro Max this rig setup paired with the Blackmagic Camera app will give you great control and flexibility. Now some of you might be wondering what solutions are out there for using an SSD with a gimbal. So I'm using the Insta360 Flow that comes with this Colchumount on this arm over here which allows me to attach this phone clamp by Ulanzi, can simply slide this in and actually works really well. The SSD is not too heavy so I can also tilt down and up as well as left and right and I can even set it up in low mode as well. So this is a really great solution if you want to use a gimbal with an SSD because I know some of you guys will ask me that in the comments. Now let me know what setup you use and if you have any suggestions on how to make this setup even better. As always guys thank you so much for watching, if you have any questions feel free to leave a comment. Thank you so much and see you in the next video.