The Easiest Way to Color Grade Apple Log on Your iPhone

If you just started shooting Apple Log on your iPhone, you have probably already noticed something odd: the clip looks flat, gray and a bit lifeless.

That is normal. And it is actually a good sign. Your phone is keeping more highlight and shadow detail than a normal Camera-app video. The trade-off is that it will not look finished until you grade it.

Color grading Apple Log does not have to be hard. For most people, the easiest path is a LUT made for iPhone Log, then a couple of tiny tweaks.

Why Apple Log looks flat

Standard iPhone video comes with contrast and color already baked in. Apple Log turns that off so the sensor can hold onto more information in the bright sky, white shirts, and dark corners.

Until you grade it, Apple Log (and Apple Log 2) will usually look:

• Gray and low contrast
• Low saturation
• A bit “unfinished” next to a normal iPhone clip

That flat look is the starting point, not the final look.

Which iPhones can shoot Apple Log?

Apple Log is available on:

• iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max

If the phone can record Apple Log or Apple Log 2, you are in the right place. A non-Pro iPhone cannot shoot Apple Log. A Pro that is not actually recording Log also cannot use an Apple Log LUT correctly.

Shooting normal, colorful iPhone video instead? Use cinematic LUTs for iPhone made for standard footage.

The simple fix: use a LUT

A LUT is a color look file (usually a .cube). You drop it onto Apple Log footage and it brings back clean contrast and color in one step.

Think of it like this:

Flat Apple Log → apply LUT → cinematic Rec.709-style look

You do not need to build a grade from scratch with curves and color wheels. Apply the LUT, then nudge exposure or saturation if the shot needs it.

Why iPhone-specific LUTs matter

Apple Log and Apple Log 2 do not behave like a big cinema camera. Generic “Log to Rec.709” LUTs often push iPhone footage too contrasty or too colorful, and skin can go weird fast.

LUTs built for iPhone Log are tuned for how the Pro sensor captures color, so you get cleaner skin, more balanced contrast, and more consistent results from clip to clip.

The easiest beginner workflow

1. Shoot real Log. Flat and gray means you are in Log. If the clip already looks colorful and contrasty, it is not Log — and an Apple Log LUT will not land correctly.
2. Edit in an app that loads .cube files. Strong options: Blackmagic Cam (great for monitoring or baking a look while you shoot), LumaFusion, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, and CapCut on desktop. Setup steps for each one are in our LUT installation guide.
3. Apply the LUT. One click to a clean base look.
4. Make tiny adjustments. Exposure, white balance, a touch of saturation. Stop there.
5. Export.

Quick CapCut note: CapCut on iPhone cannot load .cube files. Use CapCut on a computer, or another app from the list above.

Blackmagic Cam tip

If you shoot with the Blackmagic Cam app, you can import the LUT and either bake the look in while you record, or shoot Apple Log / Apple Log 2 and use the LUT only for monitoring. Either way, you are grading with the same Log-aware look instead of guessing.

What you gain

• Faster edits — no rebuilding the same grade on every clip
• More consistent color across a project
• Less time fighting Log footage that looks “wrong” out of camera
• A finished, cinematic look even if you are not a colorist

Want the fastest path?

The iPhone Apple Log LUT Pack is built for Apple Log and Apple Log 2 on the Pro models above. One purchase covers personal and commercial use on your own devices — apply the look, finish the video, and keep moving.

Get the iPhone Apple Log LUT Pack — one-click color for Apple Log and Apple Log 2.