Change camera settings in Final Cut Pro for iPad
When recording with the advanced camera in Final Cut Pro, you can control focus, zoom, white balance, exposure, stabilization, and more.
Set the frame size and frame rate
In Final Cut Pro for iPad, open a project, then tap in the toolbar.
In the upper-left corner of the camera screen, do any of the following:
Choose a frame size: Tap the Frame Size button repeatedly to cycle through frame sizes.
Choose a frame rate: Tap the Frame Rate button repeatedly to cycle through frame rates.
As you make your selections, Final Cut Pro calculates the maximum recording time based on the available storage space on your iPad.
You can also access the frame size and frame rate settings by tapping in the lower-left corner of the camera screen.
The frame size and frame rate settings are retained until you change them, even if you quit and reopen Final Cut Pro.
Note: Some settings are only available in specific camera modes.
Change the focus
When recording with the rear camera on your iPad, you can manually focus on particular subjects.
You can’t change the focus for the front-facing camera.
In Final Cut Pro for iPad, open a project, then tap in the toolbar.
By default, the camera is set to autofocus and focuses on the nearest subject. The camera can recognize people, animals, and many common objects.
Do one of the following:
Focus using a subject: Tap a subject in the camera’s viewfinder. The camera focuses (and sets exposure) based on that subject’s current location. If the camera loses focus, it reverts to the default autofocus (and autoexposure) in the center of the viewfinder.
Lock focus and exposure: Touch and hold a subject in the camera’s viewfinder to lock focus and exposure. A yellow AE/AF Lock indicator appears at the top of the screen. To unlock, tap anywhere on the screen.
Focus manually: Tap the AF button on the left side of the screen to switch to manual focus, then drag the dial to set a focal length. Tap the MF button to switch back to autofocus.
Tip: Turn on manual focus before you start recording. If you wait until after you start recording, you won’t be able to switch to manual focus.
When you focus manually, the camera maintains your manual focus setting until you switch to autofocus or close the camera. If you touch and hold a different subject while a manual focus setting is active, the camera locks the exposure to the new subject, and a yellow AE Lock indicator appears at the top of the screen.
Change the zoom level
In the Final Cut Pro camera, the current zoom level is shown as a button on the left side of the viewfinder. For example, the button is 1x if the current zoom level is 1. You can change the zoom level before or during shooting.
In Final Cut Pro for iPad, open a project, then tap in the toolbar.
In the camera screen, do one of the following:
Tap the Zoom Level button: If your iPad has more than one camera lens, tap the Zoom Level button on the left side of the viewfinder to switch between lenses (1x to 0.5x, for example).
Drag the Zoom dial: Touch and hold the Zoom Level button, then drag the dial to change the zoom level. You can affect the rate of zoom by the distance you drag.
Use the pinch gesture: In the viewfinder, pinch open to zoom in, or pinch closed to zoom out.
The camera maintains the zoom level until you change it or close the camera.
Set the white balance
White-balancing an image removes color casts and ensures that white objects in the image appear white.
White balance can also be manually adjusted to set the mood for a shot. For example, setting the white balance cooler (lower) can give the scene a colder or harsher feel. Setting the white balance warmer (higher) can make the scene feel more inviting.
In Final Cut Pro for iPad, open a project, then tap in the toolbar.
In the camera screen, tap on the right.
By default, the white balance is set automatically to create a neutral white balance for the scene.
Do one of the following:
Set the white balance using a subject: Tap a subject in the camera’s viewfinder to create a neutral white balance for that subject.
Lock the white balance to the current level: Tap the button above the White Balance dial, then tap Fixed White Balance.
Set the white balance to a custom level: Drag the dial.
Set the white balance automatically: Tap the button above the White Balance dial, then tap Automatic.
Use a white-balance preset: Tap the button above the White Balance dial, then tap a preset.
White-balance presets include the following:
Daylight (5600K)
Shadow (7000K)
Cloudy (6000K)
Tungsten (3200K)
Fluorescent (4000K)
Flash (5500K)
To close the White Balance controls, tap again.
The camera maintains your white-balance setting until you set the white balance to Automatic.
Adjust the exposure
By default, the Final Cut Pro camera sets the exposure automatically, but you can manually adjust the exposure of your image. For example, if you’re shooting indoors (with less light) and want to show the detail of a subject through a window (which has more light), you can adjust the exposure to reveal the subject outside the window.
Deliberately underexposing or overexposing can also create a certain mood or feeling in the shot.
In Final Cut Pro for iPad, open a project, then tap in the toolbar.
In the camera screen, do one of the following:
Set the exposure for a subject: Tap the subject.
Note: This method also sets the focus on the subject.
Set a custom exposure level: Tap on the right, then drag the dial. This doesn’t completely turn off autoexposure. Rather, it adjusts the automatic exposure setting lighter or darker.
To reset the exposure, tap Reset above the dial.
When you’re finished making exposure adjustments, tap again.
The camera maintains your exposure setting until you change it or close the camera.
Turn on the camera light
When recording with the rear camera on your iPad, you can turn on a camera light to illuminate your subject.
In Final Cut Pro for iPad, open a project, then tap in the toolbar.
In the camera screen, tap on the right to turn on the camera light.
The camera light stays on until you turn it off or close the camera.
Turn off camera stabilization
By default, the Final Cut Pro camera stabilizes any shakes and bumps while recording video. However, you can turn off camera stabilization to record “shaky cam” video.
In Final Cut Pro for iPad, open a project, then tap in the toolbar.
Tap in the lower-left corner of the camera screen, tap Preferences, then turn off Stabilization.
Tap .
To turn camera stabilization back on, Tap in the lower-left corner of the camera screen, tap Preferences, then turn on Stabilization.
Switch between the rear and front-facing cameras
You can switch between the rear and front-facing camera on your iPad.
Note: Some features are available with the rear camera only.
In Final Cut Pro for iPad, open a project, then tap in the toolbar.
In the camera screen, tap .
Tip: When recording with the front-facing camera, you can control whether the recorded image matches the image you see in the viewfinder or is flopped horizontally. To have the recorded image match the viewfinder image, tap in the lower-left corner of the camera screen, tap Preferences, then turn on Mirror Front Camera.