Swiss Rig sr RAW App Lets the iPhone Shoot CinemaDNG RAW Video

Aug 21, 2024

Jaron Schneider

A smartphone screen displaying a camera app interface with a photo of a tram and a classical-style building in the background. Text reads "The world's only RAW Cinema Camera for iPhone" alongside a red logo with film reel graphics and the text "sr RAW.

Vienna, Austria-based Swiss Rig announced the sr RAW Cinema Camera app, which it claims is the first to bring RAW cinema recording to the iPhone.

While video recording options in the base iPhone app and other higher-end apps have improved a lot recently, Swiss Rig says that even those that take advantage of Apple ProRes and log color space have an issue where recorded video “bakes in” unwanted image characteristics such as sharpness, noise, ISO, white balance, and tones. Since these are are permanently attached to the file, editors will therefore be limited when it comes to post production options and as good as footage can look, Swiss Rig says they still look like they were shot on phones.

By comparison, sr RAW uses a custom capture engine to encode unprocessed image sensor data from the iPhone and write 14-bit RAW CinemaDNG files along with, synchronosly, an uncompressed stereo WAV audio file. It also creates a smaller, lightweight field proxy to make editing easier. The company claims that the resulting RAW footage provides “unparalleled color grading” capability and works well with DaVinci Resolve’s native integration for RAW video editing.

A smartphone screen displaying a camera app interface capturing a large historic building with classical architecture. The building has a prominent column and dome, and is reflected in a body of water in the foreground. Various camera controls and settings are visible.

A smartphone screen shows a recording of a historical statue of two soldiers in period uniforms, one wearing a tall hat. The screen displays recording options, including resolution, exposure, and focus controls, with a red record button at the bottom center.

“Not only the easiest and most accessible RAW cinema camera ever designed, sr RAW is also the lightest and most convenient for a completely breathless filmmaking experience,” Swiss Rig says. “sr RAW is made for filmmakers, content creators, professionals, enthusiasts, students and first time RAW cinema shooters. sr RAW aspires to be at the vanguard of the New Wave of RAW cinema so that everyone, everywhere can craft their unique look for every cinematic story they have yet to tell.”

The company says it has taken “years” of research and development to create the sr RAW app, including taking into consideration the opinions of filmmakers, designers, engineers, and creators.

“RAW is cinema, cinema is life: the truths it tells, the diversity of its looks, the creativity it supports. RAW cinema revolutionized Hollywood twenty years ago. But until now, it still hadn’t spread to your everyday camera that’s always in your pocket. We didn’t know exactly how crazy an idea it was…but just like with making a film, having the right cast and crew, the right team, makes all the difference in achieving what at times seems the impossible. We can’t wait to see people’s creativity expressed in new ways with new diverse truths told 24 times a second using sr RAW,” Cortlan McManus, Swiss Rig’s CEO, says.

Image of a smartphone screen displaying a video recording interface while capturing footage of a Ferris wheel against a partly cloudy sky. The Ferris wheel has red gondolas, and the screen shows recording indicators and a manual focus button.

A smartphone screen shows a video recording interface with a tram passing in front of an ornate and historic building under a cloudy sky. Various icons, including zoom controls, 24FPS, and a manual focus button, are visible on the screen.

The sr RAW app is designed to work with the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max and footage is compatible with post-production tools that natively support lossless cDNG workflows. The app is available starting today in a few different options. The Everyday Edition is a free but will only capture footage in low-resolution 480p; Swiss Rig says it’s meant to allow anyone to try it out to see how it works with their workflows. The Plus Edition includes 720p and 1080p resolutions for $4.99 a month or $19.99 a year (during the initial launch period; the eventual pricing was not shared). The company intends to launch a Pro Edition that will likely support 4K and that will launch sometime in Q4 this year. Swiss Rig intends to support future iPhone models too.

Image credits: Swiss Rig