We learned last month that Apple TV would be airing the first major live sporting event shot entirely on iPhone – specifically, a set of fifteen iPhone 17 Pro Max models.
A new piece has given us a behind-the-scenes look at the setup for this, with MLS, saying that it offered a number of benefits over conventional cameras – though there is a rather sizeable asterisk …
Apple first announced its plans shortly before the game.
The company said at the time that the iPhones would deliver the video quality fans expect but bring viewers closer to the action, thanks to the small form factor of the devices compared to conventional broadcast cameras.
CNET got a look behind the scenes and says that 15 iPhones were used. MLS says that eight of the iPhones were shooting through the built-in lenses, and these added the most value.
The “kind of” disclaimer is required because the lenses used on the other seven iPhones weren’t exactly the sort of thing a consumer could go out and buy. CNET said they appeared to be Fujinon Duvo 25-1000 Cinema Box Lenses, costing a cool $265k each. That’s close to two million dollar’s worth of lenses in all.
However, the benefits of more compact camera setups in certain areas are undeniable – though MLS hasn’t yet dared take feeds from the microphones of the iPhones positioned close to players and coaches, thanks to the possibility of “colorful language” during tense moments.
The full piece is well worth reading if you want a sense of how this type of operation works.
- iPhone lenses not costing $265k …
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Photo by Georgiy Lyamin on Unsplash
