In this WWDC 2022, macOS Ventura part of Apple introduced a new feature that can help the iPhone be used as a video camera, which may be more useful for some old Macs. The new Mac video camera quality in the past two years is pretty good, so I feel There’s no need to switch to an iPhone (unless you need two shots). In any case, foreign media have already tested this new function first, and shared a brief experience, which is organized below for your reference.
Foreign media measured macOS Ventura’s new feature that uses iPhone as a video camera
AppleInsider said that the setting method of “connecting and sharing cameras” is very simple. You only need to connect your Mac and iPhone to the same network, unlock your iPhone, and you can start using it. The icon of the iPhone as a video camera function will be displayed in the “Control Center”. After opening it, you will see that the video screen of the Mac becomes shot from the iPhone.
There are two functions in the top menu, including “video camera” and “microphone”, and users can also choose different microphones according to their needs. There are four modes in total, “Center Stage”, “Portrait”, “Studio Light” and “Desk Mode”, and the microphone can also enable “Sound Mode”. Insulation” function.
The picture below shows the effect comparison of Center Stage, Portrait mode, and Studio Light. Studio Light is turned on, which means that these modes can be turned on at the same time:
AppleInsider mentioned that the Center Stage mode uses an ultra-wide-angle lens, so the environment must have enough light to reduce noise. When Center Stage is disabled, the iPhone will switch to the main camera, and the picture quality will be significantly improved.
Portrait mode blurs the background, and Studio Light adds lighting effects to illuminate the user’s face. All three modes can be used together.
As for Desk Mode, it’s a bit awkward. AppleInsider says that depending on how you use it, the camera has to be far away to focus, so it needs enough space to see the “desk”. In their tests, the desktop The pattern must be placed about 90 cm away at a roughly 30 degree angle to focus on the chest:
Of course, both iOS 16 and macOS Ventura are still in the beta testing stage, and may change after the official version is launched.