Summary
Apple Log LUTs are conversion LUTs that transform iPhone Apple Log footage into Rec.709, the standard viewing colour space for most delivery. They restore the contrast and colour that Apple Log deliberately holds back, while preserving the dynamic range you shot for, so you end up with a clean, balanced image that is ready to grade. The Apple Log LUTs pack includes 5 Apple Log to Rec.709 conversion LUTs in .cube format plus a step-by-step installation manual, for $14.00.
What Are Apple Log LUTs?
A LUT is a lookup table: a file that maps every input colour value to an output colour value. A conversion LUT does one specific job — it takes footage recorded in one colour space and gamma curve and translates it into another. That is exactly what these do. They take Apple Log, the flat, low-contrast recording curve your iPhone uses to protect highlight and shadow detail, and translate it into Rec.709.
Apple Log LUTs — ProRes Log to Rec709 Conversion is a $14.00 pack containing:
- 5 Apple Log to Rec.709 conversion LUTs — five different transform options so you can pick the one that suits the shot rather than being locked into a single fixed result.
- A step-by-step installation manual — written instructions for getting the LUTs loaded and applied in your editor.
- .cube files — the universal LUT format, readable by essentially every grading tool that supports 3D LUTs.
Because they ship as .cube, they work in Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Avid Media Composer, LumaFusion, CapCut, and any other app that supports .cube LUTs. If you are new to the format, our guide on the .cube format covers the basics.
Why Apple Log Footage Looks Flat
The first time you drop Apple Log clips on a timeline, they look washed out, grey and desaturated. Nothing is broken. That is the point of log.
A standard video profile bakes contrast and saturation into the recording. It looks good straight away, but it throws away information at the top and bottom of the exposure range to get there — blown skies, crushed shadows, no way back. Apple Log instead records a much flatter curve that distributes tonal information more evenly across the file. Highlights hold their detail. Shadows stay open. Skin tones sit in the middle with room to move.
The trade-off is that log is not a viewing format. It is a storage format. You are meant to transform it before anyone looks at it, and the conversion LUT is the tool that does that transform. Our walkthrough on how to convert iPhone Apple Log footage to Rec.709 goes through the process end to end.
Conversion LUTs vs Creative LUTs — and Why Order Matters
This is the single most important thing to understand, and it is where most people go wrong.
A conversion LUT belongs first in the chain, before any creative look LUT. Always. The conversion LUT expects Apple Log data going in. If you put a creative look in front of it, the log data has already been altered, the conversion is now operating on something it was never designed for, and the result is crushed blacks, clipped highlights and colours that will not respond to correction.
The correct order is:
- Conversion LUT — Apple Log to Rec.709. This normalises the image.
- Primary correction — exposure, white balance, contrast, saturation. Get the shot neutral and balanced.
- Creative look LUT — the film emulation, the teal-and-orange, the bleach bypass. Whatever style you are after.
- Final trims — secondaries, power windows, vignettes, sharpening.
Think of it as translation before interpretation. You translate the language first, then you decide on the tone of voice. Creative packs like CineFilm Cinematic Film LUT Pack are built to sit on an already-converted Rec.709 image, which is exactly why the conversion has to happen upstream of them.
| Conversion LUT | Creative Look LUT | |
|---|---|---|
| Job | Translate Apple Log to Rec.709 | Apply a stylistic grade |
| Position in chain | First | After conversion and correction |
| Expects | Untouched Apple Log | Corrected Rec.709 |
| Interchangeable? | No — tied to the source curve | Yes — swap freely for taste |
| Skippable? | No, if you shot log | Yes, it is optional styling |
Which iPhones and Apps Are Supported
These LUTs are built for Apple Log footage from:
- iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max — the first models to record Apple Log.
- iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max
- iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max
Footage shot in the native Camera app or in the Blackmagic Camera app is supported. If you are still working out your capture settings, our guide on exporting ProRes 422 from your iPhone covers getting the highest quality file off the device before you grade.
One thing worth saying plainly: these are Apple Log transforms. They are matched to that specific curve. Standard iPhone video, HLG, or log from another camera brand will not convert correctly through them, because the input the LUT expects is not the input it is receiving.
How the Workflow Looks in Each App
The principle is identical everywhere — conversion first, everything else after. Only the menu paths change.
- Final Cut Pro — add the Custom LUT effect to the clip, load the .cube, and keep it at the top of the effects list in the Video inspector.
- DaVinci Resolve — drop the .cube into the LUT folder via Project Settings > Color Management > Open LUT Folder, hit Update Lists, then apply it on your first node in the Color page.
- Premiere Pro — load it in Lumetri Color > Basic Correction > Input LUT, which sits ahead of the Creative section by design.
- After Effects — use Effect > Utility > Apply Color LUT, or Lumetri Color, as the first effect in the layer's effect stack.
- Avid Media Composer, LumaFusion and CapCut — each supports .cube LUTs; load the conversion as the first colour operation on the clip.
Whatever the app, the test is the same: is the conversion the first thing that touches the pixels? If yes, you are set up correctly.
Getting the Most Out of Them
- Expose properly on set — a conversion LUT translates what you gave it. It does not rescue two stops of underexposure. Log is forgiving, not magic.
- Try all five — different scenes respond differently. Compare the five conversions on a real shot rather than defaulting to the same one every time.
- Correct after converting, not before — white balance and exposure adjustments behave predictably once the image is in Rec.709. In log they do not.
- Dial back if needed — most apps let you reduce the intensity or mix of a LUT. A slightly lighter conversion can leave more room for a creative look on top.
- Stay consistent across a project — pick one conversion per scene so shots intercut cleanly, then vary the creative grade if you need to.
Treat the conversion as the starting line, not the finish line. The grade happens after it.
Conclusion
Apple Log gives your iPhone genuine latitude, but only if you finish the job. A conversion LUT is the bridge between the flat file your phone recorded and the image an audience actually sees, and putting it first in the chain is what keeps everything downstream predictable. Apple Log LUTs — ProRes Log to Rec709 Conversion gives you 5 .cube conversion LUTs and a step-by-step installation manual for $14.00, and works in every major editor including Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Avid Media Composer, LumaFusion and CapCut.
FAQ
Q: What exactly do Apple Log LUTs do?
A: They convert iPhone Apple Log footage to Rec.709, restoring contrast and colour while preserving the dynamic range of the log file, so the image is clean, balanced and ready to grade.
Q: Should the conversion LUT go before or after a creative LUT?
A: Before, always. The conversion LUT expects untouched Apple Log data. Put it first, do your primary correction next, then stack the creative look on top.
Q: What is included in the pack?
A: 5 Apple Log to Rec.709 conversion LUTs in .cube format, plus a step-by-step installation manual. The pack is $14.00.
Q: Which iPhones does this work with?
A: Apple Log footage from iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models, shot in the native Camera app or the Blackmagic Camera app.
Q: Which apps can I use them in?
A: Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Avid Media Composer, LumaFusion, CapCut, and any app that supports .cube LUTs.
Q: Do I still need to grade after applying one?
A: Usually yes. The conversion gives you a neutral, balanced starting point. Shot-to-shot exposure and white balance trims, and any creative look, come after it.