(air whooshing) – Ahh. Okay folks, welcome back. So I’m super excited about thenewly designed LiteChaser Pro for the iPhone 13 Pro Max. And if you want to turn your iPhone into a professional camera, then this filter systemis a great option for you. For those that are new, PolarPro is a California-based company that produces high-qualityaccessories for cameras.
And I like how they strive to make the best product possible. I have done a couple of reviews on the LiteChaser Pro in the past, which are on my channel, by the way, and I can really see how theseimprovements are being put into action every year. So in this video, I wantedto take a closer look at the newly designed caseand the filter system, show you the improvementsthat have been made, and how you can use it to get cinematic results in your video. So I took the LiteChaserPro out to the test with my buddy, Anass, who ishelping me out in this video. He’s going to be shooting all of those delicious B-roll shots of me with the LiteChaser Pro.
And he also owns one for himself actually. – Yeah, I really love it. And I use my filters, and since then, Icouldn’t really remove it. – Anyway, thanks, Anass, for making me look good in the video. So before we start, I wanna PolarPro for sponsoring this video and providing me with the full lineup of the new filters and the lenses.
Now, unfortunately, Idon’t have the lenses yet since it will be arrivingin about a month. For that reason, I will be focusing onwhat I have currently, including the filter system and show you some of thechanges they have made to their new lineup. So let’s first look at the case. The case is built nicely, feels high quality as what youwould expect from PolarPro. It’s robust, which is great because I want the iPhone13 Pro Max to be protected.
It’s also MagSafe compatible, so I can charge my iPhone wirelessly without having to remove the case.It is also available inthree different colors: Black, Sage, and Glacier. And also this case works as the backbone as you will need it to mountthe filters, lenses, and grip. Now you also get a grip that can be attached to themounting points on the case, which provides more stabilitywhen shooting handheld. It also adds a little bitof weight to the camera, which is great for achieving a morenatural-looking handheld shot.
Now, the grip is well-made. It feels comfortableand fits my hand’s size. And what’s cool is that withthe different mounting points, I can change the position of the grip to suit my shooting style. Now, I generally haveit to the side like this because it allows me to shoot horizontally and also vertically. Now, if you want to filmyourself with the rear camera, you can attach the gripto the front like this and film yourself this way or that way.
But I actually prefermounting a mini-tripod and have the grip at the center. And as you can see below, you have a 1/4 screw mount, which is useful for mounting it on tripod.This way I can use it as avlogging camera, like this. Now, this is the RODE VideoMicMe-L, and, unfortunately, I can’t attach it to the side of the phone because the case blocks it. But PolarPro has nowprovided the cold shoe mount on top of the grip tomount various accessories, such as a microphone, whichhelps expand the setup.
And this is how it would looklike using the cold shoe mount with the RODE VideoMicro. There’s also a Bluetooth shutter, which I haven’t received yet. I talked about this in the previous video using the iPhone 12 Pro Max.Since I couldn’t test it out, I can’t really say if therehave been improvements made, but from the previous version, it worked well with the native camera app, but not so well with FiLMiC Pro. In general, I like how theykept the Bluetooth shutter as it allows me to shoot faster and is a more convenient wayto trigger the record button, just like on DSLR cameras, than having to use the touchscreen.
So let’s move on to their filter system. Now, when mounting thefilters on the case, it feels secure and it doesn’t fall off. I can easily leave the filters and actually also the cap on it when putting it in my pocket.This also allows me to be quicker when it comes to run-and-gun shooting. So, first, we got the CP filter, which stands for Circular Polarizer and helps cut out reflectionsof water or windows by twisting the filter.
It can also be used tobring out the colors, especially in the skies, when using it on bright, sunny days. This is also a great optionfor mobile photographers that want to get more out of their image.Then there is the 3-5 and newly 6-7 stop variableneutral density filter that helps cut out lightby twisting the filter. This way, with FiLMiC Pro, you can achieve a natural-lookingmotion blur in your video. If you’re not familiar with FiLMiC Pro, it basically turns youriPhone into a high-end camera by giving you fullcontrol over your camera.
Now, when filming in4K, 25 frames per second and having your shutterspeed 1/50 of a second without having your image overexposed, your videos already lookmore natural and filmic, and you won’t have that constantsharp look in your video. Now I would recommendgetting the VND with 6-7 stop if you plan on shootingin bright conditions. The previous model didn’t have these 6-7 variable ND filter options, so I’m happy they made it. Next on the line are the FXor special effects filters that you can use to giveyour videos a creative look.Starting with the mist filter, you have the option to choose a fixed or variable mist filter.
I would go for the variable mist filter since the fixed onewon’t give you the option to reduce the amount of light when shooting in bright conditions. So not only do you geta built-in VND filter but also a diffuser that givesyour videos a creative look. The mist filter softens the highlights and creates a haze around bright objects, creating a dream-like cinematic low. Now on our last music video shoot together with Mobile Motion, we used a mist filter thatcreated a cinematic low behind the singer, which made the shotlooked more interesting. I personally love using the mist filters since it adds depth andmakes the shot look dreamier.
So let’s look at the newmorphic streak filters. There is a Blue andGoldmorphic streak filter that adds professionalanamorphic-style flares to your shots without the need of havingto buy an anamorphic lens, which generally costs more. These streak filters create a similar look to the streak flare yousee in anamorphic lenses and are noticeable when filming against bright lightsources or reflection. It adds a uniquecharacteristic to your videos and is a popular and stylistic choice amongst mobile filmmakers. Another benefit of usinga morphic streak filter instead of an anamorphiclens is that you don’t have to use a third-party app like FiLMiC Pro since using an anamorphiclens requires you to de-squeeze the image inpost to make it look normal.
Having these horizontal lens flare can really make your videos stand out, and by simply addingin a letterbox in post, you can get that cinematicwide screen look. Important to note is thatthe morphic streak filters are compatible with the wide and tele lens on the iPhone 13 Pro Max. With the ultrawide angle lens, the lines show up in the image. Now, if you plan to use theLiteChaser Pro with a gimbal, I recommend getting a smartphone gimbal such as the M3 by Zhiyunthat has strong motors. This way you can createcomplex moving shots, and what’s great is thatyou can leave the handle on the case and use the quickrelease button on the M3 to instantly get handheldshots with the LiteChaser Pro.
So this is really awesome. The DJI OM 5 is a good gimbal if you use the iPhone 13Pro Max just with its body, but with a case and filter,you will experience issues. The filmmaking kit starts at around $125, which is expensive, but if you plan on using filtersfor your iPhone 13 Pro Max, it’s best to use high-quality glass to get the best image quality possible. I mean, you have an excellent camera that can capture 4K, 10-bit,HDR Dolby Vision in Pro Res so you might as welluse high-quality glass. If not, it’s like having good spaghetti but eating it with ketchup.
My Italian friends won’t like that. Now as for my final thoughtson the LiteChaser Pro, it is a great accessory to have, especially for mobile filmmakers that need a minimalistic setup and want to producecinematic video results. It really turns your iPhoneinto a pocket cinema camera as it not only feelsprofessional when using it, but with their creative filters, you can control and shapethe light to your preference to get the look you want.Something that I hope PolarPro will create in the future is a two-stage filter system for greater light control as you don’t have the option to add an ND to the morphic streak filter currently. I’m also hoping for a moreuniversal mount system because I think for peoplethat use other lenses, it would be more cost-effective.
Otherwise, I’m happywith what they created. The LiteChaser Pro is anawesome product to have. And if you’re someone that is looking to create high-end mobile content, the LiteChaser Pro has allthe essential tools you need. All right, folks, I hopeyou enjoyed this video. If you have any furtherquestions, let me know.
Make sure to leave a like, and hit that subscribebutton to not miss out on any of my upcomingsmartphone filmmaking tutorials. As some of you might know, I’m working on an online course called Smartphones Filmmaking that will help you create awesome videos with your smartphone.Now, if you don’t wannamiss this opportunity, make sure to sign up for the waitlist as it will be launching soon. Also, make sure to join the privateSmartphone Filmmaking group to share your work andget feedback from others. If you’re new to filmingwith a smartphone, I have a free guide available that you can download on my website that will help you getstarted making quality videos with your phone.
Now enough of the quality videos. Now it’s time for you to get out and shoot because only by practicingwill you get better. Thank you so much, guys, for watching, and I will see you guys the next time. (upbeat music).