Another nail in the DSLR’s coffin.

Here’s Apple on the technology.

Your intrepid writer was to be seen at 2AM of a beautiful Scottsdale night (Jammies? Scotch tartan, green. Slippers from LL Bean) banging away in both JPG and ProRAW on the iPhone 12 Pro Max after installing iOS 14.3, the operating system which added ProRAW support.

Great news? My ancient Lightoom 6.4 imports the files faster than a Wall Street shyster can take your money, no questions asked. Apple uses the universal DNG file format, saving us yet another upgrade from the nasty people at Adobe and allowing what is now ‘legacy’ software to continue working fine. No monthly shakedown payment required.

Here’s the import dialog in LR for both the JPG and ProRAW files:

The import dialog.

The files after import:

The imported files.

As Apple advises, file sizes for the RAW images are much larger, suggesting you want to selectively use the technology to conserve storage space – there’s a toggle in the photo taking screen:

File sizes.

The ProRAW highlights in this extreme dynamic range image seem beyond redemption:

ProRAW highlights.

But after working the sliders vigorously ….

Slider adjustments.

….a crackerjack image emerges:

After slider adjustments.

ProRAW is not true RAW, in the sense that Apple (wisely) retains its image manipulation to provide the sharpest images by melding the best, and adding Deep Fusion where appropriate. But the results meaningfully improve on SOOC JPGs, just be prepared to work the post-processing software quite a bit. Nothing a Preset or two in LR couldn’t largely automate.

Respecting the flag.

Hand held night mode.

The iPhone presents two reticles in the middle of the screen as you hand hold it for long exposures, the idea being that you want to keep the two superimposed for best results. At the same time, and on-screen message exhorts you to keep steady. These two, combined, work well.

Imagine what Brassaï would have done with this technology.

iPhone 12 Pro Max. Hand held.

In Scottsdale. Click for the map.

iPhone 12Pro Max, 1x lens.

The American Dream fades.

Millions of Americans will play Russian Roulette with their lives, and with yours and mine, today by insisting that travel is their God-given right, denying the fact that the coronavirus affects one and all. As the ultimate superspreader event, Thanksgiving will kill hundreds of thousands of Americans who were too selfish to wait a matter of a few months until preventive vaccines come to market. Their victims will include the blameless who stood by and watched in disbelief and were unlucky enough to get infected by these sub-human beings.

This is not the America to which I immigrated in 1977. It is, rather, a collection of selfish bigots who care nothing for their neighbors and think only of short-term gratification for themselves, and hang the consequences.

American morons.

The America of my dreams no longer exists. And while Rockwell’s fine painting includes a message of white dominance, everything else about it is admirable. I wonder, would this cadre have piled onto a virus infected aircraft back in 1950?

The America of my dreams is no longer a reality.

So, give thanks …. and keep your fingers crossed.