Apple has updated Final Cut Camera with a collection of new tools aimed squarely at iPhone filmmakers, including support for the iPhone 18 Pro’s variable-aperture camera.

Final Cut Camera 2.4 is available as a free software update starting September 29. The update brings a redesigned interface, easier access to manual controls, new exposure and focus tools, and additional professional video features enabled by iOS 27.

The headline addition is support for the variable aperture on the iPhone 18 Pro’s 48MP Fusion Main camera. It is the first time an iPhone has offered physical aperture control, and Final Cut Camera now gives creators direct control over it when recording video.

On the iPhone 18 Pro, the Main camera can switch between four aperture settings: ƒ/1.48, ƒ/1.8, ƒ/2.8, and ƒ/4.0. The wider ƒ/1.48 setting allows more light to reach the sensor, while the narrower settings can provide greater depth of field.

Final Cut Camera lets creators manually dial in the aperture or use aperture-priority and shutter-priority shooting modes. That gives filmmakers another way to control exposure and the visual character of a shot rather than leaving the camera to make all of those decisions automatically.

Apple is also expanding what can be done with Cinematic effects. Regular video recorded with Final Cut Camera can now take advantage of Cinematic mode effects when edited in Final Cut Pro, including footage recorded in ProRes and Apple Log. Creators can adjust focus points and depth of field after recording, giving them more flexibility during post-production.

The app itself has been redesigned from the ground up. Apple has made commonly used controls such as shutter angle, ISO, and white balance easier to reach, while customizable overlays provide additional information while filming.

Those overlays include false color and clipping indicators for judging exposure, while improved focus peaking now includes a sensitivity control. A new tally light also makes it immediately obvious when recording is underway.

Apple has added a small but useful viewfinder gesture, too. A two-finger tap clears the viewfinder so creators can concentrate on the image without the surrounding controls getting in the way.

More professional monitoring tools arrive with iOS 27

Final Cut Camera’s update goes beyond the iPhone 18 Pro’s aperture system. With iOS 27, Apple is adding tools designed for more demanding production environments.

Creators can now monitor footage using an RGB Parade and histogram. The RGB Parade separates the red, green, and blue channels, making it easier to evaluate color balance and exposure while shooting.

The update also introduces clean SDI output. When paired with an HDMI-to-SDI converter, the iPhone can send a clean video signal for broadcast-quality streaming workflows.

Genlock offset support is another addition aimed at multi-camera and professional production setups. It allows creators to compensate for image artifacts that can occur when recording a display, as well as latency differences between the iPhone and other genlocked cameras.

Together, these features push Final Cut Camera further away from being simply a manual camera app and closer to a production tool for creators who want tighter control over the entire shooting process.

The timing is particularly interesting because the iPhone 18 Pro already introduced the hardware needed to make variable aperture useful. Apple’s new 48MP Fusion Main camera offers aperture settings ranging from ƒ/1.48 to ƒ/4.0, while the Camera app itself also provides manual aperture, shutter-speed, white-balance, and histogram controls.

Final Cut Camera 2.4 builds on that hardware with a workflow designed specifically for video. For iPhone 18 Pro owners who actually want to use the new aperture system as part of a controlled filmmaking setup, this update makes the feature considerably more useful.