iPhone Self-Tape Setup: Settings That Match a Mirrorless Look

Shoot on the 1x main camera, not the ultra-wide and not the selfie camera. The ultra-wide distorts facial features at self-tape distances; the front camera has a smaller sensor and softer detail.

If your model has a 2x or telephoto option and your room allows the distance, it produces the most flattering compression of the three.

• 1080p at 30 fps (or 25 fps if you are in a PAL region and casting asks).
• Turn off HDR video — casting's players often render it washed out.
• Lock AE/AF by tap-and-hold so the exposure never breathes when you move.
• Turn off Cinematic mode; the fake background blur breaks around hair.
• Grid on, so your headroom stays consistent between takes.

The onboard mics are two metres from your mouth in a typical frame, which means the room dominates. A $25 wired lav removes the single most obvious tell of a phone tape.

Check levels by recording ten seconds of your loudest line and listening on headphones — never on the phone speaker.

Send the original file rather than sharing through a messaging app, which re-compresses heavily. If a size limit forces compression, export H.264 at around 8–10 Mbps for 1080p — visually identical, roughly a third of the size.