Field
HEIF or RAW
Settings has one choice for photos: HEIF or RAW. Both save the same kind of file, a HEIF photo with the film in it. The difference is where Field starts.
HEIF
Field takes the photo Apple’s processing makes and applies the film to it. Apple’s noise reduction, tone mapping and sharpening are already in. Sharpness in a recipe adjusts edges on top, and zero leaves Apple’s sharpening as it is.
It is the fastest and works on every iPhone.
RAW
On iPhone Pro models, Field captures ProRAW and develops it itself, like a camera’s own processing:
- Less local tone mapping. Apple brightens shadows and darkens skies locally so everything is visible. Field uses less of it, so light and shade stay where they were.
- Lighter sharpening. Recipe sharpness scales it, from none at -4 to a bit more than Apple’s at +4.
- Tuned on real captures. Exposure and tone were measured on ProRAW from an iPhone 17 Pro, not set by eye.
The result is more natural, with more depth. It takes a moment longer per photo, but the shutter stays ready and photos develop in the background.
What gets saved
One HEIF at about 24 megapixels, in Display P3, in standard dynamic range. The RAW file itself isn’t kept: at around 55 MB per photo it would fill your phone, and it would turn every photo back into an editing job.
Which one
RAW if you have an iPhone Pro and care about the most natural rendering. HEIF if you shoot fast sequences, want the smallest delay, or don’t have a Pro.