Smartphones have been trying to replace everything from point-and-shoot cameras to gaming consoles for years. Now, HONOR wants to take things a step further by bringing a little Hollywood filmmaking magic to its latest flagship. And it’s not doing that alone. The HONOR Magic 9 Pro Max touts a cinematic imaging partnership with ARRI, the legendary German camera manufacturer whose equipment has been used in countless film and television productions.
Varun Mirchandani / Digital Trends
I got to experience this partnership firsthand during a trip to Los Angeles, where HONOR arranged a workshop at ARRI’s studio. There were professional cinema cameras, carefully controlled lighting setups, and, rather unusually, a smartphone being put through its paces alongside the big guns. Having spent time shooting with the Magic 9 Pro Max afterward, including during a trip to Yosemite National Park, I have to say that this is one smartphone-camera collaboration worth paying attention to.
A smartphone goes toe-to-toe with an ARRI cinema camera
The highlight of the LA workshop was a pair of carefully designed shooting environments. One focused on a person in a controlled lighting setup, while the other recreated a more cinematic living-room scene,
