Since the introduction of Blackmagic Camera for Android by Blackmagic Design, the company has been updating the app, not only expanding compatibility with more smartphones, but adding feature an correcting bugs. This version, Blackmagic Desing says, works with foldable devices as the Samsung Flip 5/6, Samsung Fold 5/6, and is also compatible with Xiaomi 13T.
This update adds support for recording timecode with clips which allows customers to quickly synchronize video and audio in post production and to use recordings from multiple cameras in a multi-cam edit with timecode sync. The update also adds anamorphic lens de-squeeze functionality and lens correction settings as well as support for off-speed and time lapse recording. Owners of smartphones as Google’s Pixel 6, 7, 8 and 9 will now be able to record at higher frame rates including 120fps and 240fps at 720p and 120fps at 1080p.
Blackmagic Camera unlocks the power of the phone by adding digital film camera controls and operating systems. The company claims that “now customers can create the same cinematic ‘look’ as Hollywood feature films. Customers get the same intuitive and user friendly interface as Blackmagic Design’s award winning cameras. So it’s just like using a professional digital film camera. This means customers can adjust settings such as frame rate, shutter angle, white balance and ISO all in a single tap. Or record directly to Blackmagic Cloud in industry standard files up to 8K. Recording to Blackmagic Cloud Storage lets customers collaborate on DaVinci Resolve projects with editors anywhere in the world, all at the same time.”
Blackmagic Camera has all the controls needed to quickly setup and start shooting. Everything is interactive, so you can tap any item and instantly change settings without searching through confusing menus. The heads-up display, or HUD, shows status and record parameters, histogram, focus peaking, levels, frame guides and more. Show or hide the HUD by swiping up or down. Auto focus by tapping the screen in the area customers want to focus. It’s also possible to shoot in 16:9 or vertical aspect ratios, plus you can shoot 16:9 while holding the phone vertically if you want to shoot unobtrusively. There are also tabs for media management including uploading to Blackmagic Cloud, chat and access to advanced menus.
The Blackmagic Camera media tab has all the controls to browse or scrub clips for quick review, search and sort and view the upload status of their media. Customers can also link to their DCIM folder and select clips to upload to the Blackmagic Cloud. Simply access media from Blackmagic Camera’s all clips folder by choosing the Media button to see the thumbnails for each clip that has been stored. Customers can save their media to the my files folder on the phone, send it to Blackmagic Cloud Storage via Blackmagic Cloud or manually choose which clips to upload to a project library. Customers can even sync media from Blackmagic Camera directly into a DaVinci Resolve project so users are ready to edit and color grade.
Here is some more information about the app, describing the updates in more detail:
Blackmagic Camera records an HD proxy in addition to the camera original media. The small proxy file can upload to Blackmagic Cloud in seconds, so media is available back at the studio in real time. The ability to transfer media directly into the DaVinci Resolve media bin as editors are working is revolutionary and has never before been possible! Any editor working anywhere in the world will get the shots! If customers have multiple cameras, then the new multi source feature in DaVinci Resolve’s Cut page will show each camera angle in a multi-view. Blackmagic Cloud is a revolution in global post production workflows.
This update adds support for time of day timecode so now when customers are shooting with multiple android phones, Blackmagic Camera lets them keep their footage perfectly in sync. Now each phone can start and stop recording independently, while storing perfect timecode sync in the file metadata, allowing powerful multi camera workflows for music festivals, weddings and interviews. Best of all, using the sync bin feature on DaVinci Resolve’s cut page, will use the timecode automatically find and sync the shots from all cameras so customers don’t need to waste time sorting through thousands of shots!
Multi-cam editing using the sync bin is the world’s fastest and most innovative way to select the perfect cutaway when doing multi camera shoots. Using the time of day timecode, sync the clips shot on multiple phones at the same time. Just select the sync bin icon and DaVinci will find all clips that sync to the timeline and display them in a multi-view. Simply scroll up and down the timeline and customers will see all the clips that sync to the point in the timeline so they can pick the best cutaway. Then click the view with the mouse and then adjust the in and out points to select the perfect cutaway. Customers can use the source overwrite edit mode to add this selected clip to the timeline, perfectly synced to the clip below.
“Blackmagic Camera for Android has been incredibly popular since it was launched in June this year,” said Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. “We are excited to be able to continue expanding our support of Android phone models so even more customers can experience the same great controls for shooting digital film as our professional cameras. Plus, with the addition of timecode customers can use the Cut page sync bin to create a multi-cam edit faster than ever before.”
Blackmagic Camera for Android 1.3 Features
- Support for recording timecode with clips.
- Support for anamorphic lens de-squeeze.
- Support for higher frame rate recordings on Pixel devices.
- Support for off-speed recording.
- Support for time lapse recording.
- Support for adjusting the audio gain.
- Works with Foldable devices: Samsung Flip 5/6, Samsung Fold 5/6.
- Works with Xiaomi 13T
Blackmagic Camera App for Android 1.3 is available now as a free download from Google Play.