9 Reasons Why Blackmagic Camera + iPhone 15 Pro = The Dream Team 

I honestly could not believe it became a subscription model. It immediately deterred me from every wanting to use it. I was originally going to download the Moment Camera app for a small 6-7 bucks until I saw Blackmagic coming in hot!

No wonder I this year use that app can not use without subscription…..

Happy to hear you enjoyed the content and presentation! I will continue to do my best. Thanks for subbing!

iSecond! Great work!

thanks awesome dude

Something tells me that BM may not be able to have access to the Cinematic mode and bring it into their app, especially with Apple Log tacked on. Apple may hold that one with a death grip.

Honestly when Blackmagic announced this App. I was completely confused. But then Apple released Apple LOG for iphone 15 pros and suddenly it all made sense. Blackmagic way ahead of the game right now!

If you think that is annoying, this app with a $300 housing replaces kit that cost $3,000 when I was shooting.

I have full confidence they will have a fix soon based on their Davinci Resolve frequency of updates. As they update stuff I will probably have a running report of each revision and see whats new and what's fixed.

@@TLDR_filmmaker I half solved the problem but it still doesn't work as it should. So, I created a LUT in davinci resolve and converted from gamma 2.4 to HDR 1000 nits it is only to monitor the image on the display correctly

I use Cp3 too. The advantage BM has over Cp3 is BM allows external recording to whatever folder/drive you want. Cp3 only allows internal recording. 😢

Very excited to see how BM continues to mature the app! Very interesting about Cp3 not being able to record to external drives, I wonder why?

@@ShannonRawls Cp3 has been updated. It now supports Apple log and external recording. I feel Cp3 has better exposure controls and scopes vs the BMD app. The scopes are rather useless on the BMD app right now since apple Log has a middle gray at a really high IRE. Zebras really don't work at all for 18% or 90% and the false color is very limited. We need BMD to add a false color where it can adapt or we can add custom IRE levels and colors.

Same 👍 I initially paid for Filmic Pro and First Light a few years ago at £37, sorry I did tbh...I prefer CinemaP3

@@ShannonRawls That could change soon Shannon.

Welcome to the Apple side! You're most welcome. Can't wait to see how they further develop this app as Apple continues to add more video features into future iPhones!

Same here!

Thats great to hear that people with the iphone 14 pros can now get the 4k prores internal! I did not know that, thats awesome!

That is a win!

Thank you so much for the kind words. Glad you enjoyed this video!

Pretty crazy right?!

You're most welcome! Their first update already fixed the issues I talked about here and added more features! By the time you get your phone in November you will be off to the races!

.... oops lol

Seriously, I was still in the trial period before paying for the other one. BM nailed it with this one. Just got the 15 pro last week. Bought a cage and a mic and will use it instead of my LUMIX cameras in some cases. Thanks for the video. New sub!

Hey hey! Correct, if the AF is not focusing on the object you want. You tap that object and BMCapp will go into manual focus mode in that moment. It will not Track the object unfortunately. I hope subject tracking will be something that BMCapp develops. I will be talking with Blackmagic and NAB to tell them what features they need to begin advancing on the app. For talking head videos you do not need to tap anything. Just leave it in full AF. I believe it is using Apples own face subject tracking and will generally look for faces to lock onto unless you present it with an item in the very close foreground. I shot a short film a couple months ago where it was just me acting in front of the camera with 95% of the shots being AF. It tracked me automatically. Here is the short film in question: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_oKeOkWU5_A.html Hope this helps

@@TLDR_filmmaker thanks for the feedback! ill just leave it at AF

exactly my thoughts! please make a comparison :) @TLRD_filmmaker, great content

Hub does NOT need to be powered. I’m using one now with RODE wireless pro & an SSD at the same time. No power.

thats not what other testers are saying.. maybe your ssd enclosure doesn't need much power.. is the bandwith sufficient for 4k 60 prores log without drop frames?@@ShannonRawls

@@danilo2567 yes. 4k60 pro res, easily. You might be correct. Because I am using the smallest SSD on the market. The Netac ZX20 2TB.

My Apple LOG Prores vs H.265 is in the works :) The h.265 Apple LOG footage you saw in this video is use the same lut as my Apple LOG LUT video. I know they are different shots so you can't see a true side by side. But as far as I am seeing right now there doesn't seem to be too big of a quality hit when using the same LUT between Prores and h.265. I'll have a more official comment as I continue to test and push each test footage and grade.

Aloha! At this moment it doesn't seem they have have that focus speed feature, but it could come as we keep letting them know what features we want!

@@TLDR_filmmaker Mahalo! Thanks again for all the great info. Hoping they add this feature, but even if not, this app is fantastic.

It really is!

So glad this video was helpful! Enjoy!

That's what I keep hearing. I don't have an android phone to do a shootout unfortunately. Does the S series just give you stuff like ISO and Shutter and better codecs to work with?

4444 was removed when it was discovered that it held no benefit against 422hq. So it was just a larger file with no advantages.

I am curious about that Apple ProRes 4444. Is it really recording all that information or do you need an external monitor to get/use that extra information.

I'm currently gathering my tests on the 4444 vs the other codecs to see for myself as well. Will have a upcoming video of my results and findings :)

Thanks

Blackmagic already released v1.1 update that addressed some issues. I haven't updated just yet as I finish out some final testings of the original version. For ProRes capable phones, 4444 was removed. Though based on my tests, the 4444 did not seem to be true 4444. So it made sense to just remove it as there was no gains to filming in that codec.

Glad you enjoyed this video and that you're able to utilize it with your Atem Mini ISO! As new iphones come out in the future I could see people snatching up old iPhone 15/pros and having a nice easy multi-cam setup!

Check out my video about that here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JpO06mdN7mk.html

@@TLDR_filmmaker thank you so much

Definitely download it! Which phone are you getting?

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I have a feeling that Blackmagic may only develop their App for specific popular Android phones with decent camera lenses. And the cheap android phones may have a universal set of basic features. That's my guess as its probably in their interest to branch out in both parties. iPhones is easier for more app developers to develop for because of the very limited hardware thats in the eco system. Android, when it comes to apps like these, the hardware used spans pretty far.

@@TLDR_filmmaker the problem is most (all?) android phone makers refuse to open up the Camera's API to developers the why Apple does with the iPhone so there is almost nothing a 3rd party app like this can do and often such apps ONLY get access to the main camera that's one of the reasons I moved from Pixel 2 to iPhone 13.

Use motioncam

That... is the smartest thing I've heard. Why does this not exist? Who wouldn't want a little Blair Witch action haha. I just uploaded a features wishlist for Blackmagic. I'm gonna add this in there!

So glad the video was helpful! I used an accessibility feature on the iphone that lets me use a wireless mouse to control the phone. I'll be doing a tutorial on it soon. Stay tuned!

Better waaaay better.

the BM app has multiple stabilization options depending on what you need. It does do quite a good job.

Hands down the best! Can't wait to see what other features they continue to add!

I talk about how I did that in this video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cxYFa0o8t8s.html

I myself will be running some very DIY tests to see if I can get any answers myself. All the footage from my Apple LOG video and here were shot at its lowest ISO. I did do a night test with it and boy does that Noise really come in when you jack up the ISO haha. Now just gotta figure out how high can you go before the image breaks.

@@TLDR_filmmaker wonder if apples in app denoiser beats resolves denoise in that situation.

For now it just might, I didn't think to take video from the in-camera app when I was doing the night shots. (I was tired from gathering footage all day and wanted to go home lol) I could see maybe Blackmagic in a future update give us a "denoise" button if we want to do it in-app or later.

You're most welcome! I am very excited to see how Blackmagic continues to build this app for the current iPhone 15 and how it will utilize future iPhone hardware!

Standard, Cinematic, and Extreme is for image stabilization of your video when you are handholding the camera. It is not for "Cinematic Mode" video recording.

@@TLDR_filmmaker How can we shoot in Cinematic Mode with Blackmagic Camera app?

@@honey4xi you can’t at this time. It could be a feature in the future

@@TLDR_filmmaker I hope Blackmagic will make the update for this Cinematic Mode. Without it is just a video camera app instead of cinematic camera app for filmmakers to use.

Thanks! You cannot take photos at this time. Not sure if thats a feature Blackmagic would bring in since they are mainly focused on video as a company.

Hey hey! All of it is actually done on the phone itself! On the iPhone you will activate screen recording. You'll have to record your voice externally because it won't record your voice. So syncing sound can be a little tricky if your tutorial does not have a video to see yourself clap. Lastly the mouse cursor is a "Accessibility" feature of the iphone in SETTINGS. I believe its called Touch Assist. From there in the menu you will find a way to use a mouse with your phone. Thats the TLDR of it all. I will eventually make a tutorial video showing people how to do it.

@@TLDR_filmmaker cool thanks for sharing. I usually use the screen recording from the iPhone but whenever I am sending a clean HDMI or using this mirroring apps it doesn’t work. I get an error message. I will definitely check out the accessibility feature that’s gold.

You're welcome! I got some more tests I am running with the App. Will have upcoming videos showing my findings as soon as I can!

My guess is no. This app is it's own thing and isn't linked to the webcam protocol (yet). If you had a HDMI Capture card and you sent out an HDMI Signal from this app to the card and used that card as the webcam. Yes, this can work. However I do not believe any Sound is carried over the HDMI as of version 1.1

Wahoo!

Dang it! lol

The A7iii had an 8bit LOG that makes it not as ideal for grading. In theory you can get them to match somewhat close. The green channel in Sony cameras is very rich, you may have some problems getting the same richness out of the iphone. There is a program out there called "Cinematch" though I'm not sure if they have much on the Sony A7iii to match with iphone.

Hey hey! Glad you enjoyed this video. I would check out my quick start guide that I have here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yFxZ2Glcp8M.html&lc=UgzUn2oF4sHyu1L7fIJ4AaABAg Pretty much if you mimic my settings in that video while leaving ISO on Auto you will be good to go. Or just use Apples on camera app as it does a great job doing all the settings for you. The only reason you would use the Blackmagic Camera app is because you want to fully control your camera to get videos that are confined within the traditional cinema standards and settings for every type of situation. If this is what you're after, DM me on instagram and I can help you out more from there.

I haven't personally tried it yet, but I believe you have to make sure you're on the latest version of Davinci Resolve and in your color project settings you set yourself in the Aces Color Processing space. Thats my best guess at the moment.

With the 15 Pro models it is as I show in the media storage section that you can select where you want to record your videos externally. Once you plug a SSD in or SD Card Reader in, you can find it in your Apple Files structure on your phone. If you are using the normal 15 and older phones that still uses USB2.0 speeds. I'm not entirely sure if this option is available.

@@TLDR_filmmaker thank you!! 🙏

I have yet to color grade any Blackmagic footage, I've only ever operated their cameras on set. As each generation goes by I am more and more enticed by their cameras for the price. So one of these days I'll get to experience color grading them and see how they play!

@@TLDR_filmmaker i loved the ergonomics, simplicity and menus... i think if Canon or Sony had their menu system they would edge out a bit more competition ;) the lack of autofocus is a biggy for my line of content creation... i move too much ;)

MrHeeeeeng! Haha I am working overtime on all this iphone coverage. I'm planning to make a quickstart guide to the app after the next revision. I feel this is definitely a nice working Beta that was rushed out for the iPhone 15. The next update should solidify it enough for me to make a quick start tutorial on how to use it.

If you know how to connect the iPhone to Windows iTunes > File transfer, and actually copy the media from the phone - *PLEASE* include that. Making the connection isn’t an issue, but iTunes won’t open the media folds for the BM camera app. So, I had to send to iCloud, then download from iCloud to the PC. Which sux.

@@Rood67 Its the same on the Mac side too. I thought I was missing something and then I realized... Apple being Apple. *sigh* So for the time being what I do is just connect my external hard drive to my phone and offload it that way. If you're on a older phone with the lightning cable, I'm not sure if there is a faster way as its all USB2.0 speeds. (Same with the iphone 15 base models.

@@TLDR_filmmaker I just upgraded the wife and I from 12 PM to 15 PM, so I have the fast USB-C. And yes, the phrase Apple being Apple describes a lot of issues; with a lot of iProducts and iSoftware.

Not at the moment. Hopefully a feature that'll be added soon

The Apple LOG feature was introduced for the iPhone 15 pro models. Any older models will not have this color space option... at least not yet that we know of. Not sure if Blackmagic will step in and come up with their own for older models?

I unfortunately don't have any experience with the S20+. As a filmmaker that finally bought one of the big iphones and not the standard base models. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has been very nice between the two typical lenses and the 5x 120mm. The 5x has been very nice to get a good amount of reach. I think photographers may prefer the Pro model for the 77mm telephoto. But filmmakers I think will benefit a little more with the 120mm in my opinion. Enjoy it when it arrives!

Thats awesome for your workflow! I personally have not really used Proxy's generated on the spot, i've always generated them after the fact on my last feature film project 8 years ago. Moving into the future I should let my cameras auto record a Proxy for sure!

@@TLDR_filmmaker if you use Davinci Resolve this saves that step and it is automatically linked. Just the cherry on top of the sundae.

Hey hey! If you transferred from your old iPhone (not Apple log compatible) to the new one. Deleted the Blackmagic camera app and redownload it again. Apple log should then show up.

@@TLDR_filmmaker Thanks 🙏🏾

V1.0 of the apps "mirror front camera" function was not working at the time lol

There are stabilization options on the main screen. Click around the options on the right side and you'll find it.

If you mean right at the moment I activate LOG and you see my screen capture image suddenly looks dull. Yes this is what native LOG looks like and requires you to color grade it to look normal. LOG is used so that you have extra information to adjust the color and contrast of your image to your liking. Check out my other two videos about Apple LOG here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-h3cRfsKSKa8.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JpO06mdN7mk.html Hope this further helps!

HEVC is H.265 as shown here 2:42 which he shoots in apple log.

What @gvnrchmnd said. I show that it is possible. I will have a Prores vs h.265 video out soon to see if there is any downsides.

@@TLDR_filmmaker yes that’s why I say thank you :)

You're most welcome! More content to follow as Blackmagic continues to update their app!

I think Beastgrip sells a 1.7x telephoto adaptor, thats not much, but its something. They also have their DOF adapter that lets you put on EF lenses, so in a sense you can use some lenses up to 100mm (they say). I hope in the future Apple will add one final lens to their phones. A 50mm. I thinking having a 13mm, 24mm, 50mm, 85mm or 120mm would really round out their phones for filmmaking!

You're most welcome! My best guess is that the iPhone 14 was never able to record 4k 60p. It may only be available at 1080p.

I have heard that I look like him many many times ever since I started on youtube. May he RIP. It is amazing that all of this is free when all I wanted was a decent app that let me do manual exposure. This definitely takes it beyond. I could see Blackmagic having a free base app and having a one-time pay PRO version that offers truly pro features that most people may not need. The only thing I can think of is if they somehow got BRAW in there. Not everyone needs it, so I would consider that a Paid, Pro-worthy, feature :D

On the top left of the screen where it shows what focal length lens you're using. You can choose front lens from there.

Apple Log doesn't have any tone mapping or sharpening applied.

What @gvnrchmnd said. You'll want to use Apple LOG to have a nice unprocessed image. If you have an older iphone that does not have Apple LOG. I will be curious to see if Blackmagic has anyway to turn that processing off when it comes to HDR and SDR. Because I have noticed the BM HDR is completely different in colors from the standard Apple Camera App.

I was using the RØDE Wireless PRO with the included lav and its onboard 32bit float recording (Since iPhone screen capture does not have audio) I did a whole review on the RODE right here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-aVS2X5P6hW8.html

This is the first app I downloaded for recording video with my phone. I was thinking about Filmic back in the day when it was a single purchase. Moment was my next choice after Filmic went subscription. But now, its a no brainer for me. All I really wanted was just to have control of my Shutter and ISO, everything else was a bonus to me!

I use Cp3 too. The advantage BM has over Cp3 is BM allows external recording to whatever folder/drive you want. Cp3 only allows internal recording. 😢

When you say Manipulate Color do you mean having like custom curves and such? I think I remember seeing that on Filmic. I'll be curious is Blackmagic will do something like that or they'd rather you have it all done in post.

I think I was talking mostly about color correction and color grading, actually. 👍🏽

The v1.1 update simply renamed it. It still performs like Apple LOG. Not sure why they renamed it. Seems unnecessary.

So glad you enjoyed the video! More content to come on this! So much to cover!

I have a whole video addressing what I found with the h.265 Apple LOG that'll hopefully be coming out tomorrow or Sunday. Stay tuned!

Hey hey! Yes, with the Blackmagic App you're able to record externally in other frame rates of Prores + Apple LOG. Just make sure to set up your external recording location first.

If you mean Apples "Cinematic" mode. The Blackmagic App does not have access to that filming mode. This is program only controls the native camera and currently does not have access to depth mapping.

Yes, this app is available all the way down to the iPhone XS. Codecs and Color Space will vary depending on what phone you have. The best Static video setting is to leave everything on AUTO. If you are wanting to dial in everything manually. I have a video talking about all that coming in the future.

You're most welcome! Enjoy it! Stay tuned for more content on the Blackmagic Cam and Apple LOG!

The best converting software that I use is "Handbrake". I did notice this on my old iPhone 12 Mini that the h.265 didn't play so I ended up using VLC. Which turned out to be a great option because I can have my phone screen off while still listning to my movies on my long road trips.

That is odd. I honestly do not know how to go about fixing that except to make sure your davinci resolve is up to date.

You cannot take photos at this time. Not sure if thats a feature Blackmagic would bring in since they are mainly focused on video as a company.

The newest version of BM Cam 1.1 took away ProRes 4444 and Apple LOG as or right now is only available from iPhone 15 Pro and later (as noted in the video). Prores 4444 based on my tests did not seem to be real 4444, so recording in the codec was not achieving any benefits. It could come back in a later version if they do figure out a way to record true 4444.

It shouldn't be. As long as you're using an iPhone the app should be there. Unless your iphone is too old? The oldest iphone chip it can work with is the A12 (iphone XS)

Use Rec2020 in the color space selection.

@@TLDR_filmmaker but it’s not the same. Apple hdr looks different.

At this moment in time only iPhones can download this App and I think iPads may be able to use it too.

I personally have not tried sending that many from Files over the Gallery, so I'm not sure if theres a bug. However maybe check how much storage you have on your phone. When "sending" from Files to Gallery you're actually duplicating the files and taking up double the space. I know it makes no sense and I for the life of me can't understand while apple does this.

Prores 4444 was removed in update 1.1. Based on my testings it did not seem to be real 4444, so recording in the codec was not achieving any benefits. Maybe it could come back in a later version if they do figure out a way to record true 4444. But for now it was just a large file with no real benefit over 422 HQ

Not at this moment, I am hoping this will be a feature in the future.

Not sure when or if it will come to android. The main reason I think a lot of apps come to iphones first is because of its hardware nature being so limited compared to the vastness of Android. I could see Blackmagic making an app for flagship android phones with known good cameras. They may start there and gradually make a general universal app that will perform as good as the phone can perform.

At this moment there doesn't seem to be any. Would be very interesting if they were able to do something like that. This app is very young at the moment, most likely somewhat rush released to stay inline with the iPhone 15 pros. In a couple months I think we'll start to see it become more solid and possibly new features added.

@@TLDR_filmmaker Do you have an NDI camera app that you recommend for iOS?

Luts are not applied to your recording at this time. The LUT you saw is just a monitoring LUT so that you get the exposure where you need for editing later. I have a feeling in a future update that Blackmagic will give the option to Apply the LUT on recording.

@@TLDR_filmmakerthank you bro, your video helps alot for a beginner like me. Will buy your Lut for sure, but for some reason my card couldn’t support for paypal, will try to work on it

As far as all my video inspectors say, the Apple LOG h.265 is 10bit. I have a upcoming Apple LOG prores vs h.265 coming up to dive deeper on how each one grades.

I tried to get it to go, but the App crashes the moment I set it to 120p Apple LOG. My guess is that this is possible as it showed up in the menu sometimes (not always).

Check out this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JpO06mdN7mk.html In my opinion, just shot h.265. 422 proxy will likely be technically better, but if youtube is where your videos end up, no one will see the difference.

I release a Quick Guide to all the important settings to know here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yFxZ2Glcp8M.html In terms of what settings to specifically used like Shutter and ISO etc. That's more basic filmmaking knowledge that I'll be making some content for down the line.

I do not have an android phone so I'm not able to give any personal experience on the Motiocam app.

Leave it to the 3rd party to enhance what the first party should be doing. Sigh

I have not heard any rumors yet. I can see BM giving DJI and Insta360 access to the SDK so that they can make it functional with their gimbals. The question is if DJI and Insta will bother doing so.

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks as always for stoppin by in the comments!

Aw dang it! haha

In terms of Apple LOG, no as it is currently exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro's. Other 3rd party app like FilmicPRO have their own LOG profiles, but whether or not it is able to utilize the phones sensor to get the full dynamic range. I'm not sure.

@@TLDR_filmmaker Thanks for your thorough answer!

You may want to double check and update your blackmagic app because the latest update fixed the Focus Assist lines disappearing upon recording. I am able to use my focus lines in Apple LOG with or without a LUT while recording. When you are in the focus lines feature, double check to make sure it is ON and that the percentage is high around 70-80%. Hope this helps!

@@TLDR_filmmaker Unfortunately I am still seeing the same issues, in fact they are getting worse with the application behaving very inconsistently despite having the latest version installed - I think I need to set it aside a few months and see

The last thing I can think of for you to try is to do a "Hard reset" of the temporary memory. (This does not erase your phone) To do this you tap Volume Up, then Volume Down, Then Hold the power button for 15 seconds or until the Apple logo appears again. It will ask you to slide to power off, do not do it, just keep holding that power button. And of course you can also try deleting and reinstalling the app. Hopefully this helps. Otherwise I'm not sure why its not working on your iPhone 15.

@@TLDR_filmmaker I did try deleting and re-installing but no change in app behavior - I appreciate your continued efforts on this

You're most welcome. Did the hard reset work? If not, make sure to contact Blackmagic and leave a feedback so they can figure it out on their end.