Blackmagic Camera App - Issues/Bugs

Hello,
yesterday the Blackmagic Camera App for Android on my Samsung Galaxy S24Ultra suddenly stopped recording Audio and startet to record Video in twice the framerate. Footage looks like time-laps...
Unfortunately I noticed that after 5 shots which I have lost by that.

My Settings: 4K, 50fps, External Audio via 32-bit-Analog/USB-C-Converter.
Didn't find a solution other than to unistall and reinstall the App. Closing and reopening didn't help.
The Samsung Galaxy-Camera-App and another Camera-App I use had no problems.

Additionally recording 50fps shows the droped frames warning if I record more than a minute or so. This should not happen on a S24Ultra...

(App-Version 1.5.1.0002 on Android 14, One UI-Version 6.1 German, Kernel-Version 6.1.75-andrioid14-11-29543898....)

Just for information.

Regards

Josef

Aloha,
on Android the AE/AF lock does not work as expected, well only one way actually

When I activate AE/AF lock by long pressing the screen and then move slowly away from the subject (where I set the AE/AF lock) the focus shifts to the background and the subject is out of focus.

Strangely enough when I set the AE/AF lock to the background and move a subject into the foreground, the focus does not shift.

To illustrate this behavior I have uploaded a video.
https://cloud.mobyklick.de/index.php/s/b6tKBD9s5L9yYT5

Android app version 1.5.1.0002

Kind regards
Alexander

I'm having similar issues to @El_duderino

Namely, I'm getting video from Blackmagic Camera App on a Pixel 6 Pro which is unusable. I'm recording in 1080p (due to space and bandwidth issues while travelling) and I'm getting noisy/grainy video which is absolutely terrible. It is worst in daylight video (low ISO).

I've tried: HEVC, H264, Reduce Noise on/off, Sharpening on/off, Increased bit rate, Lens correction on/off, 1.0x Lens and Wide Lens.

When we went to make our video and started going through the footage we were shocked at how bad it was, and how inconsistent. Indoor videos seem to fair the best so I thought it was an overheating issue that the Pixel 6 is known for, but taking video out the window from inside an air conditioned apartment shows how bad it is.

I chose not to use the built in camera because it doesn't remember the external mic setting and will always default to the built in mic. I like the interface for the Blackmagic app, especially being able to select the specific lens, but the results are unusable.

Apparently I'm not allowed to post URLs, so here's a single example of some absolute garbage output I got, but it doesn't even show the noise from frame to frame:

Screenshot 2025-01-26 130153.png (600.66 KiB) Viewed 21523 times

Here's an example with a comparison of the results from the built-in Camera:

Screenshot 2025-01-26 130456.png (370.45 KiB) Viewed 21523 times

Screenshot 2025-01-26 131416.png (396.57 KiB) Viewed 21523 times

[Peter Chamberlain]

Save a source clip or two to a shared drive like Dropbox and place a link here with a space in the path so the forum doesn’t see it as a link.

Simple spaces didn't work, but I keep trying stuff, so if you're seeing this it worked.
(remove spaces, replace _ with /, replace comma with period)

Folder with some samples:
www, dropbox, com_scl_fo_wl1lfqfjiqesjy89ok650_ABp01nvPBUfq92u61hBj7FY ? rlkey = q6fisopy1oool1ct7ry6ck8je & st = gkkycwow & dl = 0

It was announced for BCA 2.0 that Xiaomi Pad 6 was compatible so i installed - no apparent issue- in the big model Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro and seems to not work.
Since it has a quite good camera for a tablet 4K 60 FPS (50Mpix) and it is big and powerful i would have expected to have been included on the list.
Or maybe i am making a mistake otherwise i would have appreciated that installation was blocked.

I can see nothing obvious leading to such crappy quality, so I think BM needs to investigate.
This is the link:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wl1lfqfj ... ycwow&dl=0

Simple spaces didn't work, but I keep trying stuff, so if you're seeing this it worked.
(remove spaces, replace _ with /, replace comma with period)

Folder with some samples:
www, dropbox, com_scl_fo_wl1lfqfjiqesjy89ok650_ABp01nvPBUfq92u61hBj7FY ? rlkey = q6fisopy1oool1ct7ry6ck8je & st = gkkycwow & dl = 0

Can't you make the example available in a more "open" location, than Dropbox?

I'm not going to create an account on Dropbox. Do you have a (free or not) account on Google Drive? It's easy to share content from that.

Regards

I can see the content without having to create an account.

Dropbox (and similar) sometimes can be deceptive: they ask you to sign in/sign up but there is an option to say no and just to access the content.

I can see the content without having to create an account.

Dropbox (and similar) sometimes can be deceptive: they ask you to sign in/sign up but there is an option to say no and just to access the content.

It certainly is not an easy approach, if you are requested to login several times (first attempt was from iOS, and that was even worse).

Not my problem.

Regards

An open link to GoogleDrive or to WeTransfer would certainly make this easier.

Not my problem.

Regards

Maybe it's easier here but really I don't see the problem

Not my problem.

Regards

Maybe it's easier here but really I don't see the problem

That's NOT the screen I get, when using the link!!

Usually I simply ignore any links from Dropbox, but there were not many responses to the original poster. I offered to look at the files "addressed in the link" if made available via - for example - Google Drive, which is practically available for all and every Android user in some free form.

I frankly do not see, why your personal views, have any bearing here.

Mine wasn't a "personal view" but "what my person views" on my monitor.

It's quite different but you're right, probably pointless to try to help sometimes.

Aloha,

the AE/AF lock still does not work as expected.
now on vers. 2.0.1.0004 on a Pixel 8 Pro with Android 15 (AP4A.250205.002)

Kind regards

Hi.
I love the Blackmagic app on my Android phone and use it all the time. I've been waiting for the update where I can use a second Android phone as a remote control as I film myself and having a remote controller would make things much easier for me.
I was very excited to see the latest update... BUT I can't get it to work!
The two phones are on the same WIFI network and I have watched a few tutorials and have followed the instructions but I get a "No remote cameras available for control" message.
I have restarted the phones and tried with bluetooth on and off and nothing seems to work. (I have turned mobile hotspot on and off and it makes no difference.)
I attach some screenshots from both cameras.

Blackmagic.jpg (310.12 KiB) Viewed 20327 times

One phone is an S24 and the other is a S21 FE. (I have tried swapping them around and using one as a controller and the other as a camera and via versa.)
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Jeff

I have a Samsung Galaxy S24 Fe and when I load any Lut, the screen goes black.

An update on the LUT Bug. If I have a Lut enabled it will not show the LUT, but have a black screen but it will still record. If I have burn in enabled it will only record a black screen.

[Peter Chamberlain]

Are u on the very latest version of OS and the camera app?

[Peter Chamberlain]

I have a Samsung Galaxy S24 Fe and when I load any Lut, the screen goes black.

Can you confirm you are on the latest release, and also, do you see this problem at all frame rates and all resolutions?

Can you share your Lut so we can test?

I have a Samsung Galaxy S24 Fe and when I load any Lut, the screen goes black.

Can you confirm you are on the latest release, and also, do you see this problem at all frame rates and all resolutions?

Can you share your Lut so we can test?

Yes. Brand new phone. I just installed the app for the first time, so latest release. The problem is across the board. Every lut I have created it does this. I have tried luts at 17 point, and 33 point luts. Color Space Rec709, BT2020 HLG, Rec2020 HDR, H264, H265 all have the problem. The lut was created in Resolve 19.1.2. I am downloading Resolve 19.1.3 to see if it works.

I have a Samsung Galaxy S24 Fe and when I load any Lut, the screen goes black.

Can you confirm you are on the latest release, and also, do you see this problem at all frame rates and all resolutions?

Can you share your Lut so we can test?

Here are the luts.

https://1drv.ms/f/c/e65c3be96b446552/El ... g?e=uI4OeK

[Peter Chamberlain]

I have a Samsung Galaxy S24 Fe and when I load any Lut, the screen goes black.

Can you confirm you are on the latest release, and also, do you see this problem at all frame rates and all resolutions?

Can you share your Lut so we can test?

Here are the luts.

https://1drv.ms/f/c/e65c3be96b446552/El ... g?e=uI4OeK

The Luts work on our S24 test phone so our guess is it's a limitation of the FE model. We will try to source a phone to check.

The Luts work on our S24 test phone so our guess is it's a limitation of the FE model. We will try to source a phone to check.

I also have discovered if you try to enable Standard stabilization, the screen will freeze. This with Lut off.

[Peter Chamberlain]

Likely just a limitation of that model.

Likely just a limitation of that model.

I tried loading the Luts in question and they loaded right up in Filmic Pro.

In addition both of their forms of image stabilization - Optical image stabilization & Electronic software stabilization worked. So I figure the FE version is doing something different than the regular S24.

Isn't a different cpu?

Aloha,

since I got no reply to my "AE/AF Lock" post I was thinking if I am the only with this problem.
Would be somebody be so kind and try to replicate this on a Pixel 8 Pro?

Kind regards

Isn't a different cpu?

The Samsung S24+ has a similar cpu to the S24 FE for the European versions, but uses a Snapdragon one on the American ones.

Aloha,

since I got no reply to my "AE/AF Lock" post I was thinking if I am the only with this problem.
Would be somebody be so kind and try to replicate this on a Pixel 8 Pro?
I meant to reply to that one. Please link it. Also, if you lock the shutter speed, it becomes AF only.
Kind regards

Can't you make the example available in a more "open" location, than Dropbox?

They literally asked for it in Dropbox. I'm not sure why you'd have an issue with it. If I check in an incognito window I can get to the file just fine. If I check in an incognito browser on my phone, it works fine. I just have to say "open in browser" when it asks, not open in the app.

In any case, they don't seem to be interested in acknowledging the issue, so I don't feel the need to add another location to the mix.

Aloha,

since I got no reply to my "AE/AF Lock" post I was thinking if I am the only with this problem.
Would be somebody be so kind and try to replicate this on a Pixel 8 Pro?
I meant to reply to that one. Please link it. Also, if you lock the shutter speed, it becomes AF only.
Kind regards

Aloha,
sorry I missed your reply. Here is the link to the sample video:
https://cloud.mobyklick.de/index.php/s/b6tKBD9s5L9yYT5

Kind regards

I am getting camera glitches and color space artifacts when zooming using pinch zoom as well as using the rocker on the Tilta Nano II.

These glitches don't occur in the default app.

Samsung S24 FE.

I'm having similar issues to @El_duderino

Namely, I'm getting video from Blackmagic Camera App on a Pixel 6 Pro which is unusable. I'm recording in 1080p (due to space and bandwidth issues while travelling) and I'm getting noisy/grainy video which is absolutely terrible. It is worst in daylight video (low ISO).

I've tried: HEVC, H264, Reduce Noise on/off, Sharpening on/off, Increased bit rate, Lens correction on/off, 1.0x Lens and Wide Lens.

When we went to make our video and started going through the footage we were shocked at how bad it was, and how inconsistent. Indoor videos seem to fair the best so I thought it was an overheating issue that the Pixel 6 is known for, but taking video out the window from inside an air conditioned apartment shows how bad it is.

I chose not to use the built in camera because it doesn't remember the external mic setting and will always default to the built in mic. I like the interface for the Blackmagic app, especially being able to select the specific lens, but the results are unusable.

Apparently I'm not allowed to post URLs, so here's a single example of some absolute garbage output I got, but it doesn't even show the noise from frame to frame:

Screenshot 2025-01-26 130153.png

Here's an example with a comparison of the results from the built-in Camera:

Screenshot 2025-01-26 130456.png

Screenshot 2025-01-26 131416.png

With the Google Pixel 8 PRO, the situation is almost the same. The video quality is slightly better, but it remains too low and practically unusable. A couple of months ago, I wrote here but did not receive any helpful response. Clearly, there is a serious problem with the Pixels, and they are not doing anything to fix it. On Reddit, the Blackmagic Camera for Android is described as crap.

On Reddit, the Blackmagic Camera for Android is described as crap.

Which is quite unfair. It's crap on some Android phones, even expensive ones. But that is owed to the fact that there are too many variations of the hardware and undocumented additions to Android by manufacturers.
It's just easier to test your software on a handful of iPhones, than identifying all (sometimes silent) changes made to Androids.

I am getting camera glitches and color space artifacts when zooming using pinch zoom as well as using the rocker on the Tilta Nano II.

These glitches don't occur in the default app.

Samsung S24 FE.

Here are videos showing the problem.

https://1drv.ms/f/c/e65c3be96b446552/Eh ... w3Dn0-6UKQ

With the Google Pixel 8 PRO, the situation is almost the same. The video quality is slightly better, but it remains too low and practically unusable. A couple of months ago, I wrote here but did not receive any helpful response. Clearly, there is a serious problem with the Pixels, and they are not doing anything to fix it. On Reddit, the Blackmagic Camera for Android is described as crap.

Aloha,

I am by far not an expert on this and at first I thought it's just "oversharpening" but it is actually not.
I think that the AE set to "auto" fails miserably (most of the time). It lifts darker parts of the image and this introduces a lot of noise.

It seems to me that in in "AE auto" ISO and shutter speed is calculated based on the brightest parts of the image then the rest of the image gets some gain/lift to have a "balanced" image.

Try this: establish a scene in full auto mode and then turn off auto "AE".
Values of ISO and shutter won't change, but the image will - depening on your scene - get considerably darker.

Here is the link to some sample footage, which demonstrates all.
[link to original clip cut with ffmpeg]
[link to screen capture]

The screen capture with the activated peaking clearly shows the noise that the software generates when "enhancing" the image.

Here is the media info of the original clip:

Code: Select all

Allgemein
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com.blackmagic-design.camera.gamma       : Rec.709
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Pixel 8 Pro (March Update), blackmagiccam vers. 2.0.1.0004


Kind regards

Aloha,

I am by far not an expert on this and at first I thought

that I am not the only one having these problems. But as it seems I am the only one experiencing this bug. So for now I will stick to the stock camera app when doing some run-and-gun.

Kind regards

I am trying to switch to the BMD Camera app on my iPhone but I am facing an issue with transferring the files on my WINDOWS PC.

I use iTunes (or Apple Devices now) to access the "shared" files from the app.

Media files are under "media". Neither iTunes nor Apple Devices allow me to get into the folder. I can only save the whole folder to my HDD.

bmdcam.png (55.13 KiB) Viewed 9629 times

I tried asking the app to save on the root of that BlackMagic Cam folder but it doesn't allow me.

Would BMD consider giving the user the option to save on the root of that folder?

[Peter Chamberlain]

Antonio, can't you select the folder in the menu within Blackmagic Camera settings, media, save files too, files.....

Peter,

Do you mean this:

files.JPG (14.05 KiB) Viewed 9066 times

I tried but

1. If I save on the "root" of the BMD folder, the app automatically reverts to "In-App only" and keeps saving inside "Media"
2. If I delete the "Media" folder, the app complains that there is no space left on the device
3. If I make a custom folder outside of the BMD folder, I cannot access it from Windows

I found a workaround though.

I save under a different app's folder. That is accessible and the app does not create a "media" folder.

workaround.JPG (43.97 KiB) Viewed 9066 times

I think a future improvement could be to allow the user to save on the root of "Blackmagic Cam".

More or less related to the BM Camera App, I bought an Insta360 Flow 2 Pro and I found the tracking inside the BM Camera app to be mediocre. Inside the Insta360 app, it works perfectly.

Insta360 blames the developer of the app but I see the native Apple camera App does the same so I would tend to blame Apple DockKit.

Or maybe I am missing some settings. Any ideas? Jump to 2:55 to see the BM camera app in action.

Thanks!

The Luts work on our S24 test phone so our guess is it's a limitation of the FE model. We will try to source a phone to check.

Were you able to source a S24 FE?

Aloha,

thanks for the fix. The AE/AF lock now works as expected
vers. 2.1.1.0004 on a Pixel 8 Pro with Android 15 (BP1A.250405.007.81)
Kind regards

the AE/AF lock still does not work as expected.
now on vers. 2.0.1.0004 on a Pixel 8 Pro with Android 15 (AP4A.250205.002)