- Posts: 1
- Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2025 9:37 pm
- Real Name: Tyler Burt
Thu Jun 05, 2025 9:58 pm
I hope this gets through to the proper channels. I had a bug I wanted to report for the iOS app, involving the pre-focus/focus lock when using Cinema stabilization. And also a couple feature requests
The bug applies to the current version of the app, as well as all previous versions for at least the past year. I’m using an iPhone 15 Pro, with the current version of iOS 18.5.
The bug is only when using Cinema stabilization mode. NOT when using Standard or Off modes for stabilization.
#1a The issue is: When using Cinema stabilization mode, when you pre-focus, or lock focus, prior to recording, the focus value then changes slightly when you begin recording (this does NOT happen in Standard or Off stabilization modes). Also, if you record multiple clips in a row, while keeping the focus locked, the value sometimes (although not always) continues increasing EACh time you record. Even if you lock focus AFTER you begin recording, if you stop and start recording a second or third time while leaving the focus locked, the focus value will often change.
For example: You pre-focus, or lock pre-focus, and the focus value is .712, but when you begin recording, it will jump up to .716. If you stop recording, and begin recording again, it will jump up to .721. And again maybe jump to .725, etc. If you simply tap to refocus, it will usually go back to the original focus number that you started with. However, the locked focus number changing does not happen EVERY time, just sometimes. It’s inconsistent.
Again, in "Standard" or "Off" stabilization modes this does not occur. Whatever prefocus value you lock will stay rock solid and never change when you record, until you refocus/relock it.
#1b Another bug, where the center point of the display shifts up/down by a few MM when switching between Standard and Off stabilization, and also when recording in Cinema/Extreme modes. If you have a Cross or Dot set as an overlay, you can see that the center point SHIFTS if you switch between Off and Standard stabilization. Since Standard stabilization (and also Cinema/Extreme) are a crop of the full frame, it would seem logical that the CENTER point dot/cross should stay the same regardless of the crop. It doesn't make sense to me that it would move up/down when cropping if it's truly the center. Which maybe means that the cross and dot overlays simply aren't actually in the center of the frame?
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List of Apple stabilization API's: https://developer.apple.com/documentati ... zationmode
#2 I had a feature request for stabilization modes. To add Apple's “cinematicExtendedEnhanced” stabilization API mode, now that it has become available to 3rd-party apps since the release of iOS 18. Maybe use it to upgrade your current "Extreme" stabilization mode? Or add it as an option at least.
I believe that your current “Cinematic” stabilization mode uses Apple’s “cinematicExtended” API for stabilization (hopefully it's the superior “cinematicExtended” API, and not the much older and inferior "cinematic" one that has an identical crop, maybe someone can confirm this?). Your “Extreme” stabilization mode, however, I believe is some proprietary stabilization mode of yours, not Apple's, that always seems a little jittery. Starting with iOS 18 last fall, Apple made their more advanced “cinematicExtendedEnhanced” API stabilization available to 3rd-party apps. It had been their default stabilization mode in their native app for a while now, but when the Black Magic camera app was first released, Apple's “cinematicExtendedEnhanced” API it wasn’t available to 3rd party apps. Now that it is, you could update your app so that “Extreme” stabilization uses the much better Apple “cinematicExtendedEnhanced” API instead of your current property stabilization algorithm? Or at least add the Apple Enhanced Cinematic stabilization as an option. Other 3rd party apps, like Cinema P3, have already done this. The crop for “cinematicExtendedEnhanced” is a little more than for "cinematicExtended", but it's a very nice option to have when handholding. For reference, the "Standard" stabilization mode is about a 1.10x zoom compared to fullframe, the Cinematic/extendedCinematic stabilization mode is about 1.15x zoom. And cinematicExtendedEnhanced API mode is about 1.23x zoom.
#3. Is there any chance you could add an even higher bitrate for HEVC than 54Mbps? I very much appreciate that you increased it recently from the previous cap of 35Mbps. But an even higher option than 54Mbps would be a nice option to have as well. For example 75Mbps. It would yield a slight improvement in quality.
The bug applies to the current version of the app, as well as all previous versions for at least the past year. I’m using an iPhone 15 Pro, with the current version of iOS 18.5.
The bug is only when using Cinema stabilization mode. NOT when using Standard or Off modes for stabilization.
#1a The issue is: When using Cinema stabilization mode, when you pre-focus, or lock focus, prior to recording, the focus value then changes slightly when you begin recording (this does NOT happen in Standard or Off stabilization modes). Also, if you record multiple clips in a row, while keeping the focus locked, the value sometimes (although not always) continues increasing EACh time you record. Even if you lock focus AFTER you begin recording, if you stop and start recording a second or third time while leaving the focus locked, the focus value will often change.
For example: You pre-focus, or lock pre-focus, and the focus value is .712, but when you begin recording, it will jump up to .716. If you stop recording, and begin recording again, it will jump up to .721. And again maybe jump to .725, etc. If you simply tap to refocus, it will usually go back to the original focus number that you started with. However, the locked focus number changing does not happen EVERY time, just sometimes. It’s inconsistent.
Again, in "Standard" or "Off" stabilization modes this does not occur. Whatever prefocus value you lock will stay rock solid and never change when you record, until you refocus/relock it.
#1b Another bug, where the center point of the display shifts up/down by a few MM when switching between Standard and Off stabilization, and also when recording in Cinema/Extreme modes. If you have a Cross or Dot set as an overlay, you can see that the center point SHIFTS if you switch between Off and Standard stabilization. Since Standard stabilization (and also Cinema/Extreme) are a crop of the full frame, it would seem logical that the CENTER point dot/cross should stay the same regardless of the crop. It doesn't make sense to me that it would move up/down when cropping if it's truly the center. Which maybe means that the cross and dot overlays simply aren't actually in the center of the frame?
------------
List of Apple stabilization API's: https://developer.apple.com/documentati ... zationmode
#2 I had a feature request for stabilization modes. To add Apple's “cinematicExtendedEnhanced” stabilization API mode, now that it has become available to 3rd-party apps since the release of iOS 18. Maybe use it to upgrade your current "Extreme" stabilization mode? Or add it as an option at least.
I believe that your current “Cinematic” stabilization mode uses Apple’s “cinematicExtended” API for stabilization (hopefully it's the superior “cinematicExtended” API, and not the much older and inferior "cinematic" one that has an identical crop, maybe someone can confirm this?). Your “Extreme” stabilization mode, however, I believe is some proprietary stabilization mode of yours, not Apple's, that always seems a little jittery. Starting with iOS 18 last fall, Apple made their more advanced “cinematicExtendedEnhanced” API stabilization available to 3rd-party apps. It had been their default stabilization mode in their native app for a while now, but when the Black Magic camera app was first released, Apple's “cinematicExtendedEnhanced” API it wasn’t available to 3rd party apps. Now that it is, you could update your app so that “Extreme” stabilization uses the much better Apple “cinematicExtendedEnhanced” API instead of your current property stabilization algorithm? Or at least add the Apple Enhanced Cinematic stabilization as an option. Other 3rd party apps, like Cinema P3, have already done this. The crop for “cinematicExtendedEnhanced” is a little more than for "cinematicExtended", but it's a very nice option to have when handholding. For reference, the "Standard" stabilization mode is about a 1.10x zoom compared to fullframe, the Cinematic/extendedCinematic stabilization mode is about 1.15x zoom. And cinematicExtendedEnhanced API mode is about 1.23x zoom.
#3. Is there any chance you could add an even higher bitrate for HEVC than 54Mbps? I very much appreciate that you increased it recently from the previous cap of 35Mbps. But an even higher option than 54Mbps would be a nice option to have as well. For example 75Mbps. It would yield a slight improvement in quality.