The Blackmagic Camera App for Android: Marketing vs. Reality

Some critics, or suggestions for improvement:
The Blackmagic Design web site announced the Blackmagic Camera App being available for Android (https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/produc ... agiccamera), and it lists all the great feature.
However when I try to install the app, Google Play Store just tells me that the app is not compatible with my device. That is kind of frustrating.

At the end of the list of all the great features there is link to tech specifications (https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/produc ... s/W-APP-02) that also list a lot of great features, but only at the very end there is a rather short list of device models actually supported. The page does not explain why some models are supported, while others are not, however.

As of today the supported devices are:
Supported Devices

• Samsung Galaxy: S21, S22, S23, S24, S25, S25 Ultra models.
  
• Google Pixel: 6, 7, 8, 9 ‑ all models except Fold.
  
• OnePlus: 11 and 12 models.
  
• Xiaomi: 13 and 14 models.
  
• Sony Xperia: Series 1, 5 and Pro‑I models.
  
• Oppo: Compatible models.
  
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S9
  
• Xiaomi Pad 6

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Well I have an "Oppo Find X5 Lite" (CPH2371), and it seems it's not among the list of "Oppo: Compatible models.".
Frustrating isn't it? What makes a model "compatible"?

[Peter Chamberlain]

Generally we have tried to support the phones with the capability to support as much of the full feature set as possible and in regards to the Find X5 Lite, its not the top end of the model line up so many features might not work as well as we expect.

(...) its not the top end of the model line up so many features might not work as well as we expect.

I still don't get it: What would such (many) features be?

I mean: If I want a decent movie camera, I'd buy a movie camera instead of an expensive smartphone. But still I think my smartphone is "good enough".
I have installed the OpenCamera app that allows 4K 16:9, FullHD 16:9, 1600x1200 4:3, HD 1280x720 16:9 and many more. As codecs it offers H264, HEVC, 3GPP and WebM (without sound). As profile it supports REC709, sRGB, and different log formats. It has a stabilizer, 3D compass, etc.
The phone has 8GB RAM, eight CPU cores and 256GB flash memory...

OpenCamera Screenshot

Screenshot_2025-02-11-18-24-38-91_670eb219ee3a146e30f090fb7360510d.jpg (408.54 KiB) Viewed 7903 times

That’s really frustrating! It’s unclear why some devices are compatible while others aren’t. It’d be helpful if Blackmagic provided more details on what makes a device compatible. Hopefully, they’ll expand support in future updates!

I can understand the disappointment, the wait for an Android version was frustrating, but the free BMD Camera app is definitely worth the wait.

I can also understand the worry about incompatibility with some phone models.
I also think that this is understandable if some models do not have the processing power or hardware, to provide the best results.

It's a FREE app, and if a cheap phone didn't run the app properly who'd you complain to, the phone manufacture?
Nope, you'd blame the developers of the FREE app.

I was even considering buying an iPhone (shock horror) if the Android version didn't eventuate, thankfully it did.

I have a BMD Pocket Cinema camera 4K, the Micro Studio Camera 4K (G1) and a couple of Video Assists (plus Cloud Store, Resolve keyboards, mini converters, monitors etc) and it's great how the BMD Camera app replicates the OS & Menus of the other products.

That’s really frustrating! It’s unclear why some devices are compatible while others aren’t. It’d be helpful if Blackmagic provided more details on what makes a device compatible. Hopefully, they’ll expand support in future updates!

No, and they shouldn’t give us any answer.
Android producer are the only responsible about incompatibility of apps.

Android brand customize original Android Os and allow or not allow developer to use hardware.

Is the reason that I stop to use Android device, are only a waste of money, I’m not free to use every app be cause they decide if I can or not use some feature of my phone.

Also if I can buy the app Samsung or lg or Motorola or Sony decide to not leave some low level access to app and then app not work.

The old filmic pro had a test app to tell us what could or not could work.

Ps I not told some Android brand casually but all brands that I own and sold when I saw that I cannot use many payed apps.


Inviato dal mio iPhone utilizzando Tapatalk

I would pay money for it if means the LUT function worked correctly on my Samsung S24 FE.

[Peter Chamberlain]

Shaheed, please try installing v2.1 as I believe there is a fix for that issue on that hardware.

Shaheed, please try installing v2.1 as I believe there is a fix for that issue on that hardware.

I'm on version 2.1.10004 and the problem still exists for Display LUT and Record LUT Clip.