Blackmagic's professional camera app is now available for Pixel phones

Blackmagic Design, a renowned company in the professional video equipment industry, has released a cutting-edge camera app for Android devices, specifically targeting Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy smartphones. The new Blackmagic Camera app, launched on June 24, 2024, brings professional-grade digital film camera controls to these popular Android devices, elevating mobile videography to cinematic levels.

The app, available as a free download from Google Play, offers a range of features typically found in high-end digital film cameras. Users can now adjust settings such as frame rate, shutter angle, white balance, and ISO with a single tap, mimicking the interface of Blackmagic Design’s award-winning cameras.

One of the standout features is the app’s integration with Blackmagic Cloud, allowing for seamless collaboration with editors and colorists worldwide. Users can record directly to Blackmagic Cloud Storage in industry-standard files up to 8K resolution, enabling real-time project sharing and editing using DaVinci Resolve.

The app’s user interface is designed for efficiency, featuring an interactive heads-up display (HUD) that shows crucial information like status parameters, histogram, focus peaking, and frame guides. Users can quickly access these controls by swiping up or down on the screen.

Blackmagic Camera also includes advanced monitoring tools such as zebra settings for exposure checking, focus assist, and customizable frame guides. Audio recording options are equally professional, with VU or PPM audio meters available.

For content creators concerned about discretion, the app offers a “stealth mode” that allows shooting in 16:9 aspect ratio while holding the phone vertically, perfect for capturing footage unobtrusively.

Media management is streamlined with options to record locally, automatically upload to Blackmagic Cloud, or manually select clips for upload when network connectivity is available. The app also features a built-in chat workspace for project members to discuss shots and share ideas without leaving the application.

Grant Petty, CEO of Blackmagic Design, expressed excitement about bringing professional camera controls to more Android users, stating, “It’s really exciting to be able to give even more customers the ability to get their footage to the newsroom or post-production studios in literally seconds.”

With this release, Google Pixel users join iPhone users in having access to Blackmagic’s professional-grade mobile filmmaking tools, potentially overhauling mobile content creation for a new generation of filmmakers and video professionals.