You won’t find a better camera app for Android than this one.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
I’ve been using DaVinci Resolve for a while and the Blackmagic tool has impressed me Beyond expectations. When I heard that the company had ported its Blackmagic Camera mobile app to Android, I was excited.
Blackmagic released the iOS version of this application in September 2023 and, after months of anticipation, it finally arrived on Google’s mobile operating system.
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There is a problem. As of now, the Blackmagic Camera app is available for installation only on Samsung and Pixel phones. Also, you may have to install the app (like I did) from within the Google Play Store web version. When I searched the Google Play store for Blackmagic Camera or Blackmagic, I came up empty-handed. Fortunately, I was able to click Install on the web version and then tell the Play Store which device to send the app to.
Once installed, the app gave me control over things like FPS (frames per second) shutter speed, ISO, white balance, tint, resolution, and more. There’s even a histogram, volume meter, optical and standard zoom, a clip manager, and plenty of settings. You can change codecs, resolution, color space, shutter measurement (speed to angle), and more. The setup alone will blow you away. This is a serious app for people who are serious about recording videos on their phones.
Before installing this app, know that it is not designed for everyone. You need to know video editing before using this tool. (It doesn’t look anything like Google camera app with its integrated AI functions). This app offers real digital film camera controls and image processing. It’s a serious matter. For those who understand the ins and outs of using such an app, the results can be truly impressive.
I will default to the Blackmagic Camera app when I need to record a video with my Pixel 8 Pro because this app gives me all the control I need. I haven’t been so impressed by a mobile app in a long time.
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The Blackmagic camera is free to install and use. There are some in-app purchases (to unlock additional features).