Blackmagic’s free camera app is now available on Android, but there’s a catch

“The Blackmagic Camera iPhone app has been incredibly popular since it was launched last year,” says Grant Petty, CEO of the company. “We’re excited to be able to offer customers with Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel phones the same controls for shooting digital movies as our professional cameras.”

A Blackmagic Design spokesperson, Terry Frechette, confirmed On the edge that there is an unfortunate limitation to the Blackmagic Camera app on Android. The app “can be used on phones running Android 13 or later” but is limited to the Samsung Galaxy S23, S24 and Google Pixel 7/8 lines. The company also had no information to share when asked whether the app would eventually be made available on other Android devices.

The native camera apps on iOS and Android focus on simplifying photography with streamlined interfaces and a heavy reliance on automation, and while more capable camera apps aimed at professional photographers and videographers often have premium pricing, the Blackmagic Camera app will remain completely free on Android.

The Android version of the app will also have the same interface as the iPhone version, with an overlaid heads-up display that shows important photography information such as focus and exposure, which also provides quick access to settings by simply tapping items on the HUD. . Blackmagic Camera can also capture images directly to the company’s cloud service, making them quickly accessible for editing and post-production at other facilities.