Blackmagic Camera’s New Updates Take Advantage of iPhone 17 Pro’s Video Chops

A woman sits in a diner booth, resting her head on her hand, as she is filmed by a camera. A person holds up a smartphone displaying a live recording of the woman in the foreground.

 

Blackmagic Design has continued its rapid expansion into mobile filmmaking with a wave of updates that bridge the gap between smartphone and cinema camera production. Since the launch of Blackmagic Camera 3.0 last month, the app has introduced remote clip syncing, Apple Log 2 support, and, most notably, full iPhone 17 support.

The 3.0 release, rolled out on September 10, 2025, marked a shift in how mobile cinematographers interact with their cameras. It introduced a remote syncing system that lets users wirelessly sync clips from multiple phones to a central controller device, a key feature for multicam setups and documentary workflows. Together with the new Blackmagic Camera ProDock and ProRes RAW support in DaVinci Resolve, the update cements the iPhone’s growing reputation as a serious creative instrument for filmmakers.

Navigation and usability also received a complete overhaul. A reorganized toolbar and refined interface now allow users to tap left for quick access to presets, slates, and camera controls, or tap right for three programmable function buttons. Blackmagic also introduced single-lens and zoom control with dolly zoom effects, expanded FPS controls for off-speed and time-lapse recording, and added new exposure light and focus tools.

The update expanded color capabilities as well, adding built-in LUT support for Apple Log, Rec.709, Rec.2020, and P3 D65, as well as new HUD controls to switch and record with LUTs in real time. For filmmakers seeking cinematic formats, 3.0 brought Open Gate recording and a 2.0x anamorphic desqueeze option, opening up creative flexibility previously reserved for dedicated cameras.

All told, Blackmagic Camera 3.0 was a turning point, transforming the app into a full-featured cinematography suite with a more tactile, rangefinder-inspired workflow.

 

A smartphone screen shows a skier in action on snowy mountains, with camera settings and recording interface visible. Other phone screens with various app menus are layered in the background.

A smartphone in a video rig shows a person in an orange jacket on a snowy mountain. Below, several video and audio cables are connected to a compact camera interface device.

 

3.1: iPhone 17 and ProDock Integration

The subsequent 3.1 update, released on September 18, 2025, extended support to iPhone 17 devicesand introduced compatibility with the Blackmagic Camera ProDock, a hardware accessory that turns Apple’s latest smartphone into a production-ready filmmaking rig.

The ProDock offers professional connectivity options, including external Genlock, timecode input, and HDMI monitoring at the camera’s native frame rate and resolution. Its sturdy mount and expanded I/O allow iPhones to function more like cinema cameras on set, syncing perfectly in multicam shoots or connecting to external recorders and monitors.

This release also added ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2, and a series of general performance improvements, tightening integration between mobile and studio workflows.

Subsequent Refinements: Versions 3.1.1 and 3.1.2

Following the major 3.1 update, Blackmagic Design continued to refine the app with incremental updates aimed at improving stability and expanding functionality. Version 3.1.1, released on September 24, 2025, introduced proxy recording alongside ProRes RAW capture, giving filmmakers greater flexibility in managing file sizes and post-production workflows. The update also addressed several technical issues, including codec selection from remote controllers, unsupported lens behavior when switching to ProRes RAW, and aspect ratio discrepancies in remote previews and the media tab. Performance and stability improvements extended across iOS and macOS, resolving crashes and ensuring more consistent performance during extended shooting sessions.

 

Three smartphone screens displaying a dark-themed settings menu with options for recording audio, video, codec, resolution, timecode, and camera features. The settings include toggles and lists for customization.

A smartphone displays a LUT selection menu overlaid on four versions of a snowy mountain scene with two snowboarders, each showing different color grading labeled Rec.709, Gen 5 Film, KODAK D55, and KODAK D65.

DaVinci Resolve Adds ProRes RAW Support

The desktop side of the software ecosystem advanced in parallel. With the release of DaVinci Resolve 20.2, ProRes RAW support became fully native. Editors can now import, color grade, and export iPhone-shot ProRes RAW files directly, a significant step for creators mixing footage from iPhones and cinema cameras.

Previously, users needed to transcode or rely on third-party tools to bring mobile ProRes RAW into post-production. Now, the workflow is seamless: shoot on an iPhone 17 using the Blackmagic Camera app, connect via the ProDock for professional monitoring or Genlock, and finish entirely within Resolve without format conversions.

 

A woman uses a color grading control panel at a workstation with two monitors, one displaying editing software and the other showing a scene with two people in cowboy hats. The room is lit with colorful, ambient lighting.

 

A Growing Role for the iPhone 17 in Filmmaking

The iPhone 17 Pro’s improved sensor and Apple Log 2 recording already positioned it as a capable imaging device, but with Blackmagic’s software and hardware ecosystem, it’s a thoroughly professional production platform. The combined ability to shoot in ProRes RAW, sync multiple phones, and handle color workflows natively in Resolve makes it a realistic option for independent filmmakers, content creators, and even broadcast professionals.

While limitations like storage capacity, battery life, and physical lens constraints remain, the growing ecosystem, anchored by the ProDock and Blackmagic’s steady software cadence, gives filmmakers more ways than ever to harness mobile devices in serious production environments.

A smartphone displaying a video editing app with multiple skiing video clips on the screen, placed on a wooden surface next to a pair of white wireless earbuds.

The pace of development underscores a broader transformation in the creative industry: cameras are no longer defined by their bodies, but by their ecosystems. The iPhone 17, paired with the Blackmagic Camera app and DaVinci Resolve, now occupies a space once reserved for high-end cinema rigs, offering filmmakers of any scale a toolset that’s accessible, portable, and remarkably powerful.