Blackmagic Camera for iOS 3.5 Released – iPhone 18 Pro Support, Variable Aperture Control, ProRes to Pro Video Storage

Smartphone FilmmakingSoftware Update

by Nino LeitnerToday

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Blackmagic Design has released Blackmagic Camera for iOS 3.5, adding support for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, including manual control of the variable aperture on the 48MP Fusion main camera. The free update also lets the app record Apple ProRes to the pro video storage Apple introduced with the new phones.

Version 3.5 is a compact release with two additions, and both follow directly from changes on Apple’s side. Aperture now sits next to shutter angle, ISO and white balance in the app’s controls, so exposure on the main camera can be built the way it is on any cinema camera: choose the stop for depth of field, then balance with shutter, ISO and ND. The second addition is a new recording destination for ProRes on the iPhone 18 Pro models. Everything else carries over from the 3.x releases we have covered, among them live streaming in version 3.2 and Apple Watch and ATEM control in version 3.3.

A mechanical iris under Blackmagic’s controls

As we reported in our iPhone 18 Pro launch coverage, the main camera uses a six-blade mechanical iris with four settings: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8 and f/4.0, at a 24mm equivalent focal length. Apple opened an aperture API to developers at launch, which is what makes third-party control of this kind possible. The Ultra Wide stays fixed at f/2.2 and the Telephoto at f/2.8, so the new control applies with the main lens selected.

According to Blackmagic Design, the aperture can be adjusted directly in the app to control depth of field and exposure. Apple’s own Camera app picks the aperture automatically by default and offers a manual override in its new Pro controls. In Blackmagic Camera, the iris readout in the heads-up display, which sits next to FPS, shutter, ISO, white balance and tint, becomes an adjustable value on the main camera.

From f/1.48 to f/4.0 is a range of just under three stops. That will not replace ND for a 180° shutter in full sun, but it reduces how much filtration has to go in front of the lens, and it gives iPhone shooters an optical depth of field decision for the first time.

What the release notes leave open

Apple’s own Pro controls offer only the four fixed aperture positions, which has been a point of criticism. Apple says developers get access across the aperture range, which may allow third-party apps to set intermediate values, but Blackmagic’s text does not say whether version 3.5 does so, or whether the aperture can be changed during a recording rather than only between takes. Apple has not documented either point.

We have not received iPhone 18 Pro review units yet, so we have not been able to check this ourselves. Anyone planning an iris pull within a shot should establish how their own device behaves first.

ProRes and pro video storage

Pro video storage is an iPhone 18 Pro feature. According to Apple’s iPhone User Guide, turning on ProRes under Settings, Camera, Formats on these models involves a step called Configure Pro Video Storage, in which you reserve part of the phone’s internal storage for pro video recordings. The reserved amount can be changed later or removed to reclaim the space. Apple does not recommend a size.

Blackmagic says version 3.5 supports recording Apple ProRes using this storage, which it describes as another option for capturing high quality files directly on the iPhone. Until now, the app’s save destinations were in-app only, in-app plus Photo Library, or Files on internal or external storage. The codec list is unchanged: ProRes 422 HQ, 422, LT and Proxy, plus HEVC and H.264, at up to 4K depending on the device. ProRes RAW and Apple Log 2 arrived earlier, as covered in our version 3.1.2 article.

Blackmagic does not state whether ProRes RAW can be written to pro video storage. For ProRes at 4K 120fps, Apple’s requirement of a compatible external storage device still stands. We’ll find out soon if it’s possible.

Price and availability

Blackmagic Camera for iOS 3.5 is available now as a free download from the App Store. According to Blackmagic’s tech specs, the app runs on iPhones with iOS 16.6 or later and iPads with iPadOS 18 or later. For genlock, external timecode and HDMI monitoring, the Blackmagic Camera ProDock is listed at $339 on Blackmagic’s website. If you are rigging the new phone, we have also covered the SmallRig iPhone 18 Cinema Kit, and Tilta has also updated their Khronos ecosystem to accommodate the new Apple flagship phones.

For more information, please visit the Blackmagic Design website.

Is a three-stop iris enough to change how you expose on an iPhone, or does the ND stay on regardless? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!