Back in September I published this article: iPhone 17 Pro (Max) supports genlock via Blackmagic Camera ProDock to celebrate its announcment. At that time, I asked five questions whose answers were still unavailable. Today, I got the answers. Below are my original questions followed by the official answers from Blackmagic.

1: When using the genlock with iPhone 17 Pro (Max), which framerates are supported, i.e. 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, 50, 59.94?
Based on device and códec selected, 23.98 (a rounded version of 23.976) fps, 24 fps, 25 fps, 29.97 fps, 30 fps, 48 fps, 59.94 fps and 60 fps.

2: Is the HDMI output full raster?
Yes, the HDMI output is full raster.

3: Will the HDMI output of the dock match the selected framerate?
Yes.

4: Is there embedded audio on the HDMI output of the dock?
Yes, embedded audio on the HDMI output.

5: Will the dock work only with the Blackmagic Camera app and the Final Cut Camera app or others too?
Only Blackmagic Camera app and Final Cut Camera.

Conclusions

All of those are good news from Blackmagic, except for those who might have been looking to have access to both cameras (front and rear) of a single iPhone simultaneously, as is available with RØDE Capture app, which is not currently supported by the Blackmagic Camera ProDock.

Even though the Blackmagic Camera app does not currently support accessing both cameras (front and rear) of a single iPhone simultaneously (the way the RØDE Capture app does), the Blackmagic Camera app is designed for multi-camera setups where multiple phones (Android or iOS) or tablets running the Blackmagic Camera app can be controlled remotely from a single device, allowing for a multiview of all connected cameras. This feature is usually used without the Blackmagic Camera ProDock, but it is still worthwhile mentioning when comparing the capabilities of different camera apps for smartphones and tablets.

Image credits

Images are courtesy of Blackmagic Design.