Camera - Smart Device for 1st Year.
- Murray Basham
The Smart Device camera allows students to unlock their creativity by using this 'portable' Camera to craft a story.
Picture simulated
The best App to access all the features of the Smart Device is the Blackmagic App.
Installed on all of the Google Pixel 7A smart devices available from the MCASI Store.
The Blackmagic App available on Google Play Store and App Store for iOS
This picture shows the overall Settings of the Camera.
The App takes full advantage of the ‘touch screen’ capability, which allows quick access to any of the Menu functions displayed.
This Quick Guide is to show each Setting and what its for.
Selected Phone Lens; Which Lens is being used for the Shot.
Frame Rate; Remember the Zoom F6 Audio needs to match. 25FPS is optimum
Shutter; the rate at which the Shutter of the camera is operating at.
Record Duration; the time length of Recording
ISO; the Sensitivity of the Sensor within the camera.
White Balance; this is for the camera to know what the colour White is.
Overlay; turns ON a number of ‘Display Guides’ for the camera.
Focus; allows you to Switch between Auto or Manual.
Exposure; fine control in exposing the picture.
Zoom; Zoom IN or OUT. With Zoom, its best if you don't Zoom more than 1.3X.
Media Storage; how much Media you can Record to.
Audio Levels; indication of internal Microphone levels.
The Points underlined above are further explained below.
Zebra; this setting allows for a way to observe exposure when this Zebra Pattern is ON. It can be set to a variety of Levels. 75-100%. 85% is a good start point.
Focus in Red; if using Manual Focus, this allows you to see when Peak Focus is reached by showing a Red Line becoming distinctive on the Phones screen.
Display Markers: Display Markers are a guide to indicate when framing the camera. the one shown by the arrow (left) is for Rule of Thirds. A good start to getting ahead - for that great shot.
Dual Sound Recording with Frame Rate
For continuity, as well as synchronising the audio later, especially when using the Zoom F6 Audio Recorder.
The function of the Camera is the Video and the Zoom F6 for the Audio.
It’s important to have the Frame Rate for both recording devices set to the same rate. In this example 25FPS is required.
The Exposure Triangle
A guide to using each of the 3 Settings to ‘expose’ correctly the picture
The picture to the left shows the relation between all 3 functions of the camera to give the best recording.
It is that balance between all 3 that gives the best result.
Shutter should be at least higher than your Frame Rate. ie 1/50th and above.
ISO needs to be set as Low as possible. This is when Outdoors. High when in Indoors
The balance is in finding the best combination from each to give the best result.
With the Smart Device, they don't allow Iris control, this is done with its own software.
The Icon marked Exposure however only puts the the camera into ‘Full Auto’ control
which can be detrimental in how the overall shot is exposed.
ISO Setting
As a guide; this needs to be set as Low in numerical value to begin with when shooting Outdoors.
High when in Indoors.
(ISO) represents sensitivity to light as a numerical value.
Shutter Setting
Device through which the lens aperture of a camera is opened to admit light and thus expose the film
Please see the Links to the right for access to the video Files in Class or on Campus
Alternatively to the the above way of accessing the Files from the device, Save your Files to a Thumbdrive for Saving or Viewing.
Record your Clip and once done
Switch to Media on the App.
Please ask at the MCASI Store for a USB-C to USB-A adaptor for this function as described below. This will only be for Phones that have a USB-C connector.
Select the Clip to be Saved, Click on the Upload icon (circled as shown).
Choose the Files by Google icon.
We send the Clip to the Files App on the Phone to then Save to the Thumbdrive
Select the Media File to be used from within Files, Select it by choosing the Clip, this is by using the Tick which highlights and then use the 3 Dot Menu selector at top Right of of the screen.
Once Selected choose the Copy To function.
With the Thumbdrive plugged in to the Phone via the attachment. Select the Thumbdrive at the bottom of the screen. As shown.
Your Files are now Saved to the Thumbrive.