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Blackmagic Camera IP

warning

TALLY is currently not available using the REST API protocol from Blackmagic. This is likely an omission from Blackmagic, and we reported this in April 2024. We are waiting for a fix from Blackmagic. Until then, the SDI camera control option is the only one to provide tally to the cameras.

Generic information can be found in the global Blackmagic guide

Wiring​

info

You can also use directly a RIO: Camera <--(USB-C-Ethernet)-->RIO<--(cloud)-->RCP

Camera Setup​

Plug the camera to your laptop through USB (or IP if already configured).

Open the software Blackmagic Camera Setup, select your camera

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Ensure to setup a valid IP (can be DHCP or static).

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In my case I setup my camera with the static IP 10.192.88.228/24.

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Enable the remote control: Web media manager (HTTP)

RCP/RIO setup​

Navigate to the web UI:

  • Create a new camera
  • Enter a valid number and name
  • Select brand Blackmagic, model IP
  • Enter the IP of your camera (10.192.88.228 in my case)

It should look like this:

Troubleshooting​

When I zoom in, the focus and/or iris change​

We control the lens through the camera. And the protocol is bidirectional (which is not the case of the SDI), so we receive updated infos from the cameras.

This issue usually happens on microstudio G2. The supported lenses are not parafocal, and the camera is somehow compensating. Zooming will cause

  • Focus value change
  • Iris value change

Some cameras (like Dreamchip mini Zoom) have non parafocal lenses, compensate also, but the value they send are not the "RAW" ones. Blackmagic compensate and the values are the RAW ones, compensated.

This makes it unusable with focus handles for example as the control is absolute:

  • you can change the focus (as the control is absolute and the handle is absolute)
  • you can't zoom (as the control is in speed/relative and the camera expect position), but if you change zoom from RCP it works.
  • now if you move focus again the real value and the handle value are not the same anymore, then touch the focus you will see a glitch.

But this is not an issue if you change zoom/focus using the RCP as you will:

  • change zoom using encoder (absolute position)
  • you will see the focus changing
  • if you change the focus now, it will be done with the updated value, no glitch

You can check by yourself it's a "camera issue" (my camera IP is 10.192.1.1):

$ curl http://10.192.1.1/control/api/v1/lens/focus

{
    "normalised": 0.5400898456573486
}%

$ curl -X PUT http://10.192.1.1/control/api/v1/lens/zoom \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{"focalLength": 35}'

$ curl http://10.192.1.1/control/api/v1/lens/focus

{
    "normalised": 0.4116251468658447
}%

We did some API call directly on the camera and we see:

  • we check focus value and its 0.54
  • we change the zoom to 35
  • we read back the focus and now its 0.41

My camera stays RED​

warning

Check that your camera is not running firmware version 8.7, as this version is not compatible.

  • It is recommended to upgrade both your RCP and camera to the latest supported firmware versions for best compatibility.
  • Ensure you can ping the camera from your laptop.
  • Ensure you have enabled the Web media manager (HTTP). Browse to http://10.192.88.228/control/documentation.html (replace the IP with your camera's IP).
  • Sometimes, at startup, the IP is not properly set up in the camera:
    • Try power cycling the camera.
    • Try unplugging and replugging the USB-C Ethernet dongle.
    • Try navigating to the IP setup menu, edit a value (you don't need to change anything, just validate it), then power cycle.

Once you can ping the camera and access the webpage, you're ready to configure it in the RCP.