BlackMagic Cam App: USB file transfer to Mac inconsistent

Hello! I'm getting inconsistent behavior trying to copy my BlackMagic App's "Media" folder from my iPhone 13 Pro to my Mac. Plugging my iPhone to my Mac, I wait for Sync to complete, navigate to Files>BlackMagic Cam, then select the "Media" folder and drag it to my desktop.

Sometimes this is successful, and the folder is created and files start copying. But normally it doesn't work. The progress bar flashes briefly then goes back to it's normal display

I've tried opening and closing the app on the iPhone, thinking that might be related, but to no avail. I've tried different cables.

The "LUT" and "Presets" folders will always copy, but not "Media".

Anyone else noticing this weird behavior? Anyone have an idea of what I'm missing? I record long clips and using Airdrop to clear out my iPhone is a real pain ..!

Thanks for any help,

Matthew Durante

Have you tried to Air Drop the file?

Have you tried to Air Drop the file?

See the last sentence of his post.

The "LUT" and "Presets" folders will always copy, but not "Media".

You've probably already dome this, but I'd start by looking at how I've set up Blackmagic Camera > Settings > Media >Save Clips To. Then I'd have a look at the structure of the phone's Files app.

When the Media folder doesn't copy to your Mac, have you confirmed that there are actually clips in the Media folder? Have you played some of them in the app before attempting to copy them to your Mac?

I'd also do a search to find out whether this kind of issue can arise with other iOS apps, such as Pages or Numbers, and, if so, what the cause and fix are.

Hello! I'm getting inconsistent behavior trying to copy my BlackMagic App's "Media" folder from my iPhone 13 Pro to my Mac. Plugging my iPhone to my Mac, I wait for Sync to complete, navigate to Files>BlackMagic Cam, then select the "Media" folder and drag it to my desktop.

Sometimes this is successful, and the folder is created and files start copying. But normally it doesn't work. The progress bar flashes briefly then goes back to it's normal display

I've tried opening and closing the app on the iPhone, thinking that might be related, but to no avail. I've tried different cables.

The "LUT" and "Presets" folders will always copy, but not "Media".

Anyone else noticing this weird behavior? Anyone have an idea of what I'm missing? I record long clips and using Airdrop to clear out my iPhone is a real pain ..!

Thanks for any help,

Matthew Durante

What Mac model and OS version do you have?

Since iPhone 13 use a Lightning connection, that is limited to USB-2 speeds (30-40 MB/sec, "downhill and wind from behind") your best option is actually Air Drop in most cases.

Air Drop may be your absolutely best and most reliable option, and - depending on Mac hardware - it's not slower, than using a direct cable connection, as you try to do.

Regards

Have you tried to Air Drop the file?

See the last sentence of his post.

Amazing I missed that! Apologies.

I second Kurt’s advice. But I have to add that the incredibly slow transfer by either means has never lured me into filming with an iPhone until they made the switch to USB-C.
Now I use a cable and the Files app and copies fly without any issue.
But good luck with any older iPhone…

I second Kurt’s advice. But I have to add that the incredibly slow transfer by either means has never lured me into filming with an iPhone until they made the switch to USB-C.
Now I use a cable and the Files app and copies fly without any issue.
But good luck with any older iPhone…

By “I use a cable and the Files app and copies fly”, I assume that you mean “copy to external disk”.

When using - ANY - cable (USB-3.x, USB 4, Thunderbolt 3 or 4) connecting the iPhone 15 Pro directly to - for example - a new Apple Silicon MacBook 14 M1 Pro (USB-C to USB-C, cerrtified cables up to 40GBit/100Watt) the speed is stil abysmally low (when I connect to my old Intel based MacBook 13 Pro (4x Thunderbolt) the same operation is three times faster, but still not anywhere near the “direct to disk” copy speeds.

There is a non-obvious cabled connection, when using FileBrowser Professional (Stratospheric) internal WebDAV Server. Activate Internet Sharing on the iPhone, before starting the WebDAV Server. Since there is no DHCP or DNS server invoived, you get weird "169.254.x.x" unassigned ("peer-to-peer") IP numbers. They still work.

Check out network settings, AFTER connecting with a good and certified cable:

The "virtual" iPhone-USB USB network connector is active

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Note, that it works with an active Firewall. You can use manual copy or standard Mac Sync/Backup programs, to handle the transfer (even including automatically verifying ONLY the transferred data AFTER transfer, if using Carbon Copy Cloner). The speed is now acceptable (around 300+ megabyte/sec via the WebDAV Server in the iPhone):

Cable connection speed from WebDAV Server via the virtual iPhone USB USB network.

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It's still not "up there", compared to using a direct connection to a fast USB-C disk via USB-C 10 Gbit or better cable, but it has the benefit to always work (many external SSD disks - especially NvME based) simply needs far more power, than the iPhone 15 Pro is capable of delivering via the USB-C port.

Aaand you trickle charge the iPhone at the same time.

Regards

Well, I make a copy right away anyway and free up the phone.

On my iPhone 14 Pro, Air Drop to my Mac was effective since I only have that misnomer ‘Lightning’ connector. Thank goodness for the EU, but any chance Apple gets they’ll design new innovative proprietary connections such as on their latest marvel, Vision Pro. Maybe the EU needs to look at that next.

the same happened to me.

Im my case it was very simple: not enough space.

Yes, they could give us a warning but nope.


Please check if this is your case.