Comparison

Blackmagic Camera Control vs Middle Setup

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Blackmagic Camera Control

Remotely manage Blackmagic Design cameras with Bluetooth from your iPad. Adjust settings, control lenses, update metadata, and start/stop recording from up to 30 feet away. Ideal for hard-to-reach camera placements or for assistants needing quick data updates.

Highlights
  • Remote camera control via Bluetooth
  • Adjust camera settings
  • Control camera lens
  • Update metadata (shot, scene, take)
  • Trigger recording
  • Remote power on/off (URSA Mini Pro)
Features
Read full description

The Blackmagic Camera Control app allows you to control any Blackmagic Design camera that features Bluetooth control capability, right from your iPad! Get full control of your camera from up to 30 feet away, so you can remotely change camera settings, control the lens, adjust metadata and trigger recording. On URSA Mini Pro cameras you can also remotely power the camera on or off. Blackmagic Camera Control is ideal when you need to control cameras in hard to reach places such as on cranes, drones, gimbals and more! It’s also a great solution for camera assistants who need to quickly update metadata such as shot, scene and take numbers. Blackmagic Camera Control requires a Bluetooth enabled camera such as Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro or URSA Broadcast camera. Please ensure your camera has been updated to the latest Blackmagic Cameras software.

About

Middle Setup

This application facilitates the pairing of specific hardware controllers with Blackmagic cameras, enabling remote control of camera settings like iris, shutter, and color correction. It transforms gimbals and cameras into network-controlled PTZ heads, with advanced capabilities for controlling multiple gimbals simultaneously.

Highlights
  • Pair APC/APC-R with Blackmagic Camera
  • Set Camera ID
  • Network-controlled PTZ head
  • Control multiple DJI gimbals
  • Remote Iris, Shutter, Focus control
  • Color correction features
Features
Read full description

Middle Setup is the companion app for the APC‑R, the wireless camera controller by Middle Things. Set up your rig in seconds, straight from your iPhone — no laptop needed on set. Supports APC-R and APC-R Mini. PAIR YOUR BLACKMAGIC CAMERA Scan, select and pair your Blackmagic camera over Bluetooth directly through the APC‑R — Pocket Cinema 4K/6K, URSA, PYXIS cameras and more. Enter the camera's PIN once and the APC‑R reconnects to it automatically from then on. READY FOR THE ATEM WORKFLOW Give each APC‑R its camera number and it responds to exactly the right commands from your switcher. Check live camera settings at a glance — ISO, shutter, white balance, aperture, focus, timecode — and adjust them or start/stop recording remotely. DRIVE YOUR GIMBAL Control CAN‑bus gimbals (DJI Ronin family) with a virtual joystick, precision step buttons and a hold‑to‑zoom rocker with adjustable speed. Set soft‑limit end points, recenter, autotune, calibrate motors, and put the head to sleep or wake it — all from the app. CONFIGURE THE NETWORK Set Ethernet and Wi‑Fi credentials and IP configuration (DHCP or static) for the Middle Control link, watch the live connection status, and adjust the tally light brightness to match your studio. BUILT FOR THE REAL WORLD • Automatic reconnection when the APC‑R restarts or moves out of range • Robust pairing with automatic retries and clear error messages • Optional connection password so only your team can access your units • Identify function to blink a unit's tally when you're rigging several • Works alongside Middle Control on macOS/Windows for full multi‑camera control Requires a Middle Things APC‑R or APC‑R Mini. The Lite version is not supported. Bluetooth is used only to find and configure your controller.

Screenshots

Middle Setup4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Middle Setup at every 3 weeks against Blackmagic Camera Control's every 12 months. Blackmagic Camera Control's advantage is review sentiment (26% vs 0%) and iOS requirement (13.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Blackmagic Camera Control ships an update every 12 months, Middle Setup every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 11, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Blackmagic Camera Control versus Middle Setup: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlackmagic Camera ControlMiddle Setup
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.5 (24 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews26.3% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings24 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS13.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBlackmagic Design IncMiddle Motion

Customer experience

Blackmagic Camera Control

All ratings24 ratings
Positive37.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative62.5%
Written reviews38 reviews
Positive26.3%
Neutral15.8%
Negative57.9%

Middle Setup

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

Blackmagic Camera Control

No in-app purchases

None

Middle Setup

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Blackmagic Camera Control free?
Blackmagic Camera Control is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Middle Setup free?
Middle Setup is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Blackmagic Camera Control or Middle Setup have ads?
Neither Blackmagic Camera Control nor Middle Setup shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Blackmagic Camera Control or Middle Setup?
Blackmagic Camera Control ships an update every 12 months, and Middle Setup every 3 weeks. Most recently, Blackmagic Camera Control was updated on June 11, 2026 and Middle Setup on September 14, 2026.

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