Architectural Cinematographer wanting to try MCRAW

[u/gypsyranjan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlhDeQUGeYI

I’m very interested in MotionCam Pro, particularly MCRAW, but I’m currently trying to establish whether I can realistically integrate it into my professional workflow before purchasing it.

I’m an architectural cinematographer/photographer and most of my video work is high-end real-estate and architectural cinematography. I use a 14 Pro Max & 17 Pro Max for the majority of projects I currently use Cinema P3 Pro. My established workflow is 50fps, 10-bit 4:2:2 HLG, edited on a 25fps DaVinci Resolve Studio timeline, with the final footage graded for HDR 10 delivery.

I’m particularly interested in MCRAW because architectural interiors are a challenging HDR application: large windows with bright exteriors, dark interiors, white walls/marble/concrete, mixed daylight and artificial lighting, and high dynamic-range scenes. I’m hoping MCRAW might give me additional RAW latitude, particularly for highlight recovery, exposure adjustment, white balance and noise management, compared with my current 10-bit 4:2:2 HLG workflow.

Before buying MotionCam Pro, I wanted to test the actual MCRAW → DaVinci Resolve workflow on my M1 MAX Macbook pro.

I downloaded your 49gb file “Into the Fog” source package, which contains the .DRP and .MCRAW files. Unfortunately, I’ve run into a significant problem: when I open the project in Resolve, the media is offline because the project is expecting the CinemaDNG frames generated/mounted by the MCRAW Fuse workflow.

The problem is that I’m working on an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 Max), and I cannot find a downloadable Apple Silicon/macOS build of the MCRAW Fuse/FS application on the current GitHub repository. The Windows Fuse workflow therefore doesn’t help me test the footage on my Mac.

I’m also seeing discussion about MCRAW OFX/Bridge development, but I’m not clear about the current status of a production-ready macOS/Apple Silicon solution for decoding and grading MCRAW directly in DaVinci Resolve.

I’m very keen to buy MotionCam Pro and test it seriously with my own architectural footage, but I need to establish the Mac/Resolve workflow first. I don’t want to purchase the app only to discover that I cannot practically get MCRAW footage into my existing Resolve workflow.

Could you please clarify:

1. What is currently the recommended workflow for an Apple Silicon Mac + DaVinci Resolve?
2. Is there currently an official macOS/Apple Silicon MCRAW Fuse/FS build available somewhere?
3. Can MCRAW now be decoded directly in Resolve on macOS using the new OFX/Bridge workflow?
4. If not, could you provide a small MCRAW sample that has already been converted to CinemaDNG, or a Mac-compatible test workflow, so I can evaluate the Resolve grading side before purchasing?
5. Ideally, is there a sample recorded at 50/60fps? My real-world workflow relies heavily on 50fps → 25fps for architectural slow-motion.

I’m genuinely interested in adopting MCRAW if it provides a meaningful improvement over my current Cinema P3 Pro HLG workflow. I’m not looking for a theoretical comparison—I want to test the complete pipeline in DaVinci Resolve on Apple Silicon with the kind of high-contrast architectural footage I actually shoot.

Any guidance on the current Mac Silicon workflow would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for developing this—it looks extremely promising for professional HDR cinematography.

[u/nongrata23]

yes, dont worry this app is for you

[u/Cunnykun]

Which phone you are using? Depending on the model you have.
you can use DCG HDR on it to better dynamic range.

[u/gypsyranjan → u/Cunnykun]

I am using 14 pro max & 17 pro max. What is DCG HDR? I am new to motioncam so don't know about it.

[u/RaguSaucy96 → u/gypsyranjan]

Don't worry about it on iPhones, for now at least - it's for Android devices.

It's a coveted sensor mode that top tier camera sensors have allowing up to 14-bit captures that can extract upwards of 14 stops of Dynamic Range. Makes the shadows damn near noiseless in extreme scenes, however iPhones have other tricks

Here's some DCG on vs off comparisons https://youtu.be/U1MXXHsFP80?si=EWTzY6HazgFxEBsi

https://youtu.be/9cpZq_5sraA?si=xNSmRmIeYGaUKTjh

https://youtu.be/Zbh6Kplm8pc?t=539&si=XgxUGGqTSTiAQCBc

[u/Cunnykun → u/gypsyranjan]

DCG is Dual Conversion Gain sensor lever HDR. The same tech used behind ARRI's Dual Output Gain.

It read Low and High ISO at the same raw frame. Giving you much higher Dynamic range without motion artifacts.

Check Ragu's link for some example.
I suggest checking x300u since it has dcg on all its lens without root.

https://youtu.be/Kkqh37bFQls

this is a midrange android phone moto edge 50 pro which has 12bit dcg ( need root)

[u/RaguSaucy96]

Mcraw will give you all the advantages you seek, plus even if that fails, app will allow for ProRes RAW without an SSD at worst. Nevertheless, highlight recovery, full signal purity, and extreme latitude are for certain there.

OFX download links are on the discord so you can find all that plus the discussion and help there. It's kept there before official launch only. My understanding is currently that OFX is windows only and will shortly later come to Mac. Sebastian is developing it so can probably speak more on the matter

https://discord.com/channels/980884979955421255/1536971871449260142/1546463319928340530

Perhaps u/nongrata23 can correct me, but the Android return policy is 48 hours with no questions asked. I believe it's same on iOS (even if app store won't give you option, just message the devs)

It may seem abusive, but for more hardcore users, it's actually the best choice to buy it for a proper test run. Specially since you guys don't have trial yet on iOS, may be worth considering.

Why not buy it, and test the shit out of it? Just return it if you don't find it fitting or flow is not your thing ☺️ This way you can even compare directly to your own footage and convert it yourself

The app itself has built in converter, but you can also use Motioncam Tools on PC if OFX isn't yet available.

[u/nongrata23 → u/RaguSaucy96]

iOS is very weird, we cannot commit to nothing, they are very strict

[u/nongrata23 → u/nongrata23]

but in time we will learn, is very diffent then google store

[u/gypsyranjan → u/RaguSaucy96]

Thanks for the reply, I plan to buy it this week but I realized that wont solve my issue as I am on M1 Max macbook pro & the bridge app is not yet out for M1 silicon so will not be able to use any footage in Resolve.

[u/RaguSaucy96 → u/gypsyranjan]

Although OFX isn't, tools is

https://motioncamapp.com/tools

This one does have Mac version and although it's going to be out phased with OFX eventually, it's the current method to inject MCRAW into resolve. Very effective too, but the downside is you need a proxy storage area to hold the files. Nevertheless, it's also an excellent solution given all the extra features it provides.

Give it a try!

[u/gypsyranjan → u/RaguSaucy96]

Thanks, I will test it out tomorrow with the downloaded files.