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2K BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera, active m43, $995
  • 4493 Replies sorted by
  • nomadnomad

    I can confirm most of this from my tests too. The Pocket is surprisingly close in quality. Given it's size and weight, I can imagine that the decision is guided more by the intention of rigging it up (which defeats this advantage) vs. shooting unobtrusive or even clandestine.

    The latter will need small lenses for sure, I'm gonna append to my lens C-mount tests over the next few days, today it's the wide end.

    BTW, I couldn't find massive advantages in grading of the whole frame between shooting RAW or ProRes on the BMCC with my color chart tests. Of course there will be advantages with chroma keying or color based qualifiers in post.

  • lmackreathlmackreath

    @nomad Thanks for all your work with the BMPCC and colour charts etc. I was wondering if you have time if you could shoot some more basic footage with the Pocket to let us some see some more real work comparisons between the quality of the pocket and BMCC?

  • peaceonearthpeaceonearth

    @jakepowell

    with due respect to your grading work for me it is a good sample for limitations how far you can push the BMD RAW files. In theory quite a lot and for some shots it may work - but in the BMCC landscape shot you see the color moire issue clearly even in the small waves of the sea area. As you push colors to more saturation and added contrast color moiré is pushed too :-/

  • vicharrisvicharris

    I'm going to go ahead and say it now, if your viewers are looking at all these faults we keep pointing out, you're not doing your job as a visual story teller. Period. I for one am done nit picking footage. :)

  • jakepowelljakepowell

    @peaceonearth its prores file not raw i should imagine raw is better. but yes i agree it has been pushed far and yes it does show moire in the waves , also check the palm trees in the bmcc shot for more funky stuff. i'll try harder. im not the most experienced in this by any means. and despite my engagement in this i agree with @vicharris either of these and gh2/2/3 or whatever are fine tools to get the proper thing done which is to get out there and tell stories visually (however seeing as this is a bmpcc thread i would say that argument it reserved for another place)

  • peaceonearthpeaceonearth

    @vicharris ;-)

    true - but I have painful memories to testimonials shot with a 5DM2 with acting people wearing suits and I don't want to go back there. PersonalIy I accept your point of view for RS issue but not for color moiré in grey fabric I see upcoming.

  • peaceonearthpeaceonearth

    @jakepowell it was no review of your work but of the limitations of the BMCC.

  • vicharrisvicharris

    I still think most of it is crop factor stuff guys. Let's see a BMPCC at let's say 12mm then compare that with what, 16mm on the BMCC? I have not seen one test like this. Also all we see is tests on prores.

  • jakepowelljakepowell

    @peaceonearth ahah been there ... try shooting a tweed like grey fabric upholstered chair ... @vicharris i think you may be right. but until someone does one or we do we just wont know... i think prores is the only thing available at this time?

  • vicharrisvicharris

    Get a different chair or make the DB actor stand!!!! :)

  • jakepowelljakepowell

    @vicharris if only, its an advert for the chair ;) (sorry off topic)

  • lmackreathlmackreath

    And the footage keeps rolling in!

    I assume this guy was either using the 14-42 that doesnt have the IS swtich on ....or it did and he failed to use it :p

  • ahblezaahbleza

    Looks like Philip Bloom just got his BMPCC, and he has posted footage.

    http://philipbloom.net/2013/08/19/coming-soon/

    Here's the link to his footage:

    https://philipbloom.wetransfer.com/downloads/ebff4627e2ad5492d32379162d9890f420130819204706/edcc1d13feb4373dc06f6f9bca2959f420130819204706/a878af

    For users of this forum, I am currently uploading it to Vimeo. It looks good on a 27" display.

  • FlaaandeeersFlaaandeeers

    Some footage from Cheesyguy (recorded into Atomos Ninja and not SD card):

  • jleojleo

    From the folks at Cheesycam, BMPCC. Lumix MFT lenses, and Rokinon 8mm, Atomos Ninja: original MOV file

    http://cheesycam.com/blackmagic-pocket-cinema-camera-rode-videomic-pro-captured-on-atomos-ninja-2/

  • feonnfeonn

    @ahbleza It seems Bloom's camera has a bit of the strange sound noise.

  • lmackreathlmackreath

    The cheesycam footage is the closest I have seen to some well shot and stable footage out of the camera so far.

    However...I still feel very underwhelmed by the quality of the picture. Maybe this is down to the lenses chosen, but if you are paying around £1000 for glass like the Lumix 35-100 you would expect good results?

    It seems the "Aukland in my pocket" gave us the highest quality footage I have seen out of this cam so far..now was that more down to the quality of the Canon glass used rather than the cam itself?

  • lmackreathlmackreath

    @feonn I would agree....not good at all! What are the chances that the handful of Pockets that have been released to reviewers could have this issue? This to me I doubt is a one off case...and the worry is now we are going to have shipments of these cameras all being made with the same noise issue out of the box!

  • Brian202020Brian202020

    @Imackreath

    The cheesycam footage is the closest I have seen to some well shot and stable footage out of the camera so far.

    Really? The cheesycam stuff is far from the best I've seen. Did you see JB's night stuff?

  • azza_actazza_act

    Looks great!

  • nomadnomad

    The BMCC has a bit more resolution, but it is limited by massive moiré too…

    (Same lens as on BMPCC)

    Res_BMCC.jpg
    2400 x 1350 - 445K
  • peaceonearthpeaceonearth

    outch.

  • _gl_gl

    @nomad, is the BMCC chart from ProRes or RAW?

  • feonnfeonn

    The frame should be seen at full resolution in order to see the real amount of moire. When reduced on the screen it appears much worse as it is. Many say you can clear it pretty much from raw... I hope mosaic engineering are going to make a VAF for the BM cameras soon or late.

  • peaceonearthpeaceonearth

    @feonn

    BMCC has a resolution of 2432 x 1366px. If you open the chart file in a new window and zoom in you will see that it's full resolution. Still ouch.

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