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BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K
  • 497 Replies sorted by
  • @Lohmatij

    You better make new topic on this if you like.

    CinemaDNG had been originally engineered to avoid RED patents (as they have broader patents on raw video, not only on wavelet raw). Idea had been to have each frame stored as photo, very inconvenient, but it worked for good time.

  • @Lohmatij DNG and CinemaDNG are two different beasts. RED has patents on any form of compressed RAW video recording, at least for the U.S. (but that's enough for other companies not to mess with RED): https://www.red.com/legal/patent https://patents.justia.com/assignee/red-com-inc

    That RED is suing all companies that implement compressed RAW video recording has been known since Atomos signed a licensing deal with RED for Prores RAW: https://ymcinema.com/2019/01/24/atomos-agrees-to-partner-with-red-instead-of-getting-into-court-due-to-infringement-of-reds-patents/

    Previously, RED sued Sony for the same, but got countersued for infringing on other Sony patents, so that both companies eventually settled in court.

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  • Finally got one of the last "old" BMPCC 4k...

    What is the fastest WORKING USB-C SSD for the Pocket?

    (I did try a Crucial MX500 1TB with a Icybox SATA III to USB-C enclosure, but teh camera doesn't see the drive.)

  • @Psyco

    Glad you got an "old" camera! I'm using a Crucial MX500 2TB with no problems.

    Forget the enclosure. Get this instead:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZPKNQYW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

  • @Ralph_B

    I'm talking about the m.2 MX500, not the 2.5" version - its a different interface.

    Whats the maximum speed you get with your setup? Can you record 4k DCI 60fps uncompressed?

  • @Psyco

    I'm recording 4k 60p at 4:1 with no issues. I've not tried any lower compression because I find 4:1 to be absolutely perfect for my needs, which is high quality green screen compositing.

  • @Ralph_B

    Ok, thats reasonable. But I'm looking for an option that would allow me to record 4k DCI 60fps uncompressed IF I ever need it. (I will however use the setup in 3:1 or 4:1 most of the time.)

    The question is: Is it possible to get 560 MB/s data write speed (+protocoll overhead) on the SATA III interface of the BMPCC 4k? I would like to test this by using a drive that can perform even faster (USB-C = USB 3.1 Gen2 can be faster than that) and pushing the Pocket to the absolut limit... and see if the controller melts;-)

    The problem is not to find a fast drive (e.g. my HyperX M.2 SSD can do 1GB/s and even is AHCI), but to find an USB-C adapter that uses a compatible chip. The ASMedia chips seem to work, like the ASM235CM, but I haven't found an enclosure with such a chip that fits a fast drive.

  • Update about Firmware downgrades:

    BM switch the downgrade option of at a specific "date of production". So even some of the "BRAW" Pockets might be downgradeable... (but I don't know the exact date or how to find out which date or serial number is "old" vs. "new".

    Its still a very big fuckup and I hope that someone can hack that 6.1 Update-Tool to work with all Pockets.

  • I really wonder what on earth Brandon was doing to claim the battery life is under 20 minutes on an LP-E6. On the later firmwares the battery life is improved and I can get close to an hour out of my aftermarket ones. Even on the original firmware and the provided BMD battery though you should at least get double his claim.

  • I've spent the last three days lugging my mace around (P4K on a Manfrotto 502 head and a Libec HFMP) trying to make the most of a lens rental and I had enough footage from the Peoria Zoo to make a nice little sample footage reel for the P4K. All of the footage is shot 8:1 BRAW 4KDCI @ 60 FPS, reinterpreted to 29.97 for slow-motion. The lens was the Panasonic-Leica 100-400 f4-6.3. I absolutely love the opening shot of the giraffe and sadly (probably fine actually!) there was a net in the way of the tigers so I did not have a clear view but still enjoyed the footage.

  • @Firworks nice work! the two ostrich-like birds seemed happy to be on camera!

  • Expect official price drop tomorrow

    New price will be $1036. B&H showed prices for a little while.

  • Wow at that price I think I might pick up a second one. I've been hoping to snag a used one on a deal.

  • Completely run and gun realization of "doppelganger" idea, during two days in sometimes totally harsh light conditions on both-side.... BMPC4K with Panny 12-35

  • New firmware just released for the P4K with the following updates:

    • Added support for Blackmagic Pocket Battery Grip.
    • Added support for language localization.
    • Added support for built-in camera horizon tool.
    • Added support for 4K 2.4:1 4096 x 1712 recording in Blackmagic RAW up to 75 fps.
    • Added support for 2.6K 2688 x 1512 up to 120 fps recording in Blackmagic RAW suitable for Super16mm lenses.
    • Added support for 2.8K 4:3 2880 x 2160 recording in Blackmagic RAW up to 80 fps for anamorphic lenses.
    • Added support for 2x desqueeze preview when recording 4K 4:3.
    • Added support for 1.33x desqueeze preview.
    • Added support for pinch to zoom up to 8x magnification.
    • Added USB PTP control support.
    • Added ability to embed custom 3D LUTs in Blackmagic RAW clips as metadata.
    • Added common off-speed frame rate options above slider when changing frames.
    • Added common ISO options above slider when changing ISO settings.
    • Added 1:1 and 4:5 frame guide options.
    • Added ability to type in customized frame guide ratios.
    • Added ability to monitor voltage level when powering via 12V DC connector.
    • Improved auto focus performance.

    I just updated mine and it took forever. Much much longer than any previous update. I thought it was going to fail. It did pull through though and all the new features are there. The artificial horizon feature is very different from any other camera I've used. It's a crosshair which skews left/right or up/down depending on how angled the camera is.

  • I've just upgraded my BMPCC4K as well to the latest firmware (v 6.7). It seemed to "hang" at 70% for a couple of minutes, then proceeded to finish the update without problems.

  • Blackmagic Camera Setup 6.8

    • Improved camera startup time.
    • Improved USB PTP control performance.
    • Increased 4K 2.40:1 recording pixel height from 1712 to 1720.
    • Fixed issue with the slow mounting of media containing a large number of clips.