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

    Deleted

  • neokooneokoo

    @balazer

    Thanks for links, very interesting specifications in that cis1910 data sheet.

    It says the sensor could do 50p with global shutter and 100p with rolling shutter. If it is indeed the same sensor, I wonder when we'll see a 50p/100p capable Pocket Cinema Camera...

  • eatstoomuchjameatstoomuchjam

    @bwhitz - You're right. 12 bits of depth = 13 stops of range (in a theoretically perfect world). Thanks for the correction. :) Otherwise, I was in no way trying to point out a weakness of the camera. A tiny camera like this which can shoot 10-bit 4:2:2 prores/dnxhd is awesome already - and to be able to switch to raw when needed is the icing on the cake. I eagerly await the email telling me that my preorder has shipped!

  • TronTron

    @balazer It wouldn't surprise me one bit if the next gen BMPCC has a full size m43 sensor AND higher frame rates, but for now I will make do and be happy with the fact that RAW fits nicely in the pocket for $1K. I think 80% slow-mo (30 fps) will still look very filmic with a nice grade.

  • Tungee78Tungee78

    IT'S JULY; WHERE IS THE CAMERA? ;)

  • bwhitzbwhitz

    I eagerly await the email telling me that my preorder has shipped!

    Me too! I'm gonna call HotRod actually and make sure it's still in the system... it better be.

    You're right. 12 bits of depth = 13 stops of range (in a theoretically perfect world). Thanks for the correction. :)

    Thanks to @johnbrawley too... for the confirmation that it's actually a 12-bit LOG file from a 16-bit LIN sensor. Good to know. :)

    I was in no way trying to point out a weakness of the camera.

    Oh I know. I was more or less just addressing the raw-camera/BMC complains in general. Nobody in particular. Just the "scapegoat" mentality that has invaded that film-making community since the DSLR-era (i.e. cheap digital cine-format) started.

    IT'S JULY; WHERE IS THE CAMERA? ;)

    Vaporware!!! rable rable rable! I would like some new/more footage though... just for fun and excitement.

  • TronTron

    "I would like some new/more footage though... just for fun and excitement."

    ^This! Hoping Brawley is in Raw testing w/the cam at this point, would be awesome to see some examples roll out soon... Time to go watch Vivid Pocket again, good stuff!

  • peaceonearthpeaceonearth

    IT'S JULY; WHERE IS THE CAMERA? ;)

    they did not tell in which year.

  • TscheckoffTscheckoff

    @RRRR:

    I am only showing that an external recorder is maybe the better choice. It´s for sure no fun to change your SD card the whole day (every 30 up to 40 minutes) ^^. And I hope you know that you also need a rig which is compatible to the BMPCC (if you really want to use a bunch of SDXC cards)? Because that´s a "must have" if you don´t want to unmount the camera always from your rig to change the card. And also don´t forget: You have to change the SD card every time you MAYBE need a few minutes more (than which are left on the actual SD card) ... all in all I think the SD card solution is just not "comfortable". And why make it more expensive (with a bunch of 95mb SanDisk cards) and more complex if it´s that easy with an external recorder. ^^

    About your 16GB cards: You used them with the GH2 ... right? Don´t forget: With the BMPCC you need to swap the card from the bottom of the body (where the nikon type battery is located too) - at least as far as I know. I mean - the final version is not available (maybe they change something til then and make a SD card department at the side of the body which is way more usable).

    About the weaknesses of the cam btw.: I can live with them (as far as it´s possible to upgrade the features you need and which you want to have ^^). Oh. And don´t forget: You can ALWAYS use SD cards. Also if you have a external recorder =)

  • TscheckoffTscheckoff

    @bwhitz:

    About your post on the last page: I hope you know that we just discussed the pros and cons of an external recorder vs SD cards? No complaining about bad results or whatever at all. And just because you are planning to using a BMPCC for a live event - I ask you: Why not? Because: Only because you CAN shoot RAW you don´t have to. Especially not with an external recorder.

  • eatstoomuchjameatstoomuchjam

    @Tscheckoff I think that everybody here gets that using 10-bit DNxHD/ProRes will use more space than 8-bit h.264.
    And sure, ejecting the camera from the rig/unmounting it from the tripod to change batteries is a minor annoyance, but you're making it seem like a really big deal when it should be about a 30 second procedure with a decent quick release system.

    It's funny how Black Magic are releasing a sub-$1000 camera that addresses the largest shortcoming of DSLR video (8-bit h.264) and people instantly start lining up to complain about things like the location of the SD card slot.

  • TscheckoffTscheckoff

    @eatstoomuchjam:

    Hmm. Maybe it looks like I am complaining over and over. But I just want to show the pros and cons of both solutions (the SD cards and the external recorder) ^^. Altough ... yes: The sd card slot on the side would have been THAT more handy. Maybe they just want to sell their shuttle recorders too (and that´s also the case why there are not "lighter" codecs internally available - so you NEED an external recorder to record longer if you need / want to). Oh. And if you use a rig -> Do you really always want to remove your whole camera incl. lens / mattebox and maybe follow focus (incl. loosing the focus points you maybe already marked) just to switch the SD card - which is normaly not necessary at all ...

    Ok. Maybe I am complaining ^^. But only a little bit (because it´s a design flaw for me personally). =)

  • jimmykoreajimmykorea

    Absolutely no one said this was the perfect camera (if that even exists) The reason and I believe the one primary reason discerning people are so excited about these cameras is the image output vs price.

    Not even the RAW though great is not essential, not the form factor, not the SSD, not the SD cards, Not EF mount, not the MFT mount, not the prompt shipping, not the free version of Resolve, not John Brawleys blog, not the weird long haired hippy guy on the website, not the glare free screen, not the ProRes, not the great design, not thunderbolt, not the simple user friendly functioning, not Christines bubbly personality, not the great on board mic, not the ability to use C mount lenses, not even Grants fashion sense....

    the inconviences are small, but if they were big I think many people would still jump through hoops to get the image.

    And if the camera did have every little thing people wanted would that be ideal anyway?

    http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CpPuYGPcvD4

  • bwhitzbwhitz

    And just because you are planning to using a BMPCC for a live event - I ask you: Why not? Because: Only because you CAN shoot RAW you don´t have to.

    Well, yea... you CAN try to do whatever you want with the cam. All I was saying is that allot of these complaints are unfounded, due to the camera's nature as a cinema-cam... for controlled narrative shoots. Image quality and flexibility in post is the main focus... not ND filters, not recording time, not battery location. Just cinematic images. It's not a live event cam.

  • RRRRRRRR

    @Tscheckoff

    Well, the battery mounts from below on the gh2, too and even if it might be a nuisance at times, when on a rig it´s a no-issue, I can get to the hatch as I took away a nudge in the bottom plate of my rig. Worst case scenario the battery hatch is right next to the mounting point, but there are still other possibilities, and even if you can´t avoid a certain amount of "de-rigging" it´s still no big issue. (I don´t get why you would need to remove FF / Mattebox e.t.c. unless you have some stuff that only crams in there from the front end / can´t move sideways + re-aligning a FF is easy and quick if you already have the marks)

    Of course, if you have an external recorder and want to use it with the cam - go right ahead. Speaking of it as a necessity is a whole other thing alltogether.

  • TscheckoffTscheckoff

    @bwhitz:

    Sure. It´s more of a cinema camera. Your comment just sounded like it´s not usable for it because it´s a RAW camera ^^. Btw.: The main focus is clear. But the BMPCC is also designed to be a competition to all the hybrid systems out there (DSLRs, SLTs, DSLMs whatever else) ... Especially at this price point. And so I think it´s also necessary to compare it at least a little bit feature wise (and comfortability wise) with that systems. And here an external recorder is still the best add-on / upgrade to add all those features (which are maybe not a "must have" - But quite nice to have to be more flexible). And as far as it´s not more expensive as a bunch of high speed SDXC cards - why not ^^.

    @RRRR:

    Yes. The battery is mounted from the bottom. But with a DC coupler it´s not necessary at all (to move anything). And with a small lightweight F570 battery it´s already possible to shoot way longer (without adding a lot more of weight). It´s even possible to move the load where you want to have it ^^. But ok. That´s again only possible with a rig (at least a very small one).

    About the exchange of the original battery: Yes: It´s possible with modding (or sometimes even with the original system). But sometimes even the quick release plates are too big to change the battery. So you also have to modify the QR plate and so on. Quite annoying to do this. And if there´s the space to get the battery out if there are rods or so in the way - hmm. I know - That´s maybe a little bit too specific now.

    About removing FF, Mattebox and so on: For example I am using a lens stabilizer with a fixation ring (and I plan to get now the new lanparte version which is a little bit more professional). So the lens is normaly fixed to avoid lens shifting / torsion wise movements because of the follow focus. About the FF marks: Sure you can realign. That´s true. But all takes it´s time. Actually I don´t use a mattebox - But let´s say you don´t have a swing away mattebox or you have a version with a rubber band donut like with the Genus matteboxes have. It´s really annoying to change here a lens. Or to move the camera just because your battery is low or the SD card is full in a few minutes.

    Sure. An external recorder is not NECESSARY or a "must have". I never said that btw. ^^. I am just showing the advantages to have one (instead of a few high speed cards for the same price).

  • KrisCanonizadoKrisCanonizado

    when did you all pre oder the pocket cam? I just wanna know my place in line.

    I pre ordered April 10.

  • double_visiondouble_vision

    april 9th from less popular store adorama.

  • kevin_kirchmankevin_kirchman

    April 9th from B&H

  • jimmykoreajimmykorea

    mentally about 3 years ago when Red broke our hearts.

  • vicharrisvicharris

    Some good manual lens options are afoot for this and any other MFT cams! Stay tuned folks ;)

  • WilboWilbo

    I pre-ordered from http://www.texasmediasystems.com/ on April 9th...

    I asked my vendor for an update on my pre-order yesterday, to which they replied today:

    "Neither Blackmagic Design or the American distributor have a firm delivery date for this camera. I'm aware that some of our competitors have posted a tentative date of July 25th, but we've yet to receive any concrete word. Blackmagic Design's last word on the matter was simply "July." We will keep our customers informed as we get solid information."

    I guess, just wait it out and hope for the best in the next month :)

    -W

  • RRRRRRRR

    @Tscheckoff - each to his own in terms of rigging and practicality is the whole point. If you re-read that paragraph about genus matteboxes, you´ve got to admit; it sounds a bit silly. Why make a combination that works poorly? (unless you have some chance combination of equipment of course)

    When I entered the discussion, the issue with external recorder seemed to be that it´s an absolute necessity for any practical use of the pocket cinema cam which is plain ridiculous. If you find it practical for what you do, go for it.

  • jimmykoreajimmykorea

    Here in South Korea I was told by my supplier where I am first on line to expect August/September time. Today he said July, not sure why the sudden confidence in the official release date but that's what he said.

  • jimmykoreajimmykorea

    @vicharris. Why don't you just say what they are?, we aren't preparing a surprise party.

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