Blackmagic reduced the price of the Cinema Camera. it now costs $1999 instead of $2999. You can grab it for that price at BHphoto (Click here) and Adorama (Click here). Here is the official Press text:
We have worked very hard over the last year to be able to build the Blackmagic Cinema Camera at a lower cost so we can reduce the price and allow access to digital filming to a wide range of cinematographers and photographers.
We have done it and from today the Blackmagic Cinema Camera EF and MFT models will be reduced in price to US$1,995. This is very exciting and is one of the proudest moments of my life to be able to do this!
I think people will be able to use the savings to invest in some exciting lenses and rigs to really boost the creative possibilities. The Blackmagic Cinema Camera is a fantastic design that’s now well proven. The advantage of the 2.5K sensor is it has enough resolution to eliminate the bayer resolution loss of a HD sensor, but when shooting RAW it produces files that are too not to big to store and work with easily. It’s a fantastic solution.
All orders placed that have not yet been filled, can be reduced to the new lower price.
29 Responses
Absolutely incredible…
The real reason is : It was really too much expensive and they sold nothing. And as is (without accessories) you can’t really use it.
It really wasn’t too expensive at all. The problem wasn’t that they weren’t selling anything, but they had difficulty manufacturing enough to keep up with demand. They’re dropping the price now because it isn’t competitive with their own upcoming offerings.
+1
Too much expensive? What would be the alternative? A RED?
RED dropped their price because of BMD!
Funny thing is, in the BMD forum the people are complaining about this price drop.
Because its “not fair” for early adopters. Seriously? Haven’t you learned this lesson before?
Early adopters always pay more!
+1 I’ve never complained,although I keep promising myself to wait next time; I only managed this with the OM-D whilst I was waiting for a new 4/3! 🙂
Well I’m glad I didn’t fork out $2999 for one in a hurry…
Anyone know the sales figures for these? I would love one, but I think I would do more with 4 second hand GH2s than 1 of these if I wanted to make movies.
If you think so… its not a cam for everyone.
Although cheap for what it is, still a lot of money!
If you need RAW the GH2 will be no help.
But why are the sales figures important in this decision?
I think this has everything to do with the ML 5dIII hack, the BMCC was ‘targeted’ at 5d users from the start.
It is an incredible fail for DSLR companies not to have RAW file videos. I mean: no current DSLR (or mirrorless!!!) has RAW video. Nor they plan on having it in the near future. It is exactly this lack of attention to details (or in some cases the active restraint to achieve a better product in fear to sabotage another product compartment, à la Sony) that is killing the photo market.
Killing the PHOTO market because we have no raw VIDEO?
Please explain?
Well, the lack of raw video per se does not kill the photo market. But certainly makes video-oriented cameras such as the GH2 and GH3 and the Canon 5D various marks LESS appealing, as soon as a new entry like blackmagic offers this feature in a better thought after product. Other deficiencies of these cameras do the rest (some are slow in focussing, some others have low frame rate, bad flash unit, no microphone exit (emh!!!) etc.). Fact is that many producers could already offer more for less, but they are not doing it. E.g. Sony or Panasonic could implement raw video in their mirrorless cameras starting from tomorrow, and this would undercut Blackmagic big time. But they will not do it if not forced by Blackmagic success (and let’s actually hope they will understand the lesson).
Mind: this is not to say that photo cameras should all become dependent on video features.
But offering all possible options (especially software options like output formats) for all uses your gear is intended for, is what distinguishes the best producers from the “me too” ones (and, as I said, the lack of this important video-related feature in all modern cameras is a big fail for all current producers)
I agree. It’s incredibly frustrating that no one other than BMD and RED have produced a video camera that shoots in RAW. It’s just software. Any of the camera companies can do it if BMD can. They just haven’t.
Having worked with RAW as a photographer, to have to work with non-RAW compressed video streams from my GH2 is just incredibly frustrating. RAW has so much flexibility. I was ready to buy Scarlet before it doubled in price. I’d love to get a BMD, but the non-electronic MFT mount had me seriously hesitating. This price drop may get me there. Or, I may just get the pocket camera since it has an electronic MFT mount.
Wonder why they haven’t announced an electronic MFT mount for this camera? Clearly they have the technology to do so, since they’re offering it on their pocket camera.
Final thought, I sure would love to see BMD come out with a 3K or 4K camera with electronic MFT mount and MFT sized sensor.
There was earlier this year a video interview with a Panasonic executive at NAB where he kinda gave a hint that they’re considering maybe having raw video on the GH5. #fingerscrossed
I wonder what you want to do with 16Megapixel RAW video from GH2 for instance
You’re sure you are not confusing photo raw and video raw? Video raw is in HD, and thus is not (and will not be for a while) 16 mp per frame…
Are there enough people making films, not videos, in the market place for a company making a stills/video hybrid body to concentrate on film-making functionality?
I don’t think photo cameras have to concentrate on video functionalities. OTOH, there is no reason why the video functionalities of a camera are being crippled the way they are. Adding raw format does not imply a modification in the camera design. It’s just a matter of not enabling the camera to provide a format that could be provided with no added expenses (if not for data transfer speed, which can be easily overcome with modern fast sd cards). It’s more or less like providing or not raw format for photos: all cameras, even compacts, “could” do it, if enabled. It’s a software matter much more than a hardware one.
So, as these multi-thousand-dollar cameras are sold as hybrid, there is not real reason for the lack of this important functionality (if not marketing, i.e. company greed and the will to have you buy ALSO a dedicated and expensive video camera for doing the same thing).
I can get why Sony and Panasonic, and partially Canon, are not willing to undercut their video market. But Nikon does not have a video market to defend. So, why not? Well, lack of competition. So far. Now Blackmagic is here, and let’s hope things will change rapidly…
well. I guess its right, so expensive and sold a little bit. WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO BOUGHT THEM FOR 2999? CAN THEY GET 1000 BACK? very likely not.. so… go to the hell…
well. I guess its right, so expensive and sold a little bit. WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO BOUGHT THEM FOR 2999? CAN THEY GET 1000 BACK? very likely not.. so… go to the hell…
This people made a decision to buy the cam because they thought its worth it for 3000. (in fact, most thought thats a bargain)
Now its even cheaper. Is your camera not capable of doing the stuff you bought it for after the price drop?
A cam is NOT a investment! If you want to invest your money, buy gold! Its f*** technology! Was the price drop to soon? Why? They made it cheaper! Come on, you are seriously complaining about a company which made a cam cheaper?
But for those who still don’t like a cheaper cam:
In fact, BMCC isn’t cheaper. In the price of 2999, there was 1000 for DaVinci included.
So 2000 for the ca, 1000 for Software
Now 2000 for cam, nothing for the software! Thank you BM! 🙂
Sorry but… isn’t this what ALWAYS happens with m43 cameras? Look at the GX1: it was in stores for 70.000 yen one year ago, when it was a new model, and now it costs 30.000 (sometimes even less).
Same for last generation Olympus, e.g. epl3, ep3, etc. Even epl5 is being heavily discounted.
I guess that people who buy these cams as soon as they ship know that they are taking a risk, but buy them nonetheless in order to have a nice piece of gear to use. Nobody forced them when they bought them, and if they have actually managed to take great pics or videos during the months of usage, well, good for them!
Absolutely ridiculous! Since when is a price drop bad for consumers?
Whenever you buy something, anything, you know full well that the price may change already the next day. All consumer products are subject to price change at all times, because of changes in supply, demand, competition, production costs or whatever.
Please move permanently to fantasy land, if you cannot accept reality.
Is there any reason still to buy a GH3 for making good quality movies?
For me yes. Look at the battery life. I don’t want to use rigs or tripods all the time. (actually never rigs)
Might be something completely different for a pro.
Also, the GH3 is more rugged and a “closed” system. But the pocket size one might be very interesting!
boy oh boy there are a lot of misinformed trolls on this site… if you can’t afford to rent a RED or Alexa when you make your film then what makes you think you can afford the post production costs associated with shooting raw… the price of the camera is absolutely minimal when compared to post production… the truth in the matter is that people who own Blackmagic Cinema Cameras will be shooting prores or DNxHD with them and not raw 9 times out of 10… GH3s 5Dmk3s and all the other cheep DSLR video combos will continue to sell just as well as they ever have.
I would love to see next MFT Blackmagic camera with something closer to Hasselblad H3D design, made in aluminium, 3-4K, and most importantly with global shutter.
You’re all talking about raw raw raw and again raw…. It’s true that 12 bit raw is incredible but no one here is gonna use it for a full time job but only when necessary, what is incredible is the super flat 10bit ProRes HQ !! There’s no camera that can match that with their lossy 8 poor bits . And I’ve read on reviews that the BMCC does not have a good low light performance, not like the C300, well if these tests are about shooting in a complete dark room…common don’t push it ! No one will shoot something in complete dark room ! the bmcc does great with city light at night, that´s a real test! And other says it´s not a run and gun cam, where are you going to shoot with? In Irak? Afghanistan?! it´s great for doco too