Preorder for the new Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera is now available at BHphoto (Click here)!!!
This is an amazing little camera for film makers. Just read the review that has been written by John Brawley and see the product page at Blackmagicdesign. Blackmagic managed to create something really unique that has the “wow” factor we often miss in many Panasonic and Olympus cameras 🙂
That little camera has the same video quality from the big brother, the $2999 Cinema Camera camcorder (specs here at BHphoto). You can expect the quality you see here on that video:
Afterglow from John Brawley Tests on Vimeo.
Cool…really!
Reminder: Preorder are now available at BHphoto (Click here)
59 Responses
does it take pictures – as in stills? or video only?
From what I’ve read I’m really interested in this “camera”. But nowhere do I hear about stills. Does it only do video (if so, I will hesitate)?
The GH3 does great video *and* photos. I’m looking at both of these now and am wondering which to focus my desire upon.
This is a not a still photography camera, if you buy it for that reason you will be sorely disappointed.
so it does take still shots?
and you know it is bad how? First hand experience? BM has a horrible JPG engine? What do you know or are you assuming?
BM is a video company, building a video camera, marketing it as a video camera to people making videos.
Do you think he took the hint? 🙂
First hand impressions here:
http://www.leavethatcouch.com/2013/04/09/blackmagic-pocket-cinema-camera/
It’s a movie only camera, no auto-focus, purely aimed at movie makers who require small size, extremely high dynamic range (13 stops!!) and professional file output for easy post production.
what’s the song in that video. I can’t find any atrribution or the same on Google.
First Aid Kit – King of the world
For wt21: It’s King of the World, by First Aid Kit
You should learn to google better 😛
Try typing the lyrics into google.
Anyway, the song is “King of the World” by the band “First Aid Kit”
They’re really good!
Looks nice etc but I have seen better or more conematic looking videos from a GH2 and GH3. But that is down to lens choice too of course. Still, looks good but I am not that impressed..
The DR and colour walk all over the GH2 and GH3 and for that matter 5D MK II and MK III.
Why, have you compared footage from both???? lol
It’s pretty obvious looking at the high contrast scenes shot against the window light coming in against the pool table. There’s no way you would get that kind of dynamic range from any other MFT camera. I’m pretty sure even full frame DSLRs will choke there.
Those shots are not from the BMPCC but the original BMCC
No 4K? Why exactly would I buy this instead of a GH3?
If you’re strictly a filmmaker, there are plenty of reasons.
1. Cheaper than the GH3
2. Records 1080p 422 10bit opposed to the GH3’s 1080p 420 8bit. So much better color sampling is to be expected from the Blackmagic, making it better for VFX and Color grading in Resolve.
3. 13 Stops of Dynamic range, which is the exact same as the Arri Alexa, a cinema camera that was used to shoot Life of Pi, Skyfall, and Zero Dark Thirty.
4. Ability to record in edit friendly 422 Prores HQ at 220mps (opposed to the GH3’s MP4 Intra Frame 72mps), or shoot in compressed lossless CinemaDNG RAW files… 1080p compressed lossless RAW in a $1,000 dollar camera is groundbreaking.
5. The firmware is more suitable for video, with proper peaking, zebras, and metadeta entry… and it comes with Devinci Resolve Light…
Unless you absolutely need 60fps, than hands down the BMPCC beats the GH3 in terms of video.. But if you need a hybrid camera, the Gh3 is still the best option.
in all fairness, Da Vinci Resolve Lite is a free download, see http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support
100% agreed. One person who gets this camera. People on this site need to wake up and recognise that movie making professional have different needs than the amateur film maker with a GH3.
The dynamic range in that video certainly is impressive. During the sparklers sequence.
Notice too when they shot the scene against the bright windows. That would have killed any other compact camera easily.
It would be fantastic if Schneider also carries through and releases their cinema lenses for m43 too.
They are releasing photo primes within the next six months or so, see http://www.photographyblog.com/news/schneider_kreuznach_presents_its_first_lenses_for_micro_four_thirds/
They have not hinted at an MFT cine lenses, doubt they will tbh.
Love the color and contrast..
Yes thought that video shows off the colour, contrast and dynamic range well.
But it’s not the same sensor as the Cinema camera. That one had a bigger sensor (2.4 crop factor) while this one has a 3 crop factor (smaller than 1″ sensors from Nikon 1 and Sony RX100). So it won’t be so easy to find wide lenses or to get shallow DoF.
I wonder why they didn’t use a bigger sensor, since they are using the m4/3 mount that would allow for a quite bigger one.
It may be that the Super 16 size is something expected by the industry and won’t require adapting to a new format.
Super 16 film makers have no problem getting shallow DOF and this camera will allow those same lenses to be used.
With a bigger sensor they could not produce a sub-$1000 camera with raw data feeds. There is the 2.5k camera from BM for that, which costs more.
With a bigger sensor they could not produce a sub-$1000 camera with raw data feeds. There is the 2.5k camera from BM for that, which costs more.
To the skeptics, other good examples… https://vimeo.com/48861294 and here it blows away the 5Dmk3 https://vimeo.com/49875510
Ok, let’s wait for the footage but the BM’s CEO stated that IQ will be in the same league. In this price range I plan to keep both GH2 and GH3, and simply add the BMPCC as the special camera, as I’m so commited to micro4/3 now. The right tool for the right job. Wow… what a day!
OMD for outstanding stills & Black magic for superb video in a small bag : M4/3 at its best.
That is my exact thinking too!
Yes, my thoughts too. Favourable because you use the same lenses, but also now you need two devices instead of one. With the Gh3 you have one package with similar stills and (I am NO expert here!) somewhat worse video IQ.
Otoh: the BM camera seems small enough to carry it with you too.
An uspside for GH3 of course is the swiveling dislay, which is very nice with video and it is weather and dustsealed. No problem in rain,snow and dust whereas this BM cannot do that it seems. I do a lot of shooting for weather, in particular snow and blizzards which we have quite a few of almost yearly. And thunderstorms for lightning and tornadoes. If not in The Netherlands then on the American plains. GH3 seems better suited for that of course.
There is no way around it that ths BM cam is a very very nice addition for the m43 system! Nice design too!
Indeed you’ll end up needing 2 devices. For transport thats obviously a disadvantage.
But in practice I often do end up wanting a second device when using video anyway, as I like to be able to record video from a tripod position, and use a second camera both for stills, and for getting video close-ups from various positions.
Not an ‘excuse’ for needing 2 devices, just that in at least certain cases, having 2 devices can be desirable.
I was wondering if this camera would have continuous auto focus during video recording. That is important to me. A flip screen would be great too.
I woud be surprised if it did as it’s main target market, filmmakers don’t use it.
This camera has no auto-focus at all, it’s all manual focus with focus peaking on screen and screen magnification.
so even with an “Active MFT” mount it still can’t control the focus, even on the panasonic 20mm and the 14? Say’s all over their website it can electronically control focus and iris, not trying to troll but just a little confused…
my question is this: where did this sensor come from? if the answer is panasonic, then we know that the mysterious compact camera that is coming could also have the same sensor. there is a good chance it could be smaller than rx100. the line would fit in between fuji 2/3″ (3.93 crop) and rx100/nikon1-series 1″ (2.72 crop) at a crop of 2.97.
on top of that it could be a good way to experiment with newly patented sensor technology. instead of building a next generation large sensor panasonic could experiment with the small one to work out the kinks.
if this is a PAN sensor, then BMCC just trumped the hell out of their supplier’s big announcement. Which probably isn’t the best way to keep the supply of goods rolling? It would be even more exciting to hear there are more than one cine sensor option in this aspect of the broader MFT genre overall?
The resolution is too low to market it. It’s find for video, not for stills. This is not a still camera.
I guess you are getting sick of repeating yourself!
If people want a HQ stills and a HQ video camera in a compact package, they are most likely going to have to buy separate cameras. Not going to get the best of both worlds in the one small “pocketable” package. It doesn’t stop hopers and dreamers and wishers though. The NEX promised a lot on that front but has failed to deliver so far.
$995 for this BMPCC is a relative bargain. Take this, a m4/3 stills cam and a few lenses with you and it’ll all fit in a small bag. 3x crop? Who cares. Turn it into a positive. Why does everyone want to shoot everything at wide angle, anyway? It’s a restrictive mentality. But I do think a UWA prime 7-11mm will have to be made by someone soon, not only for m4/3 stills shooters who have been waiting for such a lens, but to better match the 3x crop factor of this BMPCC.
oops
Pre-ordered
Will be a great sibling for my OM-D
broadening the spectrum of the mFT system. Zeiss, Schneider, wake up and support the lens mount, you are already dropping behind, Rodenstock, Angenieux, Cooke, come and play with us mFT is growing, while remaining compact and economic.
Schneider already have M43 lens coming out
+1, see here: http://www.photographyblog.com/news/schneider_kreuznach_presents_its_first_lenses_for_micro_four_thirds/
If Panny or Oly can’t put ProRes in their cameras, then BMPC is the way to go. I shoot video, don’t care about stills.
Do you think Olympus or Panasonic are going to throw away the room in their firmware required for stills to pursue a video-only path? I doubt Olympus would or they’d already have a camera for it.
The main issue is sensor resolution. The BM sensor resolution is optimal for producing ProRes with affordable electronics and CPU/GPU power. A larger sensor with a larger resolution (OMD) would need more expensive electronics than the OMD has right now.
Any test? People will buy a camera without know the performance or realiability? :s
Pre-ordered 2 hours ago. Thanks for the link Admn!
Holy how it smokes a 5dMK3
http://vimeo.com/49875510
Clarification: This is not for the Pocket, but the Pocket should have the same quality (reduced resolution)
great cam yes! I think I will buy that Blackmagic Cam! 🙂
Now a reason to buy good C mount vintage lenses even more!!
Comparing this to a GH3 makes no sense. Hybrid cameras are good for some people, just like super zooms are. Others who have no need for a hybrid camera and want more quality, chose the BM (or a DSLR/Mirrorless in the case vs. super zooms).
A great addition to the system!