Blackmagic's pocket battle ship

[Jorgen Udvang]

Here's an interesting alternative to the GH5s for those who are serious about video, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K. It's a dedicated video camera, and although it can shoot still, that would be single frames and I suppose around 10 MP. There are an enormous range of improvement compared to the old Pocket Cinema Camera, like an active m4/3 mount, 4 internal high quality mics on the front, what seems to be much improved ergonomics, a 5" HD screen and so on. It shoots DNG RAW of course, and it offers all kinds of connection, like XLR (with phantom power), full size HDMI, USB-C etc.

At a price of $1,295, it would be an interesting companion to my GX8 which, although it shoots decent video, is a very stills centered camera.



https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagicpocketcinemacamera

 

[ptomsu]

I find this an interesting "cheap" alternative to a GH5s or GH5 or even any kind of Sony A7s or A7III etc.

If you want get more serious there is always an external ATOMOS with support for ProRes RAW Apple format ....

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

I find this an interesting "cheap" alternative to a GH5s or GH5 or even any kind of Sony A7s or A7III etc.

If you want get more serious there is always an external ATOMOS with support for ProRes Apple format ....

It supports Apple ProRes internally:


"Recording Formats
Lossless CinemaDNG RAW, RAW 3:1 and RAW 4:1 with film dynamic range at 4096 x 2160, 3840 x 2160 and 1920 x 1080. Apple ProRes 4096 x 2160, 3840 x 2160 and 1920 x 1080 with either film, video and extended video dynamic range."


"Storage Rates

4096 x 2160
CinemaDNG RAW - 270 MB/s
CinemaDNG RAW 3:1 - 128 MB/s
CinemaDNG RAW 4:1 - 96 MB/s
3840 x 2160
Apple ProRes 422 HQ - 110 MB/s
Apple ProRes 422 - 73.6 MB/s
Apple ProRes 422 LT - 51 MB/s
Apple ProRes Proxy - 22.4 MB/s

1920 x 1080
Apple ProRes 422 HQ - 27.5 MB/s
Apple ProRes 422 - 18.4 MB/s
Apple ProRes 422 LT - 12.75 MB/s
Apple ProRes Proxy - 5.6 MB/s
Storage rates based on 30 frames per second."


https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagicpocketcinemacamera/techspecs/W-CIN-12

 

[ptomsu]

​

It supports Apple ProRes internally:


"Recording Formats
Lossless CinemaDNG RAW, RAW 3:1 and RAW 4:1 with film dynamic range at 4096 x 2160, 3840 x 2160 and 1920 x 1080. Apple ProRes 4096 x 2160, 3840 x 2160 and 1920 x 1080 with either film, video and extended video dynamic range."


"Storage Rates

4096 x 2160
CinemaDNG RAW - 270 MB/s
CinemaDNG RAW 3:1 - 128 MB/s
CinemaDNG RAW 4:1 - 96 MB/s
3840 x 2160
Apple ProRes 422 HQ - 110 MB/s
Apple ProRes 422 - 73.6 MB/s
Apple ProRes 422 LT - 51 MB/s
Apple ProRes Proxy - 22.4 MB/s

1920 x 1080
Apple ProRes 422 HQ - 27.5 MB/s
Apple ProRes 422 - 18.4 MB/s
Apple ProRes 422 LT - 12.75 MB/s
Apple ProRes Proxy - 5.6 MB/s
Storage rates based on 30 frames per second."


https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagicpocketcinemacamera/techspecs/W-CIN-12

Unfortunately, it won’t be able to shoot in Apple’s new ProRes RAW as of yet, but there is talk of more codecs to come in the future .....

see:

https://www.slrlounge.com/blackmagi...et-cinema-camera-4k-small-mighty-and-unusual/

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

​

Unfortunately, it won’t be able to shoot in Apple’s new ProRes RAW as of yet, but there is talk of more codecs to come in the future .....

see:

https://www.slrlounge.com/blackmagi...et-cinema-camera-4k-small-mighty-and-unusual/

Ah... I didn't read your post properly.
No ProRes RAW, at least not yet.
But then, you can't even buy the camera until September anyway.
Many things may change before it's actually available.

 

[ptomsu]

Size is much larger than the already large GH5s

https://www.43rumors.com/new-blackmagic-4k-cinema-camera-versus-panasonic-gh5s-size-comparison/

I think I would not choose either of them :banghead:

 

[Godfrey]

I've been saying for years that I'd like to do some motion work, and have a couple of cameras that would do fine to learn and enjoy it, but in the end I rarely actually put any effort into it. So I haven't any oars in this boat ...

That said, the notion of the BM camera is pretty neat to me. A small (even if not pocket sized), pro-quality video camera with pro level features specifically targeting motion work that won't break the bank and is reasonably handy would be a great thing. Despite selling off tons of stuff, I still have a nearly complete FT/mFT lens kit, and adapters for Leica M and R as well, so it would be just "get a body and the other fixtures always needed for real motion work, get appropriate software, then get out writing scripts and shooting..."

I doubt I'll ever do it. But the fantasy is fun to enjoy for itself. Movies were my first love in photographic pursuits, and I gave them up way back when because it was simply more money than I could afford to go where I wanted to go with them. That was almost fifty years ago ...

G

 

[Satrycon]

they always release the firmware in a few stages...i have the 1st gen pocket cinema camera..when released it shot only prores, and after a few months coinciding with new sandisk releases, a new firmware was out that activated the DNG recording