BlackMagic announces new camera

MileCreations

MileCreations

I just saw a post on Facebook:

Two new Blackmagic Cinema Cameras at NAB Show

Blackmagic Production Camera 4K - 3.995 $

Super 35 Sensor, Global Shutter, Ultra HD and 4K, Built in SSD, Touch LCD, Metadata Entry, CinemaDNG RAW, ProRes, Thunderbolt, EF Mount, Free DaVinci Resolve & Ultra Scope

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera - 995 $

Super 16 Sensor , 13 Stops of Dynamic Range, Recording on SD Card, High Resolution LCD, ProRes, CinemaDNG RAW, Micro Four Thirds Lens mount, HDMI monitoring.

It doesn't feel like that long ago that they started shipping the old/current one

This post appears to be getting a lot of (assumingly outside) attention. So here are links to the new cameras:

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera:
http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagicpocketcinemacamera/

Blackmagic Production Camera 4K:
http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagicproductioncamera4k/



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I really wonder what this is going to do to those who have already bought in with the flagship camera - the 4k version is only an extra $1,000 - and the pocket camera is 1/3rd of the price for almost the same camera with a better/cheaper/easier workflow (SD card?) and more appropriate lenses available (S16 lenses ftw :)).

I guess we won't really know though until all the specs are released and we can see some example footage.
 
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A thousand bucks for a camera shooting raw? Decent lens selection, 13 stops of dynamic range, an SD card and OK, the sensor might be a teeny bit smaller than I'd like but wow, I have to have it!

That is amazing!

...if it delivers.

And I wonder what will happen to the Black Magic Cinema Camera in terms of price? I've seen prices dropping like a stone.

Right, I'm off to look at some Panasonic lenses and another 10 Tb of hard drives...
 
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I have a question about the pocket cinema camera and the super 16 sensor, what exactly does this mean in terms of lenses? do I need specific lenses for this camera? My current canon lenses I use on my t2i won't work with it?
 
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WalterB said:
Ah! Global shutter!
I'm curious when Sony and Canon come up with global shutters :)
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Sony already have Global Shutter with their F55 :)


peter917 said:
so how do i know what lenses to buy for a super 16 sensor
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m4/3 lenses, or classic S16 lenses :)

Have to say, this photo is equal parts ridiculous and also exciting:
tripod.jpg
 
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ok, so now i know what lenses can be used on the packaged mount, what if i want to use canon lenses or rokinon cinema lenses that i have for my DSLR t2i, do I need a mount for every lenses or is there a mount that i can attatch that will work for all my current lenses.
 
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peter917 said:
ok, so now i know what lenses can be used on the packaged mount, what if i want to use canon lenses or rokinon cinema lenses that i have for my DSLR t2i, do I need a mount for every lenses or is there a mount that i can attatch that will work for all my current lenses.
Click to expand...

Assuming all your lenses have the same connection bit then you should only need to buy one mount/adapter
 
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MileCreations said:
Their site feels very much like it was designed by an Apple employee
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Blackmagic in general have a very 'Apple' style design - both in their website and their products.. And really, they always have.

I find it really interesting that the pocket cam has a removable battery. Surely all those who invested in the flagship will be selling theirs right now and looking into purchasing one of the two new options?
 
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The 4K super-35 version is pretty cool, but also was pretty much expected... and I expect it may be my next full-sized camera. The pocket cam though? That thing is incredible. If they were taking orders today I would have already picked one up.

This is what I was originally hoping for when RED first said they were coming out with a 'professional pocket camera", only to be disappointed by what scarlet eventually became. It's cheap enough that almost anyone could afford it - even if you can't buy it you'll probably be able to rent one for $100 a week. It's small enough that you can take it, and shoot with it, almost anywhere without attracting much attention. The support equipment can be lighter and cheaper than even that many DSLRs require. But despite all this it'll produce an image with high dynamic range that isn't hampered by an 8-bit codec originally intended for low-bandwidth delivery. Assuming they can ship them in sufficient numbers (which may be a big assumption based on their track record) this could be the camera that actually 'kills' the DSLR as a general filmmaking tool.

The one troublesome thing is they still appear to be making strange decisions about functionality, at least from a filmmaking perspective. In the spec sheet, under 'iris control', it says that pushing the iris button will adjust the iris so that no pixels exceed 100% exposure. I just don't understand why they can't just provide basic iris control. It's not a big deal as long as you're working with manual lenses, but with a camera this small I can see a lot of situations where I'd want carry it with a m4/3 pancake lens - which apparently means giving up manual iris control. Bizarre.
 
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Phillip Bloom voices my thoughts:
Now Blackmagic have a PR issue to sort out here too. They have all these people who ordered the EF mount version and have waited patiently (and some not so patiently) for them to ship, the vast majority still don’t have cameras, even though they ordered them a year ago. A lot of people also switched their orders to the MFT version when that was announced in September….this is also still not shipping. I only just tested a BETA version the other day. Now they have announced an effectively better camera with the 4k version for a comparatively small amount more money. I am sure many will now switch again, and for some this would be their 3rd Blackmagic camera order without seeing any of them! Then there are the people who have only just received theirs, and suddenly their camera is almost obsolete.
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http://philipbloom.net/2013/04/08/nab2013bm/

Blackmagic are very new to making cameras, and unfortunately I don't think they have a bevy of cinematographers working with them to help create these cameras. This seems to mean that their camera works in a bit of an odd, perhaps not so intuitive way. And the menu leaves a lot to be desired.

That said, I'm very much considering purchasing the Pocket cam - however, I'm really wary to as quite a lot of people still haven't received their flagship Blackmagic camera, and those that did received them in ~February. I think it was poor decision making here. They seem to take a lot of design cues from Apple, but perhaps they should take their product release ideas from Apple as well - don't announce and release something until you know you can ship it, and make sure you set a release/shipping date.

I certainly don't want to purchase a camera in July, only to find out I will be waiting another 6-12 months until I receive it. And I don't want to purchase a camera in July, finally receive it 7 months later, only to have it superceded two months after that.

The only camera manufacturer I have much faith in at the moment is Arri, and that's probalby because they've been making cameras forever, and they know how to do it properly. Technology is great, and technology at lower prices is always great. But at the moment, there seems to be this technology race - there are a certain few manufacturers that are racing to bring out the newest camera with the best specs - highest dynamic range, best lens mount, simplest workflow, best codec options, raw etc. etc. etc. all at the lowest price.
But they seem to be focussed on themselves and what their competitors are doing rather than what the industry professionals who have to use the cameras want. That's why I like Arri - they approach the industry, they get ideas from the top working professionals on what they want out of a camera. They make cameras for cinematographers, not cameras for tech heads. RED, Canon, Blackmagic and even to some extent Sony seem to be approaching the wrong people, or perhaps not listening to the right people.

Just my 2c anyway.
 
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I agree entirely, it's why I never put in an order for the BMCC even though I've been sorely tempted to several times over the past year. And it's why I'll wait on the new s35 one to become readily available with some real-world feedback before I order.

I pre-ordered the 5DmkII minutes after watching "Reverie" for the first time, and I've never regretted that decision - I'm still shooting with it now. But I feel like now, with all these new cameras, we're getting this weird halfway race where everyone's shipping something that's 'revolutionary' in some aspect but half-assed in others - and we know it won't be long before another version or another brand puts out something better, maybe even before we get the one we already ordered!

I feel a little differently about the pocket cam though - because I see it as something I'd want regardless of what other primary camera I have. I would choose an Alexa if price was no option for the same reasons you've mentioned - but I know I'd also want the pocket cam even if I had the Alexa, because I can't throw an Alex in my tank bag and head out for a long weekend on my motorcycle. Even my 5D is a little bigger than I'd prefer for that type of thing. So I'm pretty sure that if they can actually ship it, it'll serve me well for the next few years like the 5D has.

EDIT: Almost forgot - again, assuming it ships, doesn't this camera basically kill the digital bolex outright? It's got the same size sensor, and presumably similar performance, better codec options, a much better built-in display, cheaper media, swappable non-proprietary batteries, and all in a tiny package for less than 1/3 the price. The only thing the bolex has going for it is better audio inputs, higher frame rates (albeit at lower resolutions), and 2k resolution. Audio's not a big factor though as most people will use dual system, and even if you just add a juicedlink box to the pocket cam it's still a smaller overall package than the bolex. I can't see the higher frame rates being enough to get people to pay that much more, nor the slight resolution increase to 2k, so I just don't see any room in the market for the bolex at this point.
 
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