Skip to main content
Inspiring
September 12, 2013
Question

BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera

  • September 12, 2013
  • 4 replies
  • 22393 views

I got a call from a shooter yesterday saying he plans to get

one of these cameras (because he can use the lenses from his 16mm).

He was asking for my opinion, and I couldn't offer one.

Does anyone have any direct experience with this camera?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/964117-REG/blackmagic_design_blackmagic_pocket_cinema_camera.html

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

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    4 replies

    Steven L. Gotz
    Inspiring
    September 24, 2013

    These videos were shot with the Blackmagic.

    http://www.youtube.com/user/FriendlysRestaurant?feature=watch

    Captured to a SSD card, connected to a laptop for monitoring the scopes, RAW files to Resolve to ProRes for the edit, brought back the EDL for the color work.

    Resolve's 3D tracker to help make the eyes pop without using a key.

    (Post Magazine article from June issue.

    artofzootography.com
    Inspiring
    September 24, 2013

    Thanks!

    I have forwarded your links to the shooter.

    Steven L. Gotz
    Inspiring
    September 24, 2013
    Legend
    September 12, 2013

    There are some flaws with the camera that may not make it suitable for all situations.

    1. No time remaining indicator.  That's right, there's absolutely no way to know how much record time is left on the card.  And the time display only shows you the record time for the current clip, not all clips, so you can't even do the math and figure out how much record time is left.  It's pure guesswork, and entirely possible to run out of record time without any warning.

    2. No audio meters.  Yep, again a wholly unforgivable oversight on the part of BM.  There is absolutely no way to know what level you're recording at.  You can plug in a set of headphones and listen to make sure it isn't overmodulating, but that's hardly a precise method for professional use.

    3. Small batteries.  The Pocket Cinema Camera uses a standard Nikon battery, but not a very large one, and you only get 20 to 30 minutes of time out of any given battery.  That means you may need a couple dozen to carry around if you're in the field without power.

    4. Black Hole Sun.  There is a sensor flaw in the camera which creates a sort of 'black hole' in any area of severely overexposed highlights.  This may not be a big deal if you always have control over lighting, but can be an issue when you don't and have to overexpose a part of the frame in order to properly expose the subject.

    5. Bad audio.  You will definitely want to use double-system audio with this camera.  The built-in mics are pretty anemic, but even when a good mic is plugged in, the sound is still sub-par and not very usable.  Plan on picking up a Zoom or Tascam for use with this camera.

    Those are the factual 'flaws' with the camera.  But in my research, there is a subjective 'flaw' as well.  While the image is quite filmlike, it is very much a 16mm film look (perhaps befitting the Super 16 sized sensor), not a Hollywood film look.  Ignoring dynamic range, I feel the GH2 actually produces a more detailed, higher quality image.  The BMPCC produces a soft, almost de-focused looking image by comparison.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocp_ewJyOVU

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLjy5jTvjn4

    Inspiring
    September 12, 2013

    Thanks, Jim.

    I have passed all of this along to the shooter.

    I also left the impression that I came up with all of this info on my own.

    able123
    Inspiring
    September 12, 2013

    Joe, the guys here .. I forget the guys name I spoke to...but he has posted here...

    http://www.adkproaudio.com/

    did some pretty extensive research into the BM thing, and editing the stuff.... and liked it a lot...not the pocket thing, but the first one.

    Maybe your friend could give them a call...

    for me on pc it was suggested I do some kinda avid codec instead of pro res..for best results...

    I had to shoot stills too, or I probably woulda got the BM instead of the nikon

    Inspiring
    September 12, 2013

    Thanks for nothin', you hedgehog!

    note:

    Are they involved in the 'worm periscope' research for the military?

    September 23, 2013

    Fuzzy,

    Steven, I hope that means, you eventually realised that recording to a production codec via HDMI has nothing to do with transcoding highly compressed footage to a production codec, and, therefore, I don't need to comment on this one:

    What I didn't know was if the compression took place before the HDMI output. Apparently it doesn't. So he is good to go. If it had, then making a silk purse out of a cow's ear is not useless, you still get a purse, but not as good as starting with silk.


    If it had, then making a silk purse out of a cow's ear is not useless, you still get a purse, but not as good as starting with silk.

    Steven, if it had, I wouldn't post my comment: there are plenty threads in both PrPro and AE Forums, including my conversation with Rick Gerard, in which I try my best to explain and provide evidence that converting compressed footage into an intermediate encoded with a production codec doesn't yield better quality.

    Well, I don't expect that seasoned participants read every single thread, but that subject was just discussing so often...

    By the way, I guess you realise that issues described in your second link were caused by ignorance of those posters, who hadn't bothered with reading user manuals. Especially fstopper, who was so brave to blame the gadget, while too coward to publish a retraction with a new proper test...