Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera
You can't go anywhere in the indie filmmaking community without someone touting the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera. For many gear-hungry filmmakers, the camera has become a must-have.
I was interested in finding out more – So I reached out to the folks who make the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera. And they put me in touch with the Diamond Brothers. As you're about to discover, The Diamond Brothers are no joke. These filmmakers tread the line between technology and storytelling.
In addition to directing and producing excellent content, the Diamond Brothers recently completed a 13-part series for FILA, created the launch spot for Sony's PS4, and created a seven-part interstitial series for VH1. Given their experience, I asked them to write the following review on the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera.
The Diamond Brothers Review Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera
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Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera
So, everyone has seen the new Pocket Cinema Camera from Blackmagic Design that was announced at NAB 2013. Late last year, we got one, and we are very excited about the results. Let's go over the basics first.
The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera has a Super 16 sensor and records either Lossless CinemaDNG RAW or Apple ProRes HQ (Log or Rec709) at 1080p.
It has an active Micro Four Thirds lens mount with Iris and Focus control for active lenses and shoots to SDXC/SDHC SD cards.
Thankfully, it has a removable, essentially the Nikon EN-EL20 battery, so you can easily find them online.
Other than that, the specs and operation of this camera are almost identical to its larger cousin, the 2.5K Blackmagic Cinema Camera.
The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera does not have a touchscreen but instead opts for a four-way, four-national control. This was done to keep the size and weight down.
Pros:
- Removable Battery
- 13 stops Dynamic Range
- Highly adaptable Active Micro Four Thirds Lens Mount
- Micro HDMI out
- LANC control
Cons:
- No Audio Metering
- No Histogram
- Nin-camerara card formatting
- No library/thumbnails of recorded clips
So let's talk about Super 16 for a second. This was an intelligent choice for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, as it opens up many lens options. Of course, shooting with an active Micro Four Thirds lens is an excellent choice, as the market for these lenses has been tremendous since the popularity of the Panasonic GH series, as well as others.
But we'd like to talk about some other options. There are more than 15 different MFT adapters ranging from Canon and Nikon to Olympus, PL, Leica, Pentax, Contax/Yashica, and more.
In our estimation, however, this camera's most exciting lens choice is the C mount. Most people commonly know the C mount as a BOLEX film camera lens. They are small and fast and easily changeable via a screw-in system.
While not all of them will work with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera (including covering the sensor, focus to infinity, and a few others), they are very reasonably priced, and it has become somewhat of a challenge for us to find some obscure options.
A great resource is vintagelensesforvideo.com. They go into great detail about lenses and mounts for various cameras but routinely have good insight into what will work and what won't specifically for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera.
Where this camera shines is its versatility.
Since it's so compact, you could easily use it for a POV camera or Interior Car Mount. Also, for documentary shooters, it's a great option to keep with you to catch on-the-fly moments that a larger camera could interfere with. At $995, it seems almost silly not to have one of these cameras in your kit for any situation.
Recently, we were asked to shoot some helicopter footage for a charity concert in Central Park. So we grabbed the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera with an MFT to EF mount, threw a Leica R prime on it, and brought it up as a B cam / BTS cam. It was perfect due to the chopper's tight space and the camera's compactness.
The great thing is that you can also build this camera up into as big a beast as you can imagine. Third-party companies, such as Wooden Camera, make cages and audio accessories to help you easily put this camera into any scenario.
Here's a perfect example.
Some friends of ours had a movie accepted to Sundance and needed a small, versatile setup to record a “director's intro.”
We gave them the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera with a C-Mount Zoom, the Wooden Camera cage with rail support, and the A-Box for audio. They shot it in a restaurant. They could be discreet and stay out of the way of customers.
Final Thoughts
The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera is an excellent addition to the ever-expanding camera lineup that Blackmagic Design is developing. With its ability to shoot to inexpensive SD cards, a removable battery, an adaptable lens mount, and an aggressive price point, this camera is an excellent entry camera for people just beginning and a solid addition to any professional kit.
About The Diamond Brothers
The Diamond Brothers are equal artists and technological mercenaries treading the fine line between bleeding-edge technology and storytelling. Directing and producing award-winning content, they have recently completed a 13-part series for FILA, a launch spot for Sony's PS4, and seven 7-part interstitial series for VH1.
