As the first Blackmagic Pocket Cameras begin to ship in the next few days I thought I would post the latest Pocket Camera footage from a pair of Auckland photographers called A Couple of Night Owls
Check out the embedded video below. A small taste to wet the appetite until we all get our own hands on the little beast in the coming days or weeks.
Auckland In My Pocket - Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera from A Couple Of Night Owls on
Showing posts with label BMCC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BMCC. Show all posts
Friday, 26 July 2013
Saturday, 22 June 2013
More Blackmagic Pocket Camera Footage.....at night!
So a couple of weeks ago John Brawley tested the Blackmagic Pocket Camera at night and here are the results for all to see. Not really touted as a great lowlight camera, it is good to see some night footage from it. Though not the best lowlight footage I have seen out of a camera, there is still lots of high dynamic range demonstrated in the video. After all for a camera that is priced around a thousand dollars, we can only ask so much. All the footage was shot in Apple ProRes at ISO 800 for the first few shots and the rest of it was shot at ISO 1600. I will let you be the judge. Check out the embedded video and feel free to leave your comments and thoughts about the footage below.
Vivid Pocket from John Brawley Tests on Vimeo.
Vivid Pocket from John Brawley Tests on Vimeo.
Friday, 7 June 2013
More Blackmagic Pocket Camera Footage.
As the release date looms near for both Blackmagic's Pocket Camera & 4K Cinema Camera we are all eager to see footage from them. In one of my previous posts I was able to link to some test footage here: First BM Pocket Camera footage from a great DP out of Australia named John Brawley who has been working with Blackmagic testing the camera. The footage looked very promising and very similar from what we see saw with the 2.5k version released earlier this year. Well John Brawley has some more footage to show us from this wonderful little camera. I like this test because it explores the camera in a more in-depth way using a variety of Aperture and ISO settings as well as different lens combos. It also demonstrates the camera in a variety of different locations. I really feel the beach footage demonstrates how well this camera preforms. I like how sharp the water looks and how well the waves hold together. I feel that with some of other cameras using a lessor sensor and codec other than
(Apple ProRes 422) these shots would not have held so well together. Now keep in mind some of this footage is handheld, I will let you be the judge. Enjoy and please comments your thoughts.
Pocket in Kurnel from John Brawley Tests on Vimeo.
Check out John's wordpress blog for a more in-depth review of his experiences with the camera. johnbrawley.wordpress.com
(Apple ProRes 422) these shots would not have held so well together. Now keep in mind some of this footage is handheld, I will let you be the judge. Enjoy and please comments your thoughts.
Pocket in Kurnel from John Brawley Tests on Vimeo.
Check out John's wordpress blog for a more in-depth review of his experiences with the camera. johnbrawley.wordpress.com
Thursday, 25 April 2013
Blackmagic Pocket Camera Footage!!!
So the wait is over. The first footage from Blackmagic's Pocket Camera is out in the wild and it looks really good. I find it has a very similar look to the 2.5k camera, which is great. All details regarding settings and lenses are embedded with the video below. Hopefully we will see more footage in the coming weeks but so far what I see looks very decent.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera - Market from John Brawley Tests on Vimeo.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera - Market from John Brawley Tests on Vimeo.
Thursday, 18 April 2013
Some great Blackmagic 2.5k test footage.
Check out some of this great blackmagic test footage shot on the 2.5k camera by my colleague Krista. The footage really demonstrates how well this cameras handles difficult shooting conditions like shooting against snow with bright sky. The dynamic range comes in handy when trying to compensate exposure in such conditions while still keeping a lot of detail. Notice how much contrast and detail come through in the snow. Click on the link below or download the file from Vimeo for best viewing quality.
BMCC/Anamorphic/ProRes from Ryan Glover on Vimeo.
BMCC/Anamorphic/ProRes from Ryan Glover on Vimeo.
Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Blackmagic Pocket Camera: What we know so far.
Last week at NAB Blackmagic stunned the film world again by announcing two new cameras. A new 4K APS-C camera with global shutter for $4000 dollars and a smaller Micro Four Thirds pocket camera for $1000 dollars. Personally I am more excited about the pocket camera. This price point will be great for a lot of people looking to get great dynamic range without having to pay a big price. Plus the fact it has a micro four thirds active mount will be good for those people who have MFT lenses or those wishing to add other types of lenses using an adaptor. Adding Nikon, Canon or even PL mount lenses will be easy with the right adapter. It's still very early but Blackmagic is saying a delivery time of July is what we can expect and that it will be released most likely before the 4K camera. I haven't seen any footage yet but hopefully they will release some test footage soon. If Anyone has found any footage on the web please send me a link.
In the mean time lets go through what we know about the camera and some of its features:
-It has 1920x180 resolution
-Apple 10-bit 422 200Mbps ProRes codec with the promise of lossless CinemaDNG codec that will be coming later with a firmware update.
-The sensor size is Super 16: Roughly (12.5x7.4mm)
-Frame Rates 23.98p, 24p, 25p, 29.97p, 30p
-Dynamic Range: 13 stops
-MFT (micro four thirds lens mount) which should give full aperture control to native lenses.
-Magnified focus for focus assist and peaking
-Removable storage is SDXC and SDHC cards. It can record in ProRes 50 minutes of footage on a 64Gb SDXC card
-Metadata: camera data and user data such as shot number, filenames and keywords
-Can output through HDMI without overlays for monitoring: Micro HDMI type D. HDMI Audio Output 2 channels 48 kHz and 24 bit
-3.5" LCD: 800 x 480 resolution
-2.5mm LANC control for controlling record, stop, focus and iris with active lenses
-3.5mm mic input
-3.5mm headphone jack
-0.7mm 12V power input
-Standard tripod mount top and bottom
-Computer Interface USB 2.0 mini B port for firmware updates
-Operating Temperatures 0° to 40° C (32° to 104° F)
-Humidity rating 0% to 90% non-condensing
-Removable battery: Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery (EN-EL20) Battery Life: approx. 1 hour of continuous recording time. Charge Time: approx. 1 hour and 15 minutes when the camera is off and approximately 2 hours when in use. You can also use non Blackmagic batteries such as the easy to find and inexpensive Nikon EN-EL20 Rechargeable Li-ion Batteries. This is a big deal because on the 2.5k camera the battery was built in with lousy operating times.
-In the box you get: Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, wrist strap, dust cap and 12V AC Adapter.
Plus, DVD (DaVinci Resolve Lite)
-Product Warranty 12 Month Limited Manufacturer's Warranty.
-Compatible operating systems are: Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion or later Windows 7 or later
-Dimensions: 5.04 x 1.49 x 2.6 (128 x 38 x 66 mm)
-Weight: 12.52 oz (355 g)
So that's basically what we know so far. As for what the image looks like hopefully we will see some footage soon.
In the mean time lets go through what we know about the camera and some of its features:
-It has 1920x180 resolution
-Apple 10-bit 422 200Mbps ProRes codec with the promise of lossless CinemaDNG codec that will be coming later with a firmware update.
-The sensor size is Super 16: Roughly (12.5x7.4mm)
-Frame Rates 23.98p, 24p, 25p, 29.97p, 30p
-Dynamic Range: 13 stops
-MFT (micro four thirds lens mount) which should give full aperture control to native lenses.
-Magnified focus for focus assist and peaking
-Removable storage is SDXC and SDHC cards. It can record in ProRes 50 minutes of footage on a 64Gb SDXC card
-Metadata: camera data and user data such as shot number, filenames and keywords
-Can output through HDMI without overlays for monitoring: Micro HDMI type D. HDMI Audio Output 2 channels 48 kHz and 24 bit
-3.5" LCD: 800 x 480 resolution
-2.5mm LANC control for controlling record, stop, focus and iris with active lenses
-3.5mm mic input
-3.5mm headphone jack
-0.7mm 12V power input
-Standard tripod mount top and bottom
-Computer Interface USB 2.0 mini B port for firmware updates
-Operating Temperatures 0° to 40° C (32° to 104° F)
-Humidity rating 0% to 90% non-condensing
-Removable battery: Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery (EN-EL20) Battery Life: approx. 1 hour of continuous recording time. Charge Time: approx. 1 hour and 15 minutes when the camera is off and approximately 2 hours when in use. You can also use non Blackmagic batteries such as the easy to find and inexpensive Nikon EN-EL20 Rechargeable Li-ion Batteries. This is a big deal because on the 2.5k camera the battery was built in with lousy operating times.
-In the box you get: Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, wrist strap, dust cap and 12V AC Adapter.
Plus, DVD (DaVinci Resolve Lite)
-Product Warranty 12 Month Limited Manufacturer's Warranty.
-Compatible operating systems are: Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion or later Windows 7 or later
-Dimensions: 5.04 x 1.49 x 2.6 (128 x 38 x 66 mm)
-Weight: 12.52 oz (355 g)
So that's basically what we know so far. As for what the image looks like hopefully we will see some footage soon.
Friday, 8 February 2013
Video Streaming Solutions
Streaming live video online is something that is becoming more and more common. Channels and software like Livestream, Ustream, Youtube, Google's hangouts and Skype makes it possible from us to share video with people across the world. From conferences to broadcasting live on YouTube more and more people are connecting live online. We have had this ability for a few years now but as bandwidth increases and video technology gets better it becomes more easier to produce great video for live streaming on the web.
The most basic way to do this is of course with a webcam but for those of us who want to produce a higher quality video it is necessary to look at a better camera and therefore an interface for getting that live feed into our computer and out to the masses.
Now if your are just plain recording into a computer there are lots of options for that from capture cards to video breakout boxes, however if you want to stream live video on the fly out to the web then rest of this post is for you.
Up until recently this has been a bit of a struggle to find a relatively cheap way to stream live video affordability into a computer and out to the web. In this post we will look at some affordable streaming
Blackmagic Design's H.264 Pro Recorder:
What makes this little box so great is it does on the fly H.264 encoding from either HDMI,
HD-SDI/SDI, Component BNC, Composite BNC and 1/4 jack balanced audio inputs to
USB 2.0.Now this is great because it gives you any input you could possibly ever want to a port that every
PC or Mac already has, USB 2.0. This is a perfect solution for anyone who wants to stream live video and not worry if they will have all the right connections required to make it happen.
H.264 encoding is the key to makes this unit so great. H.264 is a standard video compression and is one of the most common formats used for compression, recording and distribution of HD Video. H.264 was originally introduced in 2003 and since has been widely adopted by Internet websites such as YouTube, Vimeo and the iTunes Store. Abobe and Microsoft have adopted it in recent years. It is also becoming more in common in HD and satelitte broadcast as well.
There are lots of software that will do H.264 encoding for you but the Pro Recorder is different because it does all the H.264 encoding in the box allowing you to stream the signal through a single USB.2.0 mini port into your computer.
Some key features include:
-Real time H.264 encoding.
-Can capture from professional decks in SD and HD H.264 files.
-Can record (not stream) to iPad, iPod, iPhone, Apple TV and YouTube file formats automatically.
-Real time scaling and cropping
-RS-422 Deck control
-Batch capture for H.264 files.
Compatibility for streaming live:
LiveStream currently supports the H.264 Pro Recorder: LiveStream H.264 Pro Recorder
MX Light is a great third party program for PC that will allow you to do live streaming from the H.264 Recorder and the Blackmagic ATEM Television Studio: MX Light Streaming software.
It is compatible with LiveStream, Ustream and Justin TV.
Wednesday, 6 February 2013
Blackmagic Cinema Camera footage.
So I have gathered together some of the best footage I could find from the Internet that demonstrates exactly what the BMCC can do. Specs are nice but at the end of the day we want to see how will this camera holds up in the field on an actual production being used for actual films, commericals,
music videos, etc.
I have compiled a variety of different videos showing the strengths of the camera in relation to dynamic range and the ability to garde in 12-bit RAW DNG and Apple ProRes HQ 422. These videos I have linked to from a number of sites like Vimeo and Youtube. For best quality it is better to download the full video from Vimeo.
Below is a great comparison done by OneRiver Media.
Comparing the Cinema Camera & 5D Mk III from OneRiver Media on Vimeo.
Here is a series of grading tests done by various colourists. I like these examples because it really shows how you can change look of the footage to give it a completely different mood or feel.
Blackmagic Cinema Camera 12 bit Raw DNG files Corrected in After Effects from Norman Lang on Vimeo.
Blackmagic Cinema Camera Test DNGs from ickxsfilms on Vimeo.
Black Magic Cinema Camera Footage and Grade from Daniel Bowie on Vimeo.
Blackmagic Cinema Camera - BMCC from James Miller on Vimeo.
Bmcc color grade using Lightroom 4 from Arrius on Vimeo.
Black Magic Cinema Camera Color Grade from Matt Battershell on Vimeo.
This next video is a comparison test done between the BMCC and the Sony FS100. Now there really is no comparison in regards to the cameras in low light. the FS100 is a much better camera in low light. However what I find interesting about this test is how much detail you can still pull out of the low light with BMCC especially in the mid tones. with the 12-bit RAW and those 13 stops of dynamic range you can push it farther than I thought possible. However from an ISO view point their is really no comparison to the FS100 due to it's higher usable ISO.
Blackmagic Cinema Camera vs FS100 Lowlight Shoot-Out from Frank Glencairn on Vimeo.
BMCC vs. GH2 test footage:
BMCC-02 : GH2 versus BMCC (ProRes) from Raitank on Vimeo.
A very quick example of what you can do in DaVinci:
BMCC by DaVinci Resolve9 from Kazuyoshi Tezuka on Vimeo.
A quick Key Test withe BMCC:
BMCC Key Test from Andy Waddell on Vimeo.
BMCC ProRes Graded with Magic Bullet Quick Looks:
BMCC Test Footage from T. Umrani on Vimeo.
Olivia Tech BMCC Color Grade Test from Kofa Boyah on Vimeo.
A Black & White test graded in After Effects:
BMCC Rough Black & White Grade from Manback Productions on Vimeo.
The End Of The World Shoot Out: A dynamic range test between the BMCC, 5Dmark3, GH3 and Hacked GH2. This is a three part series and I strongly suggest to download the Mp4 to get the full impact of this test series.
END OF THE WORLD SHOOTOUT - PART 1 from Shian Storm on Vimeo.
END OF THE WORLD SHOOTOUT - PART 2 from Shian Storm on Vimeo.
END OF THE WORLD SHOOTOUT - PART 3 from Shian Storm on Vimeo.
Below is a test using GoPro's Cineform software for grading as well as grade done with Adobe Speed Grade. Both results look good and very filmic. I am not sure which grade I prefer better. They both look good. I am leaning more to the Speed Grade look though. Check it out for yourself.
ColorGrading Test with BMCC, GoPro CineForm Studio and Adobe SpeedGrade from The Robinson Brothers on Vimeo.
Here is a link to BMCuser.com with some great screen grabs taken from the above shoot:
DNG Sequence Stills
Some more grading tests done using the above footage:
Simple Color | Blackmagic Cinema Camera from Camp Comet on Vimeo.
Some night tests and low light tests done withe BMCC. I think that these tests demonstrate that BMCC can be used in low light situations and shouldn't be written off so quickly.
bmcc test from ekipafilmowa.pl on Vimeo.
BMCC 12/9/12 from John Christon on Vimeo.
BMCC 12.6.12 from John Christon on Vimeo.
BMC "Snow Bells" from Frank Glencairn on Vimeo.
BMCC test Graded ProRes 422 from Daniel Fery on Vimeo.
Black Magic Cinema Camera - Low Light Test Shoot from Joel Crane on Vimeo.
.
NOLA AT NIGHT - Blackmagic from The Diamond Bros. on Vimeo.
music videos, etc.
I have compiled a variety of different videos showing the strengths of the camera in relation to dynamic range and the ability to garde in 12-bit RAW DNG and Apple ProRes HQ 422. These videos I have linked to from a number of sites like Vimeo and Youtube. For best quality it is better to download the full video from Vimeo.
Below is a great comparison done by OneRiver Media.
Comparing the Cinema Camera & 5D Mk III from OneRiver Media on Vimeo.
Here is a series of grading tests done by various colourists. I like these examples because it really shows how you can change look of the footage to give it a completely different mood or feel.
Blackmagic Cinema Camera 12 bit Raw DNG files Corrected in After Effects from Norman Lang on Vimeo.
Blackmagic Cinema Camera Test DNGs from ickxsfilms on Vimeo.
Black Magic Cinema Camera Footage and Grade from Daniel Bowie on Vimeo.
Blackmagic Cinema Camera - BMCC from James Miller on Vimeo.
Bmcc color grade using Lightroom 4 from Arrius on Vimeo.
Black Magic Cinema Camera Color Grade from Matt Battershell on Vimeo.
This next video is a comparison test done between the BMCC and the Sony FS100. Now there really is no comparison in regards to the cameras in low light. the FS100 is a much better camera in low light. However what I find interesting about this test is how much detail you can still pull out of the low light with BMCC especially in the mid tones. with the 12-bit RAW and those 13 stops of dynamic range you can push it farther than I thought possible. However from an ISO view point their is really no comparison to the FS100 due to it's higher usable ISO.
Blackmagic Cinema Camera vs FS100 Lowlight Shoot-Out from Frank Glencairn on Vimeo.
BMCC vs. GH2 test footage:
BMCC-02 : GH2 versus BMCC (ProRes) from Raitank on Vimeo.
A very quick example of what you can do in DaVinci:
BMCC by DaVinci Resolve9 from Kazuyoshi Tezuka on Vimeo.
A quick Key Test withe BMCC:
BMCC Key Test from Andy Waddell on Vimeo.
BMCC ProRes Graded with Magic Bullet Quick Looks:
BMCC Test Footage from T. Umrani on Vimeo.
Olivia Tech BMCC Color Grade Test from Kofa Boyah on Vimeo.
A Black & White test graded in After Effects:
BMCC Rough Black & White Grade from Manback Productions on Vimeo.
The End Of The World Shoot Out: A dynamic range test between the BMCC, 5Dmark3, GH3 and Hacked GH2. This is a three part series and I strongly suggest to download the Mp4 to get the full impact of this test series.
END OF THE WORLD SHOOTOUT - PART 1 from Shian Storm on Vimeo.
END OF THE WORLD SHOOTOUT - PART 2 from Shian Storm on Vimeo.
END OF THE WORLD SHOOTOUT - PART 3 from Shian Storm on Vimeo.
Below is a test using GoPro's Cineform software for grading as well as grade done with Adobe Speed Grade. Both results look good and very filmic. I am not sure which grade I prefer better. They both look good. I am leaning more to the Speed Grade look though. Check it out for yourself.
ColorGrading Test with BMCC, GoPro CineForm Studio and Adobe SpeedGrade from The Robinson Brothers on Vimeo.
Here is a link to BMCuser.com with some great screen grabs taken from the above shoot:
DNG Sequence Stills
Some more grading tests done using the above footage:
Simple Color | Blackmagic Cinema Camera from Camp Comet on Vimeo.
Some night tests and low light tests done withe BMCC. I think that these tests demonstrate that BMCC can be used in low light situations and shouldn't be written off so quickly.
bmcc test from ekipafilmowa.pl on Vimeo.
BMCC 12/9/12 from John Christon on Vimeo.
BMCC 12.6.12 from John Christon on Vimeo.
BMC "Snow Bells" from Frank Glencairn on Vimeo.
BMCC test Graded ProRes 422 from Daniel Fery on Vimeo.
Black Magic Cinema Camera - Low Light Test Shoot from Joel Crane on Vimeo.
.
NOLA AT NIGHT - Blackmagic from The Diamond Bros. on Vimeo.
Saturday, 2 February 2013
BMCC on RC helicopter. Stunning Footage.
Some great footage from the Blackmagic Cinema Camera mounted on a RC helicopter. Note how sharp the footage is and the great the dynamic range. Yet another great demonstration of how good the BMCC really is. Download the video from VIMEO.com for best results.
Black Magic Cinema Camera on an RC Helicopter from WollwerthFilms on Vimeo.
Black Magic Cinema Camera on an RC Helicopter from WollwerthFilms on Vimeo.
8-bit vs. 12-bit. Why the Blackmagic Cinema Camera comes out on top.
There has been a lot of discussion lately about if you really need 12-bit over 8-bit in regards to post work in HD video. There is an amazing video from OneRiver Media which I think will really put an end to this debate once and for all. They have done a great job showing how far you can truly push RAW in post and how much control it gives you:
For best results download the video from VIMEO. Or you can just stream it below:
Comparing the Cinema Camera: Part 2, The Impact of 12-bit RAW from OneRiver Media on Vimeo.
There are lot of great 8-bit cameras out there including the Canon C300, Panasonic GH3 and the Canon 5D Mark 3. However after watching this video it is clear that for total image control in regards to exposure and colour correction, nothing holds a candle to 12-bit RAW as demonstrated in the Blackmagic Cinema Camera when grading in post.
I think these next two videos demonstrate the advantage of 12bit over 8bit more than anything. Check out the two below videos. Look how well they manage to keep the sky and the snow covered ground exposed demonstrates the 12-bit's RAW ability to allow you to grade sky and foreground evenly to show maximum detail.
Black Magic Cinema Camera Test Footage -Before Grading- from Kei Takahashi on Vimeo.
and the after footage:
Black Magic Cinema Camera Test Footage -After Grading- from Kei Takahashi on Vimeo.
Really beautiful footage.
For best results download the video from VIMEO. Or you can just stream it below:
Comparing the Cinema Camera: Part 2, The Impact of 12-bit RAW from OneRiver Media on Vimeo.
There are lot of great 8-bit cameras out there including the Canon C300, Panasonic GH3 and the Canon 5D Mark 3. However after watching this video it is clear that for total image control in regards to exposure and colour correction, nothing holds a candle to 12-bit RAW as demonstrated in the Blackmagic Cinema Camera when grading in post.
I think these next two videos demonstrate the advantage of 12bit over 8bit more than anything. Check out the two below videos. Look how well they manage to keep the sky and the snow covered ground exposed demonstrates the 12-bit's RAW ability to allow you to grade sky and foreground evenly to show maximum detail.
Black Magic Cinema Camera Test Footage -Before Grading- from Kei Takahashi on Vimeo.
and the after footage:
Black Magic Cinema Camera Test Footage -After Grading- from Kei Takahashi on Vimeo.
Really beautiful footage.
Monday, 21 January 2013
Battery Options for the Blackmagic Cinema Camera
Continuing with more info on the Blackmagic Cinema Camera. We are going to look at some battery solutions for the camera. The current built in battery on the BMCC will get you roughly 90 minutes of battery life. Not much when shooting out in the field. However there are some other options. The camera will accept 12V-30V DC power.
Ikan has some decent solutions for Sony L series, V-Mount and Anton Bauer battery options.
Ikan Sony L series battery option: Estimated run times for Sony 970 L Series batteries are over 4 hours of continuous use. Run times of over 7 hours with 130WH Anton Bauer or V Mount batteries.
Ikan V-mount or Anton Bauer plate with rod quick release and cheese plate for $159 U.S.
Ikan has some decent solutions for Sony L series, V-Mount and Anton Bauer battery options.
Ikan Sony L series battery option: Estimated run times for Sony 970 L Series batteries are over 4 hours of continuous use. Run times of over 7 hours with 130WH Anton Bauer or V Mount batteries.
Ikan V-mount or Anton Bauer plate with rod quick release and cheese plate for $159 U.S.
Saturday, 19 January 2013
The Black Magic Camera and its Accessories
The Blackmagic Cinema Camera:
So this post will be a little different from most of what you have read regarding the Blackmagic Cinema Camera (BMCC). Instead of focusing on the camera itself I intend to focus on some of the great accessories out there for BMCC that will help you unlock it's full potential. If you are familiar at all all with this camera you will quickly realize that for most people shooting with it they will need a few bit's and pieces to make it work in field. I will update this post as I as go with more accessories and tips as I find them. First lets look at some of the features this camera has:
Fast facts about the BMCC:
Operating Temprature: Blackmagic says not to run it below 0 degrees Celsius and no more than 45 degrees Celsius ambient temperature. That's 32 °F - 113 °F
Shooting Resolutions: 2.5K RAW at 2432 x 1366.
ProRes and DNxHD at 1920 x 1080
Frame Rates: 23.98p, 24p, 25p, 29.97p, 30p
Dynamic Range: 13 Stops when shooting in 12-bit RAW
BMCC Touch Screen: 5 inches in diameter and 800 x 480 resolution.
Supports metadata for your clips such as user data such as shot number, filenames, keywords, etc.
Audio Input: Two balanced 1/4 jack inputs.
Audio Output: One 3.5mm mini stereo jack for headphones.
Speaker: Built in mono speaker.
Battery: Lithium-ion rechargeable battery. 12v-30dc input for external power. Camera ships with a 12V AC adapter. Battery life is about 90 minutes. It takes about 2 hours to charge the battery.
Weight: 3.75 lbs or 1.7 kg
Dimensions of BMCC: 6.5 by 4.4 x 4.9 or 166.2mm by 113.51mm x 126.49mm
Media: One removable 2.5inch Solid State Drive. The media format it uses is Mac OS extended or exFAT format. It cane be formatted for any Mac or Windows PC.
Recording formats: Uncompressed - RAW 2.5K CinemaDNG. Compressed - Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHD 10-bit YUV. (For Apple ProRes it is only ProRes HQ 422) You can either choose Film or Video Dynamic range for either compressed format. You should probably use the Film Dynamic range setting for best results in post. The video setting in PRO Res is just not up to the job.
Recording times: In RAW 2.5k you will get about 30 minutes of 24p video on a 256GB SSD.
Compressed HD formats in Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHD expect to get more than 5 times the amount of 2.5k RAW.
Video Outputs: One 10-bit HD-SDI 4:2:2 with your choice of either Film or Video Dynamic rance for monitoring. For monitoring it is recommended to select the Video Dynamic range preset so you will be able to monitor what your footage will look like. The film monitoring option is quite flat with little saturation. To have a even better idea of what your footage will look like I suggest you use the
Ultra Scopes software that comes with the camera. More on that later.
SDI Audio: 4 channels in HD-SDI. SDI Audio sampling rate: 48 KHZ and 24 bit.
Lanc Control: 1x Lanc remote input for Rec start and stop. Also it will control Iris control and focus control depending on the lens. More lenses to be added with firmware updates.
Computer interface: Thunderbolt port for capture of RAW video and audio. The Thunderbolt port can also be used to tether to a computer to run Ultra Scopes. There is a USB 2.0 mini port for firmware updates.
Software included: DaVinci Resolve grading software which includes one Resolve USB dongle for MAC OS X and Windows. Blackmagic's Media Express software for video capture from camera's Thunderbolt port. Also included is Blackmagic's UltraScope software.
Warranty: 12 month Limited Manufacturer's warranty.
1. Ergonomics
After familiarizing myself with BMCC over the last couple of weeks one of the first things that came very clear is that this is not a handheld camera. Now some out there will disagree, including DOP John Brawley who has an interesting article about shooting handheld with the camera and how it's not the end of the world, I will let you be the judge: No Rig? No problem... His points are valid and I think for some situations it can work however for the majority of shooters including myself will need some sort of rig to help stabilize the camera to deal with the rolling shutter issue which is prominent on this camera. Now there are two approaches to this. The first is a shoulder support which I think is the optimal one for support while doing run & gun type shooting. Recently a number of great shoulder supports have come to light for the BMCC with even more on the way by the time this article is finished being written. The amount of accessories released for the BMCC has been fast and furious over the last few months. In this post we will discuss some of the best that I have seen so far:
Redrock Micro: Redrock has released a few different Rigs for the BMCC. Let's take a look at their Ultra Field Cinema Rig for BMCC
There are few reasons I like this rig. The first is that includes counter weights. This is really import because the BMCC camera is a surprisingly very heavy camera. Coming in at 3.8 lbs body only it is quite hefty. Now add a lens to that, not to mention any other accessories (monitor/EVF, audio devices, etc) and you can start to see how this will really add up and before you know it, your rig will be coming in at over 5lbs easy. So of course you will need something to counter balance all of this weight and that is where the counter weights come into play. Redrock includes two weight plates with a poundage of your choosing. I would recommend 4lbs as a good place to start. This will counter balance the weight of the camera with a lens on it. It's also possible to counter balance the weight of the camera with a Anton Bauer battery or V mount battery as well. You still probably need at lease one weight plate to help balance it on your shoulder even with a V mount our Anton Bauer battery. (More on power options for the camera a little later in this blog).
This rig from Redrock also has lots of threads for your accessories around the cage portion of it, complete with a top handle for easy transport and the front handles to help to stabilize the camera.
You can add a follow focus to the rig as well, Redrock Micro gives you the option of a couple of different follow focuses with their Ultra Field Cinema Rig.
The next rig we will look at is from Zacuto The Stinger:
It has much to offer anyone looking for a great shoulder rig for their BMCC. As with Redrock and Zacuto has expanded on their current line to adapt many of their familiar pieces to the camera. The rods and shoulder support are the same as with any Zacuto rig. The nice feature with Zacuto's rig is the adjustable handgrips. These are quite versitle and can be angled in a variety of different directions. Having a cheese plate on the back allows you to mount a variety of battery options. Included in this rig is Zacuto's BMCC top handle for easy carrying. Like with Redrock support you can add weights to the Stinger as well. Zacuto has a selection of weights in different poundage that you can add as needed.
The final shoulder support I will review be the SHAPE Shoulder Mount-Off Set:
Shape is a Canadian company that has come out with some great gear in the last few years. Shape's shoulder support is great because it is one of the few shoulder rigs that offers an offset that takes advantage of BMCC camera's display. which for most shooters is in a less than a ideal place. Shape's rig also offers many threads to add mounts for accessories and well build handles that are easily adjustable. Like Zacuto, Shape's products includes a lifetime warranty.
2. Monitoring options with the Blackmagic Cinema Camera:
As I mentioned in the above paragraph the BMCC's screen is not in the most ideal location for viewing. If you have to do any low angle or high angle shooting it's not going to work for you with out some sort of external monitor. Try to think of the screen as more of menu screen than actual monitor. Even with hood there is a lot glare and shooting outside with it is challenging. The camera is provided with a HD-SDI output via a BNC connector. There are lot's of great on camera monitors out there but when it comes to shooting shoulder mounted nothing beats a good EVF for glare reduction and focusing.
There many good EVFs on the market however I would like to recommend one in particular.
Cineroid has a great EVF with some really nice features. The EVF4RW retina display EVF has a resolution of a whopping 960 x 640 for a 3.5 inch screen.
To give you an idea of how good this is, Zacuto's EVF has a resolution of only 800 x 480. I have had the pleasure to use Cineroid's EVF and all I can say is WOW! The image off of it is stunning and focusing is a breeze. The peaking feature is very usable unlike some peaking on other monitors. This EVF is packed with great features including: Waveform, Vector Scope. False Color, Zebras, Crop Guide, Screen Flip, Monochrome as well as much more. Check out their link for a complete breakdown of the specs:
EVF4RW Retina Display This EVF is the perfect companion to the BMCC camera for shooting in the field or on set. You can pick one up at the Canadian Retailer Vistek at the link below:
Vistek Cineroid EVF4RW Retina Display EVF
Now not everyone is going to have an SDI monitor. In-fact most people coming from a DSLR background are probably only going to have an HDMI input monitor. With the BMCC only having HD-SDI for external monitoring you will need another work around. Luckily Blackmagic has already answered that
The Black Magic Battery Converter
it will take your HD-SDI signal in turn into an HDMI signal on the fly with a built in battery that will allow for up to 2 hours of continuous use. They also have an adapter with the same features that will do the oppsite (HDMI to HD-SDI as well.
3. Audio
Blackmagic has chose an interesting choice for the audio inputs on this camera. Two 1/4 inch jack inputs are what we have to deal with for the audio. These are still balance inputs which is nice for those of us used to XLR quality audio inputs. Downside is the two 1/4 inch inputs do not provide any Phantom Power so any condenser mics you use will have to have their own power via a battery capsule.
Blackmagic is assuming that most people will record sound separately and they are right. Most people using this camera for narrative film making or any type of studio work will likely be recording sound separate from the camera. However for those who want a reference audio signal for syncing in post or those simply who do not want to worry about syncing at all and record everything directly to the camera, they will have a work around to do adapting their current XLR mics to this camera. There are plenty of cheap XLR to 1/4 cables that are quite affordable and easy to find at any electronic store however this doesn't solve our Phantom Power issue. It also doesn't solve the fact that as of this post their are no audio levels on the BMCC camera's display, which is a huge is issue for proper monitoring. That being said JuicedLink has a great interface that solves all of these issues and sounds great! Check out this video below because it is very thorough in regards to all aspects of the BBMC's audio. The good and the bad. Please check it out because it is very insightful.
Blackmagic Cinema Camera audio test:
Here is a link to the JuicedLink Low-Noise preamplifier:
Juicedlink RA333
The above is a great solution but more and more I find my self wishing that they just included 3.5mm mini jack input instead. As I said before that shooting with the BMCC camera is very much like shooting with a DSLR. People have been shooting video with DSLR's long enough that they have a lot of the work arounds figured out an much of their gear will be adaptable to the BMCC, including their existing audio equipment.
4. Lenses
Now this is going to be a big section. Hands down though I think it is the most important because your choice of lenses for this camera is going to impact how you shoot with this camera and the BMCC will impact the choice of lenses you will have available to you.
As good as the sensor is on the camera. it has some limitations that will greatly impact your choice of lenses.
The Crop Factor: The BMCC camera has a rather unique frame size. It is smaller than a Four thirds sensor but larger than a Super 16mm frame. The crop factor on this camera is significant.
2.3 x multiplication on all your lenses. compared with Micro Four Thirds (Panasonic GH2) sensor that is 2x and APS-C sensor size (Canon 7D) that is only 1.6x
You can quickly see how your choice of lenses for shooting wide is drastically reduced and you will have to look to ever wider glass to fit your subject matter in the image. Below is a few charts showing the sensor size on the BMCC compared to other sensors out there. I couldn't find one chart that explained everything so here are several.
A lot of people will simply suggest moving the camera back to fit more of the subject matter in the image. However this will not always be possible shooting in small spaces and also this will change your depth of field so this not always an option.
AbelCine has a great page on their site that will let you do a side by side comparison with any sensor to show you magnification difference at any focal length of lens. This is a great tool. Check out the link below.
AbelCine comparison page
There are two current lens mount options for the BMCC. The first is an EF mount for Canon lenses. It is important to note that this will also work with EFS lenses from Canon as well. This mount is an active mount which will give you control over the aperture of the lens. In the latest firmware update they now give you an aperture read-out on the camera. Something that was not included before. This really is helpful because it allows you see the aperture you are at currently using on your lens.
The second mount option is for Micro Four Thirds Lenses or (MFT) mount. This important not only for the fact you can use some nice glass from manufactures like Leica but more to the fact that you can really adapt any lens mount you want. For example with the MFT mount you can now add a PL mount to get access to all sorts of great cinema glass from companies like Cook, Schneider and Zeiss.
As this blog goes on I will be updating it with lenses I think suit the camera well for different situations however I want to do more testing before I list any.
One thing I can mention is that this camera is not known for it's lowlight capabilities. There are many other cameras that will out preform it in low light light the Sony FS100 and Canon C300. That being said due to the ability to shoot in 12-bit RAW you can pull a lot more detail out of the dark than you can with a lot of other cameras as this clip below demonstrates by Frank Glencairn.
Blackmagic Cinema Camera vs FS100 Lowlight Shoot-Out from Frank Glencairn on Vimeo.
Here are some of other good examples of footage with some low light shots from Blackmagic's website.
http://bmcc.tv
I will be updating and editing this blog in the weeks ahead so please check back soon. I hope you were able to take some useful info from with this post and hopefully it answered some questions you had about the Blackmagic Cinema Camera and its accessories.
There are lots of different reviews regarding the Black Magic Camera. Here are two I highly recommend you check out from Philip Bloom Philip Bloom's BMCC review and Vincent Laforet. Vincent's BMCC review.
So this post will be a little different from most of what you have read regarding the Blackmagic Cinema Camera (BMCC). Instead of focusing on the camera itself I intend to focus on some of the great accessories out there for BMCC that will help you unlock it's full potential. If you are familiar at all all with this camera you will quickly realize that for most people shooting with it they will need a few bit's and pieces to make it work in field. I will update this post as I as go with more accessories and tips as I find them. First lets look at some of the features this camera has:
Fast facts about the BMCC:
Operating Temprature: Blackmagic says not to run it below 0 degrees Celsius and no more than 45 degrees Celsius ambient temperature. That's 32 °F - 113 °F
Shooting Resolutions: 2.5K RAW at 2432 x 1366.
ProRes and DNxHD at 1920 x 1080
Frame Rates: 23.98p, 24p, 25p, 29.97p, 30p
Dynamic Range: 13 Stops when shooting in 12-bit RAW
BMCC Touch Screen: 5 inches in diameter and 800 x 480 resolution.
Supports metadata for your clips such as user data such as shot number, filenames, keywords, etc.
Audio Input: Two balanced 1/4 jack inputs.
Audio Output: One 3.5mm mini stereo jack for headphones.
Speaker: Built in mono speaker.
Battery: Lithium-ion rechargeable battery. 12v-30dc input for external power. Camera ships with a 12V AC adapter. Battery life is about 90 minutes. It takes about 2 hours to charge the battery.
Weight: 3.75 lbs or 1.7 kg
Dimensions of BMCC: 6.5 by 4.4 x 4.9 or 166.2mm by 113.51mm x 126.49mm
Media: One removable 2.5inch Solid State Drive. The media format it uses is Mac OS extended or exFAT format. It cane be formatted for any Mac or Windows PC.
Recording formats: Uncompressed - RAW 2.5K CinemaDNG. Compressed - Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHD 10-bit YUV. (For Apple ProRes it is only ProRes HQ 422) You can either choose Film or Video Dynamic range for either compressed format. You should probably use the Film Dynamic range setting for best results in post. The video setting in PRO Res is just not up to the job.
Recording times: In RAW 2.5k you will get about 30 minutes of 24p video on a 256GB SSD.
Compressed HD formats in Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHD expect to get more than 5 times the amount of 2.5k RAW.
Video Outputs: One 10-bit HD-SDI 4:2:2 with your choice of either Film or Video Dynamic rance for monitoring. For monitoring it is recommended to select the Video Dynamic range preset so you will be able to monitor what your footage will look like. The film monitoring option is quite flat with little saturation. To have a even better idea of what your footage will look like I suggest you use the
Ultra Scopes software that comes with the camera. More on that later.
SDI Audio: 4 channels in HD-SDI. SDI Audio sampling rate: 48 KHZ and 24 bit.
Lanc Control: 1x Lanc remote input for Rec start and stop. Also it will control Iris control and focus control depending on the lens. More lenses to be added with firmware updates.
Computer interface: Thunderbolt port for capture of RAW video and audio. The Thunderbolt port can also be used to tether to a computer to run Ultra Scopes. There is a USB 2.0 mini port for firmware updates.
Software included: DaVinci Resolve grading software which includes one Resolve USB dongle for MAC OS X and Windows. Blackmagic's Media Express software for video capture from camera's Thunderbolt port. Also included is Blackmagic's UltraScope software.
Warranty: 12 month Limited Manufacturer's warranty.
1. Ergonomics
After familiarizing myself with BMCC over the last couple of weeks one of the first things that came very clear is that this is not a handheld camera. Now some out there will disagree, including DOP John Brawley who has an interesting article about shooting handheld with the camera and how it's not the end of the world, I will let you be the judge: No Rig? No problem... His points are valid and I think for some situations it can work however for the majority of shooters including myself will need some sort of rig to help stabilize the camera to deal with the rolling shutter issue which is prominent on this camera. Now there are two approaches to this. The first is a shoulder support which I think is the optimal one for support while doing run & gun type shooting. Recently a number of great shoulder supports have come to light for the BMCC with even more on the way by the time this article is finished being written. The amount of accessories released for the BMCC has been fast and furious over the last few months. In this post we will discuss some of the best that I have seen so far:
Redrock Micro: Redrock has released a few different Rigs for the BMCC. Let's take a look at their Ultra Field Cinema Rig for BMCC
There are few reasons I like this rig. The first is that includes counter weights. This is really import because the BMCC camera is a surprisingly very heavy camera. Coming in at 3.8 lbs body only it is quite hefty. Now add a lens to that, not to mention any other accessories (monitor/EVF, audio devices, etc) and you can start to see how this will really add up and before you know it, your rig will be coming in at over 5lbs easy. So of course you will need something to counter balance all of this weight and that is where the counter weights come into play. Redrock includes two weight plates with a poundage of your choosing. I would recommend 4lbs as a good place to start. This will counter balance the weight of the camera with a lens on it. It's also possible to counter balance the weight of the camera with a Anton Bauer battery or V mount battery as well. You still probably need at lease one weight plate to help balance it on your shoulder even with a V mount our Anton Bauer battery. (More on power options for the camera a little later in this blog).
This rig from Redrock also has lots of threads for your accessories around the cage portion of it, complete with a top handle for easy transport and the front handles to help to stabilize the camera.
You can add a follow focus to the rig as well, Redrock Micro gives you the option of a couple of different follow focuses with their Ultra Field Cinema Rig.
The next rig we will look at is from Zacuto The Stinger:
It has much to offer anyone looking for a great shoulder rig for their BMCC. As with Redrock and Zacuto has expanded on their current line to adapt many of their familiar pieces to the camera. The rods and shoulder support are the same as with any Zacuto rig. The nice feature with Zacuto's rig is the adjustable handgrips. These are quite versitle and can be angled in a variety of different directions. Having a cheese plate on the back allows you to mount a variety of battery options. Included in this rig is Zacuto's BMCC top handle for easy carrying. Like with Redrock support you can add weights to the Stinger as well. Zacuto has a selection of weights in different poundage that you can add as needed.
The final shoulder support I will review be the SHAPE Shoulder Mount-Off Set:
Shape is a Canadian company that has come out with some great gear in the last few years. Shape's shoulder support is great because it is one of the few shoulder rigs that offers an offset that takes advantage of BMCC camera's display. which for most shooters is in a less than a ideal place. Shape's rig also offers many threads to add mounts for accessories and well build handles that are easily adjustable. Like Zacuto, Shape's products includes a lifetime warranty.
2. Monitoring options with the Blackmagic Cinema Camera:
There many good EVFs on the market however I would like to recommend one in particular.
Cineroid has a great EVF with some really nice features. The EVF4RW retina display EVF has a resolution of a whopping 960 x 640 for a 3.5 inch screen.
To give you an idea of how good this is, Zacuto's EVF has a resolution of only 800 x 480. I have had the pleasure to use Cineroid's EVF and all I can say is WOW! The image off of it is stunning and focusing is a breeze. The peaking feature is very usable unlike some peaking on other monitors. This EVF is packed with great features including: Waveform, Vector Scope. False Color, Zebras, Crop Guide, Screen Flip, Monochrome as well as much more. Check out their link for a complete breakdown of the specs:
EVF4RW Retina Display This EVF is the perfect companion to the BMCC camera for shooting in the field or on set. You can pick one up at the Canadian Retailer Vistek at the link below:
Vistek Cineroid EVF4RW Retina Display EVF
Now not everyone is going to have an SDI monitor. In-fact most people coming from a DSLR background are probably only going to have an HDMI input monitor. With the BMCC only having HD-SDI for external monitoring you will need another work around. Luckily Blackmagic has already answered that
The Black Magic Battery Converter
it will take your HD-SDI signal in turn into an HDMI signal on the fly with a built in battery that will allow for up to 2 hours of continuous use. They also have an adapter with the same features that will do the oppsite (HDMI to HD-SDI as well.
3. Audio
Blackmagic has chose an interesting choice for the audio inputs on this camera. Two 1/4 inch jack inputs are what we have to deal with for the audio. These are still balance inputs which is nice for those of us used to XLR quality audio inputs. Downside is the two 1/4 inch inputs do not provide any Phantom Power so any condenser mics you use will have to have their own power via a battery capsule.
Blackmagic is assuming that most people will record sound separately and they are right. Most people using this camera for narrative film making or any type of studio work will likely be recording sound separate from the camera. However for those who want a reference audio signal for syncing in post or those simply who do not want to worry about syncing at all and record everything directly to the camera, they will have a work around to do adapting their current XLR mics to this camera. There are plenty of cheap XLR to 1/4 cables that are quite affordable and easy to find at any electronic store however this doesn't solve our Phantom Power issue. It also doesn't solve the fact that as of this post their are no audio levels on the BMCC camera's display, which is a huge is issue for proper monitoring. That being said JuicedLink has a great interface that solves all of these issues and sounds great! Check out this video below because it is very thorough in regards to all aspects of the BBMC's audio. The good and the bad. Please check it out because it is very insightful.
Blackmagic Cinema Camera audio test:
Here is a link to the JuicedLink Low-Noise preamplifier:
Juicedlink RA333
The above is a great solution but more and more I find my self wishing that they just included 3.5mm mini jack input instead. As I said before that shooting with the BMCC camera is very much like shooting with a DSLR. People have been shooting video with DSLR's long enough that they have a lot of the work arounds figured out an much of their gear will be adaptable to the BMCC, including their existing audio equipment.
4. Lenses
Now this is going to be a big section. Hands down though I think it is the most important because your choice of lenses for this camera is going to impact how you shoot with this camera and the BMCC will impact the choice of lenses you will have available to you.
As good as the sensor is on the camera. it has some limitations that will greatly impact your choice of lenses.
The Crop Factor: The BMCC camera has a rather unique frame size. It is smaller than a Four thirds sensor but larger than a Super 16mm frame. The crop factor on this camera is significant.
2.3 x multiplication on all your lenses. compared with Micro Four Thirds (Panasonic GH2) sensor that is 2x and APS-C sensor size (Canon 7D) that is only 1.6x
You can quickly see how your choice of lenses for shooting wide is drastically reduced and you will have to look to ever wider glass to fit your subject matter in the image. Below is a few charts showing the sensor size on the BMCC compared to other sensors out there. I couldn't find one chart that explained everything so here are several.
A lot of people will simply suggest moving the camera back to fit more of the subject matter in the image. However this will not always be possible shooting in small spaces and also this will change your depth of field so this not always an option.
AbelCine has a great page on their site that will let you do a side by side comparison with any sensor to show you magnification difference at any focal length of lens. This is a great tool. Check out the link below.
AbelCine comparison page
There are two current lens mount options for the BMCC. The first is an EF mount for Canon lenses. It is important to note that this will also work with EFS lenses from Canon as well. This mount is an active mount which will give you control over the aperture of the lens. In the latest firmware update they now give you an aperture read-out on the camera. Something that was not included before. This really is helpful because it allows you see the aperture you are at currently using on your lens.
The second mount option is for Micro Four Thirds Lenses or (MFT) mount. This important not only for the fact you can use some nice glass from manufactures like Leica but more to the fact that you can really adapt any lens mount you want. For example with the MFT mount you can now add a PL mount to get access to all sorts of great cinema glass from companies like Cook, Schneider and Zeiss.
As this blog goes on I will be updating it with lenses I think suit the camera well for different situations however I want to do more testing before I list any.
One thing I can mention is that this camera is not known for it's lowlight capabilities. There are many other cameras that will out preform it in low light light the Sony FS100 and Canon C300. That being said due to the ability to shoot in 12-bit RAW you can pull a lot more detail out of the dark than you can with a lot of other cameras as this clip below demonstrates by Frank Glencairn.
Blackmagic Cinema Camera vs FS100 Lowlight Shoot-Out from Frank Glencairn on Vimeo.
Here are some of other good examples of footage with some low light shots from Blackmagic's website.
http://bmcc.tv
I will be updating and editing this blog in the weeks ahead so please check back soon. I hope you were able to take some useful info from with this post and hopefully it answered some questions you had about the Blackmagic Cinema Camera and its accessories.
There are lots of different reviews regarding the Black Magic Camera. Here are two I highly recommend you check out from Philip Bloom Philip Bloom's BMCC review and Vincent Laforet. Vincent's BMCC review.
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