First look at the Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K

News posted on 49 Comments

Our team on the floor at NAB 2018 where at the Blackmagic Design press conference that announced the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and they had a talk to some of the team from Blackmagic Design about the camera and had a look at it.

You can read our full article about the release here.

Highlights of Pocket Cinema Camera 4K

  • Full 4/3 HDR sensor
  • Dual native ISO up to 25,600
  • MFT lens mount
  • 13 stops of dynamic range
  • 5 inch touchscreen
  • Internal SD/UHS II and CFast 2.0 card recorders
  • Can record to any external USB-C disk
  • Bluetooth built-in
  • Mini XLR input with P48
  • Full HDMI
  • Power via a Canon LP-E6N or locking 12 volt DC power connection

Pricing and Availability

Shipping September and comes with Davinci Resolve Studio.

The price is going to be $1295 USD.

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  • Dmosier

    LOL

    “Final shipping will be in September. $1295.”

    “Oh great, so what does it cost?”

    “$1295”

    “When is it shipping?”

    “…… September…”

    • rol247

      2019…

    • David Peterson

      That was funny 😛

    • https://eriknaso.com Erik Naso

      You’re killing me bro.

      • Dmosier

        Just poking a little fun, that’s all 🙂

        • https://eriknaso.com Erik Naso

          Haha. All good. That was one crazy presser.

          • Dmosier

            On paper it sounds like a great camera. I really dig the idea of recording directly to flash drives. Have they mentioned anything about seeing footage from it yet?

    • James Anderson

      don’t be a twat.

      • Dmosier

        relax, it’s just a joke

  • Kerrin Sheldon

    Any idea how many channels of audio you can record? It would be great to be able to use something like the Rode Video Mic Pro in the 3.5mm jack and a lavalier in the mini-xlr and have two audio inputs recording to two tracks.

    • David Peterson

      I hope the 3.5mm can read timecode like the Micro Cinema Camera can

      • Sentry

        It can. Look at the website

        • David Peterson

          Nice! Glad to hear

    • Guillermo

      Yes, this will be possible. Check the image of audio controls https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagicpocketcinemacamera/software

      • Kerrin Sheldon

        That is excellent. If they could have added one or two levels of ND, this thing would have been as user friendly as some of the $5-8k cinema cameras. Pretty amazing that they added all this into a $1295 camera. It isn’t super pretty, no, but definitely care about the functionality way more and this camera looks pretty great.

  • andyroo77

    The point of this cam is that it is small so you can stick it in tight spots or record without drawing masses of attention to yourself with big pro looking rigs. Would have been great if it had IBIS as gimbals add heft and draw attention. Other than that, specs are pretty sweet, look forward to seeing some sample footage. Also what type USB C drives are required and what lenses are regarded as compatible with the AF system?

  • Alejandro B. Martin

    suiuuper small sensor, thats not a cine camera, sensor is too smaller

    • James Anderson

      I guess all the films shot on 16mm/super16mm over the years are not real cinema then. You my friend are basic.

      • Alejandro B. Martin

        16 was, not today, today this sensor is not a cinema properly sensor, like it or not thats the truth

        • David Peterson

          Rubbish, MFT is an excellent size! Basically almost Academy 35mm in film terms

    • D Gary Grady

      Frame widths rounded to nearest millimeter:
      36 – Vista Vision (35mm slide)
      25 – Silent movie / Super 35
      22 – Academy
      17 – Micro 4/3
      13 – Super 16mm
      10 – Standard 16mm

      In linear terms, Micro 4/3 is only about 23 percent smaller than Academy 35 film, which I think we can safely term “cine.” The depth of field characteristics are pretty similar. We’ll have to wait and see until the camera ships to have a solid idea how good it is, but the size of the sensor doesn’t strike me as a problem at all.

  • Sean Mclennan

    I don’t think that’s fitting in anyone’s pocket…

  • http://ShutterMuse.com DanCarr

    Bummer that they really sidestepped the ProRes RAW question in that way.

    • CRAYONSEED

      I’m betting they’re actively looking into it, but until the deal is done can’t say anything about it.

  • Brandon

    The heat vent is downward and blows directly onto hand/can be easily blocked if holding DSLR style

    • Jerod Dunn

      It blows up, not down.

      • Brandon

        Yes, I noticed after commenting that it was reverse.. when holding it tho, you would think otherwise due to the amount of heat on your palm… hand could still potentially block intake then.

        • Jerod Dunn

          Unfortunate.

          • Brandon

            Didn’t stop me from pre-ordering on the flight back from NAB tho. 😉 #FOMO

  • http://bradbell.tv Brad Bell

    Great camera, but personally the increase in size really kills it as a direct replacement for original Pocket. Doesn’t look like it will fit in a coat pocket, or on Zhiyun Crane M gimbal. Still, if experience shows the batteries last — I can still carry it around like a DSLR. Wait and see. Great replacement for BMCC tho. And having that range of ISO is freaky. I’m stuck at 400 and 800 (in gothic England)

  • Liam

    Any idea if both audio inputs can be used at the same time? Would be great to be able to run the XLR left and the 3.5mm right. I’m sure there will be shortcomings to this camera, but they are downright nuts to charge so little for a professional camera with professional codecs.

    • Jerod Dunn

      One of the images on Blackmagic’s a website suggests this is possible. It would be more interesting if you could track all three channels simultaneously.

      • David Peterson

        Heck make it be four channels of audio and include the internal Mic too!

    • Guillermo

      Yes, this will be possible. Check the image of audio controls. https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagicpocketcinemacamera/software

      • Liam

        Great, looks like it!

  • Jerod Dunn

    Yeah. I’m buying one of these. Any info on the brightness of that rear display?

  • Steven

    I’m curious what kind of Metabones Speedbooster will be compatible with this. I currently have the one for the original BMPCC, but I red somewhere that this won’t fit, given the bigger sensor.

    • Kerrin Sheldon

      Since this seems to be the GH5s sensor and an active MFT mount, I would assume all of the Metabones MFT speedboosters (XL) will work. The XL would be great with its 1 1/3 stops of extra light and 0.64x FOV reducer.

      • Steven

        Too bad we have to wait for a few months until this is tested and confirmed. I’ve got an itchy trigger finger to make a pre-order and sell my current BMPCC setup, but it wouldn’t be optimal if I’d have to wait extra months in order to have a fitting Speedbooster. Can’t go without anymore.

      • CRAYONSEED

        Wait, where is the info that this is the same sensor Panasonic is using? Is that confirmed?

        • Jerod Dunn

          It’s speculative. Dual ISO and a sensor that appears to completely fill the M43 window leave the GH5s as an obvious inspiration, if not full relative.

  • King K Rool

    How was the rolling shutter on the floor model? If its manageable then it could be an excellent buy.

  • Jean-Yves Durocher

    The jokes
    Canon sells the battery for $80
    https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/battery-pack-lp-e6
    Blackmagic for $35!
    https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagicpocketcinemacamera/workflow

    Since I would guess that Blackmagic is not crazy enough to sell a fourth rate third party battery it shows what the profit margins are in this industry.

  • Lou Brag

    All BMD cams have terrible low light performance and horrible FPN … I wonder what’s up with this one. I’m a bit skeptical that all of a sudden BMD got their sh.. together. Need to see it to believe it. So far it’s just a publicity stunt, just like they did when they originally announced the previous cameras.

  • Cliff

    Just played with this insane thing at their booth yesterday. It very much appears to be using the GH5-S sensor. (Sony Starvis IMX294?) Blackmagic reps admitted this camera far exceeds the low light performance of their super35 cameras. I cranked it all the way up the ISO/gain ladder and it was freaking phenominal! Here is the cool part, the camera uses NO IN-CAMERA NOISE REDUCTION! Noise reduction is a destructive process. Once its applied to an image, it cant be removed. Post NLE noise reduction is more accurate anyway and its better work with an untouched image and work it that way. This camera is VERY clean without it. After spending 30min with it, im completely stunned at how good it looked. Going with Sony sensors instead of terrible CMOSIS sensors makes a giant difference. I have never liked BlackMagic cameras but this camera and all its features floored me. Its going to be impossible for all of us not to like it when everybody else sees what it can do.

  • Martin

    Windowed HD? do you know if that will be something similar to s16?

  • Robert Matthews

    Any info on what resolution of stills it takes? I assume 4k, but it’s not in the specs

  • Jerod Dunn

    I’m honestly surprised that no one has drawn a comparison to the original black magic cinema cameras. Those are clearly more of an inspiration to this than the pocket was.

  • read4liberty

    Has anyone at naab tried the autofocus? Any word on that?

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