Blackmagic CC??

[Vortex]

What is the general consensus with the BlackMagic Pocket Camera for MR use??

I'm looking for a smallish camera with good performance and easy to use and see there are a few of these flying but wanted to get some feedback before I get one.

Thanks.

Lance

 

[dmetz]

What is the general consensus with the BMCC for MR use??

I'm looking for a smallish camera with good performance and easy to use and see there are a few of these flying but wanted to get some feedback before I get one.

Thanks.

Lance

Hello Lance - I'm thinking if you are interested in a "smallish" camera then surely you are talking about the Black Magic Cinema Pocket Camera. BMPCC. The Black Magic Cinema Camera is as large as a RED, a substantial block of aluminum and is quite heavy. The BMPCC on the other hand is quite small, about the size of the GH3/4 or the NEX line.

I have the BM Production Camera 4K and am very interested in flying the BMPCC on the Tarot 960 Hex that I've built awaiting flight controller and receiver.

The Pocket Camera is known for having an extraordinary dynamic range, beautiful color science but with a super 16 sensor, getting a wide field of view can be a challenge. On the plus side, the glass need not be big.

 

[Vortex]

Hello Lance - I'm thinking if you are interested in a "smallish" camera then surely you are talking about the Black Magic Cinema Pocket Camera. BMPCC. The Black Magic Cinema Camera is as large as a RED, a substantial block of aluminum and is quite heavy. The BMPCC on the other hand is quite small, about the size of the GH3/4 or the NEX line.

I have the BM Production Camera 4K and am very interested in flying the BMPCC on the Tarot 960 Hex that I've built awaiting flight controller and receiver.

The Pocket Camera is known for having an extraordinary dynamic range, beautiful color science but with a super 16 sensor, getting a wide field of view can be a challenge. On the plus side, the glass need not be big.

Thanks dmetz, you are correct it is the Pocket Camera I was referring to. I have a BM4K and so far am very pleased with the results and am looking for something a little smaller for jobs not requiring 4K

I was hoping to hear from anyone who might have tried the cameras in this range and was happy to comment on which camera they considered best in this class.

Thanks.

Lance

 

[dmetz]

Thanks dmetz, you are correct it is the Pocket Camera I was referring to. I have a BM4K and so far am very pleased with the results and am looking for something a little smaller for jobs not requiring 4K

I was hoping to hear from anyone who might have tried the cameras in this range and was happy to comment on which camera they considered best in this class.

Thanks.

Lance

Ah...sounds like we are in a similar boat! For me the BMPCC is the way to go because you cannot beat the dynamic range for the price and when the thing is in the air, dynamic range sure does matter. It is relatively inexpensive compared to say the GH4 or now the Sony A7 so in the event of a mishap (hate to even think about it on a heavy ship), the losses would at least be more modest.

I'll watch the tread for thoughts from others.

 

[yeehaanow]

Here's a list of my thoughts


Pros-
Dynamic range so you can see into all the shadows
Excellent color
Good resolution with a sharp lens
Lightweight
Many lens options
LANC control that allows start/stop, focus, and iris adjustments.
Cuts well with Alexa footage, and also RED, and of course other Blackmagic cameras.


Cons-
Battery life is short, especially in the cold.
Eats up card space, especially in raw and doesn't tell you how full it is.
Jello is pretty bad if you have vibration. Brushless gimbal is a must.
Crop factor is high, so you need a wide lens and/or the metabones speedbooster.
Color correction and post work takes a lot of skill and time to do right.
Has a small problem with aliasing/ moire
Can't format cards in camera
It will drop frames if the cards are not properly formatted
Micro HDMI ports are prone to breaking off




So the list of cons is bigger, but it's one of those cameras you just have to work with its flaws to get the lovely footage they can produce.
it's not good for budget projects that need a quick turnaround. Shooting in the Film dynamic range mode gives you the best latitude, but you get a very flat almost B&W image to work with, and it's quite easy to make it look like yucky mush.


I use it for any project that is at all cinematic. The ones that just need regular old video for the web I use the GH3.


Here's a recent demo that is all BMC except the ski shots.
https://vimeo.com/97607559

 

[dmetz]

Here's a list of my thoughts


Pros-
Dynamic range so you can see into all the shadows
Excellent color
Good resolution with a sharp lens
Lightweight
Many lens options
LANC control that allows start/stop, focus, and iris adjustments.
Cuts well with Alexa footage, and also RED, and of course other Blackmagic cameras.


Cons-
Battery life is short, especially in the cold.
Eats up card space, especially in raw and doesn't tell you how full it is.
Jello is pretty bad if you have vibration. Brushless gimbal is a must.
Crop factor is high, so you need a wide lens and/or the metabones speedbooster.
Color correction and post work takes a lot of skill and time to do right.
Has a small problem with aliasing/ moire
Can't format cards in camera
It will drop frames if the cards are not properly formatted
Micro HDMI ports are prone to breaking off




So the list of cons is bigger, but it's one of those cameras you just have to work with its flaws to get the lovely footage they can produce.
it's not good for budget projects that need a quick turnaround. Shooting in the Film dynamic range mode gives you the best latitude, but you get a very flat almost B&W image to work with, and it's quite easy to make it look like yucky mush.


I use it for any project that is at all cinematic. The ones that just need regular old video for the web I use the GH3.


Here's a recent demo that is all BMC except the ski shots.
https://vimeo.com/97607559

Very nice assessment Tim. I could not agree more with your analysis. Since you have experience with the BMPCC in the air, I would ask, do you find substantial value in the broad dynamic range, particularly in scenes and exposures that are arguably changing and when the operator cannot make the necessary camera adjustments? Do you ever use the GH3 in aperture priority mode to address this? You're video is INCREDIBLE. I always enjoy you input on the BMCUser Group. Thanks for weighing in on this thread.

 

[Vortex]

Thanks for the comments Tim........Great clip!! I can see what you are saying about the colours with the BMPCC. The Ski Video colours seemed much clearer and more crisp. Was that shot with the GH3?

I already have Canon 5DII and a 5DIII and was looking to get a smaller, lighter camera and not doubling up on gear I already have, but it seems it might be time to start looking at a GH3 or GH4. What lenses are you flying with your GH3??

Thanks.

Lance