Blackmagic Production Camera 4K shocks NAB - 4K for $4k, Compressed Raw, Super 35mm AND global shutter

[TC]

You could buy a Leica M10 and a BMPC for less than a 1D C.

[Xiong]

Global shutter, that alone will get alot of people to pick this up, BM is knocking down the doors on the bigger competitors. Very excited.

[plotter]

Their website is slammed though.

 

BMPC4K: http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagicproductioncamera4k

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

Resolve 10: http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

[Tzedekh]

Problem is, we don't know anything about the sensor in the 4K camera, especially dynamic range. I have an unsettling suspicion that it's the CMOSIS CMV12000, which gets 10 stops at most without HDR. It has three HDR modes, none of which is particularly suited for film/video work. At least the BAE CIS2051 had dual (high-gain and no-gain) readouts that were merged to yield 13+ stops of dynamic range (and effectively 16-bit A-D conversion). The CMV12000 is an enormously expensive chip at this price point -- its per-unit cost of something close to $1,500 amounts to more than a third of the camera's purchase price, not just its cost to manufacture.

[Vlad Evdokimov]

Hope they thought about production quantity, because demand will be enourmous!
So Pocket Camera is 3x crop, but if the image quality is the same as the first BMCC - thats not a problem for the price.

 

[theSUBVERSIVE]

I wouldn't expect that they would change the form factor but I think it could have built-in ND, this would be awesome.

 

I would also be great if the $995 camera had a IBIS, if not it will be harder to take advantage of some good Olympus lenses. If this wasn’t a “pocket Cinema Camera” I guess this wouldn’t matter so much, but since it is, I think that it implies that you won’t use it primarily with lots of equipments so IBIS wouls be quite welcomed – even more something like the Olympus 5-axis IBIS.

 

But even without these stuff, kudos for Blackmagic, a $1000 S16 RAW and a $4000 S35 4K Global Shutter RAW?!? It gets even more shocking when you think that the C500 costs 6x more!

[rygenova]

I may as well go to NAB and announce an 8K Cinema Camera with 15 stops of dynamic range.  I'd probably have a better shot of getting it to market before Blackmagic.

 

In all seriousness though, these cameras look awesome, but they still can't ship the product they announced a year ago and now they are set to announce two products?  How can they devote development and manufacturing time to new products when they can't even mass produce a product that's existed for a year now?

[MarcTGFG]

From their website:

 

"The Blackmagic Production Camera 4K shoots at Ultra HD 4K resolution so you get images that start with 4 times the pixels of 1080HD. You also get files with 12 stops of dynamic range so that the creative look and style of your film can be changed using DaVinci Resolve, which is included with the camera! The Super 35 sensor provides a beautiful cinematic depth of field so you can take advantage of the full frame stills and cine lenses you already own."

[MarcTGFG]

And regarding the HDMI out of the Pocket version:

 

"The professional connections on the side include a micro HDMI out with optional overlays"

[theSUBVERSIVE]

Problem is, we don't know anything about the sensor in the 4K camera, especially dynamic range. I have an unsettling suspicion that it's the CMOSIS CMV12000, which gets 10 stops at most without HDR. It has three HDR modes, none of which is particularly suited for film/video work. At least the BAE CIS2051 had dual (high-gain and no-gain) readouts that were merged to yield 13+ stops of dynamic range (and effectively 16-bit A-D conversion). The CMV12000 is an enormously expensive chip at this price point -- its per-unit cost of something close to $1,500 amounts to more than a third of the camera's purchase price, not just its cost to manufacture.

 

In the website it says 12-stop DR

[jcs]

Nice- ProRes HQ also supported. If they can make it reliable and ship on time, very cool.

[Vlad Evdokimov]

I don't know what to do - preorder Pocket Camera or buy GH3?
Hope they will release some test shots soon.

 

[Shawn_Lights]

I don't know what to do - preorder Pocket Camera or buy GH3?
Hope they will release some test shots soon.

 

Same sensor as the current BMCC version.

[Chrad]

I don't know what to do - preorder Pocket Camera or buy GH3?
Hope they will release some test shots soon.

 

If you like photography, the choice is easy: both.

[Vlad Evdokimov]

It seems like thats the way to go. Don't think there will be enough cameras in July, also Raw will be supported later this year.

[Andrew Reid]

I don't know what to do - preorder Pocket Camera or buy GH3?
Hope they will release some test shots soon.

 

 

We can take a good guess. Image quality is like the Blackmagic in ProRes 1080p on the Pocket Camera so you can refer to my recent shootout with the BMCC and GH3, but instead of downscaling an image from the full 2.5K sensor it is a crop (1.3x compared to BMCC, 2.7x compared to full frame), so you won't get quite the same look from the lens. The active sensor size seems similar to 1" Nikon 1 series cameras and Sony RX100.

 

The GH3 certainly has the larger sensor (2x crop instead of 3x crop) and both cameras can take Speed Booster.

[Vlad Evdokimov]

We can take a good guess. Image quality is like the Blackmagic in ProRes 1080p on the Pocket Camera so you can refer to my recent shootout with the BMCC and GH3, but instead of downscaling an image from the full 2.5K sensor it is a crop (1.3x compared to BMCC, 2.7x compared to full frame), so you won't get quite the same look from the lens. The active sensor size seems similar to 1" Nikon 1 series cameras and Sony RX100.

 

The GH3 certainly has the larger sensor (2x crop instead of 3x crop) and both cameras can take Speed Booster.

Thanks! Looks very promissing, especially with Speed Booster. Any ideas on what lens could be used as "normal". I considered Slr Magic 25mm f0.95 for Gh3, buts thats around 75mm fov on BMDPC.

As for wide angle, there are many 16mm c-mount lens, but what I found weren't that good. On 4/3 side there are some good  7-14 f4 zooms.

 

Edit: 18mm lens will be about 50mm considering 2.7 crop.

[Ernesto Mantaras]

Thanks! Looks very promissing, especially with Speed Booster. Any ideas on what lens could be used as "normal". I considered Slr Magic 25mm f0.95 for Gh3, buts thats around 75mm fov on BMDPC.

As for wide angle, there are many 16mm c-mount lens, but what I found weren't that good. On 4/3 side there are some good  7-14 f4 zooms.

 

Edit: 18mm lens will be about 50mm considering 2.7 crop.

 

You could get the Voigtlander 17.5mm f0.95 to get a kinda normal lens, but it's quite expensive.

[RobertoSF]

Pre-ordered earlier (4K cam).... Quite a strange feeling, pre-ordering, then waiting for the announcement!

 

Hmmm... Safe to say you are surprised then?

 

Given your previous quote a couple of days ago on the GH3/NAB post:

 

ScreenPro:

"I'd be very surprised if BM announce anything new, camera wise.

 

People who stayed patient with BM would be unhappy with a better spec'd camera being announced and the possibility of further delays and pre-order chaos..... Everyone else will just think they are full of shit to announce another camera with the BMCC still massively in limbo.

 

It's a real shame... Maybe they will turn up with 10,000 BMCs.... Here's hoping."

[Bruno]

I think we can assume it'll be just a matter of time for MFT on the 4K cam as well.

 

M43 lenses would probably not cover an S35 sensor.