Kays Alatrakchi

Yes, the video is nice, but as for the anamorphic film look, I don't really see it, especially in the wider angles, except for the flairs. I think the same video shot with an Iscorama would look a lot more like film. I wish they would have tried to copy the Iscorama. I actually like the 1.5x and orange flairs a lot better. 

I'm mostly talking about having working audio meters while recording, accurate displays of remaining battery life and hard drive space. You know...like the basics!

I'm all for more choices and innovation, having said that I'm left thinking that the Blackmagic Pro is still a better option.
 
Let me explain:
 
GH4 = roughly $2k
4K add-on = roughly another $2k
4K external recorder = probably another $2k
2X crop factor
no raw option
clunky form factor
reduced, but still present rolling shutter
4K add-on needs external power
no release date, hopefully available by the end of the year
 
vs.
 
Blackmagic 4K
4K raw and ProRes
Super35 sensor
global shutter
$4k including full version of Resolve
less clunky (but still somewhat clunky) form factor
needs external power
well behind the promised release date, but should be here any day now.
 
 
What am I missing?

Got there around 3pm yesterday and hung out for about an hour. These are just my personal impressions from a very limited interaction with the camera and brief conversations with Joe and some of the other attendees. Please keep in mind that these are personal opinions and they might not be entirely accurate or reflect the final camera's functionality.
 
Ok, here goes:
 
First let me say that Joe seems like a very passionate and super nice guy, there is a lot to be said about someone who pursued an idea a saw it through realization, kudos to him and his team!
 
I also want to say that the image quality that I saw on the computer (the camera records CDNG files with Aiff audio) was very pleasant and detailed with low noise and good shadows and highlights.
 
Having said that, unfortunately this camera appears to have a classic case of a solution-looking-for-a-problem, starting from the form factor which doesn't lend itself either to traditional mounting solutions nor to newer DSLR rigs. Sure you can mount it on a tripod, but trying to attach it to a rail system with a follow focus gear is going to be...challenging. I was also surprised at the lack of some screw holes in the body which would come in really handy to attach an external monitor or other gadgets. It does have a hot-shoe flash mount, but I personally avoid those with larger and heavier attachments.
 
The pistol grip is a cool idea, but the camera is fairly heavy (heavier than a 5D with a hefty lens) One's arm would likely become sore after about 20 minutes of holding it. The decision was made  to be true to the original and make the record trigger on the handle not latch when pressed to record. While this is the way the original Bolex operated, it would have been nice if a latch option would have been provided. The camera does have a record button on the top which works as expected, but makes one wonder if the pistol grip button will largely be ignored by most operators.
 
The camera features two CF card slots, however all the video is recorded to a non-removable internal SSD 500Gb drive. Why not write directly to easily removable CF cards instead? Methinks if the Blackmagic Pocket Camera can do it, why not the Digital Bolex?
 
The internal drive can hold about an hour-ish and then some worth of video, and the data can then be transferred to the CF cards, or to a computer through a USB 3 slot. Transfer time through USB 3 for about 500Gb worth of data....about an hour. 
 
Lens mount is a C-type. This was another bit of odd choice to me, while once again this mount is true to the original Bolex, why require the end user to buy into yet another type of adapter, particularly one which is not used by anyone else?
 
No removable battery...grrrrr.
 
2K -- The sensor is a super-16mm sized one, shooting at 2K uses the entire sensor, while shooting in 1080p mode crops the sensor down to what Joe described as regular 16mm size. In my opinion, 2K offers neither high enough resolution for re-cropping and enlargement in post, nor is particularly useful as a delivery format for web, festivals, and DVD/Blu Ray where this camera's output is likely going to end up. So why not either stick to 1080 and use the full sensor, or go all the way up to 4K?
 
Last but not least, the price. At over $3k (actually $3600 after the drive upgrade to 500Gb) I am not quite sure how this camera will fare against the Blackmagic Cinema Camera which features a larger sensor, EF or m4/3 mount, higher resolution, swappable media, and already a thriving accessories ecosystem. Will no-rolling shutter and a cool vintage vibe be enough?
 
In closing, I did like the image that I saw quite a bit, and I feel that some of my concerns could be fixed with a firmware update (most notably the gun trigger function and maybe the ability for the camera to write directly to fast CF cards). I'm not quite sure how this camera will do against Blackmagic and whatever else is announced in April, but I wish Joe and his team the best of luck and a great deal of success nonetheless.
 
I applaud Joe for pursuing a dream, and I think this world needs more, and not less guys like him. Despite the potential shortcomings of this camera, I am happy that it exists, and I am happy that people like Joe are able to realize their visions.
 
 
Once again, these are just my opinions based on a very brief encounter with the Digital Bolex, please take everything I just typed with a huge grain of salt and try to test drive this camera for yourself before you come to a decision on whether you want to buy one or not.

Got there around 3pm yesterday and hung out for about an hour. These are just my personal impressions from a very limited interaction with the camera and brief conversations with Joe and some of the other attendees. Please keep in mind that these are personal opinions and they might not be entirely accurate or reflect the final camera's functionality.
 
Ok, here goes:
 
First let me say that Joe seems like a very passionate and super nice guy, there is a lot to be said about someone who pursued an idea a saw it through realization, kudos to him and his team!
 
I also want to say that the image quality that I saw on the computer (the camera records CDNG files with Aiff audio) was very pleasant and detailed with low noise and good shadows and highlights.
 
Having said that, unfortunately this camera appears to have a classic case of a solution-looking-for-a-problem, starting from the form factor which doesn't lend itself either to traditional mounting solutions nor to newer DSLR rigs. Sure you can mount it on a tripod, but trying to attach it to a rail system with a follow focus gear is going to be...challenging. I was also surprised at the lack of some screw holes in the body which would come in really handy to attach an external monitor or other gadgets. It does have a hot-shoe flash mount, but I personally avoid those with larger and heavier attachments.
 
The pistol grip is a cool idea, but the camera is fairly heavy (heavier than a 5D with a hefty lens) One's arm would likely become sore after about 20 minutes of holding it. The decision was made  to be true to the original and make the record trigger on the handle not latch when pressed to record. While this is the way the original Bolex operated, it would have been nice if a latch option would have been provided. The camera does have a record button on the top which works as expected, but makes one wonder if the pistol grip button will largely be ignored by most operators.
 
The camera features two CF card slots, however all the video is recorded to a non-removable internal SSD 500Gb drive. Why not write directly to easily removable CF cards instead? Methinks if the Blackmagic Pocket Camera can do it, why not the Digital Bolex?
 
The internal drive can hold about an hour-ish and then some worth of video, and the data can then be transferred to the CF cards, or to a computer through a USB 3 slot. Transfer time through USB 3 for about 500Gb worth of data....about an hour. 
 
Lens mount is a C-type. This was another bit of odd choice to me, while once again this mount is true to the original Bolex, why require the end user to buy into yet another type of adapter, particularly one which is not used by anyone else?
 
No removable battery...grrrrr.
 
2K -- The sensor is a super-16mm sized one, shooting at 2K uses the entire sensor, while shooting in 1080p mode crops the sensor down to what Joe described as regular 16mm size. In my opinion, 2K offers neither high enough resolution for re-cropping and enlargement in post, nor is particularly useful as a delivery format for web, festivals, and DVD/Blu Ray where this camera's output is likely going to end up. So why not either stick to 1080 and use the full sensor, or go all the way up to 4K?
 
Last but not least, the price. At over $3k (actually $3600 after the drive upgrade to 500Gb) I am not quite sure how this camera will fare against the Blackmagic Cinema Camera which features a larger sensor, EF or m4/3 mount, higher resolution, swappable media, and already a thriving accessories ecosystem. Will no-rolling shutter and a cool vintage vibe be enough?
 
In closing, I did like the image that I saw quite a bit, and I feel that some of my concerns could be fixed with a firmware update (most notably the gun trigger function and maybe the ability for the camera to write directly to fast CF cards). I'm not quite sure how this camera will do against Blackmagic and whatever else is announced in April, but I wish Joe and his team the best of luck and a great deal of success nonetheless.
 
I applaud Joe for pursuing a dream, and I think this world needs more, and not less guys like him. Despite the potential shortcomings of this camera, I am happy that it exists, and I am happy that people like Joe are able to realize their visions.
 
 
Once again, these are just my opinions based on a very brief encounter with the Digital Bolex, please take everything I just typed with a huge grain of salt and try to test drive this camera for yourself before you come to a decision on whether you want to buy one or not.

A few thoughts:
 
At the end of last year I purchased a 5D3 (refurb, end of the year sale...screaming deal). My reasons were that I wanted a full frame camera for both video and stills, and ideally one which was at the cusp of gaining some quality improvements due to Canon's announced 1.2.1 firmware update with "uncompressed HDMI out."
 
When the firmware arrived, and after reading up some enlightening posts, I was almost ready to sell the camera. When Blackmagic announced their new BMCC 4K and the Pocket cameras I was planning on putting the 5D on eBay asap. 
 
Then a small miracle happened, word spread quickly that ML was on the cusp of something big. I stuck it out, read anxiously as those early reports indicated that capturing RAW data was a real possibility, and eventually took a leap of faith and installed ML on the 5D3 and put in my order for a couple of Komputerbay 64gb 1000X cards.
 
I haven't looked back since, the improvement in quality has been stunning to say the least. I have completely rethought my purchase and I now think it's one of the best decisions I have made. This has been strengthened by the delays in the BMPCC shipping, and some of the issues plaguing their Pocket camera. 
 
Further, I have been able to record at 1920X1288 resolution without any issues, this is a good format for anamorphic shooting, or subtle re-framing in post.
 
Having said that, there are a few caveats which might or might not be deal breakers for some:
 
1. As of yet, no audio. This might or might not come back at some point.
 
2. Playback is a bitch. Currently in-camera playback is limited to a low frame rate b/w image, not something you want to show to your client for on-set approval.
 
3. External monitoring is kinda buggy, it definitely has issues but it's useable for basic needs.
 
4. Post production is a bit more involved, and the footage does take up a lot more space than h.264. 
 
5. While I wouldn't call the learning curve steep, there is a lot to wrap your noggin around at first.
 
6. There are some issues with some CF cards, particularly Komputerbay. Order 3-4 and be prepared to send a couple back.
 
If that doesn't scare you, and you own a 5D3 (or even a 5D2), then you should jump in because the quality upgrade is definitely worth it.
 
BTW, I made a short video that shows the differences between footage captured with the 5D3 Raw, the Alexa and the BMCC as how the intercut together in post, you can watch it here if you want:
 

Even if the footage looks kinda blah, it should be good enough for editing I would think (hope). That way I suppose one can skip the whole Proxy step, and send the XML back into Resolve for final grading without having to worry about reconnecting the right files.
 
I was looking forward to this update so edit a short video essay that I just shot in Italy...now I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should consider editing it in Resolve since the new version allows for basic editing within the app? Anyone have experience editing in Resolve 10?

We'll have to agree to disagree Damp. I think you're totally wrong in your estimation, consumers thrive on innovative products that are worth it. The car industry is a good example with increasing safety standards and better gas mileage, people buy new cars every few years because they feel that the newer models have compelling new features that simply weren't available a few years back.
 
Look at GoPro, those guys are innovating mofo's, if you owned a 1st gen GoPro, upgrading to the latest model is a very compelling proposition. The fact that years have passed and Canon cameras still can't manage to shoot 60fps at 1080p is ludicrous. On the photography end, even if resolution is not compelling to you, how about built-in wi-fi and a GPS? How about a higher quality screen that is easier to see in direct light? How about built-in support for remote operation through a smart phone? How about a freaking built-in intervallometer for chrissake?
 
No, you're wrong, Canon's been sitting on their lazy corporate butts for far too long and now the sales are dropping. If they begin to innovate once more and offer true reasons to buy new cameras, the sales will rise once more.

Just to add my 2 bit coins to the conversation:
 
I think if DSLR's are going out of business, Canon and Nikon have only themselves to blame. Lack of innovation and lazy development cycles has not gone unnoticed by consumers.  When the t3i, t4i and t5i are essentially the same exact camera with minor tweaks, what is the motivation to upgrade? Same could be said with the 5D2 and 3, I have too many friends with the 5D2 who don't feel any need to upgrade to the newer camera since the benefits are relatively minor all things considered. I suspect the 7D will follow the same path.
 
If Canon really wanted to see an upward swing in sales, they would need to be more aggressive with the technology. Imagine if 2 years ago the 5D3 had been announced touting a 36mpix sensor, built-in wi-fi, oled screen, 4K mjpeg and 2K raw and priced competitively? It would have sold like hot cakes. 
 
Apple is running a similarly dangerous game with their new Mac Pro. $3k for a 4-core Xeon with 12gigs or RAM and no internal expandability? WTF??? Next year they will shut down their whole desktop division claiming that consumers are no longer interested in big computers...but the truth is that consumers are no longer interested in being ripped off.
 
When I travel, all I see are tourists with DSLR's. They see the difference in the photos they take, the depth, realism and faithfulness of the images they show their friends back home is palpably better than what current smartphones or pocket cameras are capable of. I think the interest is there, but not at a premium price for basically the same technology from two years ago. 

A few thoughts:
 
At the end of last year I purchased a 5D3 (refurb, end of the year sale...screaming deal). My reasons were that I wanted a full frame camera for both video and stills, and ideally one which was at the cusp of gaining some quality improvements due to Canon's announced 1.2.1 firmware update with "uncompressed HDMI out."
 
When the firmware arrived, and after reading up some enlightening posts, I was almost ready to sell the camera. When Blackmagic announced their new BMCC 4K and the Pocket cameras I was planning on putting the 5D on eBay asap. 
 
Then a small miracle happened, word spread quickly that ML was on the cusp of something big. I stuck it out, read anxiously as those early reports indicated that capturing RAW data was a real possibility, and eventually took a leap of faith and installed ML on the 5D3 and put in my order for a couple of Komputerbay 64gb 1000X cards.
 
I haven't looked back since, the improvement in quality has been stunning to say the least. I have completely rethought my purchase and I now think it's one of the best decisions I have made. This has been strengthened by the delays in the BMPCC shipping, and some of the issues plaguing their Pocket camera. 
 
Further, I have been able to record at 1920X1288 resolution without any issues, this is a good format for anamorphic shooting, or subtle re-framing in post.
 
Having said that, there are a few caveats which might or might not be deal breakers for some:
 
1. As of yet, no audio. This might or might not come back at some point.
 
2. Playback is a bitch. Currently in-camera playback is limited to a low frame rate b/w image, not something you want to show to your client for on-set approval.
 
3. External monitoring is kinda buggy, it definitely has issues but it's useable for basic needs.
 
4. Post production is a bit more involved, and the footage does take up a lot more space than h.264. 
 
5. While I wouldn't call the learning curve steep, there is a lot to wrap your noggin around at first.
 
6. There are some issues with some CF cards, particularly Komputerbay. Order 3-4 and be prepared to send a couple back.
 
If that doesn't scare you, and you own a 5D3 (or even a 5D2), then you should jump in because the quality upgrade is definitely worth it.
 
BTW, I made a short video that shows the differences between footage captured with the 5D3 Raw, the Alexa and the BMCC as how the intercut together in post, you can watch it here if you want:
 

A few thoughts:
 
At the end of last year I purchased a 5D3 (refurb, end of the year sale...screaming deal). My reasons were that I wanted a full frame camera for both video and stills, and ideally one which was at the cusp of gaining some quality improvements due to Canon's announced 1.2.1 firmware update with "uncompressed HDMI out."
 
When the firmware arrived, and after reading up some enlightening posts, I was almost ready to sell the camera. When Blackmagic announced their new BMCC 4K and the Pocket cameras I was planning on putting the 5D on eBay asap. 
 
Then a small miracle happened, word spread quickly that ML was on the cusp of something big. I stuck it out, read anxiously as those early reports indicated that capturing RAW data was a real possibility, and eventually took a leap of faith and installed ML on the 5D3 and put in my order for a couple of Komputerbay 64gb 1000X cards.
 
I haven't looked back since, the improvement in quality has been stunning to say the least. I have completely rethought my purchase and I now think it's one of the best decisions I have made. This has been strengthened by the delays in the BMPCC shipping, and some of the issues plaguing their Pocket camera. 
 
Further, I have been able to record at 1920X1288 resolution without any issues, this is a good format for anamorphic shooting, or subtle re-framing in post.
 
Having said that, there are a few caveats which might or might not be deal breakers for some:
 
1. As of yet, no audio. This might or might not come back at some point.
 
2. Playback is a bitch. Currently in-camera playback is limited to a low frame rate b/w image, not something you want to show to your client for on-set approval.
 
3. External monitoring is kinda buggy, it definitely has issues but it's useable for basic needs.
 
4. Post production is a bit more involved, and the footage does take up a lot more space than h.264. 
 
5. While I wouldn't call the learning curve steep, there is a lot to wrap your noggin around at first.
 
6. There are some issues with some CF cards, particularly Komputerbay. Order 3-4 and be prepared to send a couple back.
 
If that doesn't scare you, and you own a 5D3 (or even a 5D2), then you should jump in because the quality upgrade is definitely worth it.
 
BTW, I made a short video that shows the differences between footage captured with the 5D3 Raw, the Alexa and the BMCC as how the intercut together in post, you can watch it here if you want:
 

Just uploaded a test I did trying to see how the 5D raw would compare to the BMCC and the ARRI Alexa.
 
You can watch it here:
 
https://vimeo.com/72566458
 
 
Feel free to repost!

Really nice footage!
 
I'm with you on the movie mode & never going back to H264.
It really does seem strange that none of the big firms have stepped up to produce something better & cheaper. If they are worried about their more expensive products, they shouldn't be, as pros will always buy stuff aimed at them & beginners/enthusiasts will go for the cheaper stuff to start off with. But this doesn't mean they can't give us something decent - hopefully the BM Pocket will shake stuff up just a tiny bit.  

Just uploaded a test I did trying to see how the 5D raw would compare to the BMCC and the ARRI Alexa.
 
You can watch it here:
 
https://vimeo.com/72566458
 
 
Feel free to repost!

This has been my experience with the BMCC actually. Image looks great as long as one is very mindful of the highlights, because once they go, they really go and look very noticeable even to a non-video person.

Actually Gb for Gb an SSD is a far better deal. You can get an 120Gb SSD which meets the spec requirements for about $100 nowadays, a CF card with fast enough specs to handle the Canon raw is going to be at least twice that amount if not more.

I think the price point should be taken into consideration here (even before the discount). Look, the situation is pretty clear -- shooters' expectations about gear have been rising, Canon instead of delivering a true improvement over the mighty 5D2 put out an overpriced 5D2.5 which had everyone besides the most ardent Canon fans pretty disappointed. Then came their Cinema line which left everyone even more baffled with pricing that was far more than the 5D crowd was willing to fork over (without the benefits of RED's extra bells and whistles). Red  meanwhile failed on their promised 3K for $3k and continued their trend toward pricey and proprietary gear.
 
I think Blackmagic was the only company to truly understand the costumer base that made the 5D2 so popular and delivered a camera which addressed many (but not all) of the wishes of that crowd --- namely better image quality, higher resolution, better interfacing and more robust post friendly codecs in a DSLR pricing. Did they deliver on everything? Of course not, but I think most people are willing to cut them more than a little slack.

First of all, ridiculous speculations about a company going out of business when all indications point the other way:
They can't produce cameras fast enough = big demand
They clearly stated they were able to lower price due to better cost structures
People who use the cameras seem to love them.

Secondly, cameras like other electronics works fine regardless of the status of the manufacturer.

Solid reasoning, after all I can't think of any other camera that does uncompressed 1080p raw to 95Mb/s cards with no fan.
 
http://vimeo.com/66033769

The problem with GoPro is the tiny sensor size. 

I really don't understand this comment (unless it's trying to be purely sarcastic). Why would the BMCC suddenly become a doorstop if the company goes out of business or is bought? I see plenty of people still driving around with their Saturn cars even though the company went under 3 years ago. As a music composer I use a 30 year old keyboard which has not been officially supported for well over two decades.
 
It's not as if Blackmagic products need to "call home" every few days because otherwise they'll stop working...that actually would be Adobe products!

I think every once in a while a company comes along with a business model which goes against what everyone else has been doing and foregoes huge markups for mass appeal.
 
In the audio/music world I have seen that with Peavey at first, Mackie, and then M-Audio more recently. 
 
Blackmagic is simply the same idea applied to digital video...a company who is manufacturing smartly, and taking shortcuts which most of us seem to be ok with. Their products aren't perfect, but they fill a niche that would otherwise go unfilled.
 
I don't think they're going out of business any time soon, and I think despite delays in delivery, people will not stop ordering from them.
 
They are giving away Resolve for free and taking a huge bite out of competing products while getting everyone used to working with it.
 
I am far from being a Blackmagic evangelist. I have criticized them plenty in the past, and I am not 100% crazy about the image that the BMCC delivers....but I think that in this case they're being very smart.
 
In my tests, the 5D3 raw delivers a much more pleasant image with more natural rolloff in the highlights, and yet here I am trying to figure out when I should put in my order for the BMCC (my birthday is coming up in a month...hint hint).

Exactly ! That annoys me too.
 
It's an approach they've done before. They disrupted the market where people are making insane margins.
They bought Davinci, and made it affordable. They bought Teranex  and made their products affordable. They regularly decrease the price of their SDI switches. They regularly decrease the price of their capture cards and adapt to their customers with new models. You get video production equipment for half or a third of their competitors.
 
They are just building a whole ecosystem for movie and broadcast production...

Let's see if all the happy sounding punters come back in 12 months on the forum when they still don't have a camera. Then we will see how they really feel.

I really don't get all the hate. Blackmagic seems to me like a pretty sharp company right about now. They have successfully diverted attention away from the negatives of the shipping delays for their new cameras while renewing interest for a camera which was on the path to be obsolete in a month or two. 
 
Who was buying the BMCC last week instead of the upcoming one? Now several of my friends are thinking about putting in orders for the BMCC....brilliant!
 
Meanwhile the likes of RED and Canon Cinema division are left scratching their heads trying to figure out how to stop the hemorrhaging before it's too late. Who is buying a Scarlet or a C500 right about now aside from rental houses?
 
What Blackmagic has also managed to do is to potentially make ML obsolete as well by pricing the BMCC below the 5D3 (way below if you take into consideration the full version of Resolve that comes bundled with it).
 
Yeah yeah yeah, super 16 is no match for that full frame sensor. Hey, I'm with you, I own a 5D3! However I have seen some fantastic footage come out of the BMCC, with beautiful bokeh and amazing clarity, I know that I could shoot some amazing looking films with that size sensor.
 
Lastly, people who paid $3k for the BMCC aren't likely to be any more mad now than when Blackmagic announced their 4K camera. A lowering of the price was to be absolutely expected, anyone who thought that they would keep selling the BMCC for $3k forever should really wake up.
 
If anything, I can see this really affecting sales of the Pocket camera. I was thinking of buying one when they became available, but now I'm leaning toward the BMCC. Sure it's $1k more, but I get full blown Resolve, a larger sensor with higher resolution, an EF mount if I want, more inputs and outputs, a larger monitor, and already a hefty selection of accessories available to me. Only thing I hate about the BMCC and will always have an issue with is the lack of a swappable battery, but it's a small hassle compared to all the other benefits.
 
I say well played Blackmagic...well played!