Yesterday I caught the Pocket: after 20 minutes the battery was out. The screen is very dark and the simple things you need to set quickly a proper shoot (at least ISO, WB, Shutter angle) are in an internal menu, so you can't change them on the fly just pushing a button. It's difficult, because with GH4 I can instantly compare different settings whereas with Pocket I have to enter again and again in the menu.
In "natural" light I had to select 800 ASA: the screen was barely visible and it was very difficult to understand what I was shooting and what was in focus while, with the same settings, the GH4's screen was dazzling! The histogram is minimal... but quite ok...
I was near to give it back, but.... watching the files in the computer I was AMAZED by the quality! Super great looking flat images! Unbelievable!
Today I made some test and I'm very happy about the quality of the ProRes files. I tried a couple of RAW shots, but at the moment I can just see some (great looking) .DNG files with my laptop.
Working with GH4 I normally end up using one, sometimes two batteries for each shooting day, so it's difficult for me to get used to 30 - 40 minutes batteries' life, but luckily EN-EL 20 are way cheap, so I can buy some spare batteries.
What is very difficult for me it's the display: very dark, too dark for the great files you can see after on the computer' screen. It's not articulated and the magnification is very basic, just the center.
BUT: superb images (great dynamic and perfect skin tones), excellent focus peaking (in good light conditions), very comfortable guide lines for various aspect ratio.
It's a difficult camera: since it's little (and is called "pocket") you think you can run and gun with it, but probably (at least for me) it's not like that, unless you use it with a proper rig, an external monitor and an external battery pack.
But the image's quality worth the discomfort. I rarely saw a so nice tonally balanced image straight from a camera. Of course you have to grade it, but it's REALLY beautiful.
It would be nice if Blackmagic could improve this little monster with a firmware upgrade with a nice 1080 50p, a better batteries' life and maybe a more bright setting for the display.
Or if - for a funny miracle - tomorrow morning I had an unique GH4Pocket in my backpack: the GH4 simplicity and usability with the 1080 ProRes codec of Pocket
Dreams apart, if you have any advice for a better workflow with it (even with RAW) I'd be grateful
First off, Blackmagic did themselves a great disservice by calling it the "pocket" camera. That name led everyone to believe it was a "point and shoot". While technically it is, if you are shooting professionally, it isn't. And really, a pro wouldn't expect it to be anything more than what it is. It's a small compact platform that produces pro quality (all be it cropped sensor) images. But as with any pro camera, there are support accessories required. ALL pro cameras require external batteries. 45 minutes on a battery is pretty standard stuff. All pro cameras require external monitors for viewing and focusing. So does the BMPCC. The images this little camera produces are amazing. i've used it extensively to shoot background plates to put behind arri raw foreground elements. beautiful results. If you want to be happy with this camera, buy a good external battery or two, an atomos ninja for recording and viewing and for 3K or less, You've got an amazing B cam than can be a saving grace on any set. If you're looking for a point and shoot.......stick with the GH4
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera: does it make sense to buy it now?
In: Cameras
Posted
First off, Blackmagic did themselves a great disservice by calling it the "pocket" camera. That name led everyone to believe it was a "point and shoot". While technically it is, if you are shooting professionally, it isn't. And really, a pro wouldn't expect it to be anything more than what it is. It's a small compact platform that produces pro quality (all be it cropped sensor) images. But as with any pro camera, there are support accessories required. ALL pro cameras require external batteries. 45 minutes on a battery is pretty standard stuff. All pro cameras require external monitors for viewing and focusing. So does the BMPCC. The images this little camera produces are amazing. i've used it extensively to shoot background plates to put behind arri raw foreground elements. beautiful results. If you want to be happy with this camera, buy a good external battery or two, an atomos ninja for recording and viewing and for 3K or less, You've got an amazing B cam than can be a saving grace on any set. If you're looking for a point and shoot.......stick with the GH4