seanzzxx

So I already suspected Blackmagic is conservative about the minimum bitrates they list and this really confirms that. The 4k ipb Panasonic file is 109gigs, the 6k Blackmagic raw Q5 file is 114 gigs. Similar runtime down to a minute (94 minute record time). So yeah, completely different numbers, but in Blackmagic their favor.

I think Kye hasn't shot in a professional capacity for the last few decades at least? I don't mean to be rude and feel free to correct me, @kye, but I see a lot of authoritative statements from him but I'm pretty sure he just shoots home videos?

But how would a 28-70 2.8 improve your photography/videography over a 24-70 2.8? I'm genuinely asking, I've had multiple photographers at work who shoot Canon rent it, try it out, and NOT buy it because it's 1) really really really massive and 2) the 4mm on the wide end is actually more useful than a stop of extra light. I'm not being argumentative, I'm genuinely curious, because it sounds a bit like GAS to me.

I mean the 28-70 f2 and 24-105 2.8 are not available on E mount, Z mount, EF, F, and so on, yet millions of professionals still manage to work within that 'limitation'. If you need those lenses THAT bad, switch to RF, but it seems like a weird thing to hold against the L mount line up?

I was doubting about getting a mini pro g2 instead of the 6k, because we use the Ursa's at work and I LOVE their form factor, but the G2 is in such a weird space. It's still 'current', as in they're available new on the BM website, but they haven't been updated in years, so all the new features (gen5, gyro stabilisation, new UI) haven't been available and I doubt they ever will be. Also some quality of life features from the 12k (especially higher nit screen) are not on there. Just a weird model.

Interesting thing about file sizes. I shot an event with the S5 II in IPB (it doesn't shoot All-I) in 4K and the Pocket 6K in Q5 in 16:9 6K and the Pocket 6K file sizes ended up a fraction smaller at 6K as the S5 did at 4k. Really amazing compression.

Yeah so I realize this might just be confirmation bias on my part, as I currently haven't done a side by side. All I can say is I've shot a ton with the 4k/6k (although the 6k is almost always in the first gain stage) and I was really pleasantly surprised with the character (not the amount) of the noise. And when it's dark I don't shoot to lift the shadows as if I'm shooting a circa 2008 Ken Rockwell HDR landscape photo. My blacks are black. I see the noise that's in the log and it's a ton, but that gets crushed anyway, what I care about is the relative lack of color noise in the exposed parts and the lack of color shifting. I'm planning on doing a side by side next week with the 6k.

So I've been shooting some low light footage with this camera and I have to say ... I don't see what everyone is complaining about. Yes, this camera is noisey, but coming from Ursa's and a Pocket 4K/6K, it's MILES ahead. Very organic noise with little color, and importantly, colors of subjects hold up very well. I think people have gotten so spoiled with low light shooting recently, while I'm pretty blown away with the low light footage coming from this camera. The only thing which is really annoying (and BM PLEASE fix this), it that the large amount of (pleasant) noise completely throws off peaking above iso 1250, making it virtually useless. I can't recall this happening on my 6K ever.

I can't stress enough how much I believe external recorders suck, it's just one more thing to fail (and I've seen them fail multiple times, whether it was due to a bad cable, a cable getting yanked, an Atomos locking up, an output setting from the hdmi being checked/unchecked) etc. Sometimes it won't even register until there's playback.

No idea, I assume it's per unit but that's a total guess.

If there's a prores upgrade it will be paid, since Apple takes a hefty licensing fee for that as I understand it.

The braw sdk comes with a player that even supports Luts and metadata

Pulled the trigger on this after using the 4k for exactly five years (and the Ursa's at work a lot). I don't know if it is the biggest mistake not going for the 6K pro but I am really excited, especially after loving my S5 II (and in my eyes this camera is a 'proper' cinema S5 II). I'll keep you guys posted.

So that's about the same as the S5 II which seems ... dissapointing?

MrSMW, one of my colleagues uses the Pocket 6K Pro stripped down handheld all the time because he really likes the form factor. Works fine for him without IBIS. Me personally I have to add at least a vmount to get it stable but then you really do not need IBIS for it.

I can say I personally switched away from Canon (despite LOVING their cameras) when my R6 got lost because of the RF mount. When I bought it I figured more options would quickly become available, but there's just no reasonably priced upgrade path, unlike with L mount. You either buy crappy plastic 1.8 primes or 2500$ ultra amazing lenses.

I think Blackmagic is really struggling with their price point at the moment. L mount, a full frame sensor, these all probably add significant costs. Adding an electronic ND or redesigning the body to fit mechanical nds like the c70 did or even adding ProRes (something which Panasonic charges 200 euros for with the S5 II upgrade license) probably would have added too much cost or development time in their eyes.

No I’m talking about the raw footage that you can download here: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/nl/products/blackmagiccinemacamera/gallery

Anyone looked at the footage gallery on Blackmagic their website? Looks like a pretty big step up from the Pocket 6K to me. Super clean.

Looks like a great camera. I get why there’s no internal nds but man that’s a bummer. Also no 6k 50, but Blackmagic has been pretty good about pushing frame rates in updates.

Give me L mount or give me dead! And I say that as a huge Blackmagic fan, without a mirrorless mount they’re done for in the budget cinema space.

Yeah sorry, forgot about that. There’s a pretty decent inexpensive Freewell variable ND on there! That was never an option with the pocket because you’ll get awful IR pollution in that camera if you don’t use IR-cut NDs.

Thanks. Shot 4k log, Dehancer did most of the heavy lifting. Lens was a Sigma 18-35 with a 1/8 promist, mostly at 35mm. That lens actually ‘covers’ 16:9 full frame from around 25mm onwards, I really like the little abberations and falloff you get around the edges. So you basically end up with a nice, very sharp 25-35 1.8 with a lot of character.

Looks beautiful! What's the project? Always looking out for good makers in the Netherlands.

Just to share a little personal story - the S5 II really restored my fun in shooting little personal video's. I shoot almost daily for work and I always swore by large cinema camera's. I'm one of those crazy people that thinks an Ursa mini is the perfect body shape. (part of this is copied from a Reddit comment I made earlier but I thought it would be interesting to share here). For the longest time I was really torn up between having a kit that is able to capture what I consider to be professional quality and something that I actually would WANT to bring with me on a walk or a day out. I carried a little Pocket 4k (GREAT camera) with me, but by the time you rig that out to shoot comfortably with a monitor/filter holder/NDs/mic, you’re still carrying something that takes up most of your bag and it just sucked the fun out of it for me. On a job, no problem, for home video’s it just wasn’t worth it for me. I was really looking for something I could just pull out of a bag pack and shoot. So then I bought a Canon R6, and honestly that camera’s video quality was such a massive step back from even the Pocket 4k that it just wasn’t worth it for me (esp. dynamic range but also the out of camera colors). Also just awful awful video assist tools on that camera. The S5 II kinda hits all the marks for me: very small, good enough dynamic range, good colors, good monitoring tools and good AF (better than the R6 in my opinion) on my EF lenses. That last thing (combined with it being newer, so longer firmware support) pushed me over the edge when compared to the S1H by the way. I don’t mind pulling manual focus at all, but if I’m shooting on a 3 inch screen, the AF is really nice to have. Never felt like I could really trust it with the R6 but the S5 II has really really good autofocus. Here's somethign small I shot with it: