emielregis

It doesn't have half the features of the GH5/GH5s,  It has different features. Taking the photo side of the GH5 out of the equation, I would say the pocket has more features for video. If you need a hybrid camera obviously the P4K is the wrong choice.
 
I really don't understand this way of thinking. When shooting video, the GH5s only really has AF and a tilt-able screen up it's sleeve compared to the Pocket4k (and better battery life). Yes, AF is handy for shooting home videos, and yes, I wish the Pocket4k had a tiltable screen but to call it a useless camera is pretty silly. I've used it in a run n gun situation with zero accessories and more than happy with the results. How do you get to $3000? Add a $100 monopod, a $180 AndyCine a6 and an NP-F battery (the andycine can power the P4K) or 4 more LP-E6N batteries and you have a run n gun package that will be better than any IBIS can provide. A monopod is the most underrated bit of gear by videographers. Quick to set up, lightweight, easy to carry, versatile... and better than any IBIS or OS.
While AF is nice for home videos, if you want to step up your video game, the sooner you learn to focus manually and ditch stop relying on AF the better. 
Are people today born with eyes that can't see, or hands that can't turn a focus barrel? Are they all born with hand tremor? Is a camera without AF or IBIS really useless in todays world? Maybe according to you, but I'm managing to use cameras from many different manufacturers that don't have either features pretty well. In relation to IBIS, while IBIS is nice for Home videos, for anything else, i'd still recommend using a monopod with or without IBIS. Are the X-T3 or GH5s useless today because they lack IBIS? No, people will make great videos with both. 
 
So, you're starting to add accessories? Again, I can easily add the Andycine a6 to the Pocket4K to get the tiltable screen. Speaking of adding accessories, you don't need to add any to get good audio into the P4K which you do for the GH series. So your GH5 has already gone up in price by adding the ninja star and Battery Grip. Talking about the Ninja Star, you do realise it's 1080p only right? To fairly compare to the Pocket4k you need to add the NinjaV which is $599USD. Your GH5 with NinjaV and battery grip to get audio now costs $2946USD but has the advantage of AF. The Pocket 4K with monopod and Andycine a6 cost around $1700. Will you be editing your videos? If so, you will need to add another $299 to get resolve for your GH5 making it closer to $3250.
 
The P4K is far easier to use than the OG Pocket you really can't compare. Far better screen and ergonomics make it possible to use handheld. The OG Pocket was way too small to be used in the hand. You really can't put the two cameras in the same category or draw any similarities to them. When I switched to Fuji for stills, I really enjoyed using the camera and this made me want to use it more. In terms of video, so far the Pocket has done the same thing for me. Small package, un fussy menus and a great screen that reward's you instantly when looking at nice shot's. I just want to use it.  
 
It's actually less of a toy than most mirrorless cameras and I'm finding it a joy to use professional. It's far quicker to change settings on it than my X-T2 or the A7 series cameras that I have used as B-Cams before. It's by far more of a proper video tool compared to a hybrid but that's just my opinion. The workflow is not hard, you can bake LUTS in if you need quick turnaround or just use the provided BMD Rec709. I don't see how it's any slower. And if you shoot LOG on the GH5, then that still needs grading in post. 
For anyone reading this, camera brand aside, if you think IBIS and AF are going to make you shoot like a pro and some how magically make your images 'cinematic' ...they won't.
'Out of the box it's useless' ....'need to spend $3000 to make it work'....... 'it's a toy'. Considering you haven't used the camera yet, these are all pretty biased and inaccurate statements that I'd expect to hear out of a Panasonic rep ?
 
 
 

Deleting files 'in-camera' has always been a dangerous practice and can lead to corrupted cards and data which is probably the reason they don't have this feature - or they are simply fascists!

Not really sure what you mean by this. 
Yes, I like the camera because i knew exactly what it was going to be and it has lived up to that expectation. I'm not going to hate on it because it doesn't have a tilting screen because i knew it wasn't going to have one. I'm also not going to hate on it because it doesn't have continuous AF or  IBIS because A: I don't need those features and B: I knew the camera was never going to have those features. I defend the camera against unrealistic people just because I am interested in the conversation relating to the camera and am quite dumb founded that people would find the need to get on a thread about a camera they do not want and does not meet their needs and start arguing about it. 
It's like me getting on the Sony A7III thread and ranting and raving about the fact that it doesn't do RAW or 10bit. Just sillyness!
I'm trying to give people some perspective but people just want to bang on about why it doesn't have feature A or B that a mirrorless camera does have.
One of my many faults is that I have low tolerance for stupidity, and there has been so much silly talk here that I felt the need to get involved. I mean, why the hell is Resolve not free? Why is Blackmagic not giving away it's products? Seriously. Can we talk about something constructive!
I wonder if Emanuel or Dbounce works for Sony or Panasonic as they are constantly on here bashing the Pocket for not being what it was never intended to be. Why are they so intent on bashing a camera they have not interest in? Andrew has been very vocal about the X-T3 and despite years of interest in RAW, now thinks the X-T3 is the ducks nuts, does he now work for Fuji?
So much ridiculousness....it's quite staggering.

So should the Panasonic Varicam, Red Helium, Arri Alexa, Sony F5, Kinefinity Mavo etc all offer IBIS and Tracking AF considering that they cost many thousands more? Surely they should be able to include  AF in their high priced cameras considering my phone has it right? For the price of an Alexa, you'd also think they could include a front facing camera for taking selfies!
Interestingly, did you know that the Sony A7III face tracking AF apparently doesn't work when using an external monitor or recorder? Now theres something not many people would have known when they bought the camera!
And BMD are giving you other things that no other manufacturer are. Go and complain that Panasonic are not giving you a free, top of the line edit suite when you buy a GH camera. Go and complain that Sony are not giving you internal TC, Phantom power, XLR inputs, a 5" 1080p screen, RAW, internal 10 bit etc. 
Its all about priorities. If your priorities are more in line with what Panasonic are doing, buy a Panasonic. 
 
Self centred? Blackmagic are more open than any other camera manufacturer I know.
Look, I like a conversation , that's why I'm here so if you want to continue, feel free to PM me but I'm not sure this is the right place to talk about a companies business models. 
 

Policies and lack of vision? 
Andrew is upset because he didn't get an invite to an event. That is the only reason. Before that, he was looking forward to the camera despite knowing that there was no IBIS, No flappy screen and no usable AF. We all knew it!
And which market are you pigeon hole-ing the Pocket4K into? It was never meant to compete with Hybrid or mirrorless cameras for travelling or your mobile phone like you keep comparing it to. Blackmagic have always been about Image quality and affordability and are the leaders of the market at this price point and even way above. They lead the market in image quality in a camera this small, they lead the market in image quality at this price, they have had 10bit in a tiny camera for years and mirrorless are only now catching up so how can you say they are 'old school and lack vision? I know this makes me sound like a BMD rep (as Andrew suspects) but It's just getting tiring here on the Pocket4K thread constantly hearing people complain about things that we have known all along and expecting the camera to be something it was never intended to be. 
@Andrew Reid I started a thread where people could complain all they like about how the Pocket4K isn't a mirrorless hybrid. It would have been nice to have all this complaint somewhere and kept this thread for useful information. Why did you close that thread? The conversation had already started on it. Now, for useful information here, people have to trawl through pages and pages of useless argument. Really disappointed in your 'my way or the highway' dictator-like attitude Andrew. 

Damn.

Damn.

Damn.

Damn.

Damn.

So, worst case scenario is that the Pocket 4K is a 'GH5s Cinema Series' camera? Like the GH5s but better colour science, better codecs, internal RAW, Phantom powered XLR, Timecode capability,  and includes a full version of Resolve for $1000USD cheaper than Panasonics Vlogger/ stills focussed GH5s that has a flappy screen, Autofocus and takes stills which the latter two functions are features I never use on my video cameras anyway............I'm cool with that! The GH5S is a great little camera.

The adaptor for the mini XLR isn't really an issue as it locks in place at both ends so just like having one cable really.
When I first received my camera, I was horrified at the battery life and how unreliable the battery meter was. For a minute, I thought about selling the camera straight away. Once the included battery was charged and discharged a few times, the battery life started to improve and the accuracy of the meter did too. I bought four Wasabi batteries as I have used Wasabi in my GoPro's and X-T2 and had been happy with them but the LP-E6 versions only gave me 25mins of battery life. Even after a few discharges and charges, they didn't improve at all. 
I have now switched to Genuine Canon LP-E6's and now getting just over an hour of continuous run time with the screen at 65% brightness so the battery life is not really a concern for me any longer. Also, the meter accuracy is spot on and I get a good warning when the battery is low
 It was me who reported that the screen was hard to see in bright sun and that was to do with the reflectiveness of it rather than the lack of brightness. I have just fitted an anti glare protector to it. Unfortunately it's night time here, and I can't test it in full sun until tomorrow but even indoors it's obvious that the reflections have been cut substantially without quality loss so hopefully this results in my second major gripe (the battery was my first) with this camera being resolved.
The camera really is fun to use without any rigging at all, the only thing I do now miss is a tilting screen but I knew it didn't have one before I bought it. I might get a SmallHD Focus to remedy this.
 
Ultimately, we need to compare Apples to Apples so let's recap your issues below.  90% of the issues you describe here will be issues for many other mirrorless cameras anyway.
The screen Issues: I have used the A7 series a lot over the years and while it did have a tilting screen, I hated using it for video as it was just too small and also wasn't great in direct sun (most mirrorless screens suffer the same issues), so it too needed an external screen as do most Mirrorless camera for critical work.
Battery Issues: Again, the A7 series battery life sucked, as it does on my own X-T2 (I carry 4 batteries with my X-T2 when I go in holidays!) so apart from the GH series, you need to carry around batteries for any prolonged shooting anyway with most mirrorless cameras. As they are so small, I'm not seeing this as a major problem.
The USB-C/ Hard drive issue: You don't have to use the USB-C feature if you don't want to (and no other camera even gives you the option) so can't see that as being a negative. Once the camera gets BRAW, you will have RAW to SD Cards. To do that with any other mirrorless, you need an external recorder (more rigging, more batteries). 
The Audio XLR adaptor issue: Audio wise, having phantom power is great as is the XLR connection, minijack input and Timecode in. Adding those to a mirrorless camera requires external recorders so more bulk, rigging and batteries. I'll take the XLR- Mini XLR adaptor over a H4N or similar any day.
While it's easy to look at all the negatives of the Pocket4K, you need to compare apples to apples and any camera in the ballpark price range (and even thousands $$$$ more) is going to need external accessories to get the same job done as the pocket. 
The fact is, 90% of of the time, you can easily get away with shooting in a bare bones config on the pocket. I'd only really recommend using an external monitor for shorts where the camera is low to the ground or up above your head. 
BMD really have given you so many options and ways of using this camera.
 
 
 
 

I still have and love the original pocket, but does anyone else remember alot of the early footage from it? It was terrible! The good stuff was amazing, but much of it was worse than DSLR offerings at the time, mostly thanks to people being in over their heads with the grading.
So I'm reserving my judgement on the pocket 4K for a while. The early stuff looks solidly good, but I think the best is yet to come. 

Andrew, I get what you are saying but maybe i had too much bias creep into what I wrote (I've ordered a bmpcc). My point is that between the two the features and price are different enough that each are targeting different audiences. There are plenty of people that think each camera is garbage and amazing. Personally, I didn't even consider the gh5s or gh5 because they are far more expensive. So even given the they have differences, I would have taken a hit on quality and features just for the sake of saving money.

Watch this video and stop saying that Pocket4K is not сinematic. In the hands of the master with taste and good lenses, even the GH5 is beautiful. Otherwise, it is too early for you to have such a camera, learn to shoot first
Shot on GH5 using Lomo anamorphic and spherical lenses (50mm roundfront and +1 +2 diopters in a few shots). Graded with FilmConvert using KD 5207 Vis3.
 
 

Ive never heard a good DP complain that the Red Epic, Red Helium, Arri Alexa, Sony F55 are not full frame. I've put the Metabones XL speedbooster on my pocket4K  and super happy with the look.
Andrew, it seems that the whole BMD Manchester incident still has a bitter taste in your mouth. You are looking for any excuse to hate this camera in the same way that most heavy forum users look for excuses to hate on any camera and use a cameras lack of features as excuses as to why they are on forums rather than out shooting nice images. Sorry, I know that view is going to make me unpopular on a forum but I think it's kinda on the mark. 
Is the Pocket4K for everyone? No. The camera isn't a white unicorn....it isn't the perfect camera for everyone. No camera is.
If you just want to shoot bare bones, in the hand video with no light, get an A7III. If you want to VLOG, get a camera with a flippy screen (although interestingly, I know a few vloggers that use Red Helium as a vlogging camera!). It really depends on what your priorities are. 
The Pocket4k is a solid little camera. Sure I wish the battery lasted longer than an hour and I wish the screen was easier to see in bright sun but having used Sony A7 series, Panasonic GH series and the Fuji X-T2 all as B cams, would I chose to shoot with one of those over the Pocket4K? No chance! I still need to add external monitors to those small hybrid cameras anyway and their battery life is barely any better ( apart from GH series) ........but the Pocket4k image creams them! 

It can easily be the 'gold standard at the price point. The images up to ISO4000 are fantastic and 6400 is usable.. I never need to go above ISO4000 for my paid work. For lazy hobbyists that just want to shoot in the dark, get a Sony A7III and shoot 8bit. It's all you need.
Lowlight performance of the Red Epic wan't as good as the A7S but I'd rate the picture of the Epic far above the A7S all day long.
I've shot with the Red Epic, The Ursa Mini Pro among other cameras that have massive holes in the top. The Epic even has a huge noisy fan in the front that also use to suck all sorts of crap into it, didn't stop me using it in all sorts of conditions.
Using the supplied BMD LP-E6, the battery icon flashes red and displays the voltage so you know it's time to change batteries. Using Wasabi, this doesn't happen and the meter is unreliable. I will try some genuine Canon batteries and report back but the BMD LP-E6 works fine after a few charges and discharges.
 
Mine hasn't done this at all. The OS is extremely robust...My Fuji X-T2 on the other hand hangs every now and again forcing you to pull the battery and I've heard the same about the X-T3.
It's not just RAW, the ProRes files also look fantastic on the Pocket4K. Absolutely no jaggies on fine hair but still plenty of detail. Very smooth image. As a Fuji shooter, I also love good colour science and the Pocket4K doesn't disappoint.
 
 
The X-T3 also has poor battery life and crashes.

@Mrrvrn Sigma 18-35 combined with that Viltrox looks pretty good on Pocket 4K.
 




Stills from Note Suwanchote

@Mrrvrn Sigma 18-35 combined with that Viltrox looks pretty good on Pocket 4K.
 




Stills from Note Suwanchote

@Mrrvrn Sigma 18-35 combined with that Viltrox looks pretty good on Pocket 4K.
 




Stills from Note Suwanchote

@Mrrvrn Sigma 18-35 combined with that Viltrox looks pretty good on Pocket 4K.
 




Stills from Note Suwanchote

@Mrrvrn Sigma 18-35 combined with that Viltrox looks pretty good on Pocket 4K.
 




Stills from Note Suwanchote

@Mrrvrn Sigma 18-35 combined with that Viltrox looks pretty good on Pocket 4K.
 




Stills from Note Suwanchote

Lemac from Australia