tekeela

I like the pictures. A lot. 
This camera will probably replace the micro cinema camera for me as it’s not much bigger and is much easier to work with. 
I didn’t feel as strongly about the 4K production camera / Ursa because they were limited, principally by dynamic range.
I have a deep affection for the 4.6K sensor and have shot nearly daily withnit since before it was launched. I know it very well. 
This pocket camera will integrate and sit very nicely alongside the 4.6K. It’s already a closer match than the micro for me without having really tested it in an A/B scenario. 
I was a little worried about it having less DR Than the 4.6K but I think the other clips  show some great examples of what this sensor can do. “Nature” was incredibly tricky material to shoot as anyone who’s been in that situation before would know and it was unfair to see it being derided.  
Those that did so only reveal their own inadequate understanding of what those shots reveal. 
I can think of a million other scenarios I would have rather done but these sequences were specifically produced to illuminate what the camera can do in specific situations. 
What im almost more excited about is the unification that Gen 4 brings. As I mentioned earlier, it’s pretty much the same people at BMD that brought you the first camera working on this camera.
They’ve learned a lot (and so have I) and I think Gen 4 is really strong. I wish this and extended video would get rolled out wide already as I think half the issue I see with users of BMD products is a lack of knowledge in grading. 
Now BMD do have perhaps the greatest colour correction tool on the market BUT they don’t make it easy to get to a great result without a little arcane knowledge.
Even I often run into issues when working by myself and I see extended video being a great step in addressing that shortcoming. There’s no point in talking about how great you can make images shot RAW if you don’t know how to do it and can’t easily or intuitively find a way to do so. 
With regards to the 4k Pocket. 
Its a genuine low light contender. I was really impressed at what a useable picture it produces with little lighting.
I’m laughing at those that said it’s overlit. I mean a 500w chimera dimmed to almost nothing so the background lighting would still show though the tinted hotel windows is very very low light, much lower levels than the idiots demanding I walk out on the street and light by sodium were demanding.
Again, I laugh when I see comments about how noisy ISO3200 is but I’m guessing those users aren’t aware how much image processing their cameras are doing at high ISOs.  BMD allow you as the user to choose your poison. A very very underrated feature. And like colour correction it’s almost too powerful because users haven’t been instructed to change their expectations, nor how to add noise reduction or sharpening so they can season to taste. 
The best testbfootage will be friends users so the sooner they ship the cameras the better.  Hopefully Gen 4 means there will be less hysteria about its performance and a few will realise there’s no point comparing it to a GHx or a Sony and learn to get the most from what it is good at.
JB

Great comparison and really shows the lovely images the Pocket4k produces and what I'm seeing with mine. Much richer images compared to the GH5.
Secondly,  and what I've been saying all along is that a camera only produces a certain percentage of the 'cinematic look' everyone is so hung up on. Most people who want 'cinematic' here, also want autofocus and IBIS but neither of these features lend themselves to 'cinematic' qualities.  IBIS only does so much and you still get a small amount of jitter here and there. Same as AF, it's never perfect with electronic SLR lenses and nothing screams SLR more than small amounts of jitter in the lens or movement of the camera. If you want 'cinematic' with the Pocket4K or any mirrorless camera really, you need to rig them. Being on a Gimbal, a Tripod, a Slider, a good shoulder rig etc. 
You can always rig the Pocket to get great steady shots, can you improve the GH5 to get the same DR, colour response and flexibility in post?
So why don't you do a comparison and show them all how it's done?
The same person would have graded the shots in that video. If they are amateurs , this shows that the Pocket 4K was easier to grade for an amateur. Not a bad thing?

Do you think the top four videos in this gallery could be? Aside from maybe the 'Color of Light' one. Genuinely asking.
 
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagicpocketcinemacamera/gallery

I want IBIS and was also wanting AF until I recently changed approach.  If I didn't need either then I would be all over this camera like a rash.  I would just buy a few more batteries.
If anyone doesn't like changing batteries then get a V-Mount and power it externally, the port is there.
If some camera company turns around tomorrow and releases an 8K RAW camera that has 27 years of battery life then it doesn't change how good this camera is, or the fact that there are plenty of battery options, both for the people who want a small setup or those who want to rig it up and have a large one that will run all day.
and if anyone doesn't like that it has the word "Pocket" in the name and it doesn't fit in your pockets then I really don't know what to say....

I think this thread needs a reality check, and luckily Caleb Wojcik just posted one.
Some of the points he made were:
He loves the image but the camera is a pain to use and so often stays at home in favour of his 2 x C100 mk2 It was expensive, and the battery life, proprietary accessories like touchscreen, storage, media readers, handle, chargers, and everything else cost about $25K US about two years ago In fact it was so expensive that he left it locked up because of fear of using it (despite having insurance) It's hugely heavy and impractical to use, he had to buy four batteries because two wasn't enough, and it basically requires a team to build and operate it In summary - two years ago one of the most affordable cinema cameras cost $20K plus, was such a PITA to use that he didn't take it places, and he used C100s instead.
Now in 2018, they release a 4K60 RAW cinema camera that costs less than 10% of the above RED, is smaller than the C100s but a significant margin, gets similar battery life, is easily hand-holdable, works with all kinds of third-party accessories, and comes with a free copy of an industry leading NLE.
Anyone who bitches about the battery life, size, cost or anything like that clearly don't have the faintest idea what a real cinema camera is like.
Get a grip - you're just embarrassing yourselves.

Oh really? The camera that doesn't fit in your pocket isn't really a pocket camera? Hot take.

Oh really am I beeeeiiing sarcaaaaastic?

It’s heavy with the Sigma 18-35 on it. I can’t single hand it for very long. Second night now I have some time to play with it. Loving everything so far!

I'm not fussed on aesthetics as long as it gets the job done. Have used the Nucleus-M system quite a bit and despite a few initial bugs, it's been great.

For Gimbal use, this should completely negate the fact the Pocket doesn't have continuous autofocus. This is a far better solution than any autofocus and super affordable.
 
https://tilta.com/shop/nucleus-nano-wireless-lens-control-system/

Looks awesome
 

The in-built mic actually seems to be really good - cool! Other than that Redshark News really seems to go out of their way to talk about anything other than what you might find on a spec sheet, don't they?

Happy to report that adding a non glare screen protector to the Pocket has made a huge difference. Much easier to see the screen in direct sun while still being bright and sharp. Still easier to see in the shade obviously but now not unusable in sun.
As others have said, I'm also a big fan of the menu system, add to that the scroll wheel with push action, dedicated ISO, SHUTTER and WB buttons plus three custom buttons and you can change all the most used functions easily with just your right hand on the grip. I have my Function buttons set to 1)False Colour 2) LUT Toggle 3)Focus peaking toggle.
 
 

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.
 
 
 
 

Oh I'm in complete agreement with you. The allegation was nothing more than an unsubstantiated Facebook post. I wasn't taking sides; I simply did not know such a post existed.

Aware of what? Was he convicted of a crime? We are getting into very dangerous territory when all that need happen is a woman claims abuse and everyone is expected to believe each  and every word she says whilst totally ignoring comments from the opposing party. From what I can see, if something happened she should have filed charges and they both would have their day in court. Until then it is nothing more than a case of "he said, she said". I'm not defending PB... I don't have any unique information regarding this alleged incident. I'm just sick of this pitch fork mentality.
I'm sure some will take exception to what I have written. To them... you can take a long walk off a short pier. I have personally known someone that was falsely accused. Thankfully, there was an investigation and exculpatory evidence proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the supposed victim was full of $h!t. 
Really? Didn't someone once suggest something unsavory about you? Should we take their comment as fact without proof also? Glass houses my friend.

Perhaps. But that doesn’t give anyone on here the right to condemn him.
Especially based on rumours less well  evidenced than the specs of the A7S3.
Focus on his abilities as a film maker and life will be happier for all.
(superb review of Mavic 2 Pro on Bloom’s site)
 

daaamn thats its just beautiful
that is the kind of cinematography that inspire to me and im very happy that it could can be done with 1300-2000$ cameras.
We are living in a good time for cinematography, specially for whos work with a low budget.

The Pocket4K is definitely getting it according to BMD and they said they had BRAW in mind when designing the Pocket4K so internally, everything should be in place. While I've held the opinion that most people don't need RAW (10bit is fine for most),  once it is implemented, there will be little reason not to shoot RAW as long as it works as advertised with low data rates and flexibility in post.
Considering the crazy the low price of the Pocket4K, and the fact that I'm not relying on it as my main camera for work, I was happy to be an early adopter. The fact that I was also wanting to switch to Resolve Studio for the little editing and grading I do meant that it was a bit of a no brainer. 
 

Not sure I'd say that. Ive seen the images my camera produces first hand and really liking them. It definitely has a great 'cinematic' quality that I haven't seen with the GH5 or A7III that I can only describe as smooth and creamy. No sharpened jaggies, just really nice filmic images.   The footage has a lot more latitude in post than the GH5 too and that's why you buy a camera that shoots great codecs.

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.