First impression and background of replacement that Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K to 6K Pro
I'm satisfaction to replace my Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K to 6K Pro
Because Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro has a necessary and sufficient function for my production process, and can create Persuasive visuals rather than other camera.
This is an attractive camera for one man-person videographer who emphasizes compelling visuals.
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| My Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pto |
What I usually make by Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera
I usually make is a 4K 30fps or 60fps stock footage. My mission is to provide people video footage that about 5 to 15 seconds, persuasive visual and coverage.
Sometime I make documentary.
In any case, I make it by one-man operation.
Of all the useful cameras, I think the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro is the best way to create compelling footage.
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| Still image cut out from my 4K stock footage |
In this article, I want to tell you how great the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro is.
I want to provide information for the people who considering to buy Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro. Because I couldn't find enough information when I was considering purchase it.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro is not Easy-to-use camera for anyone.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K is reasonably priced and has mirrorless mount, So you can use your own lenses. You can consider buying it as a second camera.
However, 6K Pro is expensive and requires a Canon EF mount lens, which is not easy.
The recording format is unique Blackmagic RAW or Apple ProRes, you should also consider recreating a post-production environment.
I would like to provide as specific information as possible to make it easier for you to consider purchasing.
When you buy a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, the first accessory and lens you should buy.
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| SIGMA 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM |
Spare battery is necessary.
A battery of Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro is compatible to Sony NP-F570 battery. You can shoot for about 45 minutes with one battery.
I advise you to buy multiple spare batteries to suit your shooting time. You can choose made by Blackmagic Design or third party. Either is them is OK.
It's a good idea to number them to make it easier to replace the battery while shooting.
Choose an SSD with good cost performance.
The recording format for Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro is Blackmagic RAW or Apple ProRes. If you want to record with a low compression ratio, you need a large amount of data storage.
I use Samsung T5 SSD. It's so convenient because when done of shooting, Direct connection to Mac so I start post production.
If you recording with a high compression ratio (Blackmagic RAW 12:1, etc.), You can record to SD UHS-II card at in-body media slot.
You can choice CFast 2.0 card but cost performance is worse than SSD. For example 125GB CFast 2.0 Card is same price with 1TB T5 SSD in Japan.
SIGMA 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM is first choice of lens.
If you want buy lens for Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, SIGMA 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM is first and best choice I think.
This lens covers wide to medium focal length, sherp from maximum aperture at F1.8.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera has in-body ND Filter so you can easy to take a shot by wide aperture .
Next step of buying accessory and lenses for expand your shooting range.
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| Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX II 11-16mm F2.8 |
Consider to Add spare battery or external battery.
If you don't feel stressed on battery replacement, adding spare NP-F570 battery. If you want less battery replacement, consider to add a large capability external battery is better choice.
I use Smallrig battery adapter plate and NP-F970 type battery. You can shoot about 90 minute with one battery.
I'm mount NP-F970 battery and T5 SSD on Top of camera with NATO rail and NATO top handle.
If you want a battery that runs more long time battery, You can choice to build rig and use V-mount battery.
Adding data storage and manage archive data.
Adding data storage for shooting is easy. Only buying additional T5 SSD.
If you finish post production, You need to manage archive data for storage.
Both of Blackmagic RAW and Apple ProRes are very big data size, so I have storing on 3.5inch HDD that low cost per data size.
Adding lenses for expand focal length.
I imagine you think to need additional lenses for super-wide and telephoto angle.
One of point your choice of additional lenses is maximum aperture. If you choose a lenses that same range of maximum aperture of SIGMA 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM, You don't have to change a exposure setting significantly.
I was choose Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX II 11-16mm F2.8 for super-wide angle.
This lens has maximum aperture at F2.8, The difference from SIGMA 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM is only 1.5step. When I change the lens, I can handle the exposure difference by switching the built-in ND filter without changing the ISO sensitivity.
The SIGMA 50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM is the perfect telephoto lens to combine with the SIGMA 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM. The maximum aperture is also F1.8, which is sharp from the maximum aperture.
However, the lens is large and heavy, and there is no in-lens image stabilization. In general, telephoto lenses are more susceptible to camera shake than wide-angle lenses.
Choose a full-frame 24-105mm f4 zoom lens, such as the Canon EF24-105mm F4L IS II USM or SIGMA 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM, to extend the focal length you can cover.
However, the difference in aperture with the SIGMA 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM is 2.5 steps, and it may be necessary to change the ISO sensitivity each time the lens is changed.
As a compromise, you can consider a full-frame standard zoom lens with in-lens image stabilization, such as the SIGMA 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM.
In my case, I rarely use a telephoto lens, so I use my 50mm lens via a mount adapter.
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| Smallrig NATO rail |
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| NP-F970 battery and T5 SSD on Top of camera |
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro has a brighter rear monitor and a tilt screen for improved operation.
The rear LCD of the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro is brighter than 4K and has a tilt screen for easier one-man operation.
The rear LCD of Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera is not bright enough, so we needed sun food under daylight.
Also, since the LCD display was fixed, I had to lift the camera in front of my face for handheld shooting, which was unstable.
Also, since the LCD display was fixed, I had to lift the camera in front of my face for handheld shooting, which was unstable.
So, for stable shooting with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, I had to either fix it on a tripod or rig it and equip external monitor to hold the camera close to my body.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro has a tilt screen and brighter LCD, so I can shoot waist level without external equipment. I can shoot by only body and lens.
If you want that, You can adding optional external EVF.
Blackmagic Pocket Camera 6K Pro equipped with a built in ND filter that eliminated replace filters.
Blackmagic Pocket Camera 6K Pro has equipped with a built in ND filter.
We are freed from the hassle of carrying around a lot of ND filters and changing filters every time the ambient light changes.
Built in ND filter of Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro has +2 step, +4 step, +6 step and no-filter, so It can not fine-tuned, but it's enough compared to the hassle of replacing the ND filter.
If there is a large difference in maximum aperture between a lenses your own, You can use tips to keep the ND filter on a bright lenses at all times.
You can create 4K video which added camera move on post-production by recording at 6K resolution.
The series of Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera has restriction of camera move due to not having In body stabilizer and continuous auto focus. If you want to solve, you need to prepare various peripherals and large equipment. For example, gimbals, sliders, dollies, jib, etc. Not has continuous autofocus makes your dynamic camera move difficult.
If you can recording at 6K resolution, you can add camera move or zooming at post production even if you shoot with the camera and focus fixed.
You can't reproduce the dynamic camera move that tracks the subject using gimbal and continuous autofocus, but you can expand the variation of the footage by adding a little camera move in post production.
Attention; If you want recording at 60fps, you can't use full 6K resolution.
When recording Blackmagic RAW with Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, You can record up to 50fps at full 6K resolution (6144 x 3456).
My recording setting is Blackmagic RAW at 5.7k resolution (5744 x 3024) that can switch 30fps or 60fps.
The advantages of Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K compared to 6K Pro.
I was using Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K before I bought 6K Pro.
The advantages of Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K compared to 6K Pro is follows.
- Smaller, lighter and cheaper
- Many choices of cheap and high-performance Micro four thirds mount lenses
- I had using OLYMPUS M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO and SLR Magic MicroPrime CINE 25mm T1.5 MFT.
- By a Micro Four Thirds sensor, the depth of field can be increased even if the F value is increased.
Who is the best choice for Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera.
There are not many inexpensive lens choice because of the lens mount is Canon EF mount. Canon's still lens lineup is shifting to RF mounts, and the choice of inexpensive EF mount still lenses will continue to decline.
Inevitably, many people will use the same lens, and it will be difficult to have individuality in lens selection.
I think it is a valuable camera for videographers who want to compete by visual persuasiveness such as camera angle, beauty of images, and editing.
If you think want to a make different choice than many other people.
Many modern mirrorless camera can shoot video conveniently with In-body stabilizer, face recognition continuous autofocus and so on.
However, Don't you want to use the same camera as everyone else?
If you want to make a challenging choice despite some inconvenience, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro is an interesting option. (Me too)
Shooting styles not suitable for Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro is not suitable for shooting that requires dynamic camera moves or continuous autofocus.
If your shooting style is so, Your better choice is some mirrorless camera has in-body stabilizer and continuous autofocus.
Why I had choose Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera.
I usual work is making stock footage.
One of the benefits of using stock footage for businesses and production productions is that they have access to authentic visuals with real people that production work does not have.
To create realistic and authentic visuals, We rarely use commercial studios or lighting equipment.
Coverage of materials Is important in order to output persuasive visuals even in situations where there is a large difference in brightness or the influence of ambient light.
RAW format movie data has an advantage in color grading flexibility in post production.
Many mirrorless camera can recording only high compression ratio format, such as 8 bit 4:2:0 or 10 bit 4:2:2.
High compression format movie data has limited flexibility for color grading in post production, and there are needs high performance machine for editing in post production while restoring compressed data to an editable state.
RAW format are not needs very high performance machine. For example, M1 MacBook Pro is enough for editing with 4K RAW materials.
The disadvantage of the RAW format is the large amount of data, but the cost per storage data capacity continues to decline.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro has advantage with able to one-man operation, flexible RAW format recording and inexpensive rather than professional cinema camera.
What I used to refer to when purchasing the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro.
When I bought the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, I referred to Drikin's YouTube, a Japanese engineer living in San Francisco.
His YouTube style is to use various gadgets every day to share his awareness and usability every day, rather than putting them together as a review video per gadgets.
His YouTube has the advantage of being able to simulate the awareness that will occur after we purchase a gadget.
Drikin's YouTube video for about Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro (Sorry, sounds are Japanese only)
- 「内蔵NDフィルターが今後の基準に！BMPCC6K Proで初めてのVLOGを撮ってみた。」第1242話 (Japanese)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei62u2L99Do - 「お散歩レンズを買ってみたけど、これヤル気MAXじゃないと使えないかも。。。」第1246話 (Japanese)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc8imhmAhUc - 「コスパ良すぎ！BMPCC6K Proにおススメなレンズを探して」第1247話 (Japanese)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqdpc8SwLBw
Digression: EF-S 24mm F2.8 STM, which is now a lens cap.
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| EF-S 24mm F2.8 STM |
When I received the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, I hadn't received a Canon EF mount lens such as the SIGMA 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM. So I bought the Canon EF-S24mm F2.8 STM at the shop for test shoot.
EF-S24mm F2.8 STM is about 35mm focal length in full flame conversion, very compact, bright and cheep lens but the visual resolution is not good on maximum aperture.
If you stop down to F5.6, the resolution will improve, but since it is a wide lens, the image will be flat.
Digression: Still image function of Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro.
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| Stills image taken with Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro |
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro can shoot photography.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro can take still images the same size as your chosen video resolution. Still images are recorded as RAW images to storage.
Adobe Lightroom recognizes camera profile of Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro.
Still images cannot preview on camera.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro has not in body RAW development function. So we cannot preview still images on camera. It's like a film camera.
The camera body has a shutter button for shooting still images, but it doesn't make a shutter sound and we can't preview it, so we don't know if it's taken.
Don't miss the still image mark displayed on the rear LCD.
Still images has lot of noise, not high-definition.
I think that the structure of the image sensor is different from that of a still camera in the first place, but it is not possible to shoot high-definition images with less noise like a still camera.
You can shoot for the record of the shooting site. Depending on the RAW development, you may be able to create attractive images.
Shutter speed on 1/60 or 1/125 is not suitable for still images.
If you shoot video on 30fps or 60fps with 180° shutter angle, Shutter speed for still images are 1/60 second or 1/125 second.
It's not suitable for shoot moving subject.
Summary of gadgets written in this article
Blackmagic Design Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro
Blackmagic Design Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K
Samsung T5 1Tb Portable Solid State Drive
SIGMA 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM
SmallRig NP-F Battery Adapter Plate Lite 3018
Vemico NP-F970 Battery (Currently unavailable)
SmallRig Low-profile NATO Rail 50mm BUN2468
SmallRig Camera/Camcorder Action Stabilizing NATO Handle 1955
SmallRig Samsung T5 SSD Mount for BMPCC 4K/6K and Z CAM 2245B
Western Digital 6TB WD Blue PC Hard Drive
Tokina atx-i 11-16mm F2.8 CF
OLYMPUS M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO
SLR Magic MicroPrime CINE 25mm T1.5 MFT
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| Still image cut out from my 4K stock footage |
Thanks for reading.
May 9, 2021, written by Masa - Focus on the interaction.
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