Cinematography : The Black magic pocket 4k camera by Louis Tété

I recently bought a Kinefinity Terra 4K which, considering the features, was a really good price. I’m not sure where you’re based but from what hear, these cameras are starting to find good distribution outside of China now. It’s a beautiful image and there’s very little proprietary technology in terms of accessories, so your personal faves for monitors/batteries/recording media etc are all open to use.

Thank you Andrew Griffin for your tip, i don't know about that one. Gonna def checking out, i'm based between LA and Paris, mostly LA though. Besides that one which one would you recommend, to shoot at high resolution with a fair dynamic range?

The BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K makes very nice pictures. Nice feel, pleasant workable image from the start. However it needs some things before I would ever use it in a production. Some examples are: because of the DSLR form factor the viewfinder sucks, short battery life, and no timecode. All of these can be overcome. An EVF is essential, and easy enough as there are many choices. Either lots and lots of batteries or an external battery to overcome the short life, Time code is just baffling. Why would they not include a TC generator on anything to be used in production? Yes, LTC can be fed into an audio track, but without a generator this is not a plug in to jam TC then unplug and stay in sync. Without a generator the TC feed has to stay plugged in, since the TC stop will as soon as you unplug it. A separate jammable TC generator to stay with the camera is needed. Just annoying since a TC generator chip probably costs a manufacturer almost nothing to incorporate. And it gets in the way of the nice images the camera can make.

Andrew Sobkovich you rock, thanks a lot for all these details. What cam do you use for your productions? Besides BPCC, what camera would you recommend with fair prices?

My usual choices for main camera are Sony Venice, F65 or F55, Alexa, or Panasonic V35. Various other cameras for specific shots or scenes.

Fair price is a relative term. What whole camera system can give you the images you want for your projects at a price that is doable is probably the better question. Make sure to consider the whole system though, camera, lenses, record and backup media, brand support in your area etc. If you are buying for a specific project, is the camera the best for that project and might it be best on anything else? i.e. An ENG type camera for shooting documentaries, is somewhat compromised as is a full production camera trying to shoot quickly in unstructured situations. The right tools with the fewest compromises that helps you create your images is the sweet spot. Make a list of the things you want, then prioritize it.

Camera choices are based in very personal criteria. The reasons for my choices my not be relevant to someone else. The knowledge and experience to make choices that fit what you wish to achieve is more important than going with what others are using. Trendiness does not supplant actual performance just as technology does not overshadow art.

Lets not forget that lens choice is also very important. Not all cameras can easily take all lenses.

I own one and I love it. However. BMD just release a pocket 6K this morning for only $2500. It has a super35, does desqueezed anamorphic and has an EF mount. Gotta say I am thinking of selling my 4K.

Many low budget folks us phones now with stuff attached, been meaning to look into that. I would guess the Black Magic has better lens/shutter options..

Thanks to everyone for Techie info here. I'm marking thread so I can come back to it later.

As an update. Kept the 4k. Got a metabones .64 cine lock adapter for it. With the latest firmware it is amazing. The colour science and dynamic range makes it a no-brainer for me.

More dynamic range (for an extra $30,000) may be nice. But I just plan shots better and save my cash.

Did you get it? I'm so happy that we bought ours because this thing is amazing. It took me over a year to decide which camera.

BMPC4K = Blackmagic production camera. It is the older model with the global shutter. (actually the camera david sandberg shot part of lights out and shazam on) Their naming conventions are pretty dumb and confusing. BMPCC4K is the new one.

Yes, i would say it is a good idea. I have been trying to sell my BMPC4K (the older, bulkier global shutter super 35mm 4K) for a pocket 4k for a while now, for one reason mainly... And that is because the pocket 4k fits on a gimbal, while my production camera 4k does not. Also, blackmagic raw doesn't hurt... CDNG is a hard drive eater. Sure, you have to use a speedbooster to get that delicious depth of field i love, but the pocket 4k has this really amazing sharpness which i have come to immediately recognize and have grown quite fond of.

I don't know if the 6k is completely worth it because i don't think most people, even in post heavy workflows really need that extra resolution, the main reason to even go 6k is sharpness which the pocket 4k already has in spades. To be honest... These days camera is not a huge factor. You can always just rent a red or alexa... and its never really a matter of "need" to... You could shoot a decent film on a 150$ used canon... in 5K raw. Not that i would, i'm just saying.

I personally love new Pocket 4K. The image is amazing and braw is great but still tons of space. I'd love to have the 6K but compared to the 4K it's more expensive and too much footage.

Focal reducer and ef cine lenses do just.

But like I said for our own personal stuff the 4K is enough but like you said on bigger projects we rent the needed equipment.

Once BlackMagic can state that ALL of the connectors on their cameras are chassis mounted so they can live up to normal use, then I would consider using them again. Maybe.

A box of cameras with broken connectors is hardly an incentive to use these in any professional setting. No patience with gear that breaks. As befits their long reputation, brilliant electronic design with awful assembly. And they must support non-current products unlike now where “good luck” is what they offered. Liked the pictures, but not in any professional setting unless they come up to some minimal mechanical quality and support standards.

Its a good buy and thats for anyone that needs advise on a camera. Done one year with it and that camera has never failed me after commercials, music videos, short films, special features and done in hot weather out in the caribbean. Excellent buy for me and i would surely recommend it. At the same time , know that you may have to extend your budget to accommodate other pieces to make it comfortable to use.

Yeah the Pocket 4K is amazing like Vital Butinar . We got it about a year ago and I love how small and versatile is and how malleable the image is in braw and Davinci. I mean it really is a great camera for the money you spend.