The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Cameras have always been tempting as they sit at a low price point while offering some compelling features. Here’s how the 6K variety fares after one year of use.
In this video from Caleb Babcock for Moment, he offers his opinions on the $1,995 Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K after a year of using it for product showcase videos, YouTube content, skateboarding, and more. While there are many positives to report such as its image quality and recording options, Babcock also shares the negatives such as its dismal battery life. For someone either just getting started in making films or just wants to spend less money, the BMPCC6K proves to hold its value.
The BMPCC6K features a Super 35mm sensor and is capable of recording up to 6K (6,144x3,456) resolution at 50 fps or FHD 1080p up to 120 fps. The Canon EF mount ensures a large catalog of lenses to choose from and likewise its use of widely available Canon LP-E6 batteries. It can record in Blackmagic Raw or ProRes 422, has 13 stops of dynamic range, and has dual native ISO up to 25,600. One of the nicer features on the body is a huge five-inch touchscreen LCD that by Babcock’s account actually sounds quite responsive, although unfortunately it is fixed to the back with no tilting or swiveling.
Have you used the BMPCC6K? Let us know your thoughts about it in the comments.
I own two and nobody buys them to use the canon batteries. We build rigs with vmounts, which fxlion makes smaller ones that are perfect for this camera. We also use external monitors mostly, follow focus and ssd T5 drives which are way cheaper than the cards you have to use with other cameras.
The trend is IBIS and animal eyeball AF so people avoid Blackmagic because you actually have to set up shots and can't depend on robocamera to do all the work. If you do the work you get some awesome footage. The latest news is what camera is overheating because of the hybrid wars. BMPCC 6k is a video camera not a hybrid so it can record with no time limits in high quality 6k until the card or battery die without a worry.
If I had a complaint it would be the easy as hell button that switches video to slo mo, that I sometimes forget an record a whole shoot in slo mo. That's me being dumb, not the camera. Not being able to record slo mo at the highest setting on a T5 drive. That's the drive, not the camera.
Other than that it has one of the most simple menus ever and braw is super easy to edit in Premiere, Resolve, etc. For those that think 6k is overkill, it's awesome. Being able to film a medium shot and be able to cut in to close up all in post for a 4k delivery or even more for 1080 is like having two cameras in one. I have two so that's 4 angles recorded at once and all in the time it takes people to wait for their R5 to cool down.
Well yeah if you have a rig forget about using dinky batteries LOL. For quick hand shots tho it's good to have the option. As I mentioned elsewhere, I'd like a smaller 5k MFT version.
The BM 6K is an amazing camera, maybe not perfect but truly amazing. Once you taste its look, Internal Braw it is really hard to look at any other camera under 5-6000 USD.
Even the so called Cinematographer S1H disappoint me in term of video output.
Still often I have a rely on the Lumix for handheld stuff that require IBIS in my line of work where tripod are not permitted. I wish BM could enable the Gyro of the BM to do something similar to the FX9. Also I would really be happy if they could unlock Braw for 4k and HD.
Oh and to David Love, I sometimes use the Canon batteries when I am need to have the most compact and lightweight setting ;-)
It's still lightweight with a smallrig half cage,and ssd holder with a T5 and no more pocket full of batteries.
I'd wish they'd also make a 5k MFT Pocket Camera, perhaps even with IBIS.
I don't think they will care about IBIS until Arri does.
The IBIS can be optional, but an MFT 4k Pocket Camera with a 1k motion and crop buffer would still be nice. ;-)
They don't serve the same function as Arri cameras though, literally no one is shooting solo on an Arri and without a large enough budget to control every aspect of the scene. There's a tonne of people running and gunning with BM cameras who would greatly benefit from not having to 'fly' it on some kind of stabiliser.
Sure but for $1900, instead of an overheating hybrid. I'll take it and do the extra work.
Oh I'm not even making an argument that you shouldn't. I'm just saying Blackmagic aren't Arri, and they should realise this and serve their customer base.