Blackmagic Design CEO Grant Petty explains design process behind the cinema camera (higher frame rates MAY come later in firmware update)

[Andrew Reid]

[img]http://www.eoshd.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/bmcc-raw-design.jpg[/img]

Why is the [url="http://http://www.eoshd.com/content/tag/blackmagichttp://www.eoshd.com/content/tag/blackmagic"]Blackmagic Cinema Camera[/url] the way it is?

It's a long time since we saw such a creative camera with this much creative depth, rather than an another run of the mill industry tool that merely does a job.

Grant Petty, CEO at Blackmagic Design explains...

[Alex Mand]

I don't get this rant about the sensor size and batteries...

Well… If your problem is the lack of a S35 sensor but you want 13 stops of DR and RAW, you can move to a RED Scarlet and pay $20k to rig it properly…
I worked with one last weekend and it’s is an awesome camera but the redvolts last nothing, so I decided to work with the v-mount batteries on the back of the scarlet.
The point is if I buy a Scarlet and want batteries to last I need the v-mount ones not so different of the BMCC. I really don’t get this rant about internal batteries. Alexa also needs external V-mounts too…

[TJB]

This looks like a fantastic camera. Congratulations to Grant Petty and his team. The reasoning behind the design makes sense and I hope this camera sells like hot cakes.

"What we didn’t want to do is a large sensor that drains power. Sensor size wasn’t the priority, the image was.”

For all of us who prefer more latitude with shallow depth of field - please Mr. Petty, can you one day design and produce a camera with a larger sensor?

I really go along with Vincent Laforet's analysis of this fantastic camera.
http://blog.vincentlaforet.com/

[avrofilmvideo]

Why would i cripple my set of $20,000 Zeiss lenses on this camera. Yes codec is nice but camera is not. Blacks are crushed, it is no good in low light, digital processing inside camera head is nothing special. For somebody new without any glass it is ok to get it with Tokina 11-16 and 16-50 .
Others with their current Canon glass might as well to get into Astronomy :-). It is cheap but it is camera for 2 months.

[Zach]

[quote name='avrofilmvideo' timestamp='1346704775' post='17237']
Why would i cripple my set of $20,000 Zeiss lenses on this camera. Yes codec is nice but camera is not. Blacks are crushed, it is no good in low light, digital processing inside camera head is nothing special. For somebody new without any glass it is ok to get it with Tokina 11-16 and 16-50 .
Others with their current Canon glass might as well to get into Astronomy :-). It is cheap but it is camera for 2 months.
[/quote]

Well, I'm not entirely sure this camera is marketed at those with $20,000 Zeiss lenses :)

[cameraboy]

"black is crushed" in RAW?
HAHAHAHA..
someone waist 20000...
no good in low ligh ? maybe not in12800 iso as c300 ... but if u spend 20000$ for lens feed them with light ...
this camera is close to arri alexa and epic in image quality ... and many people wont believe and i expect lame reasons why as "its a 3000$ cam" ...

[Andrew Reid]

Don't be too harsh on him, he's not to know. The blacks look crushed on my footage as well when I wear my sun glasses indoors at the desk.

[Zach]

[quote name='EOSHD' timestamp='1346707009' post='17243']
Don't be too harsh on him, he's not to know. The blacks look crushed on my footage as well when I wear my sun glasses indoors at the desk.
[/quote]

Mine look crushed as well when my monitor is turned off. Huge disappointment

[avrofilmvideo]

Oh Dear,
every time i see those nice PHOTOS with CP.2s on that camera i am amused...
Lenses are BIG part of film making. In past 27 years making living as cameraman and working and selling my product to TV Stations i have spent up to $60, 000 on single camera. People who spent $$ on L Glass or better will not be impressed with WIDE END..Full Stop!
Destroying my Zeiss 21mm or Ducloss 11-16 or new Zeiss 15mm is not ON.
So while i am impressed with $3,000 AUS designed camera(and i am Australian){proud one too}, i am not happy about Sensor Size.
So lets make now some Good Wide (SUPER WIDE) glass for this fantastic Camera.
P.S. Camera Boy-One can NEVER waste $ on Good Glass, it will last you long time Habibi :-)

[avrofilmvideo]

[quote name='cameraboy' timestamp='1346706798' post='17242']
"black is crushed" in RAW?
HAHAHAHA..
someone waist 20000...
no good in low ligh ? maybe not in12800 iso as c300 ... but if u spend 20000$ for lens feed them with light ...
this camera is close to arri alexa and epic in image quality ... and many people wont believe and i expect lame reasons why as "its a 3000$ cam" ...
[/quote]

Cameraboy,
Please name me 1 single job YOU shot on RED or Arri ALEXA Please.

[cameraboy]

[quote name='avrofilmvideo' timestamp='1346708171' post='17246']
Cameraboy,
Please name me 1 single job YOU shot on RED or Arri ALEXA Please.
[/quote]
of course i will...
but first can u explain me how "digital processing inside camera head is nothing special "

[Andrew Reid]

You are right some lenses won't suit this camera at the wide end, as I said before my GH2 loves a fast 12mm but kills the raison d'etre of a fast 18mm designed for Super 35mm and I don't just say raison d'etre to look clever by using a bit of French. It really does.

But you my friend - ahh - spent $60,000 on a single camera - and god knows how much on L glass, and you are not willing to fix this problem with $500 on a Sigma 8-16mm.

Or a full frame B-camera for more extreme wide angles than 25mm equivalent.

Or an anamorphic.

No one camera will ever be good at everything. For example if you go full frame your telephoto end is a pain (expensive and heavy). Also the Alexa makes a crap helmet cam!

I don't think the cinema converted (or standard Tokina) 11-16 is in any way 'destroyed' by the Blackmagic, they are a good match. 11 is nice and wide on it. Not ultra wide angle (I find that look something of a gimmick and special usage any way), but a nice 25mm equivalent on full frame. Wider than the standard 28mm.

It is FINE.

[cameraboy]

yes , mount is problem .... cinema camera without possibility to put pl lens (or lomo )...
people use PL lens on gh2 or hot rod canon dslr so price of camera is not important if it does job...
but let hope that soon we will see BMCC with new mount...

[avrofilmvideo]

It is subject for another time..
It is time for you to go to school now and study hard to be a real cameraman...if you do not understand term "crushed blacks".
Also looking at other shots from other Video sample- this camera has problems with Highlights Clipping...that could be due to Internet Compression ...
while i had camera in my hand for a while it was quite HOT...I have no idea how it will perform outdoor Down Under in Hot Aussie Summer.

BOTTOM LINE IS,IT IS GREAT CAMERA FOR $3,000 as long as You have Glass Designed for it. Question is also, why do you need for Corporate or TV work RAW?? Decent 4:2:2 Codec(if possible 10 bit) is great.
I would rather spend $8,000 on Sony FS700..
Good Luck to Black Magic and their customers...they are forcing other manufacturers to design better camera..

[Andrew Reid]

Yes daddy camera man.

We shall toddle off to school now.

To learn about our crushed blacks on a 12bit raw camera and highlight clipping on 13 stop dynamic range.

I think you've been watching too much of John's footage streaming at 7Mbit over Vimeo and not enough of the CinemaDNG raws in DaVinci.

[Kickass]

Yes, the only problem with this camera is the mount. It´s loosing out on so much good glass that could be put on it. M43 would be the best match, no doubt.

If you complain about crushed blacks and low light performance: you have to be a real arse at lighting! (I mean, if you can´t make it work within 13 stops of DR, then you obviously need an Alexa :S) For certain kinds of jobs, like with extremely little available light (and you are not in a situation where you can control lighting) then there are better cameras, for sure. FS / F series from Sony will most likely do the job. On the other hand; you won´t have such gradeable footage from those cameras.

Different horses.

[avrofilmvideo]

That's right..youngsters
Off to School..
TADA have to go now-time to make some $$

[cameraboy]

but now serious ... people should show respect for someone hard work ....Grant Petty looks like a decent guy who knows his jobs and he done presentation without BS and hype but with lot of passion and knowledge ... i would hate to see someone read comments from some guy with more ego than knowledge and confused that ignorant rant with real information and make opinion ....

[Kickass]

Yes, that seems appropriate. Make money now while you still can.

[Andrew Reid]

[quote name='avrofilmvideo' timestamp='1346709723' post='17255']
That's right..youngsters
Off to School..
TADA have to go now-time to make some $$
[/quote]

What you will never hear [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksy"]Banksy[/url] say :)

And yet he's one of the most respected artists in the world today. Maybe all these money obsessed filmmakers need to go to school as well. Or at least art class.