Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera

[Matt Kieley]

Looks like the Micro is already going down in price on the second hand market. I got one for under $700. This is my first test, also my first time shooting Raw. Love this little camera. My Micro and Pocket should compliment each other well.

[Emanuel]

The color science of these guys coupled to their solid bit rate and truly golden acquisition have no parallel wherever we're looking for at similar range (I even intimidate myself to write price range... WTH it's 700 bucks!)

[jase]

On 21.4.2018 at 9:34 AM, Matt Kieley said:

Looks like the Micro is already going down in price on the second hand market. I got one for under $700. This is my first test, also my first time shooting Raw. Love this little camera. My Micro and Pocket should compliment each other well.

Was this handheld? If yes then you are near to rock stable!

[Matt Kieley]

8 minutes ago, jase said:

Was this handheld? If yes then you are near to rock stable!

Yes, it was all handheld. I just had a rod mounted on top with a pistol grip handle on the side, and my Marshall VLCD50 monitor on top, with the Cosmicar 12.5mm 1.9 c-mount lens. It was pretty well-balanced and comfortable to operate, though the rod mostly blocks the record button, so from now on I'll just use the same Krasnogorsk-3 pistol grip + shoulder stock + generic Manfrotto 501 QR clamp that I use with my bmpcc.

[jase]

After seeing this:

I was wondering, whether there also exist a smaller grip so that one gets a dedicated button to get autofocus? Would make the micro a tad more usable for run&gun.

[mercer]

1 hour ago, jase said:

After seeing this:

I was wondering, whether there also exist a smaller grip so that one gets a dedicated button to get autofocus? Would make the micro a tad more usable for run&gun.

There are some companies that make them, but they cost almost the same price as the camera. I cannot stress how small the camera actually is... about the size of a rubicks cube, but once it’s kitted out, in the most basic of way, it becomes pretty monstrous. 

With that being said, and how Matt has demonstrated, it’s a gorgeous image. If the new Pocket just had all of the specs as the Micro with a screen, it would have been a winner in my opinion.

[BTM_Pix]

The LANC controllers don't trigger the autofocus but you can get to it via the SBUS interface.

It needn't cost a massive amount of money and I've got one of these cheap (£7.50) pistol grips to take apart to house something experimental that will work. They can be mounted on the side like that Ursa one with a simple adapter or you could even fit the rosette if you wanted to get fancy.

I haven't got a BMMCC to test it with unfortunately but I'm sure I can get round that when the time comes.

[webrunner5]

Ursa Mini Hand grip.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JAAKEG0/

[mercer]

2 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

The LANC controllers don't trigger the autofocus but you can get to it via the SBUS interface.

It needn't cost a massive amount of money and I've got one of these cheap (£7.50) pistol grips to take apart to house something experimental that will work. They can be mounted on the side like that Ursa one with a simple adapter or you could even fit the rosette if you wanted to get fancy.

I haven't got a BMMCC to test it with unfortunately but I'm sure I can get round that when the time comes.

They make a Lanc Trigger pistol grip for the Pocket, that could probably be refitted to work with the sbus.

https://m.ebay.com/itm/JJC-HR-DV-Remote-Handle-Pistol-Grip-for-Blackmagic-design-pocket-cinema-camera-/221603818145

[BTM_Pix]

1 minute ago, mercer said:

They make a Lanc Trigger pistol grip for the Pocket, that could probably be refitted to work with the sbus.

https://m.ebay.com/itm/JJC-HR-DV-Remote-Handle-Pistol-Grip-for-Blackmagic-design-pocket-cinema-camera-/221603818145

Wow, those type are usually $100 cheaper than that one!

I'm looking to put quite a few more switches on so I'm interested in what people would find most useful.

I don't want it to end up like an F1 steering wheel but I think 

• Record
• One Shot AF
• Aperture Up
• Aperture Down
• ISO Up
• ISO Down
• WB (step through rather than up down)

Would be a good starting point and not get too cluttered. Focus is maybe better as a different module.

It would also incorporate sync record start of Tascam recorders and I'm looking at similar for the Zoom ones with wired remote too.

Mainly got an eye on the Pocket 2 with this as well so it will likely be bluetooth for that one.

[mercer]

1 minute ago, BTM_Pix said:

Wow, those type are usually $100 cheaper than that one!

I'm looking to put quite a few more switches on so I'm interested in what people would find most useful.

I don't want it to end up like an F1 steering wheel but I think 

• Record
• One Shot AF
• Aperture Up
• Aperture Down
• ISO Up
• ISO Down
• WB (step through rather than up down)

Would be a good starting point and not get too cluttered. Focus is maybe better as a different module.

It would also incorporate sync record start of Tascam recorders and I'm looking at similar for the Zoom ones with wired remote too.

Mainly got an eye on the Pocket 2 with this as well so it will likely be bluetooth for that one.

I think other controllers will use a toggle switch, to switch between functions and the maybe the trigger to change the parameters of the function. So with that type of configuration, you would need two for left, center and right.

[BTM_Pix]

8 minutes ago, mercer said:

I think other controllers will use a toggle switch, to switch between functions and the maybe the trigger to change the parameters of the function. So with that type of configuration, you would need two for left, center and right.

Yeah, it ends up with people having to remember loads of key combos like they're playing StreetFighter or Tekken !

I prefer discrete switches per function if possible.

The ideal would be to have two rotary entry wheels like DSLRs on the index and middle finger positions for aperture and ISO. I think the record switch should actually be on the thumb position.

I dunno. 

I've got the handle apart at least so thats progress !

[kuban]

There are great design cues and inspirations for the new pocket or micro body.

I see some of this and wonder why the new pocket looks they way it does!

 

 

[Papiskokuji]

Hi guys !

Just wanted to share a short piece I shot with my BMMCC during a sunny afternoon in Paris !

 

[BenEricson]

^ The fact that a camera so small can produce an image so nice is pretty outstanding. Very filmic. Also found this video looking for bmmcc stuff. Looks like he shoots a color chart does some stuff in resolve. He also uses the RAWLite internal Moire/IR cut filter.

 

Has anyone used any of the internal IR Cut/Moire filters? I just picked up the pocket camera again and want to try to one of those.

Looking at pistol grip rigs. This is kind of goofy, but the weight on the bottom is probably nice. It's very difficult to find a heavy pistol grip. Someone should make a pistol grip battery handle. Maybe something that just takes a couple Canon batteries. 

[webrunner5]

3 hours ago, BenEricson said:

^ The fact that a camera so small can produce an image so nice is pretty outstanding. Very filmic. Also found this video looking for bmmcc stuff. Looks like he shoots a color chart does some stuff in resolve. He also uses the RAWLite internal Moire/IR cut filter.

 

Has anyone used any of the internal IR Cut/Moire filters? I just picked up the pocket camera again and want to try to one of those.

 

 

Yeah I had a Mosaic one back in the day. I was satisfied with it.. Not sure if they are even in business anymore?

 

[BenEricson]

8 hours ago, webrunner5 said:

Yeah I had a Mosaic one back in the day. I was satisfied with it.. Not sure if they are even in business anymore?

 

Not sure. Emailed them and they never emailed back. There’s another company makinf the filters and they did respond. 

Pocket came in the mail today. Wow the battery situation is terrible. The camera shuts down completely when you change the f stop with the metabones attached. Forgot about that one. I do have an external battery but wow I forgot how bad it can be. 

[kye]

The Black Magic cameras all seem to share a similar look and feel with how they handle light.  It is very nice, almost like they have put a diffuser over the sun.  There seems to be nothing harsh about the image.

What is it about their cameras that creates this effect?  Is it the DR?  Colour science?  High bitrate (either prores or raw)?

I really want to own a camera that has this look but my style of film-making relies heavily on stabilisation, zoom lenses, etc so they're just not the right tool for the job.

16 hours ago, Papiskokuji said:

Just wanted to share a short piece I shot with my BMMCC during a sunny afternoon in Paris !

Nice video - I particularly like the fun / different editing style!

[cantsin]

27 minutes ago, kye said:

The Black Magic cameras all seem to share a similar look and feel with how they handle light.  It is very nice, almost like they have put a diffuser over the sun.  There seems to be nothing harsh about the image.

What is it about their cameras that creates this effect?  Is it the DR?  Colour science?  High bitrate (either prores or raw)?

The lack of artificial sharpening in their image processing/codecs. 

[Papiskokuji]

14 hours ago, BenEricson said:

^ The fact that a camera so small can produce an image so nice is pretty outstanding. Very filmic. Also found this video looking for bmmcc stuff. Looks like he shoots a color chart does some stuff in resolve. He also uses the RAWLite internal Moire/IR cut filter.

Thanks !

I have both the BMPCC and the BMMCC and I have the mosaic filter on the pocket. It is a necessity to me. I'd like to buy one for the BMMCC as well but it's so expensive  I got away without it in this very video thanks to vintage glass wide open and diffusion...

1 hour ago, kye said:

The Black Magic cameras all seem to share a similar look and feel with how they handle light.  It is very nice, almost like they have put a diffuser over the sun.  There seems to be nothing harsh about the image.

What is it about their cameras that creates this effect?  Is it the DR?  Colour science?  High bitrate (either prores or raw)?

I really want to own a camera that has this look but my style of film-making relies heavily on stabilisation, zoom lenses, etc so they're just not the right tool for the job.

Nice video - I particularly like the fun / different editing style!

Thank you !

For the light being diffused. It actually was  I used a Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/4, it is very nice to get those highlights spill all over the place ! (Kidzrevil also uses thoses filters extensively)

The filter combined with the use of vintage lenses wide open (almost all the time if I remember correctly) soften the image quite a bit. I used a Yashicha 55mm macro lens and a canon FD 28mm. But it is true that blackmagic images have an analog feel to them. I agree with cantsin, it surely has to do with the lack of "over processing"/NR and having a great uncompressed codec.