Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K

[Dan Keeble]

You can play back clips shot with the same project frame rate in the same codec.

[BTM_Pix]

4 minutes ago, Anaconda_ said:

I’ve not noticed, but maybe you need to be set to record  120 in order to play 120?

 

1 minute ago, Dan Keeble said:

You can play back clips shot with the same project frame rate in the same codec.

Ah...right OK

Putting it into HD mode does indeed make them playable (both 24fps and 120fps clips) and it does indeed have to have the same codec selected as well.

I didn't realise that those settings were an entire system wide mode setting rather than just being for record.

Interesting.

Thanks both.

[BTM_Pix]

EDIT >>>>

I have to say that they could and should come up with a more elegant way of handling this.

Even if it was just a placeholder when you selected the next clip that said "Sorry, You need to change formats to view this clip" then that would be at least something.

As would making any sort of mention of it whatsoever in the user guide.

When I was going through the clips reviewing them and those ones just weren't there my first reaction genuinely was to think "Did I actually press the record button?"

It seems really counter intuitive to have to go and change settings in a record screen to enable playback of a clip.

The chances of you then leaving it on those settings and recording your next clip in possibly not the format you intended (ProRes instead of RAW for example because it was a ProRes clip you were reviewing) seems high to me as well.

 

[matthere]

A nice low light example..

[Kisaha]

2 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

EDIT >>>>

I have to say that they could and should come up with a more elegant way of handling this.

Even if it was just a placeholder when you selected the next clip that said "Sorry, You need to change formats to view this clip" then that would be at least something.

As would making any sort of mention of it whatsoever in the user guide.

When I was going through the clips reviewing them and those ones just weren't there my first reaction genuinely was to think "Did I actually press the record button?"

It seems really counter intuitive to have to go and change settings in a record screen to enable playback of a clip.

The chances of you then leaving it on those settings and recording your next clip in possibly not the format you intended (ProRes instead of RAW for example because it was a ProRes clip you were reviewing) seems high to me as well.

 

It is lame, if "lame" is still a word.

First time seeing something like this.

The crop in 120/100fps is lame too.

I am waiting eagerly for some words about the camera. Tell us!

[DBounce]

2 hours ago, matthere said:

A nice low light example..

Oh look, it's another slowmo video.

[BenEricson]

39 minutes ago, DBounce said:

Oh look, it's another slowmo video.

And more blob highlights. It’s not the camera though. ?

[Alex Uzan]

Transition sounds. That is really annoying ?

[Anaconda_]

8 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

It seems really counter intuitive to have to go and change settings in a record screen to enable playback of a clip.

I might be wrong, but I think the LS300 does the same, if you're set to record in 4k you can't playback HD files. 

if it's not that camera, I'm not sure which one it is, but I've definitely encountered this in the last year and it scared the ish out of me. 

[Anaconda_]

- Sorry for double post -

Is there any news of a Ronin S update for focusing the P4K with the follow focus?

[BTM_Pix]

5 hours ago, Anaconda_ said:

I might be wrong, but I think the LS300 does the same, if you're set to record in 4k you can't playback HD files. 

if it's not that camera, I'm not sure which one it is, but I've definitely encountered this in the last year and it scared the ish out of me. 

It does do the same but the mitigation there is that it has a thumbnail substitution system to let you know there is a clip there but that it won't play it either because its corrupt (which it shows as a question mark) or that you need to switch formats (the landscape in a film strip icon).

That would solve the problem for BM too rather than hiding the clip entirely, which is very disconcerting even when you've had a camera with a similar playback situation like the LS300 let alone anyone coming from a hybrid

With the LS300, I use the A slot SD card for 4K and the B slot one for HD which also helps to sharpen my addled mind and I'm going to replicate that approach with the Pocket4K and use the SD card for 120fps.

With the LS300 of course, the reboot between changing formats also helps reinforce it whereas the instant change when doing the same with the Pocket4K lulled me into a false sense of security !

Ideally, BM will offer an option to automatically change format on playback with it then reverting back to the mode it was in when you exit but LS300 style thumbnails would suffice for now. 

[BTM_Pix]

11 hours ago, Kisaha said:

I am waiting eagerly for some words about the camera. Tell us!

From me ?

I haven't really spent enough time with it to say anything even remotely definitive about it.

What I will say from a positive perspective is that I really like the menu system, I think they've made really good choices with the physical controls and them including false colour (especially when you have it switchable on the function key) offsets the uncertainty one might have about setting accurate exposure on a less than ideal screen and without an EVF.

It is not without its quirks though but I'll need to test it a lot more to understand their impact or whether some of them are just me being stupid  

[kinswick]

On Monday I got a backorder status: still out of stock email from B&H. Then on Wednesday it shipped and it'll arrive on Monday. Preordered at the end of June. 

I ordered (or preordered?) a DEC Vari-ND just now from the US Aputure store. Had to pick Paypal as the payment method to advance to checkout, but I think I could have switched to credit on the checkout page. I've been on shoots with the FS5 and the variable ND behind the lens is super handy.

[Álex Montoya]

2 hours ago, kinswick said:

On Monday I got a backorder status: still out of stock email from B&H. Then on Wednesday it shipped and it'll arrive on Monday. Preordered at the end of June. 

I ordered (or preordered?) a DEC Vari-ND just now from the US Aputure store. Had to pick Paypal as the payment method to advance to checkout, but I think I could have switched to credit on the checkout page. I've been on shoots with the FS5 and the variable ND behind the lens is super handy.

I preordered from CVP at May 1st and it looks like there still are a couple of hundred people before me. 

[Andrew Reid]

12 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

From me ?

I haven't really spent enough time with it to say anything even remotely definitive about it.

What I will say from a positive perspective is that I really like the menu system, I think they've made really good choices with the physical controls and them including false colour (especially when you have it switchable on the function key) offsets the uncertainty one might have about setting accurate exposure on a less than ideal screen and without an EVF.

It is not without its quirks though but I'll need to test it a lot more to understand their impact or whether some of them are just me being stupid  

Yes the menus are fantastic, the general control layout - I did not realise this until today when I finally put it in my hand - is lovely. Much nicer than I expected. Even the polycarbonate plastic construction doesn't bother me. If anything it's good, because it makes for a very lightweight construction. This is a big camera by mirrorless standards but a TINY and light on by pro video standards, let alone cinema RAW proportions.

Yes there are baffling decisions going on but a lot of common sense too. I still do not like Blackmagic's launch strategy and initial shipping quantities, it is ridiculous to be tormented for months with a mix of teasing and social media hype - I almost went mad - but believe me it is worth the wait. Again like BTM says, far from perfect, or without quirks - but it is different to anything else I own and a worthy upgrade from the original - in fact it is SIGNIFICANTLY better than that first camera in every way. Something I did not realise until I actually turned up.

I am going to have so many words to eat from this thread, I'll probably choke to death.

[Álex Montoya]

It's really a great camera and with BRAW it could really shake things up in the filmmaking scene.

[Turboguard]

55 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

Yes the menus are fantastic, the general control layout - I did not realise this until today when I finally put it in my hand - is lovely. Much nicer than I expected. Even the polycarbonate plastic construction doesn't bother me. If anything it's good, because it makes for a very lightweight construction. This is a big camera by mirrorless standards but a TINY and light on by pro video standards, let alone cinema RAW proportions.

Yes there are baffling decisions going on but a lot of common sense too. I still do not like Blackmagic's launch strategy and initial shipping quantities, it is ridiculous to be tormented for months with a mix of teasing and social media hype - I almost went mad - but believe me it is worth the wait. Again like BTM says, far from perfect, or without quirks - but it is different to anything else I own and a worthy upgrade from the original - in fact it is SIGNIFICANTLY better than that first camera in every way. Something I did not realise until I actually turned up.

I am going to have so many words to eat from this thread, I'll probably choke to death.

I didn’t really care about the “outrage”, just glad you (just like me) got it in your hands finally. It’s a fantastic piece of tech that fulfills more than just my needs to shoot video. How did you end up getting it by the way, I don’t know if I missed it in this thread? Did BMD cave?

[webrunner5]

New video about overexposure. 1600 ISO sort of looks like a no go to me. Impressive results on 400, 3200 ISO though.

 

[Emanuel]

On 10/30/2018 at 4:07 AM, seanzzxx said:

For people getting their hopes up, this is slightly misleading. My experience has been the following:

The 18-35 will vignette even on a .71x ('ultra') speedbooster until about 20mm in DCI 4K (only barely and not worth mentioning in Ultra HD). It's sort of usable but the vignette is definitely there across the whole left and right side and it's relatively severe.

It will basically be unusable on full frame on my A7RII until 35mm, at which point you might as well use the lighter, better, brighter 35mm 1.4 ART.

 

On 10/30/2018 at 7:52 AM, Shirozina said:

Not seen any problem with my Viltrox .71 and yes it will be unusable on full frame as it's an APS-C lens.

 

On 10/30/2018 at 8:14 AM, seanzzxx said:

That's weird, because I definitely am. Are you shooting at the full sensor width? I'll get some screen caps later today

Also my comment about full frame was in reference to Emanuel saying the lens is usable at full frame except for the wide end while my experience is that that's not really true.

 

On 10/30/2018 at 9:08 AM, Shirozina said:

Just checked now (without the 1:2.40 frame guides) and yes there is a very slight corner shading wide open at the wide end but I wouldn't call it a problem and nothing that can't be fixed in the grade. Maybe on the Metabones it's different though?

 

On 10/30/2018 at 12:50 PM, Emanuel said:

 

 

 

 

These are tests conducted on Sigma with a XL version where is (in the comments section) explicitly written there's no vignetting from about 22-24mm on going along his GH5 for that setup, obviously:

 

And here is one where the same user tests tap-to-focus feature on the same camera coupled to the same focal reducer to those who think it might not be possible to go with AF on P4K (touchscreen focus is an autofocus feature BTW, whether you use it or not ; ) 

 

On the other hand, here are these samples which follow your feeling @seanzzxx -- very welcome to the discussion BTW (part II):

source: https://***URL removed***/forums/post/58134184

 

Another one on a7R:

source: https://***URL removed***/forums/post/57637470

 

Here's a 3rd one which proves in the real world the results may vary from that 23-25mm (to stand Daniel's 22-24mm statement) mark though (on a 5DII now) -- count on some distortion anyways:

http://thurtlepower.com/dorsetweddingphotographerblog/sigma-18-35mm-dc-hsm-mini-review-and-first-impressions/

 

Zak Hermiller, 1 day ago:

"The Sigma 18-35mm and the Sigma 50-100 with the Metabones XL speed booster. Its the stronger .64x one so its vignette a little in the corners. Its unusable at 18mm":

 

[Emanuel]

1 hour ago, webrunner5 said:

New video about overexposure. 1600 ISO sort of looks like a no go to me. Impressive results on 400, 3200 ISO though.

 

Indeed... nuff said, Dual ISO talks : -)