Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K

[graphicnatured]

2 hours ago, kye said:

I'm still keen to try to make the P4K match the older BM cameras in post-production.  If anyone has the ability to film some useful test footage with the P4K and an older BM camera and can upload it then I'll put in some serious work to see if we can match the old aesthetic from the new camera.

My theory is that we should be able to, because going from more resolution to less is possible, and having good bit-depth should be sufficient to grade and match colours etc.

Thread is here:

I don't have a BM camera of any kind, but if I can work out how to make the P4K have the magic of older BM cameras then I think I will learn a bunch trying to figure it out, and I'll get all kinds of interesting techniques to use with my GH5 footage, so I'm definitely up for it.

I feel bad I never did this. Going to head out after dinner and grab some clips with a Micro and a P4k. Both RAW 3:1 to start.

[webrunner5]

6 hours ago, StHubbins said:

Also, the only time I've ever been shut down for shooting something was with my Micro rig. And I was just filming my family ice skating!

Granted, I live in LA, so people are more attuned to this stuff, but here I am, filming my family skating at an outdoor rink around Christmas, and the Manager comes up to me...

"Hey man, you can't shoot with that thing here."

"What? Why not? Everybody here is filming their family on their phones, etc."

"Yeah, but you've got a whole professional camera deal. We've got rules about that."

"Look, that guy over there is filming with a Canon 5D Mk IV, that camera costs three times as much as mine!"

"Yeah, but you got this mic and stuff, it's making people nervous. Sorry dude."

...So, of course, I pretended to agree, waited til he left, then shot at waist level, glancing down at my monitor surreptitiously... Two minutes later...

"No, dude. I can still tell you're filming. You gotta put it away or leave."

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? WITH ALL THE STUFF IN THE WORLD THAT HAPPENS, YOU GOTTA SHUT DOWN A DAD FILMING HIS FAMILY?! C'MON EVERYONE, GET THE SKATES OFF, WE'RE LEAVING. THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!"

?

That is the problem with the Micro to me over the BMPCC, you might as well have a Canon C300. I, at my age, can't hardly shoot with a Smartphone, let alone a Camera Rig. The world has changed big time. Nobody trusts anyone anymore. When i was young Everyone trusted everyone. Complete opposite then. You young people are screwed big time.

[mercer]

3 hours ago, kye said:

I love the GH5 because I can shoot handheld and get a handheld but not shaky look, like when people shoot handheld with a cinema camera that smooths movement a bit due to its weight. I worked out early on that I can't stand the aesthetic of the micro-jitters you get when shooting without IBIS or OIS or a rig, so for me it's an aesthetic choice.

Considering you're enjoying your 5D+ML setup (and don't use huge rigs) I'd suggest that you don't need the IBIS in the GH5.  Of course, having to rig it out completely vs the GH5 which has a screen, nice UI, buttons galore, etc is another matter.  From that perspective the P4K might be the best of both worlds - not requiring a huge rig but still having BM IQ.

I’ve had a few cameras with IBIS and it’s one of the best features ever implemented. The ability to stabilize my favorite vintage lenses truly is amazing and that is a major reason the GH5 is on my short list plus after using the 5D3 for a couple years, I think the ultra clean, modern look of the GH5 is a positive. 

I think the BMPCC 4K is just a little too much camera for a 2nd camera especially since I’d most likely shoot 1080p with it. But if I find a deal, you never know.

As of now, I am wavering between the GH5, the BMMCC and the Z Cam E2C.

We’ll see.

[kye]

1 hour ago, graphicnatured said:

I feel bad I never did this. Going to head out after dinner and grab some clips with a Micro and a P4k. Both RAW 3:1 to start.

Don't feel bad - lots of others around have multiple cameras and could have put their hand up..  This stuff is all on top of our day jobs, families, and other stuff, which should all take priority  

[graphicnatured]

I messed this first test up pretty badly. I don't recommend deciding last minute to go shoot a test as the sun is going down, but hey, at least I finally did something. I'll shoot some more with the P4k and Micro on this holiday weekend and do it properly. Bonus points to the first person in the forum who doesn't live in my town who can name the famous movie this location is featured in. Knowing you guys, this is too easy.

[kye]

Just now, graphicnatured said:

I messed this first test up pretty badly. I don't recommend deciding last minute to go shoot a test as the sun is going down, but hey, at least I finally did something. I'll shoot some more with the P4k and Micro on this holiday weekend and do it properly. Bonus points to the first person in the forum who doesn't live in my town who can name the famous movie this location is featured in. Knowing you guys, this is too easy.

Yeah, fading light is terrible for camera comparisons unless you hit record on both at the same time (and have duplicate lenses of course).

Wild guess, but .... Blues Brothers?

[graphicnatured]

Just now, kye said:

Yeah, fading light is terrible for camera comparisons unless you hit record on both at the same time (and have duplicate lenses of course).

Wild guess, but .... Blues Brothers?

Nope, but thanks for trying!

[Emanuel]

I recall when RED ONE started to be compared with 5DIi... Funny comparison anyways:

 

[Mattias Burling]

4 hours ago, webrunner5 said:

That is the problem with the Micro to me over the BMPCC, you might as well have a Canon C300.

It does look a bit Frankenstein. But it still won me over for now. The new owner of my BMPCC4K emailed to let me know he is a happy camper.

Looking passed the image quality, which I preferred on the Micro. It felt like any time I really want an unobtrusive and easily used handheld camera I would use the EOS-R anyway. There are very few instances when it's 400mbit HD isn't good enough for me. And the DIS works a treat.

But like I said, the BMPCC4K is a great tool, lovely to use and I definitely will buy another when prices have come down.

11 hours ago, StHubbins said:

Hmm, what is this Breakoutbox you speak of? Is that Phil Lemon's project, or a standard breakout box?

Same guy that sells the Arri Rosette, he has a thread here in the Raw Camera Section, it's almost at the top.

[anonim]

12 hours ago, StHubbins said:

Yeah, the biggest problem with my Micro is that it is literally the most difficult camera to use in the history of cameras... and that's from an owner of the original BMPCC. To get my Micro to work for my run-and-gun style, I've needed

Hmm, with all respect, for me rigging Micro for run-and-gun is not at all difficult, not more than GH5 with external monitor. I think that there's just one additional item: to make proper DIY remote controller and cleverly placed it. My cage is totally modular depending of actual need (changing LP6 with some sort of NFBridge, adding rods for shoulder rig or upper handle+shorter-or-longer-rod through it for re-position Atomos recorder and adding clamp for beautifully small Saramonic with 2 XLR, adding leftside or removing rightside handle for gimbal etc ) but, I think the most important is having remote controller under the finger.  (Second one is from filming on location.)

 

[webrunner5]

This is the guys website.

https://lavky.com/radioproektor/

 

[drm]

20 hours ago, Anon said:

I am considering to buy a BMPCC 4k.

I need to know if the camera actually loses the file as soon as the battery stops working!? Or is the file that was recording while the camera battery broke still useable? I heard that it's gone!? Is that true!? (at the Gh5 it's still there as far as I know?)

I hope that someone can help.

No. The P4K does not lose all of the footage if the power goes off when recording ProRes or BMRaw. I don't know what happens if the power goes off with CDNG as I didn't test that and I have now upgraded all three of my cameras to the latest firmware.

I have had a battery die several times and I have never lost a file. I usually record to an external SSD (Samsung 1TB T5) but I have also recorded to SD cards. You may lose a few seconds at the end of the footage, but you should not lose the entire file. I remember seeing a YouTube video where the person lost their file when pulling the battery, but even the comments on that video had people saying it didn't happen to them.

I just recorded a 15 second clip with BRAW. I pulled the battery while the camera was recording. The clip is still there and it plays properly. At most, you should lose a tiny bit from the end of the file if you lose power.

I also recorded a 15 second clip with ProRes. I pulled the battery while the camera was recording. The ProRes clip is still there and plays properly BUT it seems to be about 5 seconds shorter. I think that ProRes writes the file to disk every 5 seconds, so you may lose a few seconds of the end of a ProRes clip if you lose power.

[StHubbins]

3 hours ago, webrunner5 said:

This is the guys website.

https://lavky.com/radioproektor/

 

Of course, Shijan (that's his name, I believe). I may have to get this...

[osmanovic]

4 hours ago, drm said:

No. The P4K does not lose all of the footage if the power goes off when recording ProRes or BMRaw.

 

 

[graphicnatured]

In drm's defense. Sorry about the shaky phone clip.

 

 

[JordanWright]

Ive also never lost any footage after the camera has lost power

[deezid]

4 minutes ago, JordanWright said:

Ive also never lost any footage after the camera has lost power

me neither, not even Braw nor ProRes

[drm]

2 hours ago, osmanovic said:

 

 

I saw that video when it first came out. That is the video that I was talking about in my post.

I have three P4Ks and have tested all of them. Mine don't lose footage when they lose power. I wonder if his camera was defective or if that was an early firmware issue. All I can say is none of my three P4Ks behave that way. 

[thephoenix]

7 hours ago, drm said:

I saw that video when it first came out. That is the video that I was talking about in my post.

I have three P4Ks and have tested all of them. Mine don't lose footage when they lose power. I wonder if his camera was defective or if that was an early firmware issue. All I can say is none of my three P4Ks behave that way. 

this video is old and it was using one of the first firmware if not the first

[dslnc]

12 hours ago, thephoenix said:

this video is old and it was using one of the first firmware if not the first

I never lost files not even with the first firmware.
Looking on the external sdd the files where always there and useable when the battery ran out of juice.