Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera first impressions

[markm]

On the Sony EX3 that battery is held in the battery compartment. How would you rig it to the Pocket camera?

 

If the EX3 d-tap power socket matches the spec of the BMPCC 12v socket physically I don't see any reason why the battery wouldn't work.

 

But we really need something more bespoke for the camera.

Andrew

I wouldn't try to rig it to the camera However could put it in your pocket on a long enough lead using the D tap. Could also attach it to the rail with an adapter I have two already. I assumed it would work then a thought dawned on me, what if the battery gives out to much current and fries the pocket cam. Thing is if the battery does work I have two from my old EX1 and a charger and its likely to last a looong time.

[Oliver Daniel]

I think its ridiculous to even consider having to put a battery in my pocket that is wired to the camera, just because the actual camera battery is absolute bollocks. 

 

I remember using a camera about 8 years ago where I had a battery belt on to power the camera. It was a nightmare.

 

Its 2013 now. We now have a (soon to be) raw shooting camera that fits in your pocket. The amazing thing is, aside the awesome technology, the simple stuff such as battery power is light years behind. This needs to be better. It needs to be 2013 better. 

[markm]

I don't see the camera that way For the most part it is a professional tool that needs a matte box follow focus sound recordist and camera crew. However some shots can be done discreetly or on a gimbal with a bare minimum.

I think the problem many are having with this camera is they are comparing it to a dslr when in fact it is a professional piece of kit needing a professional workflow,

[Dan Wake]

which chip lenses would works better with this camera? which mount lens does it have? 

 

I have a 50m f/1.8, could it be usable with this camera? I do not know the crop factor how large it is. 

 

I wish to work in RAW and I do not know which camera to choose. my budget is around 1000 euros.

[Alan]

I'd like to know how and why Andrew Reid has had his order fulfilled by CVP when they have told me they haven't received any from Black Magic Design yet. As someone who ordered one of these on the first day they were announced (8 April 2013) - and paid my deposit, I'm still waiting for mine to be delivered and CVP have even deleted the expected delivery date from their website. So much for CVP's first come, first served policy! Something smells!!! Not impressed!!!

[Don Whitmore]

I'd like to know how and why Andrew Reid has had his order fulfilled by CVP when they have told me they haven't received any from Black Magic Design yet. As someone who ordered one of these on the first day they were announced (8 April 2013) - and paid my deposit, I'm still waiting for mine to be delivered and CVP have even deleted the expected delivery date from their website. So much for CVP's first come, first served policy! Something smells!!! Not impressed!!!

Because he runs an influential blog that could directly influence how successful the product is... It's like you're complaining while waiting in line at starbucks because some guy held a place in line for his friend. Annoying? Yes. But usually the guy complaining is the one coming across as the bigger jerk... Wait your turn, the customer is NOT always right.

[Andrew Reid]

I'd like to know how and why Andrew Reid has had his order fulfilled by CVP when they have told me they haven't received any from Black Magic Design yet.

 

Because I ordered ahead of you.

 

I suggest you read this also - 

 

http://forum.blackmagicdesign.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=13147

 

In particular from the user MMedia -

 

Im not a blogger or reviewer etc, just an unknown and i received my camera start of September from CVP

From the documents in the box it looks like i was #6 (006)

I ordered within the first few minutes the online link went live at the higher price of £839? This was reduced to £798 the next day, which is what i paid. 

I ordered another on 29/4 still in the que for that one.

 

I waited a full month whilst normal people in the queue had theirs delivered.

 

I have paid, and I have waited. I suggest you do the same.

 

CVP don't need to bump any "VIPs" up the order list as they have a demo camera to send to reviewers.

 

Also I don't want to see this otherwise friendly and productive thread go off topic Alan. You need to go on topic, or go off the boards. I know you are frustrated about the delays, I am as well, but that's no reason to attack.

 

I might even do you a favour by reviewing the camera, so you can make a more informed decision on whether to go ahead and keep your order open or not. So far so good but it has some very irritating bugs.

[Andrew Reid]

I don't see the camera that way For the most part it is a professional tool that needs a matte box follow focus sound recordist and camera crew. However some shots can be done discreetly or on a gimbal with a bare minimum.

I think the problem many are having with this camera is they are comparing it to a dslr when in fact it is a professional piece of kit needing a professional workflow,

 

That's not the Pocket camera philosophy at all actually. Why do you think it is small? So you can go adding bricks to it? I don't think so. Maybe you'd be better of with the BMCC.

[Bruno]

In this case, one of the camera's biggest advantage, its size, is also its worst enemy when it comes to battery duration, but the point is you have options, you can choose portability and use several batteries, but if I was to shoot for a whole day, I'd have no problem carrying a larger battery in my backpack that could last all day, and I don't see that as compromising the camera size, portability or stealth factor in any way. It would still be a completely different beast when compared to the BMCC.

[Andrew Reid]

Size doesn't have to hurt battery duration.

 

The Nikon V1 has a huge D800 battery in it yet is as small as the Pocket camera.

 

Blackmagic need to use a less power hungry LCD panel and a better quality battery. The processor and sensor are likely pretty hungry, but at the moment that's a necessary trade off for the low price and high image quality.

 

I think at least choosing a battery from the DSLR world that would have allowed the attachment of a battery grip would have helped us all out a great deal. GH3 battery and grip would have been perfect for this camera. I have no idea why they went for the Nikon J1's crappy battery.

[Bruno]

Anyway, you can get Nikon EN-EL20 batteries at 1800mAh which should in theory at least double the battery life, instead of the factory 800mAh, right?

 

And if this camera sells well, as it should, I'm sure we'll have third party battery grips pretty soon...

[chrisso]

I agree, the camera was sold as highly portable. It can work great fully rigged out, but also needs to be usable in a stealthier mode.

I own one now, so a different choice of LCD is useless to me, as is a redesign of the battery holder. It is what it is.

A battery grip or someone developing a reliable EN-EL20 with more staying power would be welcome, but I don't trust the cheaper, third party batteries that claim to be much more powerful.

[Bruno]

a reliable EN-EL20 with more staying power would be welcome, but I don't trust the cheaper, third party batteries that claim to be much more powerful.

 

At less than $10 each, I'd say it's worth a try, they probably come from the same place as the one in your camera! :)

[chrisso]

Not worth a try if they fry your camera.

[markm]

That's not the Pocket camera philosophy at all actually. Why do you think it is small? So you can go adding bricks to it? I don't think so. Maybe you'd be better of with the BMCC.

The pocket camera has a philosophy?

BMD got the idea from the hacked canons and why did people hack the canons? To use as cheap HD cameras professionally. The pocket camera already pointed out by esteemed bloggers like Phil Bloom have already pointed out it is indeed not a pocket camera at all.

It actually records RAW and PRORES both professional formats.

It has crap sound NO built in ND filters SO what is it? A professional point and shoot with crap sound that needs a separate sound recordist.

Maybe you think they designed it for professional looking art films like you make so you can add music later? Don't think so..

I guess the thing is from a design point of view it uses few components and cheap everything EXCEPT the image where it goes to town.

 

I would say from a very simple deduction that the camera is a professional image maker And on that basis can be used in any area you want a professional image. That includes what you do and what I do.

Using it as a pocket camera doesn't work that well I mean You can hardly see the screen in daylight so you need a viewfinder on the back. The battery lasts 30 mins some say and you need ND's and really some sort of matte box and of course lens So hardly designed as a point and shoot pocket camera.

I think overall though many reviews have pointed out it is not really a pocket camera. I thought you were better than that.

[chrisso]

Truth is it's both.
I think Bloom (in part three) will remark on the add ons needed to use the camera - like a rig, viewfinder and external battery.
But at the same time, one of his main points in the part two review was he could film on the London Eye, and in Waterloo Station, whereas his friend with the more obvious camera couldn't.

[markm]

Size doesn't have to hurt battery duration.

 

The Nikon V1 has a huge D800 battery in it yet is as small as the Pocket camera.

 

Blackmagic need to use a less power hungry LCD panel and a better quality battery. The processor and sensor are likely pretty hungry, but at the moment that's a necessary trade off for the low price and high image quality.

 

I think at least choosing a battery from the DSLR world that would have allowed the attachment of a battery grip would have helped us all out a great deal. GH3 battery and grip would have been perfect for this camera. I have no idea why they went for the Nikon J1's crappy battery.

Maybe you have BMD's philosophy wrong?

Telling BMD they should redesign the whole thing to fit in with your version of BMD's philosophy is not really having a grip on BMDs philosophy is it? Surely better to buy a camera that has those things instead of the BMD Pocket.

Its really gobsmacking stupid how many want BMD to add more pro features to make it a pro camera and obviously then would obviously cost a pro price.

Trying to shame or ludicrously point out its weak areas (As if BMD didn't know what they made) is just simply crazy.

The camera is clearly a cheap way to shoot a pro picture and ONLY a pro picture. No pro sound battery or monitor. You want batteries buy them. The ones that suit the use YOU want it for. That could be big or small On rails off rails connected to the mains in a studio or a generator on location. 

You need to take it for what it is and if you have a use for it then use it and stop trying to diminish replace add to BMD's philosophy when clearly you are wrong as are many and although BMD wont try to clarify as they want to sell as many as possible it is really up to reviewers to tell the public what the pocket camera is able to do and not define it as something it isn't. Which is....The camera clearly gives pros on a budget a pro picture and the rest is up to them including sound and any extra niceties professional cameras have.

[markm]

Truth is it's both.
I think Bloom (in part three) will remark on the add ons needed to use the camera - like a rig, viewfinder and external battery.
But at the same time, one of his main points in the part two review was he could film on the London Eye, and in Waterloo Station, whereas his friend with the more obvious camera couldn't.

The ability to use the camera incognito is not in my opinion what it was designed to do and is a bonus. If you know anything about cameras and you what prores and raw do then it really shouldn't be that difficult to reach an easy conclusion that takes Phil Bloom a long time to demonstrate how silly it is to use a consumer pocket camera with his final result of it being for pro use.

Does this silliness really need to be demonstrated to the extent some are taking it? Personally I think a more direct review summing up why it isn't a pocket consumer camera over a few minutes then a full review of its pro ability would be far better.

[Andrew Reid]

Anyway, you can get Nikon EN-EL20 batteries at 1800mAh which should in theory at least double the battery life, instead of the factory 800mAh, right?

 

And if this camera sells well, as it should, I'm sure we'll have third party battery grips pretty soon...

 

Like I said, it's highly unlikely that A) the cell is actually 1800mAh or B - the cell is of equal quality to the factory Nikon battery.

 

These batteries have been opened up and the markings on the cell is often lower than the marking on the case, which points to the cheap high capacity stuff being a bit of a marketing scam.

[Oliver Daniel]

It's called the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera. It is marketed as a Pocket camera with cinematic capabilities.

It's like saying the iPad was designed to sit on your desk at home. Imagine having to be forced to use an external battery just to make it what it is - portable.

I'm going to the river to play with stones and sticks. It's much fun.