Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K

[MeanRevert]

8 minutes ago, Emanuel said:

No idea why, you don't find anything better for such price range. Even for higher, I'd dare to state, follows this impression of mine : -)

Probably because the pocket 4K was so good for its low asking price and its users didn’t think the 6k was worth almost 2x price just to have slightly more resolution and an EF Mount while giving up their speed boosters.

[Emanuel]

9 minutes ago, MeanRevert said:

Probably because the pocket 4K was so good for its low asking price and its users didn’t think the 6k was worth almost 2x price just to have slightly more resolution and an EF Mount while giving up their speed boosters.

I concur that MFT format is actually priceless and this current price now is much more indie friendly but aside that, they're practically the same camera just along two different image resolutions and sensor sizes, respectively. Never had seen anything even closer.

You still have Luca's, anyway:

This device is a must, the Jim Jannard's promise fulfilled today, I'd dare to add : -)

[Snowbro]

It does show less noise in your finished project and is nice to have the extra resolution for stabilizing if you need it. Many experts that have played around with both, have said that the pocket 6k has less color problems out of the box. They both have IR pollution. The only thing I really had a big gripe with was the battery life. It is around 20min per battery if you want to see your screen outside, so you end up making some huge rig with a giant battery and screen, which should be unnecessary imo. I like to bike 10-25 miles into steep mountains, so having it fully rigged out is a bear. I think their battery choice logic was based on them doing an EF mount, so they put Canon batteries in it. Then again, the EOS R has the same one and doesn't die shortly after you turn it on. 

[Emanuel]

This thread can help you out there:

 

[SteveV4D]

13 hours ago, MeanRevert said:

Probably because the pocket 4K was so good for its low asking price and its users didn’t think the 6k was worth almost 2x price just to have slightly more resolution and an EF Mount while giving up their speed boosters.

Not sure if you can describe 6K as slightly more resolution over 4K.  In fact, it's one of the reasons I was on the fence with this camera.  Larger file sizes, minimum benefits as I wouldn't be delivering in 6K.  I liked the idea of ditching the adaptor and running just the EF lenses I have.  However the initial price was too much.  I've since been swayed by reports of a slightly better image with the 6K over the 4K, and of course the price cut.  It's now costed I think to its value when comparing it to the price of the 4K. 

Once work resumes, it's top of my list to buy.  Until then, I can't speak much of the camera.  

[kye]

On 8/18/2019 at 11:36 PM, thephoenix said:

 

Tom posted a follow-up to the above, with the results, and also the under/over exposure tests.

I did it blind and picked the P6K first, with the UMP second.  Interestingly, I chose based upon the colours, and the strange green tint from the Alexa and the awful strange everything colours of the RED made them get third and last places, respectively.  The more I grade, the more I care about good colour and the associated art department choices (which obviously aren't a factor here) and less about the resolution or whatever else of the camera.  The sharpness of the P6K doesn't phase me as I know I could soften it in post, or on set with lenses and filters.

Considering that the Alexa has been used by other people to get good colours once or twice before we know it's possible and the camera isn't fundamentally flawed...  yes, I'm kidding of course.   I don't even think he botched the WB.  It's very odd how the colours were rendered, and strange that the RED also shared some of the bad colours from the Alexa.

Regardless, seems the image from the P6K holds up pretty well, and the over exposure highlight rolloff didn't look too much worse than the Alexa, of course with the under-exposure shadows being much superior due to lower noise levels.

[zerocool22]

I wonder If we would have got DR 17 already if NAB wasnt cancelled. As on each NAB they have great news, with great billboards. So not sure if they are waiting on the next big gear show, or we can expect it this summer. 

[JordanWright]

6K users, how tight is the EF mount on your cameras? One of the only things holding me back from upgrading my 4k to the 6k is that i'm worried the mount is loose. Its not an issue on the 4k as i've added a Cine Lock Speedbooster.

[FranciscoB]

I'm a resolve studio user and I don't get the new version every year. It has bugs everytime and needs fixes with firmware updates. How about delivering a solid product, on time? And how about a good solid version every two years or so? Editing rarely needs constant updates. The color page is already pretty amazing. Fairlight is my only advice to be better, with more incorporation in the edit page. Better eq's and native tools.

[kye]

7 hours ago, FranciscoB said:

I'm a resolve studio user and I don't get the new version every year. It has bugs everytime and needs fixes with firmware updates. How about delivering a solid product, on time? And how about a good solid version every two years or so? Editing rarely needs constant updates. The color page is already pretty amazing. Fairlight is my only advice to be better, with more incorporation in the edit page. Better eq's and native tools.

I think it's a market strategy - to prioritise new features over being rock-solid.  However, having said that, when I started on Resolve 12.5 it would crash or need a restart about once every 30 minutes, but now that's down to maybe once every two hours or more, and it's stopped crashing but just needs a restart because something has gone funny and you adjust something and nothing happens.

Also, have a look at what the PP users are complaining about - they have unreliable software that isn't adding 15% of new features on an annual basis, and they're paying for their software again and again and again and again instead of paying for it once and never again.  

Resolve was no-where in the market a few years ago and now it's commonly listed as part of the holy trinity - PP, FCPX, Resolve.  Given the current trajectory they'll have to slow down new development because they'll run out of things to add, and at that point I think they'll go into more of a refinement mode and it will get even more stable at that point.

[Andrew Reid]

21 hours ago, JordanWright said:

6K users, how tight is the EF mount on your cameras? One of the only things holding me back from upgrading my 4k to the 6k is that i'm worried the mount is loose. Its not an issue on the 4k as i've added a Cine Lock Speedbooster.

It was quite loose on mine and there's no positive locking adapter for EF that I know of at least.

[BTM_Pix]

Just now, Andrew Reid said:

It was quite loose on mine.

To be fair, that might have been the mice that had obviously been living in your one before it arrived.

[Andrew Reid]

I did notice one tried to escape.

[Super8]

I want to like the P6K so much.  Should I give it another try?

 

[Andrew Reid]

Nope.

[SteveV4D]

I plan to buy one once work resumes properly rather than in dribs and drabs at the moment.  The price is now right and whilst there are other options, these carry their own issues.

[JordanWright]

The price is getting quite low at some venders here in the UK thinking I might give it a punt soon.

[JordanWright]

Just upgraded from the 4k to the 6k and thought i'd share some thoughts.

I think they have updated the packaging again because my unit was significantly different than either version i've seen online. There was no scratches or scuffs to the body and the sensor was clean and clear. One of my main concerns with the 6K was how tight the fit of the lens mount would be but upon testing, my unit was great. It is very tight and holds the lens much better than the my 4k did. All ports/connections work correctly. The only issue I have a few stuck pixels on the monitor (not sensor). Its not a huge deal but not nice to see on a brand new camera. I have read that all LCD monitors have a few and often warranty doesn't cover it but i've opened a ticket with Blackmagic to see what they say. They have always been incredible in the past! I don't remember seeing any stuck pixels on my 4K (although I didn't look for them). Battery life appears slightly worse than the 4k. Approx 46m to 42m continuous recording in 4k ProRes to a Cfast card. Obviously requires larger and faster cfast cards mine are already on the approved list but I might pick up 1 or 2 more. Also the 6k feels much heavier than the 4k and is slightly louder although not enough to hear even in an interview setup. Don't block the bottom fans on the 6k, the camera expels a lot of heat during long recordings. 

These are only initial tests, i'll need more time with the camera to form a better opinion, I haven't used it on an actual shoot yet. I also didn't have the cameras side by side. I really see the 4k and 6k as complimentary cameras that both have positives and negatives. Price wise, it was only a £100 upgrade from the 4k & SB to the 6k. I also find it incredible that I sold my 4k & a speed booster for the exact price I purchased them for brand new almost 2 years ago.

The Dynamic range isn't miles apart but is improved. The 6k appears to do much better in the highlights but might have a touch more noise in the shadows. Although this is offset when putting the 6k file in a 4k timeline. To my eye, the colour is very similar. Samples online show the 6k to have slightly more accurate skin tones but, without a side-by-side, you'll never tell the difference. It's worth noting that the 6k does have more rolling shutter, the 4k is much more controlled in this area. 

The 6k has a larger sensor (1.55x to the 4k's 1.89x) but a speed booster gives the 4k a much wider FOV (1.22x using the Metabones XL). However, I've found that speed boosters mess with the image too much. I personally wouldn't recommend one. Ive picked up a new sigma 18-35mm as my standard zoom. It would also work very well as a standard zoom for the 4k (non-speedbooster). The sigma isn't my favourite lens, but you can't beat the range and the speed and performance for the price.  My Tok 28-70 was way too telephoto for the 6k (it was on the edge for the 4k XL). On a side note, the sigma Is MUCH contraster and sharper than the Tokina. I might try out a low-con style filter. Recommendations welcome!

[seanzzxx]

3 hours ago, JordanWright said:

The 6k has a larger sensor (1.55x to the 4k's 1.89x) but a speed booster gives the 4k a much wider FOV (1.22x using the Metabones XL). However, I've found that speed boosters mess with the image too much. I personally wouldn't recommend one. Ive picked up a new sigma 18-35mm as my standard zoom. It would also work very well as a standard zoom for the 4k (non-speedbooster). The sigma isn't my favourite lens, but you can't beat the range and the speed and performance for the price.  My Tok 28-70 was way too telephoto for the 6k (it was on the edge for the 4k XL). On a side note, the sigma Is MUCH contraster and sharper than the Tokina. I might try out a low-con style filter. Recommendations welcome!

I use the 1/8 Black Promist filter on that exact lens A LOT, and I highly recommend it. Subtle, but great.

[JordanWright]

Just an update as I received my replacement unit, it was longer going through CVP because they had to wait for a replacement unit to be in stock (they are hard to get hold of in the UK at the moment COVID related?) so I would advice going straight through BM in the future. 

The replacement unit has once again different internal packaging, similar to the original but made out of foam. My previous unit was significantly different, most the accessories came in white boxes. Either way neither had any packaging related issues. After testing the camera, this unit seems to have significantly less noise than my previous unit. I previously stated that the 6k had a bit more noise than the 4k but this unit is much, much better than my old 4k. I suspect my previous 6k unit also had a sensor issue.