Blackmagic Micro Cinema Super Guide and Why It Still Matters

[PannySVHS]

@shijan Pretty as heck! That smallrig cage is the one and only version? Asking to make sure everything fits with your products onto the right cage. Wouldnt want to buy the wrong cage. Nor the wrong camera:)

[shijan]

11 minutes ago, PannySVHS said:

@shijan Pretty as heck! That smallrig cage is the one and only version? Asking to make sure everything fits with your products onto the right cage. Wouldnt want to buy the wrong cage. Nor the wrong camera:)

Yes, SmallRig have only one version of BMMCC SmallRig cage.

BTW, all my product images that have 16x9 ratio where shoot in RAW on BMMCC with Mosaic OLPF and processed in Resolve with workflow described sep by step here https://forum.blackmagicdesign.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=65149&p=537852#p537852

See also BMMCC/BMMSC Rigs Collection: https://bmmccrigs.tumblr.com

I really can't see any reason for myself to move to other camera yet.
Some examples that may inspire you:

[IronFilm]

10 hours ago, mercer said:

Shit... I have none of those things. How much does skill cost?

 

Costs a DoP's day rate! ;-)
 

[BenEricson]

If anyone is curious, I just finished up a piece shot about 50 percent with the pocket. This was graded by a colorist. 

The other half is Super 8 and there's maybe 4/5 shots with the GH5.

This might not make sense if you don't live in Seattle but maybe relatable. Anyway. Shot with the OG bmpcc.

"An experiental piece about a population coming to terms with a rapidly changing city."

 

[crevice]

On 8/20/2019 at 10:08 AM, BenEricson said:

If anyone is curious, I just finished up a piece shot about 50 percent with the pocket. This was graded by a colorist. 

The other half is Super 8 and there's maybe 4/5 shots with the GH5.

This might not make sense if you don't live in Seattle but maybe relatable. Anyway. Shot with the OG bmpcc.

"An experiental piece about a population coming to terms with a rapidly changing city."

 

Looks good, nice work!

[Anaconda_]

I didn’t want to start a new topic, but I never owned the BMPCC as when they had the mega discount, a colleague gave me bad advise about it. I’ve regretted not buying one since and I was a quick adopter of the BMPCC4k. I of course love it, but am still very curious about its original form factor. So much so, nelly picked up a mega cheap eosm for magic lantern and that’s great, but requires a fair amount of time to get the files edit ready. Especially after being on vacation for a while and back with tones of footage. Not to mention the dodgy live view and cropping situation when you shoot anything over 1080p

anyway, my curiosity for the original pocket is still whispering in my ear and I recently found one with 10 batteries, VF and Saramonic audio interface and a few other goodies for €250 in my hometown. I’m pretty sure I’ll grab it, but wanted to get some extra advise - is that a good price? Will is satisfy my curiosity? Or will it open a can of worms that I don’t want to open?

[BTM_Pix]

7 hours ago, Anaconda_ said:

I recently found one with 10 batteries, VF and Saramonic audio interface and a few other goodies for €250 in my hometown. I’m pretty sure I’ll grab it, but wanted to get some extra advise - is that a good price? Will is satisfy my curiosity? Or will it open a can of worms that I don’t want to open?

Bite their hand off.

 

[crevice]

8 hours ago, Anaconda_ said:

I didn’t want to start a new topic, but I never owned the BMPCC as when they had the mega discount, a colleague gave me bad advise about it. I’ve regretted not buying one since and I was a quick adopter of the BMPCC4k. I of course love it, but am still very curious about its original form factor. So much so, nelly picked up a mega cheap eosm for magic lantern and that’s great, but requires a fair amount of time to get the files edit ready. Especially after being on vacation for a while and back with tones of footage. Not to mention the dodgy live view and cropping situation when you shoot anything over 1080p

anyway, my curiosity for the original pocket is still whispering in my ear and I recently found one with 10 batteries, VF and Saramonic audio interface and a few other goodies for €250 in my hometown. I’m pretty sure I’ll grab it, but wanted to get some extra advise - is that a good price? Will is satisfy my curiosity? Or will it open a can of worms that I don’t want to open?

It's a cheap price for sure, but just note that I highly recommend the micro over the pocket, because the micro has much better battery life. Those 10 batteries you are getting will last you about 3 hours total (15-20 min each) on the original pocket. So if you want an all day shoot, you will need 10-20 more. Yes, the battery is that bad. Where as with the micro, you can use NPF and go about 4 hours on 1 battery and you can rig it much easier. Obviously that price you are getting offered is dirt cheap, so I don't think you can go wrong. But that 250 can go a long way toward a micro these days, as micros are also going for pretty cheap. 

[BTM_Pix]

 

2 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

Bite their hand off.

 

Downvoted for this comment?

Tough crowd.

[leslie]

5 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

 

 

Downvoted for this comment?

Tough crowd.

i presume that you meant go for it grab it while you can  ? i presume the downvote was a misunderstanding of your intentions

i been watching ebay out of curiosity everything bmpcc or thereabouts has been going for double that price or more id say grab it anaconda

[IronFilm]

15 hours ago, Anaconda_ said:

I didn’t want to start a new topic, but I never owned the BMPCC as when they had the mega discount, a colleague gave me bad advise about it. I’ve regretted not buying one since

What an evil colleague!

 

15 hours ago, Anaconda_ said:

anyway, my curiosity for the original pocket is still whispering in my ear and I recently found one with 10 batteries, VF and Saramonic audio interface and a few other goodies for €250 in my hometown. I’m pretty sure I’ll grab it, but wanted to get some extra advise - is that a good price? Will is satisfy my curiosity? Or will it open a can of worms that I don’t want to open?

€250 is a hell of a price for an OG BMPCC in 2019!

Worth getting just so that you have a B Cam / backup to your BMPCC4K

18 minutes ago, leslie said:

i been watching ebay out of curiosity everything bmpcc or thereabouts has been going for double that price or more id say grab it anaconda

Exactly

[BTM_Pix]

2 hours ago, leslie said:

i presume that you meant go for it grab it while you can  ? i presume the downvote was a misunderstanding of your intentions

i been watching ebay out of curiosity everything bmpcc or thereabouts has been going for double that price or more id say grab it anaconda

Woah there, you can't just say "grab it".

If someone can interpret my comment as an incitement to literally bite the vendor then yours will be construed as an encouragement to steal it.

We'll end up with enough red arrows to have a celebratory fly by for The Queen.

 

[Anaconda_]

11 hours ago, crevice said:

Those 10 batteries you are getting will last you about 3 hours total (15-20 min each) on the original pocket.

Sound like it will open a can of worms I don’t want to open. But I’m going to open it anyway. 

I don’t want to rig it up all that much as it’ll be a hobby cam - so that’s why I’m not all that into the micro. Also, I can’t find one of those anywhere near this price. 

[crevice]

2 hours ago, Anaconda_ said:

Sound like it will open a can of worms I don’t want to open. But I’m going to open it anyway. 

I don’t want to rig it up all that much as it’ll be a hobby cam - so that’s why I’m not all that into the micro. Also, I can’t find one of those anywhere near this price. 

Understood. Nothing wrong with that. If that’s the case you should totally go for it. 

[BTM_Pix]

2 hours ago, Anaconda_ said:

Sound like it will open a can of worms I don’t want to open. But I’m going to open it anyway. 

I don’t want to rig it up all that much as it’ll be a hobby cam - so that’s why I’m not all that into the micro. Also, I can’t find one of those anywhere near this price. 

I don't disagree with the overall issue with the internal batteries being poor but just as an FYI really, the BMPCC can use the usual cheap SmallRig NPF sled which mounts on the top hole if you did need to have a longer run time so I've took a quick snap of my cameras to show you the form factors.

The overall package is much smaller depth wise with the BMPCC but at the expense of doubling the height of the whole package but this can be offset by using those smaller capacity NPF batteries which reduces the form factor.

The additional big gain for keeping it small also comes in it having the integrated LCD and, much as I love the expansion capabilities of the Micro, having to wire the connector just to get a LANC start stop is a bit of a pain when the Pocket can have one plugged directly in.

For travelling, this LANC grip, an EVF loupe and the two cheap tiny Panasonic collapsible zooms (the 12-32mm and 35-100mm) which both have OIS make it a pretty good modern day impression of an old school cine camera.

The Micro wins for image due to it higher fps and lower rolling shutter and the expansion possibilities make it brilliantly customisable but the Pocket, for me, is more practical to do casual stuff with.  

One word of caution regarding what is a very cheap price for the one you are looking at, make sure you check the HDMI port works.

[thephoenix]

On 8/20/2019 at 7:08 PM, BenEricson said:

If anyone is curious, I just finished up a piece shot about 50 percent with the pocket. This was graded by a colorist. 

The other half is Super 8 and there's maybe 4/5 shots with the GH5.

This might not make sense if you don't live in Seattle but maybe relatable. Anyway. Shot with the OG bmpcc.

"An experiental piece about a population coming to terms with a rapidly changing city."

 

and vimeo is advertising it. nice !!

 

[crevice]

Also for anyone reading this that has slightly deeper pockets and is ok with a larger camera and still wants the same "magic" in the footage - I forgot to mention that the URSA Mini 4.6k (not the pro!) also uses a Fairchild sensor and the footage is simply gorgeous. Just throwing out options for folks who prefer the Fairchild look. I have not used that specific camera, just have seen the footage - so I am not aware of its quirks. 

[Lambo]

55 minutes ago, crevice said:

Also for anyone reading this that has slightly deeper pockets and is ok with a larger camera and still wants the same "magic" in the footage - I forgot to mention that the URSA Mini 4.6k (not the pro!) also uses a Fairchild sensor and the footage is simply gorgeous. Just throwing out options for folks who prefer the Fairchild look. I have not used that specific camera, just have seen the footage - so I am not aware of its quirks. 

I thought the G1 Pro also had a fairchild sensor.

[crevice]

10 minutes ago, Lambo said:

I thought the G1 Pro also had a fairchild sensor.

 

I could be misinformed. Would love to know if that's the case. 

[thephoenix]

1 hour ago, crevice said:

Also for anyone reading this that has slightly deeper pockets and is ok with a larger camera and still wants the same "magic" in the footage - I forgot to mention that the URSA Mini 4.6k (not the pro!) also uses a Fairchild sensor and the footage is simply gorgeous. Just throwing out options for folks who prefer the Fairchild look. I have not used that specific camera, just have seen the footage - so I am not aware of its quirks. 

only the 4.6k or the 4k has it too ?

the ursa mini is only 300€ more expensive than the pocket 6k at the moment