Blackmagic Micro Cinema Super Guide and Why It Still Matters

[BTM_Pix]

So I keep meaning to do something more elaborate for the BMMCC but never have the time but I had an hour free this afternoon to knock this together for anyone who wants something cheap and easy to base a DIY controller on.

Basically, its a 6 channel servo tester that costs £15 from Amazon ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/LewanSoul-Channel-Digital-Over-Current-Protection/dp/B073XZH264/r ) and a £5 solder less VGA breakout from Amazon ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/sourcing-map-Breakout-Connector-Solderless/dp/B07MQX1BBP )

(Yes, I've soldered the ground but thats only because mine must have been made on a Friday afternoon and they put in one side of the connector wrong )

With this, you can use the rotary pots to control four parameters on the camera so you could use it to have physical control of focus, aperture, ISO and WB etc.

I've shown the solder less breakout as it makes things really easy for anyone to connect up (it has a shell to enclose it obviously) but you can just solder to a connector if you want to.

Obviously you will want to use longer cables than these test ones !

The connections from the breakout to the servo board are 

1. BMCC PIN 1 > SERVO BOARD -
2. BMCC PIN 14 > SERVO BOARD +
3. BMCC PIN 3 > SERVO BOARD SERVO 0 S
4. BMCC PIN 8 > SERVO BOARD SERVO 1 S
5. BMCC PIN 12 > SERVO BOARD SERVO 2 S
6. BMCC PIN 13> SERVO BOARD SERVO 3 S

You then assign the functions that will be controlled by the pots on the servo board in the remote menu of the camera by setting the functions to be controlled by PWM1-4 respectively. (servo pot 0 is PWM1, pot 1 is PWM2 etc).

So if you want to build your own DIY physical controller thats all you need to know to get it going and then its up to you how you case it etc.

Because the BMMCC only has 4 ports you can control through then you have got two spare controllers which if you wanted to get fancy you could connect actual servos to for controlling manual focus lenses, zoom control etc.

 

[Shell64]

How far can you push the iso if you use resolves noise reduction?

[Patrick B.]

4 hours ago, Shell64 said:

How far can you push the iso if you use resolves noise reduction?

Camera maxes out at 1600 ISO.  I've only shot a couple test clips so far, but the noise seemed lower than I expected and very fine and pleasing in RAW format.  Haven't tried noise reduction yet.

@BenEricson "glossy" is actually the perfect description for most of the modern 4k cameras.  I like how the older Blackmagic cameras with the Fairchild sensors have a characterful imperfection to them.  To me they look a little more vintage vs modern.

[mercer]

Native ISO is 800 on the Pocket and Micro and it has been highly recommended to only shoot at that ISO.

[BTM_Pix]

Incidentally, similar servo testers are available individually or in dual packs so if you wanted to use one on one handle to control focus and another on a handle on the other side for aperture etc then they would be ideal.

Ditto if you just wanted to use a single one on a gimbal to control focus.

[crevice]

1 hour ago, mercer said:

Native ISO is 800 on the Pocket and Micro and it has been highly recommended to only shoot at that ISO.

Yup. This is definitely an ISO 800 camera. As I mentioned in the main post - I only shoot raw 3:1 at iso 800 - I never change a single setting in camera, except to reformat a card.

[Patrick B.]

@mercer @crevice I'm getting a little over 3 hours of power with the large NPF batteries running through the SmallHD Focus, One Little Remote v4, and the Micro with a Metabones Super16 Speedbooster attached.  Not sure what actual record time will be like, but that's pretty impressive.

[crevice]

26 minutes ago, Patrick B. said:

@mercer @crevice I'm getting a little over 3 hours of power with the large NPF batteries running through the SmallHD Focus, One Little Remote v4, and the Micro with a Metabones Super16 Speedbooster attached.  Not sure what actual record time will be like, but that's pretty impressive.

Damn, that's sweet! Glad to hear you got your micro. Enjoy!

[shijan]

And also don't forget about all those custom made accessories for BMMCC/BMMSC by RADIOPROEKTOR available here https://lavky.com/radioproektor/

[crevice]

4 hours ago, shijan said:

And also don't forget about all those custom made accessories for BMMCC/BMMSC by RADIOPROEKTOR available here https://lavky.com/radioproektor/

Whoa, these are amazing. I wonder how long that battery lasts? Also - any idea where I can get that red record button that sits next to the wood grip? I don’t see it on their site. 

[mercer]

2 minutes ago, crevice said:

Whoa, these are amazing. I wonder how long that battery lasts? Also - any idea where I can get that red record button that sits next to the wood grip? I don’t see it on their site. 

Shijan makes them. Really great stuff. If the BMMCC was going to be my main camera, I’d probably invest in the entire kit.

Btw, he’s also the filmmaker behind the awesome boxer film you embedded in your original post. 

[BTM_Pix]

5 minutes ago, crevice said:

 Also - any idea where I can get that red record button that sits next to the wood grip? I don’t see it on their site. 

It is a custom one, detailed in this very useful thread by @shijan on the BM forum.

https://forum.blackmagicdesign.com/viewtopic.php?t=59874

If you already have an existing LANC controller and don't mind a bit of soldering this is the pin out for the expansion port on the camera.

If you do mind a bit of soldering then BM do the expansion cable which comes out to individual sockets you can just plug in to which is useful for power input etc but may be a bit clunky if all you need is the LANC.

[thephoenix]

it can even be integrated into the handle for you can trigger with the finger instead of the thumb

doing one for my xt3 when i get back home

[shijan]

43 minutes ago, crevice said:

Whoa, these are amazing. I wonder how long that battery lasts? Also - any idea where I can get that red record button that sits next to the wood grip? I don’t see it on their site. 

Battery can power BMMCC about 6.2 hours. See item description.

Start/Stop Controller Trigger is under developnent yet. More info here: http://bmcuser.com/showthread.php?23463

41 minutes ago, mercer said:

Shijan makes them. Really great stuff. If the BMMCC was going to be my main camera, I’d probably invest in the entire kit.

Btw, he’s also the filmmaker behind the awesome boxer film you embedded in your original post. 

I am NOT  the filmmaker of boxer film

[IronFilm]

On 8/17/2019 at 4:04 AM, mercer said:

If I could get my Micro footage to look that good, I may keep the Micro. As of now, I’m not so sure...

Lenses + Lighting + IR Cut + Skill!
 

On 8/18/2019 at 12:58 AM, crevice said:

The new Fairchild sensor does 4k at 120fps according to their spec sheet. There are some rumors that the 4k Fairchild sensor was meant for the pocket 4k, but they didn’t have it ready in time so blackmagic went with Sony (guessing). 

I am honestly not sure who would use that new Fairchild sensor, as micro four thirds seems to be on life support. Panasonic seem focused on their full frame and blackmagic just released the larger sensor 6k. Maybe there will be a pocket 4k v2 with higher frame rates and it will still retain micro four thirds - if so, I can see that camera using this sensor, possibly. 

Maybe Z Cam will use it?
(or maaaaaaaaaaaybe Kinefinity or DJI)

https://www.slashcam.com/news/single/New-MFT-sensor-MST4323-from-Fairchild---possibly-f-14907.html

Quote

Fairchild has introduced a new MFT sensor that could be of particular interest for digital Cinema cameras. As a background it should be mentioned that Fairchild developed the S35 sensor for URSA Mini 4.6K with Blackmagic. Otherwise, almost the entire camera market is now largely served by Sony. The last Blackmagic Cinema Camera 4K is also based on a Sony sensor, but it has a special design. Thus each sensor at Sony consists of 4 subsensors, which are read out for higher dynamics with different times. 

However, the Fairchild sensor is rather a classic sensor design, which (like ARRI sensors) is read with two sensitivities (2 x 11 bit), which are then mixed to a 16 bit signal. 

 

[mercer]

1 hour ago, IronFilm said:

Lenses + Lighting + IR Cut + Skill!

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

7 hours ago, shijan said:

I am NOT  the filmmaker of boxer film

My mistake, sorry.

[crevice]

5 hours ago, IronFilm said:

Maybe Z Cam will use it?

(or maaaaaaaaaaaybe Kinefinity or DJI)

https://www.slashcam.com/news/single/New-MFT-sensor-MST4323-from-Fairchild---possibly-f-14907.html

 

shijan, can you put your bmmcc modules on hold and buy some of those fairchild sensors and make a cinema camera for us real quick?

[thephoenix]

12 hours ago, shijan said:

Battery can power BMMCC about 6.2 hours. See item description.

Start/Stop Controller Trigger is under developnent yet. More info here: http://bmcuser.com/showthread.php?23463

I am NOT  the filmmaker of boxer film

look at this, it could inspire you to integrate the button

 

[kye]

21 hours ago, shijan said:

 

Damn, that is nice...  almost makes me want to get one.  Almost....

8 hours ago, mercer said:

Shit... I have none of those things. 

Your screenshots in the lenses thread say otherwise.  They also tell me you have perseverance, which might matter more than anything else in the end  

8 hours ago, mercer said:

How much does skill cost?

Skill is the most expensive thing to acquire - it costs time (which isn't something you can get more of) and effort (which is limited) and humility (which might be the most scarce element on earth...).    If only it wasn't so!!

[shijan]

4 hours ago, crevice said:

shijan, can you put your bmmcc modules on hold and buy some of those fairchild sensors and make a cinema camera for us real quick?

About 7 years ago i had few attempts to create DIY cinema camera, but it appears too complicated ant too risky as for hobby project. You can read a full story here: A story from SmallRig customer