Launch Announcement - PBC Pocket Remote For Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Cameras

[leslie]

can i get it in orange ? i feel my pk4  needs more bling. By the way have you or can you add functionality to take stills ?

[BTM_Pix]

18 minutes ago, leslie said:

can i get it in orange ? i feel my pk4  needs more bling. By the way have you or can you add functionality to take stills ?

The screen colour scheme is user defined so there is an orange option you can set as well as cyan, blue and black.

BM have not included the stills option in their protocol unfortunately.

[BTM_Pix]

Twas the night before launch and a world's first for any app or device was stirring.....

Really pleased to reveal that the PBC is fully compatible with both the Pocket4K and the Pocket6K.

And yes, that also includes focus control.

 

[BTM_Pix]

Ignition on.

If you'd like one, you can order it here

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/pbc-blackmagic-pocket-cinema-camera-controller/x/22750367#/

 

[Marcio Kabke Pinheiro]

Amazing job, @BTM_Pix. If I had a Pocket, for sure would be joining the campaign.

Any plans to make a Panasonic version? (Ideal would be a Olympus one, but judging from the lack of controls of the Oly app, probably the protocol is very bad)

[BTM_Pix]

3 minutes ago, Márcio Kabke Pinheiro said:

Amazing job, @BTM_Pix. If I had a Pocket, for sure would be joining the campaign.

Any plans to make a Panasonic version? (Ideal would be a Olympus one, but judging from the lack of controls of the Oly app, probably the protocol is very bad)

Thanks.

Yes, a Panasonic one will happen reasonably soon.

 

[vade]

Is DJI Ronin S to Pocket 4K possible?

Is it possible for this unit to act as a bridge from the Ronin S Gimbal to allow record via gimbal button and focus via the DJI Focus knob for Ronin S? Id imagine the hardware would have to act as a sort of bridge to be passed on to the Black Magic cameras?

 

 

[BTM_Pix]

14 hours ago, vade said:

Is DJI Ronin S to Pocket 4K possible?

Is it possible for this unit to act as a bridge from the Ronin S Gimbal to allow record via gimbal button and focus via the DJI Focus knob for Ronin S? Id imagine the hardware would have to act as a sort of bridge to be passed on to the Black Magic cameras?

 

 

It acts as a bluetoorh bridge between the Tilta wheel and the camera but the Ronin wheel is S-BUS so would require a different reciever type.

Its possible to do but would be a different product. The PBC is designed to act as a hub for add ons as well as a standalone product (it will be the core module of the AF expander for example) so an expander module to do S-BUS could be considered.

[vade]

3 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

It acts as a bluetoorh bridge between the Tilta wheel and the camera but the Ronin wheel is S-BUS so would require a different reciever type.

Its possible to do but would be a different product. The PBC is designed to act as a hub for add ons as well as a standalone product (it will be the core module of the AF expander for example) so an expander module to do S-BUS could be considered.

Ah, I see - the focus wheel for Ronin S isn't part of the blue tooth protocol that say the iOS app etc receive - it uses the S-BUS instead. Interesting / a shame.

I for one would be very interested in a product that allows the full range of Ronin S features to be used with the BMPCC4K - specifically focus, but record would be amazing too. A small S-Bus to your bluetooth transmitter would be an amazing little add on.

Congrats on the product and good luck!

[Cinegain]

Thought it was gonna be that kinda thing. But this is pretty sweet as well. Believe I've the hardware controller as depicted in mentioned tweet on some Chinese webshop, so that was just for tinkering around, proof of concept I suppose. This actual one seems custom built to purpose. 3D printed by the looks? Final product as well or will you be tooling molds (I suppose not)? Tried and tested with both Metabones and Viltrox e-EF adapters/boosters?

Was just wondering... what's the difference here exactly? One is discounted from 84 one from 77?

Actually sold my BMPCC4K a few months back (in favor of Panasonic simplicity), but I can see some future demand for another one and of course would be nice just backing your efforts keeping what you're doing for the community alive, making these ideas into reality. Make sure to drum up some attention! It would be nice to have this seen on a rumor site other than another Amazon or Topaz affiliate link dump post.

[BTM_Pix]

58 minutes ago, Cinegain said:

Thought it was gonna be that kinda thing. But this is pretty sweet as well. Believe I've the hardware controller as depicted in mentioned tweet on some Chinese webshop, so that was just for tinkering around, proof of concept I suppose. This actual one seems custom built to purpose. 3D printed by the looks? Final product as well or will you be tooling molds (I suppose not)? Tried and tested with both Metabones and Viltrox e-EF adapters/boosters?

Was just wondering... what's the difference here exactly? One is discounted from 84 one from 77?

Actually sold my BMPCC4K a few months back (in favor of Panasonic simplicity), but I can see some future demand for another one and of course would be nice just backing your efforts keeping what you're doing for the community alive, making these ideas into reality. Make sure to drum up some attention! It would be nice to have this seen on a rumor site other than another Amazon or Topaz affiliate link dump post.

Its a custom design.

The ones in the video are resin printed but the shipping ones are industrial 3D prints in a polished carbon dyed nylon. The unit threshold for break even on injection moulding is too high for a niche product and it would have been a needless cost to pass on to people really.

The PBC is the first piece of the jigsaw so expect other things to sprout from it in relatively short order. And not just for the Blackmagic cameras.

As the PBC drives the camera's own lens control system, the extent of the compatibility with adapters is exactly the same as the camera allows with the adapter. So, if the adapter (such as Viltrox) can't drive the focus from the camera istelf then the PBC won't be able to either.

The difference in the packages is the total value of the package as the First Wave includes the tripod adapter. So the user pays the same price but the discount % is more as it is from a higher total value.

Expect to see more coverage of it over the next week or so from different outlets...

[BTM_Pix]

Heartfelt thanks to everyone on here who backed the First Wave release of the PBC and please click the link to download some light reading ahead of your units being dispatched over the next few days.

https://tinyurl.com/PBC-USER-GUIDE

The fact that this single screen application with two buttons has ended up with enough functionality for a fifteen page manual is testament to how something that started out as a record start/stop controller ended up getting waaaayyy out of hand  

 

[kye]

Hooray for things getting out of hand and being as useful as possible!

[BTM_Pix]

We are pleased to confirm that all of the First Wave PBC orders have now been despatched and your contribution account updated with your tracking number.

You can track your delivery here :

https://www.royalmail.com/track-your-item#/

Now that the PBC is out of the door, the development of the autofocus adapter that goes with it will be in full swing so I will likely be far less active on here so if you have any issues then please contact us directly at

admin@cdatek.com

Once again, many thanks for your support and I look forward to showing you something interesting with the focus controller on here soon......

[mercer]

Dang, I haven't really been following the development of this product because I don't own either cameras, but after skimming the manual, this is pretty effing impressive!

With the lens database, and your product, the Pocket 6K has just become a lot more interesting to me. Unfortunately, I'm a ways off to a 6K upgrade, but if I get there, you can count me as a customer.

Just curious, how does the calibration and your product work with zoom lenses?

[BTM_Pix]

18 minutes ago, mercer said:

Dang, I haven't really been following the development of this product because I don't own either cameras, but after skimming the manual, this is pretty effing impressive!

With the lens database, and your product, the Pocket 6K has just become a lot more interesting to me. Unfortunately, I'm a ways off to a 6K upgrade, but if I get there, you can count me as a customer.

Just curious, how does the calibration and your product work with zoom lenses?

Cheers.

Yeah, in terms of functionality it started off as a hang glider and ended up as a plane but hopefully people can find a use for the extra bits.

The challenge of getting focusing to work on the Pocket6K and the variances in the focus resolution of the different lenses forced the development of the calibration/lens database functionality but its something that will be required by the autofocus add on so its a necessary evil.

The calibration is related to physical focus ring position so with regard to zoom lenses it is as parfocal (or not) as the lens that is being used.

There is some potential to force virtual parfocalness on lenses by using focus point offsets but that would be a later firmware update.

[Anaconda_]

Mine just arrived! Paired it up super easy and adjusted the button settings to my requirements, but not had a chance to use it properly yet. Looking forward to it though.

[Smeeth123]

Got mine today! Using it on the Ronin-S with the Pocket 4k and Nucleus Nano. Very impressed with its ease-of-use and setup. Finally feel like I have solid focus control on the Ronin-S with an overall payload that doesn't utterly destroy my arms. Unfortunately, the front housing on my unit came off as soon as I opened the box. Nothing a bit of super glue didn't fix. Otherwise, working great.

[pryde]

@BTM_Pix First off, I LOVE the PCB. mainly for the fact that it's allowed me to do away with the tilta motor and the wires and bulk it adds to an already bulky system. Since i use the Canon 35mm f/2 90% of the time, the PCB makes using the nano for pulling focus seamless. No more calibrating lenses during shooting is wonderful.

Here's my one issue, which is minor, but would take the PCB to the next level for me. Due to the P4k's terrible battery life, I am in the habit of turning the camera off between takes. Leaving the nucleus on continuously so it doesn't forget it's connection to the PCB isn't a problem as 2 batteries are plenty, but every time I turn the P4k on, I also have to restart the PCB. Is there any way for the PCB to remain in low power mode and to switch on when it senses the P4k has turned on? Or perhaps if it's plugged into the usb-C port on the P4k, could power through the cable trigger the PCB to turn on and connect? I obviously don't understand the technical factors at work here, but wanted to throw this your way to see if a solution was possible. Thanks!

[BTM_Pix]

1 hour ago, pryde said:

@BTM_Pix First off, I LOVE the PCB. mainly for the fact that it's allowed me to do away with the tilta motor and the wires and bulk it adds to an already bulky system. Since i use the Canon 35mm f/2 90% of the time, the PCB makes using the nano for pulling focus seamless. No more calibrating lenses during shooting is wonderful.

Glad to hear you are enjoying it !

1 hour ago, pryde said:

 

Here's my one issue, which is minor, but would take the PCB to the next level for me. Due to the P4k's terrible battery life, I am in the habit of turning the camera off between takes. Leaving the nucleus on continuously so it doesn't forget it's connection to the PCB isn't a problem as 2 batteries are plenty, but every time I turn the P4k on, I also have to restart the PCB. Is there any way for the PCB to remain in low power mode and to switch on when it senses the P4k has turned on? Or perhaps if it's plugged into the usb-C port on the P4k, could power through the cable trigger the PCB to turn on and connect? I obviously don't understand the technical factors at work here, but wanted to throw this your way to see if a solution was possible. Thanks!

To make sure that the PBC starts up as fast as possible, it goes into a hibernation mode when you switch it off or if it senses that the camera has been switched off so essentially it already is in (ultra) low power mode.

In order for the PBC to re-connect automatically when the camera switches on, it would need to be in a constant BLE scanning mode which would drain the PBC battery (and faster than it would during normal operation actually) so you'd then end up with two power problems instead of one

There is some scope to make the scan to be periodic to reduce the power consumption but then the issue becomes at what interval the scan is done  as if you switch the camera on in the non-scanning period you would have to wait until it was caught by the next one so its then much quicker to just reboot the PBC.

With regard to the USB-C port on the camera, its a no go really unfortunately as so many people use that to connect their recording media.

Ideally, of course, BM would have a power saving setting for the camera to switch the screen off etc which would be a big help in general to all users not just those with PBCs but I obviously have no knowledge of whether they have that in the works.