Grant Petty reveals origins of Blackmagic cameras (concept was offered to major manufacturers)

[austinmcconnell]

 

It's about time Canon actually THANKED the enthusiast DSLR video community for the manner in which we embraced Canon and allowed them to grasp the opportunity to launch Cinema EOS.

 

Who should they address the letter to? And most importantly... should we demand chocolates as well?  ;)

[Andrew Reid]

One other point… Canon's CEO took home $272 million in 2011. He's 77 this year I believe.

 

Do you really think a guy in this position has the same hunger to explore new technology as someone like Grant Petty, who has it all ahead of him?

[austinmcconnell]

One other point… Canon's CEO took home $272 million in 2011. He's 77 this year I believe.

 

Do you really think a guy in this position has the same hunger to explore new technology as someone like Grant Petty, who has it all ahead of him?

I don't judge men I don't know. All I know is Grant seems to be getting off to a good start. So celebrate that. Canon cares zilch about your opinion, or mine. So why spend hours complaining about them on the internet?  B)

[Andrew Reid]

I will continue to enjoy Canon through their lenses at least even if not their DSLRs. The 85MM F1.2L is the work of a madman!!

[Tzedekh]

I don't think producing an APS-C sensor version of the BMPCC has to necessarily be expensive like a typical Canon spec APS-C video camera - i.e. $15,000. Why do I think that? Well the Blackmagic Production Camera has an APS-C (Super 35mm) sized sensor, shoots 4K raw with a global shutter and costs $4000.

 

The CMOSIS CMV12000 sensor alone probably costs BMD at least $1,000 per unit. I like its global shutter. I'm not nearly as sanguine about its dynamic range -- I suppose we'll have to wait and see. I expect to see improvements in sensor technology involving stacking (i.e., the global-shutter circuits are moved to a different layer, thus allowing larger photodiodes) and dual (normal and high-gain) readout like that used in the BMCC's Fairchild/BAE CIS2051 or the Arri Alexa's sensor.

[Stab]

You guys are right about Canon / Nikon etc, but you can't blame them for their strategies. 

Companies have to make money, on a LONG term.

 

They probably could release a €3000,00 camera tomorrow, that does everything 'we' want. Everyone will buy it immediately.

And then what? What happens in 5 years when nobody buys shit anymore? That's right, they go out of business. No more Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc.

Only 1 company left that now has a monopoly and charges 1000$ for simple repairs of your camera. 

 

I'm not saying its better or worse, just stating the obvious here. If 'we' got all the tech that companies are technically capable of today, we would all have the fastest computer possible, the best camera's, a $50 chair that licks my balls. a fridge that can cook, etc.

 

But once we have all of it, then what? Exactly. No more companies.

[StrangerSong]

I will continue to enjoy Canon through their lenses at least even if not their DSLRs. The 85MM F1.2L is the work of a madman!!

 

Ignoring video, and solely for the photography stuff, they have a great system.

[markm]

Stab

They tried to hold back technology and what happened? Loads of peripheral firms made the bits they held back So they might as well have not held back and made the money they lost to other new companies.

There will for the foreseeable future be companies Because technology moves ahead and good companies stay in the zone.

[Andrew Reid]

Ignoring video, and solely for the photography stuff, they have a great system.

 

There's tons lacking on the photography side too actually. They don't have a mirrorless system with EVF. They have something like a grand mirrorless lens range of what… 2 lenses!?

 

So no really portable full frame camera for stills like Sony has with the A7R, A7 and RX1.

 

There's no high megapixel body for stills. Canon 22MP to Nikon / Sony 36MP is a big gap. Their CMOS manufacturing needs to move off the current outdated process to achieve this high megapixel count and it seems they are late doing this.

 

Their contrast detect AF is still slower than Micro Four Thirds and 95% of Canon lenses don't have internal silently focussing stepping motors for AF. Even on 70D the live-view AF is way slower than the Panasonic GX7 / Olympus OM-D E-M1.

 

They don't have the variety of bodies either… They are all almost identical to use, similar size, similar ergonomics, similar black trad. SLR design, etc.

 

The lens range is incredibly strong but very pricey, look at the new Canon 35mm F2.0 IS. That began at 700 euros and they had to drop the price 200 euros before it started selling. Compared to Sigma 35mm F1.4 you have to really need IS to consider the Canon. It's a nice lens, I use it, and light… but at 700 it was a non-starter for me.

 

Photographers are also complaining about the EOS M2. They were awaiting a proper update but instead had the range cancelled altogether in the US and Europe where the last one sold poorly due to being rather rubbish.

 

Trust me, it's pretty much only momentum and inertia which is keeping Canon in the game at the moment.

[Andrew Reid]

You guys are right about Canon / Nikon etc, but you can't blame them for their strategies. 

Companies have to make money, on a LONG term.

 

It is exactly the long term strategy for making money I have an issue with regards Canon. They have been very successful at short termism actually. They have not kept up with technological changes and market shifts especially towards mirrorless technology. Maybe they think they can just turn on the tap late and get away with it? I don't know.

 

And more worryingly even Sigma are making better lenses now, just look at the performance of the Sigma 35mm F1.4 vs the Canon L equivalent.

[HurtinMinorKey]

One other point… Canon's CEO took home $272 million in 2011. He's 77 this year I believe.

To be fair, 272 million is probably in Yen, So approximately $2.7 Million. Traditionally, Japanese CEOs are not as overpaid as US CEOs.

[maxotics]

To be fair, 272 million is probably in Yen, So approximately $2.7 Million. Traditionally, Japanese CEOs are not as overpaid as US CEOs.

 

And I calculated a few years ago that if you took all CEO pay in excess of $150,000 (including bonuses and stock options) and redistributed it to every working American each of us would get a check for $300--hardly life changing.  

 

And some of what any camera maker faces when providing technology that isn't completely idiot proof.  The 5th review of the BMPCC on Amazon: (Yes, I left a comment answering all those issues).  

 

 

This review is from: Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera with Micro Four Thirds Lens Mount (Electronics)

What a total pain in the as*.
It eats through batteries, the video out of the micro-HDMI is progressive, it only uses 62GB 95mb/s SD cards .... then when you go to dump the data, you HAVE to go through Davinci Resolve, color correct, then go to your nle software (yes, Blackmagic thinks that is the proper work flow as if its only natural to want to color correct every frame you shot and not just the frames in your final edit) then you have to re-format the card in the computer utility EVERY TIME or the camera doesn't recognize the card. Yes, great camera for the price, but you need to put in an extra $2000 to get it up to production standards and then there is the extra steps and time in the work flow (which doesn't flow at all).

[Andrew Reid]

No it was in dollars not yen, look - http://www.forbes.com/profile/fujio-mitarai/

 

More from Canon...

 

Interview, mainly about mirrorless - http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fdc.watch.impress.co.jp%2Fdocs%2Fnews%2Finterview%2F20131209_626786.html

 

Sparkling career but please retire guys and let some young blood revitalise the company.

[HurtinMinorKey]

And I calculated a few years ago that if you took all CEO pay in excess of $150,000 (including bonuses and stock options) and redistributed it to every working American each of us would get a check for $300--hardly life changing.  

 

 

That's because all the real crooks are in finance! :lol:

 

Japan is a little different since many of the companies(including Canon) are family owned, which is another reason old execs stick around even longer).

 

No it was in dollars not yen, look - http://www.forbes.com/profile/fujio-mitarai/

 

 

EOSHD, I see the link, but it's got to be a mistake (99.98% certain).  There's no way that is his yearly compensation. I know his family owns the company, but that figure would put him at the very top of the CEO payscale.

 

But the actual numbers aside, i agree with you, it's time to let younger people take over.

[Andrew Reid]

It includes a share offer and was only 1 year (2011) but Forbes are a good source. Who knows, may be wrong. I have no idea about such matters and nor should it matter. The point is, their management are not into change. They want to keep the status quo ticking along and they don't really understand the gravity of the situation, with regards the internet age and technology and Canon's lack of progress in those areas.

[tomekk]

Geeeez, You should be a businessman Andrew. It seems like you would have more success than in film making. Your ideas regarding business are really visionary. Never seen such visions in you videos (which are mostly technical on this site).

[Andrew Reid]

Because technology moves ahead and good companies stay in the zone.

 

Which explains why Canon wiped $2.5 billion off their 2013 profit forecast.

[mtheory]

Maybe we should just do a kickstarter/indiegogo campaign to raise money for developing a 3K CinemaDNG S35 camera for $3k. I might be traveling to China soon and could take one day off to research suppliers. Andrew, hypothetically, what sensor would be the optimum one?

[mtheory]

I will continue to enjoy Canon through their lenses at least even if not their DSLRs. The 85MM F1.2L is the work of a madman!!

 

I love that lens.