Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera: does it make sense to buy it now?

[JazzBox]

Dear all, I own two m43 bodies: a Panasonic G6 and a GH4.
I'm happy with them and I've collected a little kit of Canon FD and Zeiss M42 lenses from 20mm to 85mm that I use with adapters and a native m43 Olympus 12mm (that I rarely use, since I love the FD 20mm and it's wide enough for 99% of my works).

Do you think it worth to give back the G6 and the Olympus 12mm in order to buy the Blackmagic Pocket? Is it still a camera that worth to invest on?

If I sell the Olympus 12mm, what would you suggest to use with Blackmagic as wide angle? There are not a lot of cheap solutions, but maybe the Lumix 14mm is not that bad...

Thank you very much for your advices!

[sqm]

I think there will be a big pricedrop again like last summer to clear the stock, it was araound 500$ ?

if you dont mind the lack of slowmo and and no global shutter, wait a bit and get it, love the BM image.

 

[Jimmy]

There are usually plenty on eBay... I love mine... It is the only camera I haven't sold or exchanged over the last few years. My jaw always drops when I get the raw footage into After Effects. It is packed in my bag, ready for a trip to Portugal on Friday, along with the A7s.

[nvldk]

As Jimmy said, it's a camera that won't make you want to sell it in like 1 or 2 years, because of the great image. You can get it for 470€ now here: http://syntex.sk/p/blackmagic-pocket-cinema-camera/c/cameras-digital-cinematography?lang=EN#3

[JazzBox]

Thank you very much!!

[dbp]

I'm planning on getting it. I was curious to see what was at NAB, but turns out there's no real replacement for it anywhere in the marketplace right now. The micro can kinda be rigged up to be a replacement, but even then it doesn't have the same small footprint that the pocket does. The image will be competitive for a long time too, me thinks. 

[Flynn]

I wouldn't pay more than $500 for it though. There was that recent deal at B & H where you could get the pocket, the 14-140 panasonic lens, extra battery and memory card for like $900.

[andrgl]

The body cap lenses from Olympus and Panasonic Pancake primes are a fantastic combo with the Pocket.

 

As Jimmy said, it's a camera that won't make you want to sell it in like 1 or 2 years, because of the great image. You can get it for 470€ now here: http://syntex.sk/p/blackmagic-pocket-cinema-camera/c/cameras-digital-cinematography?lang=EN#3

​I agree. I still love using this camera, especially when I see how flexible the image is to grade. Feels akin to what a 2.0 darkroom would be like.

[anchoricex]

I would be so delighted if this little camera just had the option to take a still photo. I know you can always pull a frame from the raw video, but for ease of workflow, a still key combination would be so good, maybe pressing focus + record at the same time = still photo, I don't know. I love the thing and think I may pick one up.

[Jimmy]

Bit of an ass backwards workaround... But if i need to take a still, i usually set the camera to 3 second timelapse and let it take a few shots.

[dbp]

I wouldn't pay more than $500 for it though. There was that recent deal at B & H where you could get the pocket, the 14-140 panasonic lens, extra battery and memory card for like $900.

​Agreed, especially since you'll want an IR cut/ND filter by the sounds of it.

[Escapist]

I wouldn't pay more than $500 for it though. There was that recent deal at B & H where you could get the pocket, the 14-140 panasonic lens, extra battery and memory card for like $900.

​I just picked up this deal. It's actually $995 but still not bad. Although I rather they have a prime bundled, this lens should be interesting especially with OIS. I feel like everyone on EOSHD has a pocket camera except me or something.

[nvldk]

​I just picked up this deal. It's actually $995 but still not bad. Although I rather they have a prime bundled, this lens should be interesting especially with OIS. I feel like everyone on EOSHD has a pocket camera except me or something.

​Everyone here has either panasonic gh4 or sony a7s  because andrew like them better :))

[lafilm]

Not sure what the pocket can offer over A7s right now?? Seems A7s offers a lot more at not too much of a price hike.

Maybe someone can chime in who has used both and can talk about user experience.

 

[JazzBox]

​I just picked up this deal. It's actually $995 but still not bad. Although I rather they have a prime bundled, this lens should be interesting especially with OIS. I feel like everyone on EOSHD has a pocket camera except me or something.

​Is the 14 wide and good enough for normal work? 

Unfortunately I can't buy the Pocket online, because I want to give back the 12mm Olympus and the G6 (or a big Manfrotto tripod) to the shop.

Is the aliasing and moire very strong on the Pocket?

Thank you!

[JazzBox]

If I buy it, the Pocket will be in my bag with GH4: do you think they can work nicely together? 
Thank you!

[TheRenaissanceMan]

Not sure what the pocket can offer over A7s right now??

​Besides 12 bit RAW and 10-bit prores with 13 stops of dynamic range, better rolling shutter, and WAY nicer color?

[JazzBox]

Yesterday I caught the Pocket: after 20 minutes the battery was out.
The screen is very dark and the simple things you need to set quickly a proper shoot (at least ISO, WB, Shutter angle) are in an internal menu, so you can't change them on the fly just pushing a button. It's difficult, because with GH4 I can instantly compare different settings whereas with Pocket I have to enter again and again in the menu.

In "natural" light I had to select 800 ASA: the screen was barely visible and it was very difficult to understand what I was shooting and what was in focus while, with the same settings, the GH4's screen was dazzling!
The histogram is minimal... but quite ok...

I was near to give it back, but.... watching the files in the computer I was AMAZED by the quality! Super great looking flat images! Unbelievable! 

Today I made some test and I'm very happy about the quality of the ProRes files. I tried a couple of RAW shots, but at the moment I can just see some (great looking) .DNG files with my laptop. 

Working with GH4 I normally end up using one, sometimes two batteries for each shooting day, so it's difficult for me to get used to 30 - 40 minutes batteries' life, but luckily EN-EL 20 are way cheap, so I can buy some spare batteries.

What is very difficult for me it's the display: very dark, too dark for the great files you can see after on the computer' screen. It's not articulated and the magnification is very basic, just the center. 

BUT: superb images (great dynamic and perfect skin tones), excellent focus peaking (in good light conditions), very comfortable guide lines for various aspect ratio.

It's a difficult camera: since it's little (and is called "pocket") you think you can run and gun with it, but probably (at least for me) it's not like that, unless you use it with a proper rig, an external monitor and an external battery pack. 

But the image's quality worth the discomfort. I rarely saw a so nice tonally balanced image straight from a camera. Of course you have to grade it, but it's REALLY beautiful. 

It would be nice if Blackmagic could improve this little monster with a firmware upgrade with a nice 1080 50p, a better batteries' life and maybe a more bright setting for the display.

Or if - for a funny miracle - tomorrow morning I had an unique GH4Pocket in my backpack: the GH4 simplicity and usability with the 1080 ProRes codec of Pocket 

Dreams apart, if you have any advice for a better workflow with it (even with RAW) I'd be grateful 



 

[mercer]

It sounds awesomely annoying. I have been mad at myself for the better part of a year about not jumping on the BM pocket last summer.

[j.f.r.]

​Besides 12 bit RAW and 10-bit prores with 13 stops of dynamic range, better rolling shutter, and WAY nicer color?

​I wouldn't use RAW on the Pocket, very bad moire and aliasing..... Compressed modes is much better for this simple fact. Unfortunately though Blackmagic Pocket Camera cannot be used due to lack of higher frame rates. Sony A7s is a much better overall camera imo with very impressive dynamic range (12) and insane low light/high iso capabilities.

 

URSA MINI looks very good though, the main problem I still see though is max 1600 iso. They need to seriously get that up to 3200 iso, if I can get 3200 iso then I feel it would be perfect.