The Blackmagic Cinema Camera is unlike any television camera you have ever seen . When it was announced in Aprilof last class , slackjawed videographers marveled at this fiddling television camera , made by a little computer software & post production ironware company , that shoot RAW data file at 2.5k solution for only $ 3000 . It was the form of production multitude expected would be file under either blundered experimentation , or the start of something big . turn out , it ’s a little of both .
BlackMagic Cinema Camera : Whopping 2.5 K Resolution for Under $ 3000
What Is It
A $ 3000 video tv camera with a super-16 mm CMOS sensing element that record at 1080p or 2.5k in ProRes , DNxHD , or RAW . you may choose from either a Canon EF or micro four - thirds lens of the eye mount .
Who’s It For
Indy movie maker mostly . It does n’t have the versatility or design for trial and hit man documentary work . For that you would require a Canon C100 / C300 , Sony FS100/700 , or even a DSLR is more convenient . The Cinema Camera serious suits people calculate to really make the most crisp , beautiful images possible in a production environs — and on a budget .
Why Does It Matter?
The big deal here is that you have Blackmagic Design — a relatively small company previously screw for its high - end colour grading software — developing a extremely capable video camera at an stupefying price . The headline features in the Cinema Camera are ones that users have been begging the grownup manufacturers — Canon , Sony , Panasonic — to include in their product , to no avail . These admit :
altogether recording : Video files from all but the most high - end cameras are heavy compressed , resulting in lessened image quality . RAW files are unprocessed frames which not only retain high levels of detail and active mountain range , but can be heavily manipulated in editing programme without losing much caliber — just like RAW photos .
2.5k resolution : While not quite extend to the future standard in video declaration of 4k , 2.5k is a big deal because it allow editors output to 1080p to crop in on the epitome without losing contingent . It also leaven that it is in fact potential to manufacture a modestly priced tv camera capable of processing such in high spirits - res file cabinet , a fact that larger companies would rather you not be cognisant of .
Design
The Cinema Camera looks like no other video recording tv camera . It is squarish and mere , excogitate considerations of low - cost manufacturing . While the design is a marvel for portability , it lacks any trace of ergonomics . Handheld shot is a struggle , both in finding a comfortable place to repose your hands , and accessing the control condition . For example , the aperture is controlled by the fast - forward / rewind button below the video display , but they are not next to each other , and almost unimaginable to reach without using two hands . At 3.75 pounds without a lens , it is quite fleshy considering its thickset chassis . To give you some view , a Canon C100 body is 2.25 lbs , and a 5D Mark III consistency is 1.9 lbs .
But the camera is n’t really meant to be used handheld . It is meant to be attach to a shoulder turnout or tripod . Third - party manufacturers , likeZacutoandRedrock Micro , are already clear all sort of attachments and accouterment to work up on the Cinema Camera . High quality fishing rig are ridiculously bulky , not to mention expensive .
Using it
I ca n’t underscore this enough : The Cinema Camera is n’t really meant to be used as a standalone machine . Attachable add-on are a virtual necessary . The non - interchangeable battery only provides about 90 transactions of sprightliness , so for extra succus , you will want to purchase international assault and battery like those provided bySwitronix . The on - board mic is rudimentary , so you will want to plug away an international mic in to the ¼-inch jacks . But verify you have some ironware to mount the mic on , because there is no ancillary shoe work up into the camera .
The photographic camera ’s Super-16 mm sensor — smaller than micro four - thirds — mean you have to re - assess your lens selection to report for the crop - divisor . Not only will few electron lens get you a super - wide-cut angle shot , but astuteness of domain will not be nearly as shallow as a full - frame photographic camera like the Canon 5D series , or even APS - C sensor cameras like the Canon 7D or Sony FS100 . This may be a well matter or a bad thing , look on what you are go for with your shooting .
To harness the secure of what this television camera has to proffer , you need to shoot RAW . Of course , altogether take with it a meter - consuming and organisation - intensive workflow . You want a whole mess of drive space ( 1 second of RAW footage is about 7 GB ) , and a whole stack of time for rendering such handsome filing cabinet . RAW footage can not only be set down into Premiere or Final Cut . You have to process it with software package like After Effects or DaVinci Resolve — the latter of which is included with the Cinema Camera — before edit out . Google blackmagic RAW workflow , and there are plenty of tutorials you may consult to recover a work flow that work for you .
persona quality is n’t arrant . downhearted - light shot is not the television camera ’s strong - suit . The ISO only endure up to 1600 , and even there you will get a decent amount of stochasticity . The grain is tight and unvarying , though . You will still notice fragile fringing and moire , as well as horrifying rolling shutter . But these are sort of par for the course of action in almost any camera under $ 10,000 .
The Best Part
No matter how inconvenient it all may seem , the television camera ’s crotchet take a backseat to ikon timber . Once you see the images you ’ve seize , all seems good with the existence . If you are produce the jump from DSLR TV , the picture quality of the Cinema Camera will be instantly noticeable . To get an theme of what can be achieved , watch this beautiful scant movie by Philip Bloom :
Tragic Flaw
It ’s the lack of versatility . As much as people deride DSLRs as being incomplete solutions for shoot video because they call for so many accessories , the Cinema Camera is even worse in this regard . honest , it is not presuppose to be a running and gun tv camera . But that does n’t make it any less painful in practice .
This Is Weird
Get this — you could not delete clips in - camera . It is unfeignedly frustrative , especially with how treasured platter space is when lick with such large files .
Test Notes
Due to the smaller sensor ( a 2x crop factor ) , your Canon lenses will lose a lot of their wide area of view . For example , a 24 millimetre lens on a full - frame television camera will only give way the equivalent weight of 56 mm on the Cinema Camera .
you’re able to not ingest footage by connecting the camera to your computer . You must buy an SSD reader / wharfage .
The photographic camera comes with a copy of Blackmagic ’s famous color grade software package , DaVinci Resolve . It is incredibly sinewy , pitch towards pros , and costs $ 1000 on its own . Pretty prissy fringe benefit .
Should You Buy It?
If you idolize beautiful , elaborate imagery , and do n’t have super deep sac , theCinema Camera is worth a shot . It has its flaws , but most of them can be worked around . However , Blackmagic has already announce the Cinema Camera ’s replacement , theProduction Cinema television camera 4k . This upgrade features a Super-35 mm sensor ( about the sizing of APS - C ) , and records at full 4 KiB resolve . It cost $ 3995 and should ship afterward this summertime . Also in the approximate future is thePocket Cinema Camera , which have pretty much the same guts as the original Cinema Camera , but has an active micro four - thirds mount and only records 1080p television . That will go for $ 995 , quite the Mary Leontyne Price - cut for the same image . It ’s credibly worth holding out for one or the other , depending on your motivation .
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera : RAW Video In the Palm of Your Hand for $ 1000
Before you corrupt , look into just how many accessories you will require . You might find that the Cinema Camera demand quite a bit more investment than the initial $ 3000 for the soundbox . While the bundled software makes up for that fairly , and the outfit is still insanely brassy than corresponding products from major manufacturer , it ’s not quite as much of a buy as it might seem at first flush .
photographic camera
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