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Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K
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Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K
£2,271.92 £1,476.75
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Additional information
| Product code | ACE-50782 |
|---|---|
| Barcode | 9338716005387 |
| Brand | Blackmagic |
| Colour | Black |
| Model | Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K |
Richard –
Ill keep this simple the unit is quite good for its cost and a comparable price bracket is not in this range. Period.MFT makes for some diverse lens these days and adapters brought along a slew of older Nikon glass I have from photography.Handles aptly and ably. Needs ND if you want to shoot outdoors as the ISO really cant punch down enough if you want to get anything with real DOF.InputsOutputs seem to be in alignment. Running this currently with CFAST2 cards and have had no frames dropped but didnt expect to. Shooting mainly Prores 4k. Looking forward to BRAW in a future OS update.Focus control is jittery. Using it only to get close then manual the rest of the way. Wish BMD would add a digital focuspull option and options for changing the stepping of the MFT focus rings. Room for improvementOn camera data management is nonexistent. Cant delete clips, cant pull up a list of clips, you just have to go forward and back for review. Software limitation that could be fixed pretty easily.Batteries the broken children. You get 3040m of battery time. Dont leave the camera on when not shooting. That big screen drains like a vampire. Its also guesswork since the battery meters are 100020garbage get it Also be very careful buying 3rd party batteries as they tend to get stuck and require percussive maintenance getting free.LOG shooting though is great, seems to tilt on the red shift a hint which is easy enough to grade out. Davinci Resolve that also comes with the camera is a pretty nice piece of software. Never seen such detailed and granular node based color tools. Also a nice NLE that Im getting used to compared to FCPX Premier.Good value, good abilities. Hope they do some rapid development on the software since thats where it can improve.
Timothy R –
So far Ive had a great experience using my pocket 4K. It has cinema camera level features, which is amazing at such a price point. It definitely requires you to rig it up to be fully usable, but this will be the same for all cinema cameras. So if you think of it as the perfect all around camera right out of the box, you will be disappointed. But if you view it as a high quality cinema camera for cheap, you will love it.
todd –
Like many of you, I preordered this camera and waited anxiously for it to arrive. During the wait I made the painful investment in CFAST cards and a CFAST reader so Id be ready to go as soon as it arrived.I ordered it in May, back when delivery was estimated in September thinking Cool, itll be here in time for my honeymoon in November. By midOctober, I gave up hope on getting it before my honeymoon and scheduled a rental of a GH5S, which Im familiar with and have used a few times before.Luckily, I got a shipping notice in early Novembera week prior to my honeymoon departure. I cancelled the rental.When the camera arrived, unfortunately it was DOA. Iris and touchscreen focusing controls just didnt work. I called BH for a replacement and they didnt laugh at me . . . but they said itd be 2019 before the supply constraint eased up and they could get me a replacement.With my rental cancelled and a dead body with no replacement prospects I got worried and called Blackmagic directly. At first they said, Suresend it in and well get it fixed up and back to you right away. But when I explained my situation they eased up and overnighted me a replacement in time to catch my flight. And this replacement camera worked perfect.A big THANK YOU to Blackmagic for their help on thatOkay, on to the camera85 of the time I use it, its just runandgun and its not rigged upits just the body, in camera mic, and a Panasonic 1235mm lens. And it does very good.The dynamic range on this thing is the most impressive feature for me. We had it indoors with low or no lighting, in museums, restaurants, mixed lighting, outside, night time, beaches, fires and it handled all the lighting conditions beautifully. There were a few times where wed compare it to an iPhone X and a GX8 and the differences were pretty profound. Nothing blown out. Nothing lost in the shadows. Its amazing how much camera phones have trained us to accept poor dynamic range. The one or two times where it couldnt catch it all, Ive been able to work with the RAW files in editing to bring back some shadows or push down some highlights.The screen is great. Im used to shooting with a 5 external monitor anyways and this saves me from having to rig one up the majority of the time. I know theres been a few complaints that the monitor tilt or rotate out, but Im not doing a lot of birds eye or worms eye stuff, and if I amI have an external monitor that I plug it into.The menus and OS in the camera is really great and intuitive. The ability to preload LUTs has been really helpful.And since its bundled with DaVinci Resolve, I suppose I should comment on that. Ive been a Final Cut guy for years and am making the jump. So far the grading tools seem excellentway better than final cut. But its going to take me some time to get familiar with it.There are a few quirks though. For those of you that didnt know this like me, Blackmagic doesnt allow you to manage your clips within their cameras. They consider the added step of using a computer to manage your footage a safety feature. I can see how this makes sense on their larger Ursa cameras, but I hope they reconsider this on their portable cameras. Its not portable if I need to have a laptop with me. The camera will occasionally get bumped in my bag, or Ill accidentally forgot to stop recording and end up 5 mins of 4k 24p footage of the back side of my lens cap that I would love to delete in the body. Shooting 4k RAW 31 at 24p gives me 70 mins of precious storage space. If I could manage my clips via the new iPad Pro through the USBC port, that would be very helpful.And its just not a pocketable camera. Youre a moron if you bought this expecting it to be, but maybe their marketing department could have come up with a better name.Internal storage costs are brutal. UHSII and CFAST 2.0 cards are just expensive right now. USBC storage is the best value, but rigging up an external just adds bulk and risk that isnt worth the cost savings for the type of work I find myself shooting. Hopefully this will come down.I wish the HDMI output wasnt limited to 1080. For some shoots where I use an external recording monitor, itd be nice to have the insurance of dual recording at 4k, but I suppose 1080 is better than nothing.The touch screen focusing isnt too amazing and it takes a little while to seek sometimes. It doesnt track focus or focus while recordingthose are features Id love to see.And id love to see it get compatibility with DJIs RoninS. If youre reading thisplease start playing nicelots of people would love to use the Ronin Ss focus wheel to control this thing.Its not a perfect camera, but lets face itif youre sitting on a bunch of micro 43rds glass and you want to get into better video youre looking at this, the GH5S, JVC, and ZCam. Having used the GH5S, I like this better and I have an extra 1000 in my pocket.
Anthony –
I used the Blackmagic Cinema Camera in college and decided to get my own film camera after I graduated. I had my eye on this for a long time and finally decided to pull the trigger. Its amazing The touch screen menu makes changing the settings lightning fast and the image quality is unbeatable in this price range. The only downside is the battery life. But, theres a wall plug and other battery upgrades available, so its only a minor inconvenience for me.
Michael –
Adorama was excellent in service and shipping this camera weeks earlier than I expected. Upon my unboxing everything looked perfect and I got excited to use it until I noticed battery doors integrity. It has a latch mechanism made of a piece of plastic rather than a sturdier spring Im used to on other cameras . I could not keep this camera because I expected the manufacturer to invest a little more into the battery door . It was pretty flimsily and I had to return it back. Im hoping to repurchase it again after the manufacture has a better solution. Other than that I would have given it 5 stars. I recommend it to anyone who doesnt care about this issue besides myself .
Justin –
Ive been shooting on two Canon 7D MarkIIs for about 5 years now and I loved them. Theyre great in lowlight and I love the option for slow motion. I was still having issues controlling the image in post, theres only so much I could do before things got a little muddy, and if you or your assistant make a mistake like over exposing or setting the wrong white balance, theres not much you can do about it.After one day of just trying out my BMPCC4K I cant even express my excitement for what I can do with these images in post.Blackmagics Raw capabilities are amazing, and the amount of stress that saves me during event shooting was reason enough to buy this camera. Not to mention it cost less than my Canons.I do love my Canon still, and the crop factor of the 43s is a bit of a bummer, but this is still the best thing I could have done for my future projects.
Steve –
I gave the picture quality three stars, because if you work at it the camera can take some really beautiful pictures. But I have to shine so many lights in my studio that the actors have a hard time with the brightness. This is with prime lens. My Canon zoom lens will scarcely work in the studio and only outside on a sunny day. The other big problem is that you can light your set and it looks good and evenly lighted, but the camera exaggerates the difference between the different levels of light. Something with only slightly less light will look very much darker and it will look terrible. So you have to pay a huge amount of attention to getting the light very even. My guess is they get their dynamic range by spreading out different light levels. It makes it very hard to work with. It will see differences in light levels that you dont even notice with your eyes and make them look like extreme differences. I bought my camera some years back and still use it, mostly because I shelled out 6,000 for two of them and dont have the cash to invest in new cameras. I fell for the hype and now have to live with it. I wish someone had warned me, so I am now warning others.
Jordan –
I own a handful of Sony mirrorless, they have been my go to shooters for both photo and video projects for the past few years. After some projects with friends who have cinema cameras, jealous of the features and ultimately the footage I waited patiently for the BMPCC4k and have found the results to be incredibly satisfying. Im ready to grab another as a Bcam and leave the Sony a7iii for photos only.Really easy to use, its well designed and I havent encountered any small grievances with the software or hardware, only with cheap batteries that tend to shut off at any point.I do wish it had a tilting screen, because I like to run and gun. But for all it has done for me in two months, and for the price, Ive already pushed it on my friends and colleagues. Get one
Jim –
Ill preface this post by saying I am a Blackmagic snob.Ive pretty much owned every camera theyve ever made, other than their live production gear.Now that Im 60 I got rid of most of the heavy camera rigs and use the 4K and 6K pocket cameras.I slightly prefer the Rendering of the 6K but thats not saying that the 4K is lacking in anyway. Its just a slightly different look so when youre using both cameras on the same shoot you just have to work a little bit in color grade to match the shots.Id also say that I would never hang a lens on the 4K camera thats not at least a 1.6 fstop. And Ill also preface this by saying that I pretty much refuse to bring an ISO level above 400. But thats just me.
Christopher –
Excellent entrylevel BRAW camera. The files are small comparatively, and a joy to grade. Youll need a speed booster to mitigate the M43 crop, and also factor in an external media drivebattery supply, as it chews through batteries. Even with those additions, the price point is hard to ignore for any one making the jump from DSLR shooting. Blackmagics menu organization is intuitive and second to none. Shot two interviews and some event coverage. So far, so excellent.
Wilson –
Difficult learning curve but all is manageable. Make sure to invest in some quality lens, lighting, and a cage. Excellent 4K images and videos, definitely will be using this product for years to come. The build is not cheap plastic like I hear so many reviews on YouTube say. It feels durable, looks highly professional, and will make people turn a few heads even before its fully rigged out.
Roland –
Im super impressed with the camera. It takes some learning to get used to, biggest challenges for me were the lack of inbody stabilization and a change of approach given that it doesnt have AutoISO like the GH5. For these you need lenses with stabilization or a gimbal and simply a different approach in editing which works great with Resolve. Battery life is awful. The included battery also sucks, so dont count on that. I bought 3 original Canon batteries. The Canon batteries show what power is left as youre using the battery, counting down 1 at a time, although the camera often dies abruptly at around 4. With the included battery you dont get a usage, just Full, Half, Quarter, Dead the included battery only seems to last 75 as long as the Canon batteries, and refuses to charge in my Canon charger which is a hassle. Actual recording time that I see with my usage model is around 1517 minutes with the included battery, and 2123 minutes with the Canon batteries Im recording UHD60121 compression
Bryce –
I had been watching review after review of this camera, saving for months to upgrade from a Canon Rebel T6. Everything looked great, everyone was excited about the performance of such a low priced camera.However, this camera is not ready out of the box. Any LPE6 battery not made by Canon will get stuck in the camera, the battery out of box lasts 30 minutes, and after just a handful of uses, the battery no longer shows a percentage charge. The camera does not light up when charging either. Yes, Ive checked settings.Great camera, but be willing to look through forums full of other peoples troubleshooting just to get the camera functional. You WILL need 810 batteries or a couple vmounts, and the T5 SSD is about the only thing that will work.Between the ridiculously long wait for a restock from BM, the initial problems with the camera, the battery, and every other issue, its not something you can buy and shoot with right away. Do your research and be willing to buy a full rig right away to do any amount of substantial work with this camera.
Owen –
The color science packed into this camera is ultimately what won me over to the BMPCC4K. The camera produces a really cinematic image ideal for color grading. It also features an intuitive interface that filmmakers will like. The BRAW and native ProRes codecs are another win. My only complaint is battery life, but there are plenty of battery solutions available for this camera now. Ive been a long time GH4GH5 user, and I love those cameras, but what BlackMagic is doing with cameras is truly impressive for the price.
Max –
This is exactly what I wanted and more for this price point. I love the flexibility you have with the footage, coming from a standard DSLR that shoots in mp4. Theres a reason all of the youtube reviews youve watched are thru the roof with this thing. If I wanted something slightly better, Im looking at paying 3,000 or more. Ive seen C200 footage, Sony A7SIII… Ill pass for now until I truly want full frame. If only I could go back in time save 1,000 and bought this first.. my portfolio would be looking a lot nicer.
David –
Right out of the gate I absolutely fell in love with this camera. Ive owned it for three weeks and have shot 4 shoots with it ranging from city scapes, restaurants and forested landscapes.Yes there are limitations in the form of battery life, no autofocus, IBIS or weather sealing. But lets be fair this isnt a hybrid mirrorless camera this is a small, insanely well priced cinema camera that has absurdly good image quality and codecs.Like any cinema camera youll need to spend an additional 5001,000 to create a basic rig. The battery life can be addressed with a 150 vmount battery and the cfast cards can be replaced by much less expensive SSD drives plenty of holders for these that can be mounted to cages.The menu system is intuitive, very easy to use, and simple to navigate. The LCD screen is huge and crisp, though if youre shooting in the middle of the day itll be a bit on the dark side.Cannot recommend enough. Great starter or b cinema camera.
kurtis –
An amazing little camera that packs a ton of features into both a small package and price tag.Quite possibly the easiest menu system Ive seen, the raw footage is a dream to correct grade and its the perfect size to inconspicuously get shots in a crowd of needed.I am very excited to see what I can do with this camera as I continue experiment with it.
Michael –
Pro Amazing image quality and very intuitive interface. The ability to change aspect ratio, FPS, focus peaking etc. with a touch of a button is wonderful. Small build is great for low profile, fly on the wall filmmaking.Con Rolling shutter and microshake is a problem. LCD screen has major glare issues and is almost impossible to use for focus with bright exteriors. Battery life is only 30 minutes with screen brightness turned up. Some aspects feel cheap like the onoff switch and especially the battery door.I think most of the cons can be fixed by building a proper rig with monitor and external power but then you cut against the low profile small build size. The rolling shutter aspect has been bothering me with handheld footage.I have been shooting with a metabones speedbooster and Leica R lenses. It feels like holding a 5D with the image quality of URSA Mini and very intuitive interface. But the problems are real.
Andrew –
Couldnt wait for the SIII any longer. Was following the official BlackMagic group in FB and saw the quality of the content that was being pushed out by other creators. I purchased the cam and matched it with the Sigma 1835 and the .64 Metabones Speedbooster. There is some vignetting but the F stop does go down below the 1.8 mark. Overall, the cinematic look and colors you get from the BlackMagic far exceed that of Sonys slog capabilities. Very pleased with the purchase. Not to mention, the entire Rig I built cost just as much as 1 GMaster lens. Cant beat it…
Fletcher H Jr –
This is a nice camera and very easy for the nonpro videomovie maker. Easy of setup and walking through the on screen menu is very easy, just took me leaning some of the terms and what they mean and the affects on the visual product.Donwside Battery life seems to be a guessing game, you fully charge a battery put it in the camera and 10 minutes later a very little shooting it displays 4 in the battery display. I can only imagine a filmmaker going post along with the camera person trying to working the math on that equation And while in the power topic, when using the AC adapter the camera tends to get rather warm. That does not leave me with a good feeling and its a lot of heat.Summation Im glad I brought the camera and got a better version of DaVinci Resolve to edit on, this will really improve my videos
Seth –
Ive been filming with DSLRs since the revolution began. Before that, I was shooting on MiniDV. Remember how much of a leap forward the 5dmII was back then The BMPCC4K is a similar leap forward.Why Well, its image quality and the texture of the image out of this camera is easily the best in its class if not classes WAY above it. Ive been striving to get the film look and the closest I had ever gotten was shooting RAW with MagicLantern on the Canon cameras. But of course, that was a scary experience you might brick the camera and I was never sure all the files would be there when I got to editing. So it was more of a hobby shooting raw than anything Id use on a paid project.Enter the BMPCC4K. Same image quality if not better with ease. You can shoot raw on sd cards, use readily available canon lpe6 batteries, and with an adapter, use your Canon glass. The menu system is so well designed, I didnt even read the manual.However, just like shooting on a DSLR, youre going to encounter the same frustrations no ibis, no articulating screen, and no evf. So, this camera is really a good brain for a camera system if youre going to be using it in the field. For any serious shooter, youll at the very least need an evf Id suggest zacuto or small hd to make the camera usable.But the same is true for 10k cameras that produce similar images.So, if youre okay with rigging up a bit, this is a filmmakers dream.
Dane –
I used to shoot on the Blackmagic Ursa mini, which was an excellent camera. However, considering the pocket cam is way less expensive, its a fantastic deal The touch screen is large and easily accessible, and the controls are all very userfriendly. Beautiful 4K footage and great playbackrecording features including aspect ratio guides and solid white balance presets all make this camera an excellent choice. Looks like a professional independent film, which is exactly what Ill be using it for
Chester –
Definitely a great camera. You honestly cant beat the price considering everything that comes with it. Da Vinci resolve and ability to shoot 4K RAW in cam. If you are a beginner there are some things in terms of hardware and rigging that you will need to consider to make your workflow and shooting easier. For example the smallrig cage makes it very convenient if you want to record directly to ssd. Also consider the fact that you still need to puchase the ssd. Considering all that you received and the fact that there are some products that you still need to purchase, you still come out cheaper than most cameras on the market that produce 4K footage
Devon –
Trying to up my production quality and the picture I get out of the bmpcc4k looks great and the flexibility of color correction grading is phenomenal. Easy to use and works great with the small rig full cage set up I bought. Great camera
Michael –
In hand you can immediately tell where Blackmagic cut corners to keep the price so low. Ive never felt a camera feel so much like something I would have had from ToysRUs as a child.But that feel totally betrays just how good the footage from this thing looks. With BRAW and recording directly to SSDs it took a bunch of gear I usually use GH5 External recorder and slammed it into one tiny package. Slap a cage on this thing and the cheap feeling mostly goes away except for some mushy buttons and youre left with an amazing little camera.The menu system is the best Ive seen on any camera, cinema or photo.The only few knocks on this camera I have are battery life, nonarticulating screen, and the nonstabilized sensor. Each is its own issue at times and all can be remedied fairly easily with the correct accessories and rigging.
Haverhill –
We upgraded to the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera 4k because of our need for a better lowlight video camera. The old camera delivered too much grain to the video in even the best of circumstances. The Black Magic camera, though, has dual ISO which allowed us to find the perfect settings to capture crisp and clear hires video.
Ron –
For the price range this is an exceptional camera. Ive admired the Blackmagic Design products for years, and this is another example of their spirit of Excellence. Australian company with outstanding customer service.The only reason I gave 4 instead of 5 stars, is I think the rubber covers for accessories get in the way.
Sean –
Im coming from Sony a7sii and Sony a73. Ive never been happy with Sony colors or overly sharp image BUT lowlight and autofocus is very convenient in run n gun situations.After hearing about the pocket 4K I decided it was time for a change.Image quality is awesome. The menu system is so simple and logical that you can memorize it in one day of shooting.You will need to rig it out. Vmount batteries. Stabilizergimbal. Cage. External monitor. Follow focus etc.If you are vlogging, shooting sports or doing run n gun this camera may not be for you.For short films, music videos and interviews. Yes yes yes
Cassini –
A friend of mine who does professional video work recommended to the BMPCC to me. I watched a ton of video reviews and compared it with other similar cameras Panasonic Lumix, Canon series, etc. Im so happy with my purchase a very intuitive menu system, integration with my iPadphone via bluetooth for remote shootingadjusting, LUT support, 25,6000 ISO, superfast USBC port and a full license for DaVinci Resolve make this a GREAT purchase for a great price. I would highly recommend. Received my purchase ontime and in great condition. Thanks, BH
JOY –
We got this as a portable camera for hand held operation and overhead fixed shots on a sliding rail system. The Blackmagic products just keep getting better Dont forget to get an assortment of MFT lenses. A good starter lens is the Panasonic 35100 mft. Panasonic has a great assortment of other MFT lenses too.
ajcook66 –
Love this camera. Unbelievably for the price. The camera has a lot of higher end Digital Cinema Camera features for the price of a prosumer camera. BRAW has an unbelievable dynamic range comprable to the Red Dragon camera. You will need to build the camera out. I recommend getting an adapter so you can use PL lenses. Metabones makes a quality PL adapter.
Wake Forest Pre –
Instead of an ENG camera electronic news gathering, this is the way to go. So much variety available with interchangeable lenses and ability to shoot uncompressed onto a CF2.0 card is clutch. Extremely intuitive to use and touchscreen panel is easy to navigate. Nice feature is that there are plenty of Blackmagic components that can easily integrate with this camera. We use it at my church for testimonials, and live worship streaming with a Blackmagic switcher. Its a workhorse
James –
I just updated teh camera 2 weeks ago. Shot a few 20 seconds videos 4K DCI. no problems. Last Sunday went a and shot about 20 minutes in 20 second intervals. Same settings. All of my shots ruined. 10 seconds of video and then just a bunch of random unsequenced stills. The audio was not there.After nagging for customer support, i finally got to the typical condescending tech support that is famous from Blackmagic Design.It was the old have i read the manuals, did i get the latest download speech. Not all of us you apple products so better information toward windows users should be taken serious.The camera does what it was marketed to do. The Panasonic Lens 1.4 14mm is the best part of my system.The tech support is why most companies will not use their broadcast gear. My programmers refuse to use BMD.Test at home, update often with the 500 meg Camera downloads updates.
Adrian –
Ive been shooting with this camera for a few days now and my initial thoughts are this The battery life SUCKS. While I can appreciate the fact that they allow for removable batteries unlike the older versions, the reality is that this camera NEEDS a power solution if you plan on all day shooting. Also, it is annoying that you can choose to shoot at higher bit rates and higher frame rates with incompatible cards. What I mean by this is that you cannot shoot 4k 60fps on an SD card. That is a given. BUT, the option exists for you to still shoot with an SD card plugged in. This could be fixed very easily by a software update that GREYES OUT the various frame rates you cannot shoot on given the media that is plugged in. Like, if I only have an SD card, you shouldnt even be given the option to shoot in RAW 60fps. But those are my only two gripes. Other than that this camera is AMAZING. The picture quality is fantastic, great skin tones, and the price is unbeatable. 45 stars
Adam –
This camera is amazing. Yes. Theres a learning curve. Yes, its not great for runandgun where you need things to happen quick. But it takes amazing images that are easy to manipulate color and light. It really is crazy for the price. Pretty much the only way to save money on this camera is to buy it in a bundle with other stuff you will need. And you will need some sort of rig for it. Get the kit, its worth it.
DylanusPrime –
In the short time Ive been using the camera Ive been very impressed by the image quality as well as its features.Features like the RAW ProRes options, FPS options and external accessory capabilities like mic usage etc.Being able to use a USB C drive is great and not that expensive compared to the camera.The big plus for me is being able to use my DSLR lenses, via a speed booster. As Ive heard said in Cinematography circles, you date your cameras, but you marry your lenses. So being able to share lenses and their characteristics is great.The only downside is battery life. The stock battery is 45 mins tops. A bit frustrating when I got 5x that out of my old Canon when shooting video. Get plenty of batteries or consider a Vloc.
Clinton –
For small production at a very high quality its hard to beat this camera. Either as a bee cam or a very light weight camera on a stabilizer or jib I love these Often times will have three or four on site and set them up in multiple different ways so its just grab and go. If youre looking for a lightweight small production camera with great raw video capability I dont know that you can beat this its at least worth consideration and the price makes it A pretty easy buy
RONNIE –
This camera is fantastic.At this price point, you cant find a better option. Ive never been impressed by previous model of Blackmagic cameras that Ive tested. This one is very close to the quality you can expect from Red or Arri cameras. With the included Davinci Resolve Studio 17 and Gen 5 color science, you can achieve the cinematic look of big budget Hollywood productions.
William H –
There are some issues with the UX and a few other things that I dont like. But the quality for price ratio is phenomenal. You can shoot truly professionalgrade footage for about 1500 when youve bought a basic lens and some memory. For this reason alone, Im very happy with the product. Be aware, though, that this is a big kids camera with big kid file sizes that requireas any camera of its calibersome expensive add ons A fast computer, lots of solidstate storage, expensive onboard memory cards etc. Otherwise, the workflow becomes unmanageable at best, impossible at worst.My biggest problem is with the UX. You cant view stills and the playback only enables you to skip from clip to clip in a linear sequence. Meaning that to get from A to D you have to skip through B and C. Theres no thumbnailbased interface andworst of allno way to delete existing clips, which can be a problem since memory card space disappears quickly. Maybe Im missing something, but so far I havent been able to figure this out.Still, at the end of the day you can create beautiful pieces with this camera for an unbelievable price, and DaVinci Resolve, a great editor, is included.If you have a huge budget you might want look into other cameras. If it isnt this is. frankly, a no brainer, and would make an amazing secondary camera for any shoot.
Angus –
This camera lacks many luxury features that YouTubers and Vloggers wish it had like IBIS, flip screen, EVF etc. But it wasnt made with them in mind. This camera is for filmmakers who want the best image for the best price. It costs a thousand dollars less than the GH5s and comes with a full endtoend editinggradingaudioVFX software package. And most importantly the quality of the image it produces is far beyond anything any DSLR will give you. The fact that this camera is as good as it is for the price is just insane.
Alan –
Ive had a few weeks to tinker around with the camera on some wildlife shoots, and Im pretty pleased with it so far. The new RAWish codec works as advertised, and Ive been happy with the footage Ive been shooting up to ISO 1600 I havent had a reason to go higher than that yet. The ability to record onto external SSDs is a nice timemoney saver, and it gets several hours of life out of a Vmount battery even with an external recorder running off the same battery. With the small sensor, I dont need to bring my biggest lens to get great closeups most of the time.However, its not without its issues. The builtin touchscreen is too dim and prone to glare to use in direct sunlight, even at maximum brightness. I highly recommend using an external monitorrecorder with the BMPCC4K if its going to be your primary camera it can also make up for the lack of articulation in the builtin display. The HDMIout is limited to 1080p, which seems a bit odd for a new 4K cinema camera when my Nikon from 3 years ago can output UHD. An additional recordstop button somewhere on the left side of the body would have been nice. As of now the .braw format only works on DaVinci, but that will probably change soon.Overall, its a very capable, compact 4K cinema camera with a couple inconveniences.
Robert –
I admit to a favoritism for BMD products to start with. I shoot with two other BMD cameras as well as a Canon D5 Mark III and Panasonic GH4. But I always get the best result with this camera. The images are truly cinematic. The menu system is by far easier to navigate than any of my other cameras. Because of this Its fast to use in casual events with the family hand held or when I rig it for use in content creation. The mirco 43s mount is very versatile with my lens collection.I do wish it was not quite so hungry for batteries. Plan ahead to be sure you have plenty of power to match your needs during the shoot. Also, its more difficult to mount and balance on my DJI RoninS gimbal than the GH4 because of the width. So typically if Im planning on using the gimbal Ill gear up to use both these cameras, preferring the GH4 with the gimbal.The fact that it comes with world class editing software DaVinci Resolve is a plus that is very hard to beat with any other camera system in its class.
Charles –
Ive been waiting for this camera for a long time And BMD delivers. Its a dslr sized 4k cinema camera with BMD color science which is darn close to an Arri Alexa. The button layout is awesome and being able to program the top buttons is a nice feature. Battery life is ok for powering a 5 screen and recording raw 4k. Around 45 min of normal use. Easily grades and matches with my URSA Mini Pro 4.6k.The low light 3200 iso is also pretty awesome. I love this little camera. But its not perfect, But almost.What I wishBetter dynamic range. But I can live with it.I wish the screen tilted just a bit. Some times when getting Low with the camera can be annoying. I cant just lean over I have to lay down or put an external monitor on.really wish they put mini sdi port in. Like their 5 monitor or 4k micro camera. My other camera is an URSA Mini Pro 4.6k. All my stuff is sdi…..Youll want a top handle for this guy.Other than that this camera should kill all the DSLRs out there. Oh yeah and on top you get a full resolve license. Thanks BMD
Daniel –
Enough said. This is an incredible tool for cinematographers on a super budget. This is one of the best value cameras in this price catagory. Not for everyone. Yoy need to be very skilled with manual shooting and lighting. But if you want a lot of image control, you arent getting 12 bit RAW for around 2000 anywhere else. I say 2000 because to me the metabones speedbooster XL is a requirement with this camera. It really comes alive with the increase lens coverage and light capture.
Claire –
Really pleased with the camera. Love the color, the detail and the peakfocus assist is really nice. False colors leave a little to be desired but Im planning on getting a monitor anyway.Of course, this camera requires a lot more to be truly functional. Still saving up for a proper battery solution, and I bought the Viltrox lens adapter because I wanted to keep using my EFs. So its not a great camera if youre used to being able to whip out the DSLR and go, but Im really happy with it as a step up.4 stars because the battery they sent with the camera is not good. It does not charge no matter how long I have it charging. I tried putting it in my DSLR, and got a sort of error message warning about the battery… Im not sure what its problem is, but its garbage. Cant use it at all. Im sure its just a special case, but it kinda sucks considering how expensive Canon batteries can be. Luckily I already have some, so I dont care that much.
Adam –
It deserves 5 starts but small details like that battery door are just annoying. Of course the battery life is not great as you have read in all the reviews but there are ways around that. In terms of value for money it deserves 5 stars. I just cannot go their because of those minor imperfections that should have been fixed. Still I love the camera, and deep down i i really wish i could give it 5 stars
LEAH –
Bought this camera for our church livestream services. We stream our services to Facebook and at the same time record the sermon for later editing. The image quality is amazing and the price affordable. The lack of tilt screen and short battery life do not bother us as we keep this camera plugged in and stationary. Highly recommended for church use.
Dan –
First off let me say that the image this camera produces is outstanding. The codecs, ProRes and BRaw are rock solid, as well as writing to CFAST 2 cards. EF mount, monitor, menu system, all fantastic. So why 3 stars and why not for professional use Very simple. Build quality and the power consumption. Both of which are not acceptable for a day of shooting in the field.I purchased this camera on a whim, given all the hype and the specs. In initial tests in our studio, it looked amazing with a ton of promise. BM really put some great optics, sensor, and thought into this camera to produce a beautiful 4K image. Great, lets bring it in the field and put it thru its paces. This is where things go wrong. As youre probably aware, there is a known battery issue. Its dismal. I believe you get maybe 12 hr from a fully charged battery. Solution 1, I bring a bag of batteries with me, only problem is, the BMPCC 4K is finicky with the batteries. If theyre not true Canon batteries including Watsons or IKANs or whatever else you own, sometimes and inconsistently, the camera will simple power off midshot. Even if you are using a Canon battery and the meter gets low, it will suddenly and without warning power off. How in the world can this be used in a professional environment when it powers off unexpectedly Imagine a key interview, imagine an expensive shot with actors, or imagine if this is being used for a wedding.. So, solution 2, I purchased the battery grip by BM. Same issue. I got approx 4560min per full charge of the now two 2 NPF batteries and they also would simply power off the camera whenever they wanted. Some of our batteries would not work at all. Brand new NPF L batteries. I had purchased the recommended IKAN batteries and the camera has been updated to the latest firmware. But at times I found myself taking out the battery sled, switching the battery placement and getting another 10 minutes of ghostly record time, only to stop again mid shot without warning. This power factor is just not acceptable for professional use. The beauty of a Canon , Sony or RED is that you know what youre getting, you can plan and gauge your meter accurately, and bring the right power needed. Not with this camera. Even with the A7s II, I remember that battery life being terrible, but I knew when it was going to die and when to replace it.The build quality looks great in pictures, but in hand, this camera feels like a kids toy. I know they probably wanted to keep the weight down, but god forbid you drop this camera or ding it, youre going to know it. Its as plastic as a kids happy meal toy.Its like they put a Ferrari engine inside of Yugo. I just dont get it.When it works, the image is amazing. But Ive brought this on a few shoots now and have been disappointed at the end of the day, each time.If you want this camera for quick broll shots, maybe plugging into the wall or staying in the studio, go for it. If you plan on rigging this up for a day in the field, plan on attaching a car battery and getting a steel cage for it.
MATTHEW –
Bought the Pocket 4K and put her to use the next day on a multicamera shoot. Extraordinary and versatile camera system. Easy to set up and use. Beautiful cinematic images. Terrific dynamic range, and the dual native ISO is remarkable. Wide range of recording options, with all flavors of Apple Pro Res CODECs and the new Blackmagic Raw. Works great with Speedboosters and with native Micro 43 electronic lens. We used the new Blackmagic remote control app for the iPhone. Great tool to help move production along, and only 4.99. Please spend a few bucks and invest in a nice lightweight cage for AKS and to protect your camera body.
Latham –
This camera has been absolutely amazing so far. The quality of the camera is unreal and is extremely user friendly. The touch screen is extremely responsive and easy to use as well. The toggles are easy to adjust. All around a great camera.
Alan –
Having owned, or shot extensively with the Canon 60D, 5D MkIII, 1Ds, Sony A7s, A7sII, Panasonic GH4 and GH5, and original Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, I can unreservedly say This is the best pocket video camera Ive ever used.The image quality is spectacular Sound is remarkably good. The user , interface is intuitive. Its easily extendable. Everything about it is a solid step forward. Ill be buying several more.
Donald –
This is a great camera. The menus are so intuitive and the functionality has been a great improvement over the previous model. The SWX battery I purchased in the bundle has about 3hours worth of life in it, and that has worked really well for events and long breaks between shooting. I am trying to think of a single negative thing to say, but I am thoroughly impressed. Will definitely buy another Black magic product in the future.
Brian –
It came clean packaged. Many poor sellers with BMPCC 4K package them in superlarge boxes, this is bad because it creates large collisions during delivery. But Adorama did super well with using small box to send at maximum quality. Customers feel unsafe when sellers use 2ft3 boxes to package BMPCC 4K because camera is small and they dont put any safeties inside it. BMPCC 4K will mos likely go damaged, but Adorama avoided this. And thats why I gave 4 Star review. Id rate 5 Star.
Anonymous –
Weve been using the BMD Pocket Cinema Camera 4K for a few weeks now and its been great for our livestreaming. It took us a little bit to get used to it since its different from the camcorders we were using before, but once we got it going, its great
Cody –
If youve done your research on the camera you know what its about. For those of you who dont this is the top dog right now really making its own category in the film making category. If youre looking to make great films and series this starter kit is really the way to go. The cage allows you to customize as you please. Followed with the sad card holder and cable holder just adds to the possibilities of you build for your camera.
A.J. –
Although I havent spent a whole lot of time with this camera yet, the little I have has yielded impressive results. Ive been using it via usb C to my SSD cards and so far theyve worked well.It also does very well at high ISO compared to the other cameras Ive owned. Also, I hear resolve has a great noise reduction that Im looking forward to using in conjunction, as impressive as it is without it.Ive alwsys been a fan of blackmagics color science and this is no exception.The only downside is like all of the blackmagic cameras Ive owned, it is a little awkward to use and rig. It is much lighter than it looks which is a plus, but has a very large foot print. I had an issue where my battery door wouldnt close, but blackmagic corrected it immediately and sent me a replacement that works well.Overall, I would say Im very pleased with my purchase, and will make my money back immediately with this camera.
Ashley –
I previously owned and used a micro cinema camera and the 2.5k cinema camera.The Pocket 4K is in a whole new league of its own.The quality it can produce is amazing. The flexibility of the MFT mount has been great for adapting EF lenses along with some older Nikon and of course native MFT mount lenses.Looking forward to seeing some features to support anamorphic shooting and future updates as time goes on.
Anonymous –
This is without doubt a firstrate camera which gets excellent results and is really very easy to use. Its also very well supported in terms of addons from various sources, but the only things I added to mine are a lens Lumix 1235 and an eternal SSD which is the cheapest way to get the necessary multiple hundreds of GB. Very happy with the results.
Scott –
So Im a member of the Longview Film Club, we make short films. Kinda like a community theater with a camera. LOL. We added pretty much the whole EdelKrone ecosystem to our toolkit this year.Two years ago we bought the cinema 4k. And weve been in love ever since. It was a big jump for us. Going from A Panasonic AF100, which was an HD camera, to a 4K was a scary jump.To get the most use out of it, that meant embracing RAW format, 12 bit sized files. That meant more computing horsepower, etc. Our whole work flow was about to be thrown into chaos But no, Black Magic came to the rescue.This cameras support of BM Raw format, make it accessible to literally anyone. Even an older computer can handle it.There are a million things to say about the camera, and you can find a million people saying them on youtube. So here are the ones that I think a person considering using this camera should know1 The dual ISO is fantastic. We routinely shoot at 3200 for night shots. Almost no visual noise.2 RAW is King. Buy an external USBC SSD harddrive, best cheapest option for camera storage.3 Go ahead and shoot in Q121 mode. You have to examine the footage with a magnifying lens to tell the difference.4 Make the jump from Adobe to BlackMagic ResolveFusion free full copy comes with the camera. When you free your mind from the constraint of layerbased thinking, and embrace the nodebased approach, it lifts the veil. Its a beautiful world out there when you peel back the layers. LOL.We added a second camera this year, and plan to add a third next.It changed our world.
6900thor –
Love it. Its simple, at least for me. It is truly a pro video camera. You actually have to know what you are doingI My Panasonics GH2 and other Japanese cam makers drive me crazy with the consumer software theyve installed. When I got the Gh2 Id hoped it would have gotten simpler, more professional for what it cost. Wrong I truly hate this micromanaged software. Its like having photoshop, after effects, etc installed in your camera. You need to carry around a manual for safety.
CONNOR –
This camera is a wonder. Truly a gift to independent filmmakers of all levels and interests. There are few like Blackmagic, that would make such a quality and powerful device available at such an accessible price.On top of that, shipmentspeed and handling from Adorama was excellent. When it comes to products like this I really wouldnt suggest going anywhere else, as you can never be sure what youre going to get in the end if itll actually be new or just refurbishedhandled by people who dont really care for the equipment. I can assure you Ill be returning in the future to acquire all my gear
Jordan –
Great camera for the price. Has a lot of features you wont find on a camera in this price range. I wish it had the EF mount, but no problem, I knew what I was getting into. The screen is surprisingly huge considering the camera isnt. Though, the camera was bigger than I expected. About the exact size as a brick. I thought it would be more similar in size to a point and shoot camera. Same black magic easy to work menu. Love it.
Stevens –
Ive had it for about a week and have used it three times on my job. For my purposes, this camera is a bit of overkill. I document musical outreach in a number of elementary schools and have been using Panasonic cameras, but when this was announced, I preordered immediately.I have been using it with the Zuiko 1240 f2.8, which works perfectly for my circumstances. The interface is massively easier to manage than the Panys Ive been using, and there have been few glitches considering this is a brand new product.Two unanticipated problems Ive run into, one my fault and one not, are accidentally switching on a frame mode designed for slow motion, and the failure of my lumix 30100 f2.8 to focus at all. The connections sometimes missalign, requiring the lens to be removed and reset. It only happens with this lens for some reason.Also, another problem I read about which Ive experienced is the failure of my samsung ssd drive to come online if I switch off the camera and then switch it back on. I have to remember to unplug the drive after switching off and then plug it back in before switching back on.Im using an external Vmount battery in place of the small Canon battery because my recording sessions are 2 to 2 12 hours long, something I didnt have to do with the gh4, but could have used with the g85.Color is good and files are easy to work with. I use manual focus, which is the better way to work with this camera. Setup, white balance, exposure, etc. are easy do quickly and efficiently. The back screen is a dream to use, making focusing easy and reliable. Sound is pretty decent from the builtin mics, but I record sound with an external recorder close to the artists for better stereo and audience suppression.As I said, maybe overkill for my needs, but at the price, it seems futureproof.Whoever has been saying micro 43rds is dead or dying hasnt been paying attention to this development.
Dale –
So BMD has done it again. This camera puts true cinematic 4K capability in the hands of just about anyone. You cannot find a comparable camera with RAW and ProRes for this price and with in camera recording and multiple media choices The mini XLR with phantom power really does make this a pro tool. The preamps seem fully sufficient to record studio quality audio directly into camera. The LPE6 battery will not be ideal for powering a fully rigged camera, but then fully rigged implies that you will have an alternate power source. The back screen is large and bright with touch screen capability. The BMD menu system is perhaps the best in the industry. I have configured this camera to work on the ZhiyunTech Crane Plus and the match seems ideal. The color science and quality of image in a camera at this price point is nothing short of OUTSTANDING.
Steve –
I bought a Pocket 4K as a second camera to my Eva1. After owning two previous Pockets and a Micro I was pleased to find how much better the 4K is to use. The dial on the body allows easy control of iris on lenses like the LUMIX 3510 and Olympus 1240, as well as the ability to dial in ISO and WB.Also I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the audio is quite good, as good or possibly better than the Eva. Consequently Im using it much more than Id intended.I wont even comment on the visual quality, thats a given with BM cameras.My only complaint is I wish it had a LANC input so it would be more ergonomically friendly on a shoulder rig, because I make documentaries and handhold most of the time.
Jahan –
Amazing camera for the price. I use with a 1235 lumix lens. You can install a Alexa or red lut into the camera. Shoot on raw and save with lut to video to save time in post. You wont find another camera in this price range that will do this.Just know you will need an external battery and a monitor kit connected with a small rig cage. This is not a run and gun type camera.
Dylan –
This camera might be the best purchase Ive ever made. Not only is it an amazingly capable and flexible camera, it is an insanely good value. Ive made so many videos with this camera, and the quality is impeccable.Also, do not expect to just buy this camera, storage, and a lens and be done. No, no, no, you are going to want more and more accessories. Lenses, storage, mounts, microphones, filters, it all stems from this one purchase. And it is amazing.
Karl –
Amazing picture, color science, form factor, menu, and button layout.Improved battery life from the original.Battery life is still short about 451 hour, but the USBC charging or SSD input is amazing.Camera is super light. Probably double the size of its little brother but that allows for some amazing buttons on the screen and easy adjustments. The screen itself is HUGE and works 200 than the OG pocket. Seriously, not much not to love with this camera, especially for the price.
Pawel –
Excellent for typical film making when using tripod and taking time to locate focus by hand. For casual tourist it is too heavy, especially after installing in cage with additional battery. Viewfinder is absolutely necessary for continuous manual focusing custom made. External monitor would add weight to already heavy camera cage external battery combo.Works great with Zhiyun 3 Lab, but the whole setup is super heavy. It requires SteadyCam with the vest to be comfortable. Largest lens I tried is 85mm Rokinon MFT and i can do continuous axial rotation the Inception move.Zhiyun 3 can also power the camera through DC output in transmitter box and beam image to tabletphone attached for focus assist. Smartphone can also be charged through USB port behind the youstick. Tracking should be also possible to keep subject in the center of the frame while walking with the camera, something that a HDMI monitor is unable to control.
Jesse –
With out acamera being the 6K version of this camera, it only makes sense that this would be our bcamera. If we had a second one, it would be our ccamera. If we had 25 of these in total, wed even have a zcamera and you wouldnt hear a single complaint from us. Fair warning, these cameras sodomize batteries 20 minutes or so on a full charge so be sure to have some kind of power solution if you plan on filming a 21st minute and beyond. Also, they arent the most solid bodies on the market and I recommend getting a cage of some sort we dig Tiltas offerings if youre getting this camera.
ARLETT –
Love the camera, it is amazing. Extra battery always useful. Wish I did more research on memory, card only handles 9min footage with RAW 4k and once its half full is prone to dropped frames. Would have got smallrig bundle and used yhat money for SSD if I did more research.
Andr –
This camera to me is a game changer in the cinema camera world. I was a happy owner of the original pocket camera and knew very well of all its flaws. Despite the amazing images it produced, it had a variety of issues that I dont even need to mention here. What Blackmagic design did is they took everything that was wrong with the original pocket, and they addressed it. The new BP4K is a major improvement in every front from functionality to images. The look is slightly different… it is after all a new sensor. But to me it is the perfect camera for a professional shooter who is looking to take their game to the next level. I own a small production company and intend on eventually using this as our first camera. As soon as some bugs are addressed, and battery solutions become more widely available new proprietary pin, it will officially be our A camera. Again, this camera is a game changer I think once fully equipped, it will competing with high end cinema cameras easy.
Tristan –
Amazing camera. Battery life sucks. Screen would be more useful if it flipped out so the rig could stay small and compact. And the only AF this camera has is the fact that its cheap AF Other than that, its the most user friendly and best video image quality from a camera under
Karl –
Before I get into my one complaint, I must say I really like this camera. I have been using the Ursa Mini 4.6K camera and I was looking for a bcamera to use for cutaway shots or for use on a gimbal. This was my 1 choice. I did however assume that it could shoot many of the same formats as my Ursa. It cant. Or doesnt at the moment. Sometimes I still just want to shoot smaller than 4K and larger than 1920X1080…like 2K. That is not an option. 4K or HD…or Ultra HD. Blackmagic Raw or Pro Res. Thats about it. I love it, but now I have to shoot with really large file sizes and buy a lot more hard drives. Then since there is not much difference in file sizes between Blackmagic Raw 4K and Ultra HD it seems Blackmagic Raw would be the logical choice, but at the moment you can only edit braw files in Resolve which Im not used to yet. Its a bit of a learning curve.
Levi –
Working on a project where the GH5 150mbs footage easily outshoots the BMPCC4Ks RAW or ProRes. OUCH The BMPCC4K actively applies spatial noise reduction at any ISO leading to heavily compressed footage macroblocking. If youre looking to reproduce, just film a blue sky with clouds and grade it to Rec 709. The macroblocking compression becomes as heavy as cloud texture. Respectfully, nothing against Blackmagic design as I truly love the editing software and overall ethos of the company. For what its worth, I absolutely value their work and the opportunities they are creating for the industry. But, respectfully, Blackmagic lost the right to call this camera 10bit or even 12bit given the prominent macroblocking in their codecs. Blackmagic actively takes a 12bit readout and produces 8bit results due to a spatial noisereduction algorithm that cannot be turned off in camera.That said, its important to acknowledge that a review like this truly aids the competition such as the Sony A7III. Why fuss with BM when you can get a fullframe camera with better battery life and frame rates At the same time, its also important to note that a twoyear old camera w 10bit 422 internal recording is easily outperforming the BMPCC4K. Technically, even the 4year old GH4 w an external 4K recorder outperforms the BMPCC4K. Ouch I do hope a firmware update will address this issue. At the same time, every footage that is shot up till this point is affected.For what its worth, I did take one step forward with the BMPCC4K to illustrate the issue. But, I can also take two steps back with a GH4 and still outresolve the BMPCC4K currently. Again, its simply the spatial noise reduction that is so extremely detrimental to the final picture. This effectively makes the BRAW the equivalent of an 8bit LongGOP IntraFrame recording at data rates multiple times higher than the competition.The one star, is simply to put the camera into its proper place with its outofcontrol spec sheet that does not properly illustrate how the camera captures footage. Additionally, for me, the 3.5mm microphone port doesnt work and never did Its simply a 1star review for the qualitycontrol and misleading recording architecture. At the same time, its probably the closest camera to a 5star that money can buy analyzing the performancetocost. But, only after the spatial noisereduction parameters can be turned onoff. Is is a three star Unfortunately, I just cant give a 3star for something that comes up so significantly short that it becomes the industrys first MacroBlocking RAW camera.
JUAN –
Such a great camera. Worth every penny. Purchased for live broadcasting for church production. Such great quality, super user friendly which makes it an easy tool for our volunteers
Hidetake –
I just got this camera and unboxed. BMPCC4K is not expensive, and it can shoot the excellent pictureI watched on YouTube. However, the built quality was inferior. When I unboxed already has a scratch on the body and the camera using polycarbonate for the body, so probably if you are an active guy that easily get damage anyway if you dont care built quality that it is right for you. I refund before shooting.
AARON –
This camera is amazing. I had my doubts from reading other reviews and looking at YouTubers talk about it, but its a camera that you have to develop your own relationship with outside of what others say. This camera shoots not only 4K RAW and 4 flavors of ProRes, but it also allows you to record 1080P RAW I didnt even know that from many of the reviews I watched and read.Now, onto some of the quirks. First, lets start with the stuff youll hear all the time. Battery life sucks. About 30 mins to an hour. No flip screen. No internal NDs. Autofocus is useless. Final conclusion about all that stuff Who cares. This is a cinema camera. Designed for rigs, controlled environment shoots like in studios, and can still be effective for Broll, weddings and docs. The things that you should really be concerned about are the major flaws that are present in some units. Mine had an issue with exposure incorrectly resetting after switching from higher frame rates 60 up to 120 to lower frame rates 23.976 or 23. The screen would flicker, instead of correcting itself to the proper exposure when switching back to 24 fps. I contacted BM about this and they were super helpful about the repair and I didnt have to pay a single penny to ship it to them. Other problems include the screen and footage displaying an almost negative type color space with greens, magentas and blacks. Lastly, the camera may shut off unexpectedly even if the battery is fully charged.So why 5 stars with all of these issues Because these issues are few and far inbetween production models. Most likely, youll get a unit that operates without any issues but still get yourself an extended warranty in case issues pop up 3 years down the line. Another reason this camera gets 5 stars is for the ease of use, the OS, and it has the best image at this price point, beating the image from GH5S as well. This camera is versatile and can stand on its own as an A cam or support cam to RED and ARRI as well. Image is great in lowlight up to about 6000 ISO. Footage at higher ISOs will require more post work to clean up.Another neat feature is the app available for your phone or tablet. This is the best camera assist app since Fool Control and the GH5 app available for download. In this app it really opens up the features in camera, allowing you to pinpoint more specific adjustments. Color temp can be adjust by 10s instead of hundreds. Shutter speed and angle can be fine tuned by lower increments. Remote stopstart recording also becomes and option as well. Its the best thing you can purchase for your camera.The full cost of this camera varies on what you have. If you have rails, rigs, matte boxes already, then rigging this camera out wont be an issue. If you are new to filmmaking then you may have an additional 250 to 3000 bucks to spend depending on what you want to build it up to. With an MFT mount, you can use MFT lensesglass or you can get an adapter or speedbooster to adapt E mount, EF, and PL lenses to your camera.Internal audio is not too bad. It wont last for narrative work, but its cool for perhaps scratch audio or little vlog style vids. All sorts of neat inputs on the side for monitoring video and audio, and of course, the highly praised USB C for recording to external SSDs.In the end, this is a very dynamic camera. Small and light enough to use on singlehanded gimbals, but can be rigged for heavier and more strategic work. Its not a bad or wasteful investment. This camera can suit to midrange to professional filmmakers. Im not sure if Id invest as a beginner because of the hidden costs that can increase your budget by double what this camera costs.Would I recommend Yes. Its a winner all around and the best camera of 2018 IMO. You wont regret it.Recommended addonsMatte box, 12 15mm rails x 2, V or Gold mount battery plate, V or Gold mount batteries, follow focus, shoulder rig, dovetail or some other quick release plate for fluid swapping between support systems. Samsung T5 SSDs 500GB or 12TB. Metabones 0.71x adapter or the Viltrox EFM2 0.71x adapter. DC to Weipu connector more are becoming available to purchase. External monitor. SmallRig or Tilta fullhalf cage systems with NATO top handle.Aaron CES.
James –
So Ill just get this out of the way… the battery life IS as bad as everyone says. HOWEVER, if you switch the meter to voltage, youll see how much power you actually have left. Aftermarket batteries dont give accurate readings. So, first upgrade, after a cage and T5 should definitely be a V mount.Aside from that WOAH BABY The performance is exactly what I was hoping for Shot on a GH5 before. And now I look at that camera like its going to collect dust or just be the in case backup.No stabilization, no problem though if you have a solid gimbal setup.The image is INSANE
Kyle –
I was previously using Canon C100s and somehow the C100s still cost more new than the BMCC 4k The menus are so intuitive and easy to use, the slow mo is awesome and the quality is just phenomenal. There are so many pros to this camera and really the only cons for me is the time you get on a single battery is really short and the lack of internal ND. Both of which are really just annoying but are way way offset but the tons and tons of features this camera rocks not to mention the software you get with it. Oh and with the app I can control the focus and other settings for the camera from my phone so my one man two camera shoots just got waaaay easier.I would have paid over 2k for this and still been really happy.
Doug –
If you are considering stepping up to a 4K raw workflow, this is the camera to start out with. There is no competitor in this price class. Not only is the camera body itself really inexpensive compared to anything else capable of this level of performance, but it is set up to use three different storage media formats. Many say the cost to get started is much higher than the purchase price. Well, duh. That is true of any camera platform you choose, other than a handyman with internal storage. None of those will do what this little beasty can. Yes, you need to provide storage. You probably already have SD cards, so you can get going right away with that. CFast 2.0 cards are expensive so, if you dont already have them, skip it and buy USB 3.1 C Type SSDs instead. You will also need a lens. The M43 mount gives you tons of inexpensive options, pick one. Yes, the battery life using the included LPE6 Canon battery is abysmal. Get extras, shoot shorter scenes, or plug the camera into the wall outlet. There are numerous aftermarket power options available as well. You can be up and shooting 4K RAW for less than 1500.00 US. Tell me where else you can get that deal on brand new, factory warranted gear. Go ahead, Ill wait.
Jezse –
BMPCC4K has been one of the best cameras Ive worked with. For the amazing price, you get a whole lot more than the cost suggests.With the awesome dual iso, you can get one of the best video image quality in any dark setting. The best Blackmagic Design product to date I highly recommend purchasing this camera as a 2nd or B camera for any production. Its also works as awesome 1st A if youre just starting to work with Cinema cameras. Great for short film or narrative filmmaking.Despite all of my high praise for this camera, there are minor issues. For starters, the camera battery life is terrible. Highly recommend purchasing an external v mount battery for longer film time. The other potential issue is that it does not have an articulating screen. Not ideal for onthego Vlogging. However, it does have Bluetooth capabilities so that you can control at the touch of your smart phone. Also not the greatest autofocus.Overall, highly recommended.
Nely –
If youre looking for an entry cinema camera, and maybe youre doubting between this and the zcam, buy this one eyes closed Absolutely amazing performance Dont understand yet how this is so cheap compared to the quality and what it serves Its not that light as youtubers reviews sugest, have a weight to it I recomend to buy it with the tilta cage for extra protection for the body and the unevitable accesories youll need like ssd, monitors etc…PD Special thanks to the awesome costumer support of Craig from BH that help me decide all the accesories for the camera More than happy to buy again from here
Dean –
Ive been in professional film television production now for 30 years, I started in the days of film, went through lean times where the only gear I personally owned were video cameras which killed me, and shot on broadcast Sony gear with Fujinon lenses. Basically I grew up with full manual control over cameras.Then we hit the early 2000s and DSLRs became a thing after the Panasonic HVX revolution. The Canon 5D MkIII and MkIV, it was the next big thing for indie filmmakers as well as TV shows for spots where they couldnt get a major rig into a confined space Hawaii Five0 for example shooting on the USS Missouri. The thing that I hated with the DSLR videofilm cameras were the menus were a pain to work with and full manual control was still super difficult.Then a few days ago I received my BMPCC 4K and some Rokinon Cine DS lenses. Within an hour I had unpackaged, assemble, filmed test shots, installed DaVinici Resolve Studio, edited, color graded and uploaded the test footage to social media all within 60 mins In that one hour I fell in loveI got home and did another test shoot on a tripod this time where I live. The sun was setting, however it was overcast and dull. I got the footage and brought it into DaVinci Resolve, edited, color graded it and all I had to do was up the saturation to 2.0 and contrast to 1.35 and the pictures that came out were way better than what I saw with my own eyes. Rich, vibrant and a clean image with virtually no noise.Yesterday I took the camera out for another test shoot during the day, battery life was short as expected, but the shots I brought back and edited, and color graded, added a Kodak LUT was phenomenal. Ive been using a FotodioX EF to MFT adapter with the 24mm and 35mm Rokinons and definitely need to invest in the Metabones T Cine 0.71 Speed Booster due to the 2x native crop. The nice thing is I effectively have 4 lenses with just two lenses once I have the Metabones.As I need a wide lens for an upcoming music video, I ordered the Venus Optics Laowa 9mm lens yesterday and am looking forward to receiving it this week. That just leaves me with finishing off my Rokinon DS lens kit and then Ill start working on my XEEN lens kit.Ive been in the business for 30 years now, Ive always worked with professional 35mm film and digital cinema cameras such as RED and ARRI etc, but never owned my own gear as it was always out of reach financially and rentals were the only other option, which made it hard to find work. Now, for the first time in my career, I have gear that I can go out and shoot with and build my cinematography portfolio and showcase my work.Currently were in preproduction for a feature film and this camera will be put to use extensively for the behind the scenes making of special feature, as well as shooting a music video for a feature film pitch.Thank you Blackmagic for making the dreams of an old time filmmaker come true
Anonymous –
Ive owned many cameras over the years from the Canon 7D to the Red Scarlet. This is camera is perfect for most workflows, RAW is easy to work with, form factor is great for gimbals and its cheaper than the Red equivalent. Now I loved Red and the look it gave to my footage but this definitely outperforms the original Blackmagic Pocket and original BMCC.
Gerardo –
I lobe the cinematic look it has I will give it a five stars for that, but you cant play black magic raw on premier only with ProRes. The battery life sucks the battery it came with didnt work fully charged. I fully charged it and the battery died out instantly less then 5 minutes Im not sure if its the camera or the battery itself. I got this camera as new waited for the camera and when I got it. The camera was dirty not as in dusty but dirty had to clean it off not just that but the cap was scratched seemed like it was used and I was being charged full price for it I called and got 100.00 of but deep inside I felt that I shouldOff got more of a discount. Im keeping it still testing it out. Im adding v mount battery maybe that fixes the battery issue.
Chadwick –
I was stressing at first on not been able to afford the camera I desire but I ran across this camera on YouTube that took away all my worries about purchasing a quality camera on a tight budget while in school. When I started using this camera it was just mind blowing on how great this cinema 4k camera shots came out , especially the raw shots. .This was a amazing purchase for me for 1200 , thanks for offering this camera I had a hard time finding it in my local stores
Raunak –
Every camera has its quirks, so does this. There is obvious lack of build quality, software glitches, battery life and some weird limitations due to the design of the camera. But looking at this price point, and the ability to shoot 4K raw, it is the only one of its kind, and thus unbeatable. It is not meant to be a hybrid camera that can do video, it is a full fledged cinema camera. Also, some amount of though full rigging can convert this into a great cinema workhorse.
Ron –
I own the original BMPCC. It was great, a little bit difficult to use but great video was always produced. This new 4K version is so much easier to use that Im in absolute love with it Touch screen focusing is awesome, camera controls are so easy to change and a great display to work with. All these great features make it worth buying by themselves, but to throw in Davinci Resolve too, its a no brainer. Blackmagic youve done it again. Thanks
Shane –
A few things missing are incamera stabilization and better auto focus but from what I can tell those are the only two things missing. The pros highly outweigh the cons though. I have been in the biz since 2000 and Ive used every camera out there from analog to digital to hd and 4k. Every brand out there. Black magic has a great advantage over the big brands and gives us a solid alternative to RED. If you are currently using full frame and mft scares you, dont worry. I still use full frame with solid auto focus for certain applications and Im very happy with how mft looks. I use a mix of metabones full frame adaptation as well as native mtf along with vintage lenses and I am happy with all of them. Lots of resolution and bitrate options make it really friendly to use.
Nedd –
Have to Say, I have never had a bad experience at Adorama. And this purchase was no exception, in fact, I preorder the Black Magic Pocket Cinema 4K Camera and wasnt expecting it till the End of February. To my Surprise, it arrived Early January. It came in excellent Shipping Packaging and No Damage. I have since Added the Black Magic Pocket Cinema 4K to my Current workflow and it has surpassed my expectations. Ease of Use, The Ergonomics and beautiful imagery I have been able to capture and deliver to my clients is stunning. I would Highly recommend this camera to all. I Didnt have enough to Re lense so I havent been able to take advantage of MF3 lenses. But I purchased a Viltrox speed booster until I can afford a Metabones so that I can use my existing Canon Mount Cinema glass.
Matt –
So far, I am absolutely blown away by this cameras features The sheer variety of settings you can control is enough to make this the clear choice for a low budget filmmaker. Add the fact that this is very affordable Clear winner.The ergonomic design makes it very comfortable if you opt to handheld shoot.Shipping was fast and reliable, overall great buyer experienceI would definitely recommend this camera to all lowbudget filmmakersSo many ports to use, such as audio in and headphone out which is always nice to have IN CAMERA, HDMI for a monitor.I have just ordered several accessories to go with this camera and that is also a plus the physical customization that you can do with this by adding cages, lights, monitors, mics, handles, building full on rigs etc… Its amazing
Lawrence –
Look… What cant you say thats positive about this camera At its price point, it slays virtually anything else on the market maybe short of the A7S III for the low light capability. Its an amazing asset to have when youre shooting an indie with another camera and looking to match especially between two cameras, which is what I used it for.Just a joy… Kit it out… Trick it out SSD Card, External Battery power…. And shoot at will… YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED…
Todd –
The BMPCC4K, or what I like to call the P4K for short, is by far the best cinema camera I have owned. I have just begun shooting footage to get familiar with it. Ranging from audio tests, which has shown me that the P4Ks internal audio is actually quite good. And better than most cameras well above its price point. The colors and footage Ive captured so far is quite impressive. Given the power of 12bit BRAW, ProRes and all of the compression choices, Id say I can meet most of my film making needs and wants with this camera.
Dylan –
Great little camera. Feel like this is the natural progression from DSLR into a cinema camera. For the price this has so many features that other cameras lack. You do have to find out a battery and memory solution, but even buy a full kit is cheaper than the next step up in the cinema camera range.
BLAKE –
Ill start by saying you should buy this camera, but lets be real, its going to cost some bread. Once youve spent the money to get it built, youll need a bunch of cards or huge ssd drives to record RAW 4K. If you dont have a bunch of storage available, then youll be editing compressed BRAW 4K. It looks great, not fun, doesnt work in Premiere or FCP but its a really compressed, nice file. Youll also have to edit footage in your free copy of DaVinci Resolve which is the native editing platform nobody is truly familiar with and for now, the only platform to support BRAW, sooo dumb. So get out your credit card, buy a couple Samsung T5s ssd, record RAW, drop it into Premiere and plan on 1TB for about 1hr footage. And of course youll need a bunch of Canon batteries. This camera is insanely great, with the best user interface in the industry. But like any new tech, takes some sweet sweet love and patience to get set up and rocking.
Richard –
Finally the BMPCC is a real camera. This camera is wonderful. The large screen makes it easy to focus. The touch screen menus are quick to navigate. The usbc to ssd works great at apple pro res hq 4k. The battery life is much improved but not perfect. While the preamps on the mini xlr are good but also not perfect. Feels like a medium format rangefinder in your hands. The pro res files look great. The only downside is the build quality could be better. Feels a bit too plasticy. Needs a cage to protect it. Still for the price its pretty amazing.
Max –
I have never found it easier to shoot video with a camera. I set up zebras and focus peaking. Dedicated buttons make it easy for me to set aperture and shutter. Going into the menu is such a relaxing experience unlike every other camera that must share everything with stills. Yes, no autofocus tracking or stabilization. I can work around that have other cameras. I cant work around the limitations of 8bit H.264.I love the natural grain RAW. Admittedly, Im a plunker. I import the footage into Davinci and hit the auto color button and do the smallest tweaking. But even the smallest tweaking can get hairpulling frustrating when working with 8bit.So if youre new to this camera, look at my image attached. You dont have to be an expert to get great results from this camera.
David –
Researched this camera big time and finally pulled the trigger. Took three week s to be shipped and when I got it the battery door was broken and loose in the box. Blackmagic needs to seriously up their packaging game. Thank you BH for the easy exchange process. Within two weeks had a new unit. So far, so good. The menu is simple to navigate and the images are beautiful. Even though I plan to use this as a bcamera there is hundreds of dollars of accessories I need to purchase to get this camera where I need it to be. Would still recommend.
Helene –
The IQ, whatever mode you use, is great. Very cinematographic. The camera tends to be unreliable, can shutdown or reboot itself while recording.After a few weeks using it, I had a white screen issue, the camera was unusable, I sent it back to warranty. When the send it back to Mexico, they didnt declare for customs it as they should have. Now my camera is blocked in Mexican Customs, who want may to pay again the whole importation taxes I already paid USD 370, and Blackmagic US support dont even answer me anymore
Jeffrey –
Im a little late to joining the bmpcc 4K family but all I can say is WOW. This thing truly delivers cinema quality for very cheap. The menu system is by far the easiest Ive ever navigated and the camera is still small enough to use for run and gun without too much rigging. Dont get me wrong, Ive fully rigged mine out and it works great with the right peripherals but the fact that you can fly this on a small single handle gimbal is a real game changer. Every review has been correct in saying that this is probably the most bang for your buck cinema camera on the market
Michael –
This is a great camera for a small, independent low budget independent filmmaker such as me. This is a great camera to learn how to shoot a cinema camera. The people coming from a video camera background may not like it as it lacks all the consumer creature comforts. But cinema cameras dont have such features. Expect large files, to shoot manual exposure, focus, no image stabilization, and post production color grading is needed .. then you will get amazing looking images. The new BRaw codec is great. I will still stick to my video camera for the family events, and will use this for the higher quality gigs where I want to finess every element of the shot. You will need to invest in an external power system, external SSD or expensive Cfast cards, and a cage and a few pieces of hardware to make this a useable unit. But such is the nature of cinema cameras. The build is decent. The buttons feel could be a little bit more robust.. but they work. I am actually pleased that the body is very light weight, because adding a cage and hardware to it then gives the whole kit just the right mass and stability.
Fresh –
Received the Pocket on Friday and Saturday morning it was rolling on a short film. Having a Blackmagic URSA Mini 4k already in our arsenal made the interface seamless but if youve never worked with either the HMI human machine interface is simple and efficient.The Pocket was perfect for the Ronin stabilizer we used in on. Int and Ext the camera sees colors great and the image is everything I expected. For the price this is a great camera.Extra Batteries are recommended if you have a more than average shoot day. We did no audio in cam but looking forward to utilizing that option soon.
Kevin –
Finally I received a BMPCC4K. Very nice, time of possibilities. yep issues with it though.1, as in sure youve seen and heard, it sucks the Canon batteries dry in record time. No joke. youre gonna need an external.And 2, the rubber doors for the ports. honestly, I dont know what BM was thinking. the get in their own way. Already videos on line shooting how to remove them. I assume this will be one of the things addressed got the second version of the Pocket 4k. it should have one removable door for the port areas. trying to use ports with the three rubber covers is the worst. Im not even gonna go into how much of a pain it is when you have this in a cage. Im actually thinking about gluing the doors into one and cutting the pieces off that attach it to the camera once I feel like Ive thoroughly used it to where I know it wont need to be returned.All in all, the camera is amazing for what it offers vs its price. The issue I have with it are minimal and overshadowed by its capabilities. Best jump into cinema
Sean –
This camera is AMAZING I love the attention to capturing audio that Blackmagic put into this camera. Of course the image quality is outstanding and I found it pretty functional as well. It was very easy to learn the different functions of this camera. Well done Blackmagic
BENJAMIN –
I dont know why I waited so long to get this camera. It has made narrative and commercial work an absolute breeze, love the controls and features, love the image. Really nice upgradeI do have one complaint, the camera was scuffed up when I received it despite being advertised as new. This is apparently an issue blackmagic is aware of, but its quite annoying for customers to open a product and have it look used. This did not effect the usability, but rather is a cosmetic annoyance.
Gary –
This thing honestly exceeded my expectations. I have to preface this by saying that my cam shipped the day that Blackmagic Raw released. I believe that update was integral in pushing this cam along with other Blackmagic Cams into another stratosphere as far as quality, usability and affordability goes. The raw quality out of the camera is excellent. All flavors of raw included. Having a camera at this price point with these shooting options is doing what Blackmagic has always done. Push the industry forward and make it more accessible to a wider range of creatives.
Cristobal –
The raw workflow is a pleassure to work with. Camera is portable, light and though it needs to be rigged up to make good use of it, the total price is still below all other alternatives in the market.It came with a couple of marks which Im sure are due to blackmagics poor packaging, since it looked otherwise brand new. BH recieved it back and sent a new one in no time. Second time it still had a couple of marks but way less, it seems that it would hit against the plasticky base it comes on and get some of the black material stick to it, while being transported by the currier I would assume . Cleaned it with a piece of cloth and it was good to go ans again everyhting else was in perfect shape, brand new.I give it 4 stars on the hopes that blackmagic would come up with better packaging, a piece of foam to hold the camera in place inside the box for example the 6k has reported the same issue.Overall great product it delivers what is suppose to with no issues.
Jeremy –
This camera is brilliant. Honestly the battery life wasnt as bad as some people were saying either. I was getting a solid 45 minutes out of each one. Using Powerextra Npf batteries makes it even better with minimal space being used up on your cage.Best bang for the buck out there.
Jaron –
Firstly the picture is excellent. I have never owned a BM camera before but the hype is deserved. You can read specs and stats all day, and it has less range than some other cameras. BUT in terms of getting an excellent skintone and good highlight rolloff, this is up there with Canon and Arri. Its not how many stops the camera can hold, its how things fall into place making PICTURES and this seems to keep all the bits in the right places.I own a lot of Sony gear and use a lot of Sony gear and love it but Sony doesnt make it easy to get good skinrolloff, this does. And this does it very affordably. Excellent BCam for Alexa the BMPCC4K FilmVideo V4 LUT is a great starting point match to K1S1 Alexa.Other Positives Timecode input FINALLY XLR Audio Input w Phantom, great menus, super flexible recording media options the Samsung T5 drives work beautifully, 4K Prores.I pair this camera with a speed booster .71x to roughly equal super35 and keep focal lengths consistent. Thats a huge reason this camera is great vs. the newer 6k fullchip recording in 4k. My clients are barely doing 4k and hate RAW so being able to do 4K Prores without windowing is a killer feature.Negatives bad port placement makes it difficult to rig the camera. No SDI. Bad battery life but lots of options for the power itself, and cheap cables available. Screen impossible to see outdoors and doesnt tilt. Thats really the only huge issue. Im not a DSLR person so Im sure these are issues with most DSLR.
Jeff –
I dont even know where to begin. I LOVE IT Adorama facilitated this transaction while out of stock, during its high demand, but let me tell you that it was worth the wait. This camera is a game changer in every way. Entering a cinematic realm, you can accomplish that and beyond. Already in cloud 9 about it, and then they released their new Blackmagic RAW codec. DOUBLE GAME CHANGER SO AMAZING I still cant believe this type and amount of technology came in at such a low price. Black Magic Design is catering to customers the right way. The look and quality of footage has already paid for the camera because my clients love what I am able to produce with it and keep calling me to film. I will be buying a second one soon to have as a B Camera. I dont see my self using any thing other than this body. I love it Thank you Adorama, and Thank you Black Magic Design.
Robert –
The depth of performance of this camera is amazing Simply beautiful images. Great color it will be getting even better with the new color science upgrade due out in about a month. Where Im most impressed is the low light images with the lack of noise. This is a high end camera for a reasonable budget
Jonathan –
This camera is making me grow in ways I didnt expect. Its a challenge, to be sure no autofocus means you have to learn to be intentional about where the story is in your shot, no stabilization means you have to be mindful of how your hands are changing the intention of the shot but the value of this camera is unmatched, especially because it comes with imho the best NLE in the world Resolve Studio
Anonymous –
After shooting with this camera almost exclusively for 5 months, I now feel I can write this review.Pros 1. bRAW is an incredible file to work with in DaVinci Resolve. 2.The menu system is super simple to get through. 3.False color is an option in the camera only camera Ive used that has this built in most others have to use an external monitor like a NINJA for this 4. Recording formats, shooting 120FPS at 2.6K is a dream, having the option to shoot ProRes or bRAW is amazing.Cons 1.Battery life this camera shreds through canon LPE6 batteries. You will need spare batteries if you dont have access to AC power or a larger battery. 2. File Size Dont even waste your time shooting with an SD card. Buy a 1 TB SSD and record to this. Its cheaper than a 128GB SD card. If you dont, there is a good chance you wont get to utilize all of the recording formats. 3. The sensor is super easy to underexpose. Take this camera to the edge of a cliff when exposing, otherwise you are left with a brown muddy image to work with in post.All of this said, I love this camera and am happy with my purchase.
stevens4090 –
This camera is great for someone wanted to move up to a cinema camera but doesnt want to drop 10grand on it. Its quite a step up from a dslr and requires knowledge that one gets after shooting for a couple years. I wanted to explore color and specifically davinci resolve so this was a perfect camera for me. Ive been shooting everything in a flat profile and grading to my taste in dr and its been great. It was a bit of a learning curve in the beginning but well worth it, now seeing the results. I sold the wooden camera rails and cage because I like using a gorila pod as a rig. I bought the azden cold shoe mount and thats where I mount my h5 so I can get decent sound. thats it. I almost sold it but Im glad I didnt. definitely something worth keeping around and they are getting more and more cheap to buy.
Arka –
Preordered and waited for more than 6 months for it to get delivered. So when I got the notification that the camera is about to arrive, naturally I was super excited. FedEx messed the delivery up but thats a separate story altogether.What I loved The size and design. Anyone coming from a DSLR world would know what I mean. When I hold the camera, I felt home. The screen is big and bright. I am yet to test it in broad daylight but looks pretty good from what I see. Loved the on screen controls. It can now auto focus. The ISO, shutter speed, aperture can be changed just by touching the LCD. Incredible image quality. Light weight and small footprint. I think this would be ideal for wedding and independent film makers.What I disliked The position of the fan is at the bottom. If you have a larger tripod head or larger quick release plate, it may block some of the heat dissipation. I hated the battery compartment. Its just a week and the battery door is opening up during operation. Though the battery is safe due to the locking mechanism but this is very frustrating. There should be more focus on the quality control.
JORDAN –
I am a proud owner of two of these babies. I dont feel that I need to go into everything this camera does well. I think that has been very well documented by now. Yes, this camera is AMAZING …and now with the addition of Blackmagic RAW allowing recording RAW to SD cards I am almost left speechlessHowever, lets talk briefly about its shortcomings.1. Battery life… 40 minutes max. this sucks.2. Dynamic Range… its strange. This camera can do so many things found in cameras 8X its price but one of the things it cant is dynamic range. While its not bad, its not great.3. Sensor Size… I dont understand the logic here. The camera is larger than every other M43 camera on the market. They should have gone with a standard S35 Sensor and Canon EF lens mount.4. Lack of LR XLR input. We only get one xlr input via a cable that is NOT included. It would have been nice to have dual LR XLR Inputs via a breakout cable similar to what Atomos has done with their Monitor Line of products.5. Lack of IBIS. This camera is awkwardly shaped and incredibly light weight. this means capturing stable video is near impossible without some sort of rig.6. Lack of ND Filters. This is my biggest complaint. Having to dig in your bag to find the right ND, secure it to your rig and start shooting, takes way too long I missed a sunset shot that I wouldnt have missed with my EVA1. I would have liked to see Blackmagic develop some kind of electronic variable ND system… even if it was an addon purchase… Some kinda of lens mount solution if needed.7. Price Point yes, Im actually complaining about the ridiculous price point… mainly because increasing the cost to would most likely, more than cover the cost of the previous 6 shortcomings Ive mentioned. There is NO reason a professional shooter cant afford a camera. Therefore, make it right the first time and blow the competition out of the waterDue to its shortcomings, I am left to ponder between multiple cameras for different jobs. I wish I could simply call my Pocket Cinema 4K camera my go to camera but its lack of ND filters, limited dynamic range when compared to my other camera, the EVA1, and lack of a more robust Professional Audio Option, keeps me from crowning this camera King.Again, this review is not meant to be negative. This is an amazing camera that deserves high praise. These are simply my thoughts on how it could have been a home run.PS. Two things I forgot to mention1. Im having inconsistent Blackmagic RAW performance when recording to my V60 and V90 cards. I have a buddy that records to his V30 cards with NO ISSUES. He is able to record 81 even at HFR. However, I am limited to 121 without using HFR. Ive used two different name brand cards with the same outcome. yes, I am on the latest FW version.2. Quality Control Both my cameras came in with their screen protectors not secured to the screen. The camera floats around in the box a bit which caused small scuffs on the camera body from the moment I unboxed them. Blackmagic needs to adjust their packing material to correctly protect the camera.Jordan PriceMedia Works The Digital MissionaryDirector Producer Writer Public Speaker FilmmakerTo find out more about me or my company Media Works, please visit us online at http://www.mymediaworks.net
Sor –
Ive been dipping into the BM echosystem for a while. This cameras body resembles a DSLR but it behaves like a pro video cam. It feels sturdy and NOT cheap. Its designed for video as opposed to a traditional DSLR like Cannon MarkII although you can get stills and timelaps. What I find surprising about the Pocket 4k is that like its bigger sister the Ursa 4.6k its a workhorse. The sensor might not be as big but the images have a beautiful smooth buttery quality to them. The Blackmagic colorspace is one of my favorite, just below Arris and ABOVE surprisingly the Red colorspace. This cam brings real value to our real world production where money DOES MATTER. There are many cams that can do a better job than the pocket camera BUT for a heck of a lot more . In its price class its hard to beat. Its also easy to work with and scalable. By that I mean that you can go as a onemanband or work up a whole cinematic rig with follow focus and cine lenses, filters and the works. In the right hands, taking advantage of all it has to offer like bm raw etc… this camera can do some pretty amazing things.
Adam –
I just bought this camera, its October 2020, and its a great camera. I use it for actual client videography work and it definitely outshines hybrid mirrorless cameras that cost twice as much. If youre looking for image quality, this camera delivers. Also, dont believe the hype that you need to rig it all out to get good results.
Jordan –
Fantastic images, fantastic ease of use, fantastic lens possibilities. Screen is great, but could be brighter. Plastic build feels not so tough but hasnt failed me yet so maybe the carbon reinforcement inside is the real deal. Build does add to relative light weight which is nice. Im an Adobe user so getting into Resolve has been fun. BRAW is great, I havent shot ProRes once, though I should try it. I get 60fps 4K on a 170MBs Sandisk 128GB. I love shooting to a T5 SSD. Bluetooth connection is useful with Apps and some gear. I can pull focus with an iOS app and MFT lenses when filming myself. Updates have improved slow motion capabilities and I anticipate even more improvements in the future. Very exciting camera and I know Ill use it for years to come.
Sean –
Im in love with this camera. I shoot 121 BRAW on an sdxc card all the time now when Im not shooting shorts. Ill shoot 31 to a SSD drive for short films. A lot of people tell you you need all kinds of extra stuff to make it usable in production. And that might be true, if youre shooting commercials or features with decent budgets. But if youre shooting for fun or your own education and experience, its perfect, and you can spend your money renting lenses and lights instead of unnecessary add ons.
Bernice –
This MFT 4K camera enables you to choose from a variety of lenses. Attach a speed boosting adapter and the world is yours. Chose a rig that fits and now I can hook up all my accessories. Battery life regardless of which one you choose wont help. Bought a 1TB Samsung T5 SSD.
Anonymous –
This camera really delivers so much capability in a price range where nobody else can match it. The footage is gorgeous I use my Veydra lenses on mine and the results are just amazing. The form factor is unique, but that seems to be the way Black Magic likes to keep it. The rear screen is superusable, even outdoors. For a camera you just cant pass this up. It does have a few flaws. There is a fair amount of angular rotation in the MFT mount. The battery compartment is designed in a way that a large amount of compatible batteries get stuck in the slot. The fact that Blackmagic Raw is coming soon to this camera makes it an absolute nobrainier decision if you shoot anything narrative at all.
Marco –
Before I go into my thoughts, I want to point out to potential buyers that they should know what they are purchasing. This is not a hybridmirrorless camera with continuous auto focus, IBIS, and all the other nifty features that are blowing up that market. The BMPCC4k is a tool and when put to good use, will deliver results those cameras are simply unable with maybe the exception of the S1H currently. The camera is awkwardly designed, it doesnt fit in the hand very well nor does it have the ability to truly be used handheld only. The generic battery lasts 20 minutes max, so you will need to rig this out a bit with minimum some kind of power solution. There are various ways to power the camera, minus the USBC port. You will need to tap into either the battery slot or the 12V DC in. You can get battery hand grips that use Lseries, use VMountGold Mount DTap to 12V, really the possibilities are endless but this will make the camera more bulky and heavier, which is good because it increases the stability of the nonstabilized sensor and gives you more options for contact points.Sensor PerformanceIn a nutshell, good. Good at 400 and 3200 ISO, the 2 natives. Dynamic range is stunningly good for a camera of this price range. You can go up to 6400 ISO with a fairly clean image the noise is colorless, meaning, you wont get any weird color shifts until the last ISO in the high end. Put some fast glass or a speedbooster and you should have zero issues. Put anything slower than say 2.8 or so, you may have some issues getting proper exposure without boosting the shadows in post. Everyone has a look they like, this camera delivers a great starting point for sure.RAWThe best feature of this camera. The capability to record compressed RAW to CFast, SD and USBC drives is amazing. BRAW is flexible and gives you a ton of options depending on your needs. If you fill up your USBC drive or CFast, switch to 121, record on SD cards. While the compression is higher, you dont lose a lot of flexibility making the possibility of matching in post that much higher. BRAW has changed the way I shoot. Its magnificent. However, it does not alleviate the need to get good exposure and WB when shooting but knowing I truly have room to move in post is a blessing when working on paid work. I have a better chance of salvaging something in post than any other codec Ive used, including the almighty ProRes.Operating CostsCan be as cheap as you want, or as expensive. T5s are cheap right now. Roughly 150 for a 1TB drive. Get a few and youll have DAYS of recording RAW 31 4K. CFast is just still too expensive for me. Plus, shooting on to a T5 means I can just edit straight from the drive. If you stick to native lenses, youll find a plethora of lenses that wont break the bank. If you have other ecosystems of lenses, MFT is the easiest to adapt other mounts to. Win win.Essentials you need when buying this cameraBatteriesPower Solution, External Monitor, storage solution, lenses. Get yourself a Tilta or SmallRig cage, add contact points, bulk it up and youll have an awesome run and gun solution. I should mention the IO on this camera is top notch. Full sized HDMI, 3.5 in, 3.5 out, USBC, miniXLR, 12V Power. Cant ask for anything better honestly, not at 1295.If you want to vlog or go from camera to internet in under 15 minutes, dont get this. If you want to create a look and are willing to learn the workflow, get this camera. Ive been a Resolve user since Resolve 12, and each new version is better and better. Its the only NLE on my machine because its the only one I need. Great that it comes with the Studio Version for free tooAll in all, great camera. Some quirks here and there but the firmware support of this camera is the best out there.
Jeremy –
I purchased this camera on 1115 and yet to actually use it. Look, this camera delivers for professionals and enthusiasts. But if youre a new filmmaker, or youre sitting at home trying to think of ways to buy this camera, please read what most people do not talk about. This camera needs lots of accommodations to be used. Gimbals, I purchased the Moza air 2. This gimbal along with others does work with this camera because Blackmagic built camera horizontally and it hits the arm of the gimbal. Now there is gimbal that can come out the box and fit this camera with no accommodations. That gimbal is called by tilta. Any other gimbal needs a cheese plate or adapter from small rig.Now for the battery. The battery life is terrible. Why bother even adding a battery if it only last 3 minutes. Black magic solution was to sell a battery grip that holds 2 more battery packs sold separately at 250. Again, it connects to the camera giving you two hours, but you gotta buy the grip 250 plus the two Sony batterys at whatever cost.Lens, shoots well. Everyone rants and raves as they should. But this camera is MICRO FOUR THIRDS. You are limited to lens. You have to buy speed boosters also known as adapters to fit regular lens.Looks if youre a filmmaker, just borrow a camera. Buy a gimbal and start shooting. Another issue is divinci. I hope you have a good computer to do all this editing with 4K raw and color correcting.I think this is a great camera for pros. But Im a director at hart and this isnt friendly for someone that just has vision. You gotta find someone that knows this camera or has one to use. You arent able to unbox this camera and use it right away. You gotta really invest. If you 2000 in your pocket and your bills are paid, get a 500 camera. Just continue being a broke director.
Mark –
I have been making movies for a while and have primarily used a Canon T2i made 5 features with that 3 of which are in distribution. I recently bought this camera as it looked like a nice step up and yes it is. Extremely easy to use the easiest videocinema I have ever used. Quality is top notch and I love the picture. The recent firmware upgrade helps out as you can record higher quality directly to an external hard drive. You definitely want a CF card though. Also buy 45 extra batteries as life is short.
Paul –
Ive worked on projects with all sorts of cameras. Sony, Panasonic, Canon, etc. For my own kit I went all in on MFT a while back with the original BMCC and a set of primes. I later added the Lumix GH5 with an assortment of Lumix lenses as a quick and easy goto. All that being said, I was excited for the new BMPCC 4K as I can now use both my primes and Lumix lenses on the same camera with iris control and so on. Im not sure why theyve called this a Pocket Camera. It will not fit in your pocket unless youre a kangaroo. It really is more of a well executed update of the BMCC MFT. As soon as this came in, I experimented with the three media types that is uses. Both the SD II and CFast cards perform as expected across all file formats and frame rates, which is very good. No dropped frames, no issues. I was interested to see how it would work with my old SSD cards from my original BMCC, so I ordered a USBC to Serial for, plugged it in and gave it a shot. I was pleased to find that I can record 4k to those SSD cards across all formats up to 30fps. not bad. I get an average of 50 mins from the Canon battery. I ordered the cable pack to use my old Powerbase 70 batteries and I get excellent results of up to 6 hours per battery while using phantom power, so this camera uses significantly less power than the original BMCC. The menu is great, very easy to use, and intuitive. The addition of phantom power is fantastic, and eliminates the Zoom middle man I was using for my boom mics before. The audio can be routed in any number of ways, and is very simple to configure i.e. LAV to Ch1, Boom to CH2 etc. You can even route individual built in mics to a single channel if so desired For reference audio, etc. That being said, the built in mics arent bad at all, at certainly leagues better than the original mics on G1 BM Cameras. In short, its usable and even pretty good for ambient sound, and could be usable in a crunch for close range interviews. For people looking for the Filmic look, this camera delivers at least as well as all previous BM cameras that Ive worked with. It goes without saying that shooting in RAW, and grading in DaVinci yields excellent results that would be hard to identify next to much more expensive cameras, especially to the amateur eye. The screen is large and bright. I used this camera yesterday on a talking head shoot and decided to go out without an external monitor, and honestly I didnt miss it. There all sorts of built in tools for checking exposure, balance, and so forth. The physical buttons are very useful, and well placed. I can tell that some thought went into what to give quick access to, and where to place the buttons. Ion addition, there are three programmable physical buttons. Eight years or so ago this probably wouldve been a camera, so at its a bargain and then some. It doesnt feel as rugged as my old big blocky BMCC, but Im getting used to the format, and actually liking it. Handheld isnt great unless you have a lens with some built in stabilisation my Lumix lenses work well with this camera, but, Ive had it on a Crane 2 and achieved excellent results. I havent experimented a lot with low light, but I can say that the examples Ive seen on Vimeo have been very good. Bottom line if you are already in the MFT world and are looking for a great camera, look no further. I love the versatility of my GH5, and will certainly continue using it, but, as a pure digital cinema camera, the BMPCC 4K is a cut above. Id feel comfortable shooting just about anything on it.
gerardo –
If you are buying this because of the price is so good, youre wrong. Prepare yourself to spend 2k extra on accessories. Saying that, the camera performance is amazing. The Pro Ress 4k work perfect in my MacBook Air i78gbRam512Ssd2014. Colors, ISO, extremely easy to get focus manual or auto just pressing where I need. I record for more than 1.5 hours without having any issues or show any drop frame or get hot. Ive been in business for 20 years using Canon and now I have a Nikon d850 in my office and the menu of the bmpcc 4K is amazing and simple. I wish the battery lasts longer but anyway you can use a vmount that work for hours. If you dont want to have to many things around the body, try the URSA MINI pro. Anyway at the end the price will be similar. I have two BMPCC 4K.
Eli –
While the camera itself as things you can nick pick over. Short battery life, audio is something to not brag about, but that image quality blows any small issues away Its a camera Ive been waiting for at a price the is a game changer for the prosumer and even the pro market. Ive used this camera for 4 months before purchasing my own. No Regrets
Jeena –
Were a small church and we were looking for a camera to record weekly sermons and also shoot promotional vids for events we organize. The quality of the video is SO beyond our old HandycamAlso, Davinci Resolve Studio 16 is an AMAZING programIm just scratching the surface of all we can do with it Considering all it can do, it was a steal
ROBERT –
Long before its release, I had anticipated that if this camera actually lived up to its expectations, it would be a gamechanger in the semipro to pro independent filmmaking and videography industry. All I can say is that in the time I have had it, I am completely in love with it.Perhaps I am one of the lucky ones, but Ive yet to experience any of the issues that many users have been vocal about. So far it has worked flawlessly, and I have put it through at least one fairly brutal shoot day in the middle of a hot Florida day. It ran for hours on end without even so much as flinching.Granted the LPE6 battery it comes with is garbage. Fortunately I have several official Canon OEM LPE6s that I use for my stills photography on my two Canon EOS cameras and those fare much better. Still, I took the extra step and purchased a vmount battery solution to power the P4K, so now it will run for hours without needing a battery change.Its size and weight make it ideal for quick run and gun applications out in the field, and works on a variety of rigs, stabilizers and other accessories in my arsenal.The images it produces are fantastic. I have paired this with my set of EFmount Rokinon cinema lenses via a Metabones Speedbooster XL 0.64, and although these are manual lenses i.e., they do not communicate with the camera, I have become well accustomed to manual lens operation for my video and film projects anyway. The ability to shoot in Cinema DNG raw at 4k resolution is a huge leap in my own capabilities as a videographerfilmmaker an option I didnt believe I would be able to afford anytime soon until this little gem hit the market.So, TLDR… it is well deserving of the hype
KJ –
This camera is simply amazing Sure, the battery life is awful. Sure, the screen doesnt tilt and is not the best. Sure, youll prob spend just about double to make it a fully functional setup but you will still be thousands less than the next comparable pure cinema camera. This camera is light, amazing in low light, and it gives you beautiful images that have this unique flavor.
Jorge –
This camera offers many positive values for filmmakers, the body feels very good and solid in the hand. The competitive price is affordable for those who begin to produce low budget projects. The Micro Four Thirds mount system supports an excellent range of stabilized camera lenses. Dual native ISO implements low light recordings. Record in ProRes or RAW offers a good option for postproduction, the video quality is impressive for the price. In addition to all the advantages received with the camera, the license of DaVinci Resolve Studio is a great value.The battery type LPE6, lasts about 35 to 40 minutes, you need to have enough for long duration projects. The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K is not for amateur users.
Andrey –
Love this camera everything works great excellent video qualityFew minor issue the battery door is hard to open, metabone adapter has a bit of play from camera side. the side with all the connection them rubber protection thing is annoying other then that its a very good camera for a start up business
Christopher –
I bought the Pocket 4k for its intuitive UI something that was very important to me and fully fleshed cinema features on my tight budget. But, what I didnt anticipate is the small size of the micro 43 sensor allows me to use vintage CCTV lenses c mount, which run about 30 bucks a pop. This is a great, lowcost way of getting stylized lenses that work great in low light and it just so happens to align with my artistic needs. These old, ultrafast lenses wouldnt provide enough coverage for a larger sensor like Fullframe cameras, leading to significant vignetting. You still might get some vignetting on this sensor, but, if you do, its easily fixed or cropable in post. For the lens compatibility and high quality raw footage, this camera is a steal.
Ryan –
Lenses dont matter. Stabilization doesnt matter. Lowlight capabilities dont matter. Dynamic range doesnt matter. If fact, the Mitchell BNC 65 used for Lawrence of Arabia had between 1113 stops of dynamic range. Ergonomics doesnt matter. Recording media doesnt matter and audio capabilities doesnt matter.What matters is how you use it for the story youre telling. From features to shorts, documentaries to events, whatever youre doing, there is inherently a story being told.For the things Im creating, this camera is a great asset and tool. Dont get bogged down in having the best equipment. Rather, get bothered by whether or not you have the best story, then, and only then, can you think about the gear you need to best tell that story.
Micah –
Already knew it would be great. Just wish it had an articulating screen. Pretty ridiculous I also have to buy a monitor on top of battery, media, etc.. literally would have costed a few bucks more per unit. But still Blackmagic made it affordable so I can still get everything else needed for less than the cost of 2 RED 960GB Drives.
Nigel –
I now have two of these the oldest one being approx 9 months old, the newest one a week old and I use them in tandem with 2 Ursa minis.Great pictures, good functionality but I have three issues1. I use Canon lenses so for both of them Ive had to buy Metabones lens converters which adds around 650 to the price.2. I record a lot of dialogue in a studio and the 9 month old camera is virtually unusable in such a situation as the fan is so loud and noisy that the other cameras and any remote mics are picking up the noise. The fan noise is so extreme the the inbuilt mics are next to useless and I can only use that audio as a reference. Im going to return it as soon as I have a break in my schedule.3. On the newest one the battery door will only open if I use a penknife to pull it open while pushing down on the release. Ive created a short cut by using camera tape as a kind of grabber but this is really not good enough on a brand new camera that was removed from the box 4 days ago.Ive treated the cameras very carefully and spent the extra on protective cages for both of them and transport them in Pelican cases. So, honestly, to have these issues is more than annoying.
Johny –
Ive always been a bit skeptical of black magic cameras, but this one looked too good to not at least try out. So glad I did.The dynamic range, the incredible menu, low light capability and stellar picture with braw and prores cant be beat anywhere near this price point. I loved it so much that Ive sold my Sony b cam and ordered a second bmpcc 4K.All that being said, there are cons. Mainly features that may be lacking for some workflows or beginner videographers continuous AF, ibis etc but if youre a professional that knows your way around a videocinema camera, youll love what this has to offer
Steve –
Lets start off with the BOTTOM LINEThis is an amazing camera that has nearly endless rigging possibilities to suit many needs. Most of our projects are set with the cameras mounted to a tripod, with boom mic, etc. We shoot raw and it all through Davinci then to FCP. So the camera gives you so many options to manipulate the outcome as needed. Everything from the color, LUTS, lens selection, rigging possibilities makes this a very versatile tool for most filmmakers and production teams. Good luck with yours.
Andrew –
The BM Pocket 4K is a quirky little devil. My production run had a known issue with the battery door, but BMD quickly issued a replacement ticket so Im not going to ding it for that. Overall, the camera outputs a quality that belies its budget price. Yeah, by the time you gear it up and get it into a proper mount, youre hovering around the price range of some other cameras that are well received, but the dynamic range and of course the excellent Blackmagic color science make this stand out for me as a B cam for low budget and personal shoots. The dual ISO is pretty great and gives you low light performance that normally youd only get from cameras with lower bit depth. Its not perfect, by a long shot. But if you have a spot in your gear bag for a scrappy filmic shooter, you could do far worse.
Andres –
I have to say the camera blew away my expectations in capabilities. I cant believe you get so much for so little money.My only negative comment is it came with a little rattle inside, as if a piece is loose inside, this obviously worries me quite a bit, I can see the factory quality of the cameras being faulty and you will need luck to get a flawless one. Also the weight tells me its got lots of plastic parts so BUY A CAGE for sturdiness. Also you will need lots of extra things to actually use it so keep on mind at least another 1000 bucks. You cant have it all when with such a low price point.Other than that everything works perfectly. The low light performance is outstanding and the footage it outputs is beast. The monitor is big and the surround mics blew away every other built in microphone of any other camera I have used. No DNG raw in mine, I think it has been completely taken out in latest batches. No problem with me, I like how it weights so little. I would like a 2k option on this one but again, you cant have it all.Al around its a beautiful camera, Im happy I bought this instead of the GH5s which is super expensive, you can easily make a serious movie with this. Only down side is the individual quality of the products, you may have to return it at least once but once you get a good one youll be in love.
Ashley –
Fantastic camera especially at this price point. Picture quality is stunning and stands up to cameras much more expensive.Paired with a good lens its amazing. Menus are so simple to navigate. Touch screen is great too.
Thierry –
The BMPCC 4K is an amazing camera for the price. Not to forget that with the camera you also get a fully licensed copy of Da Vinci Resolve Studio, a professional coloring and editing suite. The camera itself is also amazing, with a superb LCD touch screen, and with the possibility to shoot 4k RAW. Big thanks also to Kamera Express for sending the camera to Luxembourg in two days only, when the cam was nowhere to be found in whole EU.
Orlando –
I was looking for a cinema camera in a good price, this a great option for entry cinematographers and videographers. People are complaining about the battery life but this is not your ordinary wedding cam, this cam is for big projects and control environments. If you are looking for a camera To shoot weddings and a camera that does everything for you, let me break it for you, this cam is not for you…..
Ben –
Overall the carbon fiber build and micro four thirds lens mount felt sturdy and well constructed. Camera is light but durable. The 4K and HD image is phenomenal I love the options this camera gives you. Raw lossless, 41 31 and ProRes HQ, 422, 42 and Proxy with variable frame rates and windowed slomo. False color and 3D LUTs are phenomenal. This camera packs a punch for The photo button is really just a screenshot of video so the quality of image varies and you cant view your screenshots in camera. The time lapse is a cool feature to have but in my opinion it felt like it was thrown in as an after thought. Overall solid camera with many good features and some alright features that make it definitely worth the money.
Austin –
I absolutely love this camera. Coming from a background with DSLRs, the BMPCC 4K feels very familiar, but with all the features you could ask for in a cinema camera. Ive heard a lot of complaints about the battery life, but the fact that this is a CINEMA camera that even has a built in battery option is fantastic. Not to mention, there are several ways you can power the camera. For any low budget, independent filmmaker, I would highly recommend the BMPCC 4K. RAW, 4K, and a killer dynamic range is a recipe for success.
richard –
I love it, it probably has the best color science ive seen yet. especially at this price point. the dynamic range is outstanding. the touch screen is huge, responsive and bright. 4k60fps is buttery smooth. i love it. the only reason it didnt get a perfect 5 stars is because it doesnt come with a waveform. and it doesnt show the bit depthdata rate numbers like my gh5. but those are nitpicky items that. i love the camera.
John –
This product is great, I first had a problem with getting it to turn on but figured it out. The display touch screen is great and the settings are easy to understand and there are a lot of youtube videos to help out if needed. Im ready to buy the 6k camera also.
Steven –
If youre looking for a camera that has 4k footage at an affordable price, this is certainly worth looking into. It has a micro 43 size sensor however so keep that in mind because you may want to get a speedbooster in order to make your sony or canon lenses work how you expect. For example, I bought this with a 42.5mm panasonic lens and it works for what I need without the speedbooster because with the sensor sizecrop factor 2X, the actual focal length is more like 85mm. Lastly, It doesnt have auto focus or a flip screen, which is a bit of a bummer but get yourself an affordable monitor and purchase the app to control focus remotely and youll be good to go. Otherwise, its a great camera.
Andres –
The camera feels great hefty yet not heavy. The body is inconspicuous like a DSLR. With the bigger screen, focusing and framing are easier. Tapping through the menu seems intuitive and responsive.My copy was preordered on 9 April, shipped overnight, and delivered on 5 October. Paired with the Metabones SpeedBooster XL for Canon, the adapter has some play but not a whole lot. On the wider end of a Canon 1635 IS f4L, no vignetting was visible. The Arca Swiss foot on the Metabones is about a quarter inch higher from being flush with the bottom of the camera. The heat dissipated from the bottom vent was warm but my not hot.At the bottom, there are two guide holes for the proper alignment of accessories. The battery door does not give you solid feedback when closing not an issue for me but noticeable.The included battery does not transmit percentage of power remaining and is not chargeable externally via the Canon LCE6. The screen only showed a little decreasing battery icon. However, Canon and even Watson batteries give you percentage reading. This was an issue with the BMD battery as the camera shuts off without warning. In contrast, Canon or Watson batteries warn you at 20, and are chargeable externally.Boot up takes between about 5 seconds. The power switch is a welcome change from the original BMPCC. ProRes LT 4K 60p DCI is possible to a SanDisk Extreme Pro V30 UHS I rated for 95 MBps read, 30 MBps write speeds. I believe the camera has a buffer good enough for about 19 seconds and 30 frames. Please share what you find.macOS 10.14 does not mount SD or CFAST cards via USB C. Investing in a SDCFAST 2.0 readers may be a must. Also, a MacBook Pro 15 did not charge the BMPCC 4Ks battery via USB C but the Mac wall charger did.My BMPCC 4K is paired my with an ONA Bowery bag. It fits perfectly with accessories and one lens. This camera that it reminds me of 2008 and the Canon 5D Mark II it changed everything. Cant wait to shoot more
Peter –
This camera is a big step up from my original pocket camera. With my original pocket camera, I need to take multiple steps to get to one of frequently used settings ISO, Shuttle Angle, and White Balance, for example. With this camera, I can take just one step to get to one of these settings from either a physical button on the camera body or from a soft button on the touch screen of the camera display. The display of this camera is much brighter than that of the original pocket camera on which the image is hardly visible under bright sunlight. The metadata of the video clip setting in this camera is also much easier to access than the original pocket camera. It requires only one swipe on the camera display to access the metadata entry form. 3D Lut can be applied to the camera display in this camera. It is particularly useful when one wants to make an estimate of what the final image look like in the post. One does that by visually comparing the brightness and color of the Lut applied image in the display with that in the real situation. Finally, the captured images look very good in terms of brightness and color, even in low light. This is an ideal camera for an oneperson crew.
Carl –
So far great,camera works as a cinema camera very well. Mine has none of the mentioned problems such as battery jamming in place . dead pixels on screen, And seems to have no obvious problems. Hardest part is learning the buttons.pressing randomly is contraindicated i am using canon lenses via a non reducing adapter IE no glass element and my Canon 1018 efs lense is a good wide angle. This upcoming week I will be trying it in a very dim but colorful environment. So far Love it.
carcar.jaxckogtb –
The price of the cameras is not bad. However if youre coming from, lets say, a Nikon system, youll need a speed booster if you ever hope to get any wide angle shoots. A simple adaptor will leave you with crazy crop factors And those go for about 400.00. Youll also need plenty of extra batteries. Because of the camera power youll only get about half hour. If youre shooting out doors youll need need a portable display. The screen for the camera is useless in sunlight although a beauty indoors. All this is not to discourage youits to say be prepared. If you can handle all the rest youre getting a top flight video camera
Forza –
Do you want footage in the Arri Alexa level Well, this camera is right for you. The quality is absolutely amazing. The freedom to apply color correction. The skin tones. If you want stunning quality, from the beginning to the end of any profesional production this camera, with the included DaVinci Resolve Studio is the real key.
Adrian –
This camera is very reminiscent of the early days when the HVX200 just landed on the scene and blew expectations of what can be achieved on an indie level out of the water. The BMPCC4k is a powerhouse of a camera that comes in at such a ridiculous price that it makes it hard for me to justify my RED purchase. Being able to shoot 4k using the .BRAW format is such an amazing feature and adding either the metabones 0.64x for fullframe lenses or the 0.71x giving me about an extra stop of light and the ability to use canon glass is amazing. Pairing this camera with the Sigma 1835mm is amazing. Everything is amazing about this camera. Im trying to think of any downsides. I can only say the battery life is the biggest drawback, but those LP batteries are so cheap, I bought about 8 extra batteries which kept me going for a full day. This camera has one of the best user interfaces Ive ever seen on a camera. Other than the battery life gripe, I wish this thing had a movable LCD monitor. Sometimes when shooting at low or high angles, being able to view the monitor is kind of difficult. All in all Im extremely satisfied with this purchase.
KHADER –
This camera and rig setup is the real deal From Easy and efficient changes of video format to the direct SSD drive application, the Blsckmagic pocket cinema 4K is a force to be reckoned with. The one consequence is extremely low battery life which is easily fixed by an external setup Adorama is especially helpful as they make the buying process easy and exciting Pick yourself up one of these bad boys and step up your game without having to destroy your wallet
Eric –
I am really loving Adorama right now. My total wait time from first placing preorder to camera in hand was less than two months. There are people who bought from other companies still waiting from preorder back in April.This camera deserves the hype. Within a solid minute of unboxing I had a lens slapped on and was filming. A few minutes later and I knew how to navigate the super intuitive menu and adjust everything from white balance to ISO to setting high frame rate. The build feels solid and the ergonomics simply superbMy hand was made for this chunky grip. The button layout… Perfection. The image quality soars above anything miles away from this price point. I suggest using the usbc SSD option for media and as a way to power bank charge the cam when powered off. Im able to capture 60f 4k pro res without dropped frames and RAW works great tooThank you Adorama you made my dream a reality. Great customer service…best in the biz.
Angel –
Film makers It took me Months Of just doing my homework on this Cinema camera, making sure it was what I needed to start taking real film making seriously and just get used to the settings which btw not complicated at all of course you will need to buy certain accessories to make it look professional but all you need is stable lens with stable hands or gimbal and start rolling
Jordan –
The features on this camera are extremely impressive The use of the touchscreen is extremely easy and familiar. Coming from an A7s the menus were refreshing. I havent found a lowlight situation it hasnt handled yet with the Sigma 1.8 Art set. My only complaint is the absence of an in camera delete button. I film a lot of sports where people try things hundreds of times. I understand you should keep everything you shoot until you get to the editing room but with the file size of these clips sometimes its a hassle Other than that I am completely happy with my purchase
William –
This camera is my first real cinema camera. Ive only used DSLRs prior to this camera for any film and video work for clients. Ive watched a lot of YouTube video reviews on this camera prior to making my purchase. I, so far, havent had any issues with the camera as far as it not recognizing media Im using a Samsung T5 1TB SSD, or any other issues some reviewers have had. The image quality on it rocks My old rig consisted of a Canon 5D Mk III with an Atomos Ninja 2 shooting ProRes. This camera now allows me to shoot either ProRes or raw. I dont believe, as of this review, that theres any media capable of allowing you to record 4K DCI lossless raw at 60fps, yet. The best I can do, for raw, is shooting raw at a 31 compression. On a 1TB SSD, shooting at 4K DCI at 24fps, gives me approximately 138 minutes of record time. Switching to ProRes, with the same resolution, the record time jumps to about 183 minutes or so. At 1080 resolution, in ProRes by the way, Im shooting ProRes HQ and all modes are Film, gives me well over 700 minutes of recording time.I havent used the LPE6 batteries that I bought for it, yet, so I cant give you a battery life for those, but from other reviews it appears to be anywhere from about 30 to 45 minutes. Im using an IndieProTools VMount battery setup with an LPE6 dummy battery. I dont have an exact time on how long that lasts as a whole because I havent taken it out in the field, yet, to get an accurate answer, but it should be about 3 hours or more from what other reviews have stated and from what I saw of the battery life indicator, that should be true.The Focus Assist on it seems really accurate, as are the False Color metering. It does crop in 1080 resolution mode when shooting in slow motion, but I dont know by how much, but its pretty significant. Ive also learned that in order to shoot at 120fps in 1080p, you must shoot in raw. It will not allow that speed in ProRes. I believe you can go up to 60fps when shooting 1080 in ProRes. The best image quality I can get in slow motion is at 4K DCI at 60fps in raw compressed at 31 you can compress up to 41 in raw.Im using a Metabones XL Canon EF adapter to mount my lenses. I havent seen any vignetting with any of my lenses Canon 24105 f4 L series, Canon 85mm f1.8, Canon 50mm f1.8, and Tamron 2470 f2.8. With the speedbooster, it allows my f1.8 lenses to go down to f1.2 and my f4 lens goes down to f3.6.I ran an HDMI from its HDMI out to my Atomos Ninja 2 to see about monitoring. I had to readjust the Atomos to closer match what I was seeing on screen on the LCD of the camera as far as colors go. One feature of the camera is that you can send a Cinematographer view to the HDMI or a Director view through the HDMI. The Cinematographers view allows your output to show exactly whats being displayed on the back of the LCD as if you were the behind the camera to another monitor. The Directors view does the same thing, but removes things like the audio meter and some other information that the Director may not need to know when monitoring the video. You can customize whats sent to the LCD, HDMI, or whats common to both false color can be viewed by both at the same time or only by the HDMI signal or only by the LCD, for example in the menu screen.We did some test shots in my garage in total darkness using a very small candle as the only source of light. Dialed in the ISO I wish I could remember what it was at and zoomed in on the footage on my 5K IMac. We did not see any noise in the footage. That was an extreme as we would almost never have to shoot in that type of situation. Basically, if you want to shoot a campfire scene and only use the campfire as your light source, you shouldnt have any issues.I caged it and accessorized it with a SmallRig full cage, HDMIUSB clamp, Samsung T5 Mount, Metabones adapter mount, and universal mount with 15mm rods. Im using the IndieProTools 15mm rod mounted Vmount plate with LPE6 dummy battery as stated above. As of this review, Im still waiting for the Tilta NucleusNano to arrive for follow focus.Now that this camera is here, I can now put away my Canon for video and just use it for strictly photography that I do on the side. This is a big plus for me. From what Ive read online, Blackmagic is working on adding Blackmagic Raw to this camera, which will be awesome. I hope this review helps in your decision to purchase the camera. Im not a vlogger, so I cant really speak on this camera being a great vlogging camera. Most of the negative reviews on YouTube seem to be vloggers not liking the fact that it doesnt have continuous autofocus. Though it has a autofocus by pressing on a focus point on the back of the screen, I couldnt get it to work with my setup and had to manually focus. I dont know if thats because of information being sent from the Metabones to the camera with my lenses I assume it is. I may be doing something wrong. If theres something you guys know that I need to do in order to make it work, please let me know. Ive seen video reviews of it working on MFT native mounted lenses, so it does have it, though.Hope this helps
Hugh –
I have been a long time Panasonic GH5 user and love the camera, its features and video quality. However, my curiosity got the better of me and I bought the BMPCC 4K. All of the positive reviews are true about the menu system, features, codecs and ease of use. Its all true. I still love my Panasonic GH5 and use it a lot but I have been reaching for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K just as much. I cannot say one is better than the other. I can only say I love using both and have absolutely no regrets buying it. Both make gorgeous video. I wont go into spec comparison as any informed consumer should do that on hisher own. I will say whatever your needs, both cameras deliver. Usability differs somewhat as far accesorizing but thats completely up to the user. If youve used other mirrorless cameras and are ready for a change, you wont be dissapointed with this feature rich 4K video camera. And, you can spend as little or as much as you want to accessorize. I only bought a Small Rig cage, 12 rods, an INdiePro battery kit and XLR cables. The rest of my accesories came from what I bought for my GH5.
Kyle –
The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera is an amazing camera for its price. It produces crystal clear 4K video and has excellent low light performance. It works great with just about any lens you can find if you get the appropriate mount adapter, whether its a modern Canon lens or an oldschool M42 lens.
Anonymous –
The battery life is bad. Everything else is beyond awesome. The images are just so beautiful and easy to work with.One pleasant surprise is that I can use my old V30 SD cards to record 4K ProRes 422 up to 30p. HQ is too much. Great for interviews etc.I also use the GH5, and the two cameras complement each other well, but the P4K is so much easier to use for video. Stuff like the ability to change display settings or punch in for focus while the camera is rolling make a huge difference.
Elijah –
This thing just hands down beats any other option from sony and canon. No doubt it takes a lot to make it really work well but the micro four thirds world and smaller form factor allows for it to be the lowest cost thing in your rig as well as saving hundreds on equipment for MFT. Prime lenses are of course your best friend. This is easily a great multitasker as the high resolution and dynamic range could allow it to give you great stills from recordings. Its best for you tube and any sort of stable low movement recordings given that its best with prime lenses and does not have stabilization.
Joseph –
Before this camera I had the Canon EOS Rebel T5 DSLR for four years. I seriously cannot believe that this amazing camera is as much as it is. My videos look more like film than any other cameras Ive used. This camera is amazing. Im a huge fan also by how good the low light is. Youd be very surprised how well the camera works very well when you have very little light to work with. I plan to shoot many short films with this camera for the foreseeable future.
Noah –
I dont think theres much I can tell you about this camera that you couldnt learn from the million reviews that have been done about it.First let me say, besides my Alexa, I am deeply invested in the Blackmagic ecosystem. I believe that this company is always pushing for better tech at lower prices. I own four Ursa mini pros, And now I have purchased two of these cameras. I love them bothPros Amazing image quality, Blackmagic Raw, great low light , intuitive interface, bevy of different recording options in both format and cards.Cons As many have said, You are going to need both power and monitoring solutions this thing chews their batteries and doesnt have a tiltable or rotatable screen. You will also need to purchase a speed booster to adapt to EF. This is not a deal breaker.Other than that, I LOVE THIS CAMERA Just buy it
mauriwindo –
The product is awesome I already heard great things about the BMPCC 4K prior to buying it. Now, I have to buckle down and get past the learning curve. Other than that, Its great
Wojciech –
The camera is very good. Love the picture quality. Records Blackmagic Raw and Pro Res. Its easier to use when you build a rig around it with a cage and some other accessories. Battery that it comes with is not enough and it doesnt charge in original canon battery charger.
JOY –
This is the best option for a 4K MFT lens Cinema camera. This one is running through the Blackmagic Design ATEM mini pro and will be used as in multiple ways with other cameras. Its light weight makes it ideal for a nice hand held camera. We are also looking forward to using more Blackmagic gear as they keep getting better and better.
Siyabonga –
This is a great camera in general. But my package was not received well.The camera I received is definitely looking new. TOTALLY. It has scratches all over on the edges. Really really looks like it was used. I am seriously not happy with my camera.I dont know what you guys are doing there but this is not right.
benjamin –
Ive been shooting exclusively on this camera for almost a year now. I have the viltrox adapter. A cage setup with a sony npf970 and this camera is a CHAMP It was a huge upgrade from shooting on some panosonics and sonys The ergonomics and ease of use for the camera is unmatched. If i had to say one complaint about the camera i would say that i wish it had continuous auto focus, but beside that point it is a spectacular camera and its meant to be a cine camera so pulling focus is greatHIGHLY RECOMMEND if you want to start getting into the cinema world
Mark –
For you are getting a very impressive camera. 4K RAW and ProRes, large touchscreen monitor, easy to use interface, and beautiful image quality. Much has been said about the poor battery life, but a recent firmware update has improved that. Its a little too wide and awkwardly shaped for my tastes, but that isnt a deal breaker.The buttons are wellplanned. You have just enough to be useful and they are placed in convenient places. The HDR button is great, allowing you to quickly zoom in check focus. It has three userassignable buttons on top that you can use for things like focus assist and false color.The thing that I really would like is a proper waveform monitor. With all of the other great features of the camera youd think they would give us that.There has also been a lot said about the Blackmagic color. Even when shooting RAW youll end up getting a distinct image from this camera. This is good for short films and those wanting a cinematic look. I find it has a distinct red push in the shadows and red colors in general look unnatural and overly red. Still, this camera will make you look better than you really are ha ha.
thecatalinakid –
Blackmagic makes some of the best cameras in the business and theyre actually affordable. The Pocket series gives the little guy a ton of power to compete with the big boys. Im as happy as I can be. Thank you Blackmagic
Sergio –
I own the original BMPCC. It was a great camera but it had limitations. For instance, it had only had 4 ISO settings, to set white balance you had to do it manually , going in the menu and out of the menu and checking your picture each time. The screen was small. Audio was abysmal, even for scratch tracks.On top of that I knew that there were going to be other accessories that I was going to need to buy. There were lenses, external monitors, tripods, batteries, lights etc. etc. etc. I bought the original knowing all this, and the camera has worked well for me.My point here is that if you are serious about film making, then those are things that you will need to think about buying alongside ANY camera that you purchase. Some of the things people said about the BMPCC are the same things they are saying about the BMPCC4K. I feel like most of the complaints people have can be circumvented via gear that ANYONE who is seriously interested in film would buy anyways. By the way a lot of professional cameras such as the Arris and Reds dont have things like built in screens or monitors. Just something to think about.Who is this camera for If you want to take pictures as and do film on the side then this camera is not for you. If you want to use this camera for vlogging, then this camera is not for you you are better off getting good ligthing and using your phone. With any camera you buy there is going to substantial financial investment. Please think about this before you consider buying this camera.Now on my review. Like I said I owned the OG BMPCC. Going from that to this is a breath of fresh air Here are the things I love in no particular order1. The ability to change my ISO, shutter and white balance settings on the fly without having to go in the menu. Also I can see the changes in real time. This is great because that means you can change settings in run and gun situations. With the old BMPCC theres times I didnt adjust these settings because I didnt have the time if I was out just running and gunning. Now I can and its great2.This camera has built in false color and waveforms. These are great tools than everyone should use. To have them built in a great plus Not only that but there are 3 customizable buttons that let you set the false color, or even use prebuilt LUTS in your footage3. The screen is bigger, it could be difficult to focus on the older one due to the small screen. I like as well that it lets you magnify the picture to really dial in that focus. I know people have complained that the screen doesnt swivel or pop out. I am ok with that. I have the external BM 4k Video Assist. I feel like any external monitor is much more useful than a screen that swivels out in any situation.4. The menu apparently is the same as the Ursa never used one. But its easy to use and switch settings all around. This is so much easier than using buttons5. The picture quality is quite good. I havent done any comparisons yet but I really like what I have. Especially when you get your lighting and exposure just right I like to take footage of my family and friends situations where you arent always in control of your lighting but even in such situations I am able to quickly adjust settings to compensate and get the best picture quality. on top of that the RAW footage looks amazing.6. Davinci Resolve. To be honest, if there was an option to waive getting the software and getting the camera for 1000 dollars I would have been ok with it. Resolve is a great program dont get me wrong, I like using it but I wouldnt have minded saving a few bucks. That being said I have decided to switch to Resolve over Premiere due to this. Blackmagic indeed7. This camera is bigger, meaning handheld shots are more stable. I feel like I have bigger hands but even then my hands get tired sometimes holding this. Ive heard people complain about this. Thats ok, theres an easy solution tripod. I dont really see how it is much different than hold a DSLR or something like that.Here are some things I dont like but that I can live with1. This camera CAN take stills but you cant view them. Its not a DSLR. The still it takes are in RAW format but you are basically flying blind since you cant see what the still you took look like. I mean, if you know camera settings well enough you have an idea of what things will look like but you wont know until you dump the files to your computer. Dont use this camera for a photoshoot or you have set yourself up for failure which is why I say this camera is NOT for people wanting to also do photography. That being said, when you do get things right the picture quality is great2. This camera records in different resolutions. 4K, UHD and HD. The thing I hate is when you play back your videos you have to set the camera to the resolution you recorded with. Really annoying. Also you dont get a grid showing all the footage you recorded where you can click and see certain shots.3. Maybe Im just dumb but the SDCFAST card slot is really hard to open4. Hopefully this is not a glitch but sometimes the camera shuts off on its own when the battery reaches 20. Is this actually happening or perhaps the camera is not reading battery levels correctly it thinks the battery is at 20 but really it has no power left This can be deceiving, you might lose a shot thinking you have more power than you actually have.I think that is all I can think of for right now. I really love this camera and I can see myself using it for the years to come. Its great as well that since it also uses MFT that I didnt have to buy any new lenses. I only have Rokinon Cine lenses which are manual which is why I didnt comment on the autofocus for this.Anyone who is serious about film making should consider this camera. It is worth every penny.
Shaun –
As anyone like me who researches gear endlessly for hours, when I came across the BMPCC4K I was stunned at all the capability at that price point. If you are looking for a cinema camera that can deliver outstanding results you have found it Yes, it doesnt have continuous focus or stabilization. But this is a cinema camera This thing can shoot 4K 60fps lossless raw. The image quality is unmatched. Granted just about all media will only be able to record about 47 seconds of 4K 60fps lossless raw before it drops any frames, for most this is overkill. You can shoot 31 raw 4K 60fps all day long with no dropped frames on cFast or very cost effective Samsung T5 external drives. Being a cinema camera you will probably most likely have this thing on a rig or sticks most of the time anyways so the stabilization for me is a non issue. I honestly wish I could keep this camera a secret because it is my secret weapon in creating amazing films and I cant stress enough how amazing this camera truly is.
Jay –
This is such a wonderful camera. It has changed my world. I started in the DSLR movement and have been working with the line of Canon 5Ds since the Mrk 2. After I bought a couple of adapters, this camera works with everything I already had. The quality that Im getting out of the camera has blown my mind along with my clients. It has also allowed me to have a much faster workflow. All around great product and Blackmagic just keeps on updating and improving it. Youve got to check out BRAW
Cesar –
Blackmagic is taking over and I DO NOT mind This camera in particular from BM is not just good for the price, its good regardless of the price Its got a super easytouse UI, large and extremely clear screen, responsive touch screen, amazing lowlight because of the dual ISO, compact body, amazing 4k quality up to 60fps, BRAW, amazing color science for grading, being able to use SSDs for recording, a FREE copy of Davinci Resolve Studio, etc.My ONLY gripes if I had to pick two is the lack of incamera stabilization. I get that its a cinema camera and not a DSLR or mirrorless, however imagine how much further ahead of the game theyd be with this I have a pretty neat rig set up that helps with the stabilization so thats nice. The other thing is the poor battery life. With only 40min1hour per battery, it forces the videographer to find alternative solutions, which I have. My simple rig helps with stabilization and Im able to use a vmount battery that extends the battery life to 9 hours which is pretty sweet. However much I love my rig, this isnt a review on the accessories, but on the camera itself and for that reason I give it 45 stars.I would recommend this camera for any aspiring or professional cinematographers
Judaea –
This is easily the very best cinema camera at this price point. Solid construction, easy menu navigation, great codecs, and superb image rendering. Besides Blackmagic, I only shoot on Arris and film stock. Blackmagic has professional caliber customer service, whereas many of the prosumer gear in this price bracket tend to treat their customers more like consumers than professionals. Blackmagics a company Ive come to trust.
Samuel –
Ive been in filmmaking for over 10 years from making professional music videos, documentaries, and even features, and rarely have I come across the level of quality this camera provides. As a colorist, the color science is absolutely astounding. I have it paired with a variety of lenses from Nikon, to EOS, Meike, and Zeiss, and with each lens, the delivery of quality is again, flawless. It does have a few quirks, as one would expect from such a low price point. ISOs between 4001250 are absolutely garbage. Especially in low light. This wont be a problem if you have a 4GB Graphics Card in your editing machine, but anything lower, and youre going to want to avoid those ranges. I dont understand the plasticy feel everyone says it has. Sure its not a fullmetal body, but it sure is sturdy. I recommend this camera to anyone looking to step up their filmmaking game from a standard Mirrorless or DSLR. It will have a 1.9x crop factor, so be ready for that with your glass arsenal.Overall, 5Stars for sure.
ARLETT –
Couldnt be happier. First time using a camera like this, system is easy to use and results look stunning. Battery life is not great, and accessorizing is expensive, but camera is amazing.
James –
In the real world scenarios Ive thrown at this camera so far, it has exceeded in every way. The new BM RAW format is a game changer and puts to shame all other RAW predecessors. While it excels when rigging it up and adding on all the normal bulky accessories, its also the type of camera you can throw in the bag and be glad you have it on you when the inspirational moment presents itself. Its about 5 seconds between the off setting into record mode for me which is exactly what I desire as a run and gun operator. I have no fear in the moment of sliding to the on position and love that switching between 24FPS and 60FPS is only a satisfying onboard click away. This is a fantastic item that deserves its own award ceremony for the achievements it already possesses. Cheers Blackmagic, and thank you for the full version of Davinci Resolve, you da real MVP
Janis –
In my humble opinion, this is the best video camera not photography camera with video functionality that you can walk around with without drawing a bunch of attention to yourself due to it looking like a DSLR.I prefer the 4K over the 6K for the MFT mount since I can play around with so many more lenses, including unmodified FD lenses.
Joshua –
First off, I think it is important to look at this camera as a cinema camera, and not a DSLR, or a hybrid mirrorless camera. It doesnt do IBIS, it doesnt have a flip or articulating screen, it is meant to be used with a power solution and usually some type of monitor, and it is best operated using manual focus, and it uses a lot of data. This is the case for the majority of cinema cameras, and these typically are the things listed as negatives when you watch a review of this camera.After you settle the fact, that this camera isnt meant to be the new GH5, a vlogging camera, or a good hybrid stillsvideo camera, and is more like a true cinema camera, then I think its easy to move forward and enjoy it for what it is…a amazing cinema camera, because the image from it, is exceptional.This camera is the best value based on priceimage of anything on the market imo. The image quality is on par with cameras costing 6 times its price.I own two of these, and have been using them for event work. The battery life is not great and thats really the only big negative I see with the camera, but it is very easy to power it with a Vmount battery, and when I have done this, I have gotten over 8 hours of shooting to a single vmount…so in reality, I am super grateful the camera has a power connector and can just be plugged in…instead of having to go through a dummy battery. This is a benefit, because if your vmount battery dies, you still have a fully charged battery in the hatch, and you dont lose any recording.Because of how easy this is to do, It has really made using this camera for event work very easy. I really love the large screen for focusing, the file formats are great, the color range and flexibility are fantastic, and the color science is the most accurate I have used of all the brands.I really like the HFR button on the cam, and its very easy to switch between slo mo recording and normal shooting. I also like the ability to load in your own lut, with the option to burn it into the footage, if you need quick turnaround. This is awesome, because if you are using the pocket with other brand cameras, you can load in a utility lut meant to shift colors to match. This is helpful when using the camera in a broadcast environment.The focus peaking and zebras are very good and make getting focus and exposure a breeze, and its easy to map the ability to turn them on or off to the custom buttons on the top of the camera.In resolve, I have been blown away with how much color flexibility this camera has, even in Pro Res. With a properly shot image, you can pretty much take it wherever you want to go.The low light is good. There is definitely some grain at 6400, but noise reduces well, and doesnt feel overly digital.I am really looking forward to Blackmagic Raw being implemented, as the file sizes even in Pro Res 422 are very large. On a wedding day, I am shooting about 10 times as much data as before when using Sony or Panasonic mirrorless cameras.I am really happy with my purchase, and confident in Blackmagics customer service if anything was to go wrong with my cam. With a few workarounds, really just a more solid battery solution, this camera is an absolute joy to use.
ry –
This camera is outstanding. My only grief is that it is unusable under the sun unless you use an EVF which adds to weight. There are some loupes coming out that hopefully will help with this issue. Apart from this is really a great camera. Hight nit monitors help but its not the same as an EVF, at least for me.
JOEY –
The footage the pocket 4k puts out is amazing. Thats the big reason I got it. The physical build quality isnt the best. The physical buttons arent the highest quality but Im sure some sacrifice has to be made to keep the price low and Im fine with that.Battery life is pretty bad but run a external battery and youll be fine. Would highly recommend
Joshua –
The image quality is superb. The 12 bit 31 RAW color is amazing and has crazy latitude for post work, both in dynamic range and in color depth. I cant see a visible difference in 11 or 31 CDNG, even in post. CDNG images come in with a bit of beautiful filmic noise. Prores recording seems to filter the noise automatically and gives you a very clean image, which is perfect for documentary, commercial, or fast work.Battery life of course is the biggest issue. I get 60 minutes when recording to SD card in ProRes 4k, but that drops to about 35 or 40 minutes when recording to external ssd. I use a micron 1100 2 tb ssd and it works fine for 4k all formats up to 60fps.Wow. Just wow.Happy shooting
Nathan –
For its price this is the BEST cinema camera on the market. I gave it four stars, because there are definitely issues like battery life and such, but all of those issues can be worked around. I would not recommend this camera to anyone who is just getting into cinematography. Get a 500 dslr or mirrorless camera and master manual functions. Then buy this.
Jonathan –
I love this camera. The user interface is completely intuitive and the picture quality is excellent. The camera is light weight and fits well in my hand, although I wish it was slightly less wide.Battery life is terrible and it doesnt accept many of the generic LP E6 batteries I already owned. I would recommend getting an external battery.
Frank –
The Camera felt lighter than expected but what a Camera. Handles lowlight better than its predecessor and the widescreen touchscreen makes framing a breeze. Although its an MFT mount, All the Cinema tools are present like false color, focus peaking, zebras and even LUT overlays for monitoring just like in the Ursa Mini. I dont know if theres a better Camera package in the same price range that delivers beautiful prores 422, 60 frames per second. I know the wait for availability can be tediousI waited for months to get it, but its worth the wait. Im going to order and wait for another one.
Abdulhakeem –
Before buying the BMPCC4K, I was hesitant due to the mixed reviews Now that Ive got it, I cant keep my hands of this amazingly brilliant baby cinema camera on a budget Its worth itDont let the price point fools you The camera would work best in a proper production setup no continues autofocus, no in camera image stabilization..etc. rather than handheld with no rig support.This is truly an impressive entrylevel cine camera
Zacharie –
Yes this takes supremely cinematic video, at nonatrocious bitrates straight out of the SD card slot, and yes it also needs accessories to be taken seriously. You can record Blackmagic RAW straight to a 95MB SD card. You can record almost anything to SSD. You will need a cage, maybe a focal reducer, and you can record just about anything. The picture is so good you forgive some of the faults of this camera such as the pitiful battery life and no 4K recording via HDMI. I owned the old Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera, and rigged the hell out of that until it was completely impractical anymore. This is the evolution of that and the pocket camera. Micro four thirds sensor is small and the 1.9x crop factor is a pain, but as long as there are workarounds theres no reason not to level up with this camera. And Im an ex Canon, Sony, Panasonic shooter, this beats all of them.
Jason –
Far beyond anything that has been released at this price. It would be absolutely perfect for documentary work. I just wish there was some kind of weather sealing solution for harsh conditions. It means the GH5S will be the main contender for doc work for me.
Jonathan –
This is my second Black Magic Camera also have the original Pocket Cinema. BMs Color Space is great as always. BRaw is a fantastic codec. Love the new design. Love that it has a more robust set of pro connections for audio and video out. Bluetooth app works well. BM has quite literally the simplest menu system on the planet. Are there Oscar style awards for camera menus If so BM is the Return of the King of camera menus.Obviously, like any pro level camera, it needs some rigging to be fully functional also buying a metabones speedbooster is almost a must. Having an external power source is also a good plan I found Tiltas rig handles this decently and compactly.The long and short is, this is a sub 2k Camera that shoots Raw in 4K that, with some light effort, you can cut with Alexa or RED footage. Im not sure what more you could want.Blackmagic is the perfect name for this company.
Samuel –
Ive been thoroughly impressed with the BMPCC4K so far. The image quality, user experience, and rigging options are all distinct reasons why this camera is incredible for the price.The BRaw and ProRes codecs are both super fast to edit, and have substantial depth for color grading. Speaking of color grading I love the dynamic range and colors that this camera is capable of resolving.I find the menu system and custom buttons to be very intuitive, and the large adequately bright screen can really enable the user to view their composition far more effectively than any other built in screen Ive used, I just wish the screen tilted updown for highlow angle shots.In terms of what features Id like to see addedimproved in a future generation Built in ND Filters Improved battery performance Variable angle screen More dials to control shutter, ISO, and aperture without the need to press a button.Frankly, given the fact that this camera goes head to head with competition often more than 5x its price, the drawbacks are very minor and I love using this cinematic BEASTI might even have to purchase a second one
Stephen –
Cant go wrong with this. Affordable cinema camera with great dynamic range throughout from double ISO. Mounts affordable but great quality lenses via micro four thirds system.
RICHARD –
August 2020 marks the 2nd opportunity this year to take advantage of Adoramas trade in program. Both times, I submitted my HD and 4K camcorders and traded up. Their customer service reps are great. They updated the progress on both my equipment valuation and offered additional input. My newly acquired BMPCC4K is a game changer after over 40 years of working with broadcast film, tape, DV and SD card media. The cinema codec and look are beautiful. Black Magic Design is a profit for my company its spectacular images, sleek design and plethora of production possibilities are now inspiring me to changeup my usual approach to the workflow. The inclusion of the DaVinci Resolve software is a welcome and generous featurerich NLE that I look forward to learning. I also added the MicroSeries 98Wh VMount LiIon Battery Kit DTap Pro Battery Charger.
tim –
I have had many DSLRS and even owned a Cannon C100 Mark I. This camera blows all of the DSLR cameras and the C100 away The BRaw on Black Magic is totally Awesome, it gives you more flexibility to color correct the way it should be. Ive tried to color grade all my footage with all of my DSLRS and all I got was an over saturated piece of garbage. Theres just something about the BMPCC 4k that no DSLR can do. It is excellent in low light and the picture is one hundred times better than my panasonic GH4. If making a feature film or short on a budget I would go with either a Bmpcc 4k or 6k, both are great choices.
Kevin –
Ive ownedused a GH5s in a professional setting digital, fictional films, commercial, corporate, event since March, 2018, but, as a professional colorist Resolve user and former owner of the original BMPCC, Ive been anticipating this camera for a long time, and its been worth the wait. Here are my thoughts, especially coming from the GH5s, which I still own and use for certain kinds of projectsOverall, I view the choice between the two cameras as a balance of compromises between an all in one solution and the easeflexibility of the postproduction workflow. The GH5s has been great for corporate and event cinematography gigs, where smaller file sizes for online transfer, inconspicuous form factor, builtin evf for dealing with sunlight, and weather sealing are an issue. Similarly, the 10bit 150mbps H264 has been very flexible in post, so I never feel Im compromising quality. That being said, Ive run into some issues with itprimarily with the codec. Specifically, while it captures a good amount of color information, the 10bit H264 is a bear to color, even with my jackedout system 11gb GPU, 10core CPU, because the H264 wrapper is so highly compressed. Ive also run into continual artifacting during the render process when rendering more heavily graded projects. This often requires rendering the finished product to an intermediary codec and then back to H264 to avoid artifacting in highcontrast shots. This can get frustrating timeconsuming. Lastly, I find Vlog and all the picture profiles including natural always require some color tweaking to get them looking like reality, and the footage is highly sensitive to color shifting. Getting the skintones right can sometimes be very difficult. Therefore, while you get solid image quality in a small wrapper with the GH5s, the postproduction process can be more timeintensive and finicky.Enter the Blackmagic. The amount of storage required is much higher, which is its own challenge, but then postproduction is a breeze, as even my mediumpowered macbook can work with the 4K prores. My other system breezes through any corrections, and I havent encountered an artifacting or errors. This isnt even talking about the flexibilty of raw and the hopefully upcoming Blackmagic Raw. Ive also found that, for corporate projects that just want people to look natural, the extended video picture profile is spot on with the color rendition, so you never need to tweak the image before sending it to the client, which saves quite a bit of time.This get it right first benefit is boosted by how easy it is to nail proper exposure and color temperature using the 5 screen, which is bright, sharp, and coloraccurate. Focus is also easy to nail with the 2x focus mode that has its own designated button on the back. This alone is a huge step up for ease of use and allows for less gear to be brought on shoots. Its like having a professional monitor built into your camera. I only miss not having a waveform, but Ive found the false color can achieve similar results. The screen doesnt tilt, so it might not be ideal for event work where youre trying to blend in and need to hold the camera at extreme angles. But the BMs screenergonomics excel in every other situation Ive used it in so far.Now, for the biggest hindrance of the camera the battery. The internal ones arent great or all that predictable. If using it in a professional setting, I would strongly recommend powering it with a small usb bank or attaching a vmount, which is what I tend to do. It will run a whole day on one Vmount battery, according to my experience. This is much simpler than chargingcarrying multiple batteries. The GH5s battery is hands down what I miss the most about using that camera. But at the end of the day, I prefer to get superior image quality and fastermore flexible post production in exchange for a slightly larger rig on the day of shooting. Besides, many clients expect to see a more built up rig perceived value, so I find this is often preferable to pulling out the smaller mirrorless form factor while charging them thousands of dollars.Workflow aside, both cameras do have fantastic image quality. Id choose the Blackmagic every day for the more pleasing, cinematic quality to it no incamera sharpening or noise reduction with slightly more dynamic range and less compression. That being said, the GH5s still has fantastic image quality just a bit sharper and harsher in the highlight rolloff. And as Ive already said, the larger codec flexibility of the Blackmagic is definitely preferred, even if my cost of hard drives has gone up a bit but offset that with the Blackmagic costing half of the GH5s…Both cameras have great build quality. The GH5s is built like a tank, and I never doubt it will work whenever I need it. Its worked through rain and subfreezing temperatures, and its great for allday shoots. I still need to put the Blackmagic through more rigorous testing, but its worked well so far for all internal conditions and longer days, so far. Im curious to see how it responds to winter temperatures and cant contribute yet on that front. While it is very light, it feels solidly built, and I havent had any issue with the battery compartment door that others have mentioned.Lowlight Both are incredible here. Theyre equal with noise up until 6400, where the GH5s seems to have slightly less noise. Both are still useable until 12,800. However, the GH5ss colors shift significantly from 6400 up to a greenishyellow, whereas the Blackmagics colors hold true through most of its range, even if the noise becomes greater.Regarding ergonomics and user interface, I just find that the Blackmagic is so clearly made for videofilm use, and the simple layout and user interface reflects this, whereas the Panasonic requires quite a bit of time to get usability optimized, while you weed through photo features and menus. Having the three main settings with their own buttons on the Blackmagic is wonderful, and all of the features are easily accessible in the menus three layers into the menus is the deepest youll ever go, where I spend days lost in the Panasonic ones. I find you can also change settings on the Blackmagic while recording, which is a huge plus, instead of needing to weed through menus and stop recording.There are also some unexpected, wonderfully considerate features. The custom buttons are easy to set. One touch switching to slow motion where you can set the individual frame rates as preferred, instead of being stuck to one of a few options is such a time saver have it programed to one of my buttons. Being able to use three types of storage media, based on the requirements of your codecdelivery and availability of media really pushes this over the edge as a very thoughtout camera, in addition to having an insanely good image at a low price point. Displaying luts on the footage is also very helpful for crafting your final desired image properly, especially if youre going for a specific, stylized look.And to address peoples complaints about no built in image stabilization or flip out screen for vlogging this isnt for that kind of work. I feel that so many of our reviews are from youtubers, not professional cinematographers, so we get inundated by complaints that dont matter to professional shooters. Use this camera with professional stabilizing gear tripod, monopod, gimbal, add a monitor for shooting angle flexibility, if you want it, and add an external battery solution, and you have yourself one of the most powerful shooting solutions out there, regardless of whether youre talking about a 1300 camera or a 10,000 one. And if this isnt enough, you get the best onestop editing, coloring, audio, and vfx software included.Overall, Id recommend you go for this camera for most shooting applications over the GH5s, if youre able to build it out just a bit. Id recommend the GH5s over this for event shooting or if youll be shooting in distant locations or inclement weather where the fewest working parts are required.
Kim –
The battery life on the camera is 30 minutes or less meaning you would have to carry 16 batteries around for a 8 hour location shoot. Others have commented on the poweredge to supply power. So that may be an investment. Another investment is the external SSD. A must have.Now onto the camera. Its awesome, I love it and it comes with Davinci resolve studio 15. Have to knock off a star because incamera review of All the ProRez Codecs is not possible with mine. The BM team is aware of the problem experienced by myself and others and are working on a solution. No ETA on solution.Note this only affects incamera playback. the files are reviewable off camera by removing media from the Camera and placing into a computer. This only happens for ProRez recorded clips regardless of resolution or compression. All Raw Codec recorded clips are reviewable oncamera.Note that HDMI out also does not present playback of ProRez and mirrors the LCD output exactly. This should not affect Recording to an External device such as a Atomos. I say this because external monitor comes out clean just like LCD during recording.ProsGreat Camera, love the recording ability and flexibility.Using a converter I can use my existing lenses. Though I bought a 35 mm Prime just for this camerathe priceConsBattery life reminds me of Early RED cameras.proRez Playback on camera fixable we shall seeno option other than converter for different lens mountsoverallStill amazingStill shooting with itstill happy even after waiting 3 months for delivery.