No Film School on kitting out a Blackmagic 6K Pro Camera

No Film School has an article on kitting out a BlackMagic Design 6K Pro camera to get the most out of it. It is by no means a full look, but it has some great options to look at including cages, storage, batteries and battery handles.

Certainly worth a read.

I so want a BlackMagic 6K Pro. My Canon 60D just shoots such crappy video that my Osmo Pocket looks so much better even without things like lenses. And the fact that I have some canon lenses (though of course not the best glass) means I could have some glass to shoot with it.

And the tilting back screen and view finder really sell it for me if only I was making enough money.

Blackmagic Design announces Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro

 
Blackmagic Design has announced the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 6K Pro camera, and even more impressively released it at the previous price of the BMPC 6K $2499. This camera includes the same sensor as the 6K camera, but with some features people have been clamoring for. 

First off is the articulated screen which can tilt up or down (though not to the side for vlogging) which is hdr and 1500 nit brightness. This is huge, there have been kits to upgrade the screen in previous models, but this is built in.

Next are 3 motorized ND filters with infared, including, 2, 4 and 6 stops of ND.
 
The battery has been changed to the larger Sony NP-F570 battery, which should provide longer run times and the Battery Pro grip which adds 2 more batteries doesn’t replace the internal battery and lets the 2 batteries in it to be swapped while still recording.

Then we have an additional mini xlr input, for 2 mini xlr inputs.

 

And it will now include the color science 5 from the 12K camera, though that is also coming to the 6K and 4K models.

And you can aslo add for $499 an EVF eye piece with glass lenses that will shut off the touch screen when in use.

All this does mean the camera is even larger than the previous 6k model (which will make it interesting for stabilizers), and people are already complaining about the still having an ef mount and not the new rf mount at least. 

I don’t see any of that as a problem, this is a very impressive camera, and I want one.

And Apple’s 6K Retina Display, the ProDisplay XDR, with a cheesegrater back! Wow!

The new 6K Apple Retina Display is insane looking, and having the cheesegrater on the back in a nice touch. HOLY SHIT!

1000 nits of brightness and 1,000,000 to 1 contrast ratio! XDR, ProDisplay XDR!

And Rotation for Portrait mode! WOW!

Again, going to cost a mint!

Yup $4999, a fucking mint, and $5999 for the higher end one!

Jim Jannard on why 6K at Red Forums

We entered the market way back when with a 4K camera. Our thinking was that 1080P was not good enough to replace film. We were right apparently… 7 years later.

What we learned along the way was that while 4K acquisition was certainly better than 1080P… it was not ideal.

A 4K finish from a bayer pattern sensor (what everyone does) begs for more captured resolution than 4K. A 1080P sensor (1920×1080) does not fill up a 1080P box. A 4K sensor also does not fill up a 4K box.

Our M-X sensor captured 4.5K in a RED ONE and 5K in an EPIC-X (or EPIC-M). Much better. The 4K box was almost full. 6K… the 4K box is overflowing.

Going forward, we realize that down-rezzing has a HUGE advantage to final output. Hence the 6K Dragon.

Not only do you have the option to recompose, stabilize, and zoom… the idea of down-rezzing gives a much better final output to a 4K delivery. It lowers noise. You get apparent sharpness without sharpening.

So while the others have joined the party… they have entered where we were 7 years ago. They have thrown the ball to where the receiver was… not where he is.

At some point you need to decide who you believe will deliver the future. The company with the vision, or the company that follows the vision. Who is ahead and who is behind?

If the company with the vision also happens to embrace their customers at all costs (upgrades instead of all new cameras)… you win every which way you look at it.

The choice is yours…

Jim

What makes me wary on the argument of downrezzing for more quality is there is no 6K or even 5K 16×9, so even if you go to a ProRES recorder you will get black bars on the top and bottom and have to spend time converting the higher resolution material and downscaling and pan and scanning. I think it makes sense for features, but for 1080, the non 16×9 resolutions really don’t make much sense.

Still I would love to have a RED EPIC with Dragon sensor if I could afford it.