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Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K - CONFIRMED! BMPCC 4K!


Samuel Berger

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The Blackmagic Raw functionality should be interesting once made available on the BMPCC 4K.

 

It seems like Blackmagic is doing a very good job bridging the gap between professional and hobbyist by making quality codecs and sensors available for smaller budget productions. There will always be compromises with equipment under $2k, but bravo to them for trying.

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  • 1 month later...

Well the good news is that I have just placed an order for the Pocket Camera 4K last week and it should be arriving next month with lens adapters and everything that I need.

I am really excited about it. :)

Hope you get it - I ordered 5 of them in September last year - still no sign of them :(

Some manufacturing issues according to the dealer

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Hope you get it - I ordered 5 of them in September last year - still no sign of them :(

Some manufacturing issues according to the dealer

 

Wow... that long. Yeah the dealer told us the same thing that there are some problems that's why it takes a month or two to arrive. But they said that the people that had ordered the them in November and December 2018 have just received them.

 

Hope you get yours soon.

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Hope you get it - I ordered 5 of them in September last year - still no sign of them :(

Some manufacturing issues according to the dealer

 

You were right. :)

I got an email a few days ago that the company is very sorry but the camera has not arrived yet and that it probably will ina month or two.

 

Too bad it hasn't because it would come in handy for a music video shoot.

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I ordered one too in December and last time I checked the store estimated they could deliver "maybe in this Summer" in best case.

 

Not surprised though when remembering all the previous delivery issues Blackmagic has had.

 

well, at least it's a CHEAP camera IF they some day deliver more of them to the end customers... if the technology in it has not become obsolete by then.

That has been kind of a tradeoff with their products, they would be wonderful desings IF THEY COULD JUST DELIVER THEM IN THE PROMISED SCHEDULE AND NOT A YEAR OR TWO LATE when there is already better alternative camera technology available from the more reliable manufacturers.

 

Project_Triangle.png

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I ordered one too in December and last time I checked the store estimated they could deliver "maybe in this Summer" in best case.

 

Not surprised though when remembering all the previous delivery issues Blackmagic has had.

 

Quite - I got caught out with a 13 month wait for the BM 4k Production cameras.

 

Was hoping they had learn't some lessons and got their act together resulting in just a few month delay. Been waiting 6 months now, v annoying.

 

I wish I could learn my lesson but I work at a University in interesting times (from a budget perspective), so need to make every penny count. Black Magic stuff is so keenly priced its kinda worth the risk on delivery. If I canceled the order what could I get in the price range? Not much....

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I wish I could learn my lesson but I work at a University in interesting times (from a budget perspective), so need to make every penny count. Black Magic stuff is so keenly priced its kinda worth the risk on delivery. If I canceled the order what could I get in the price range? Not much....

We're spoiled for options! At around about that price point or a little higher (but still all sub $2K) we have:

 

Fujifilm X-T3 (lovely Fujifilm colors! 10bit 4K internal)

Panasonic GH5 / GH5S (rock solid workhorses that are packed with features)

Z Cam E2 (4K 120fps!! And recently got a firmware update for ProRes)

Nikon Z6 (4K raw output from a vistavision sensor!)

 

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We're spoiled for options! At around about that price point or a little higher (but still all sub $2K) we have:

 

Fujifilm X-T3 (lovely Fujifilm colors! 10bit 4K internal)

Panasonic GH5 / GH5S (rock solid workhorses that are packed with features)

Z Cam E2 (4K 120fps!! And recently got a firmware update for ProRes)

Nikon Z6 (4K raw output from a vistavision sensor!)

All a little more expensive. I probably wouldn't have been able to afford 5 kits.

Got a really good price on the BM pockets (well it will be good price if they turn up)

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Fujifilm X-T3 (lovely Fujifilm colors! 10bit 4K internal)

Yea .h264 and .h265 long GOP, completely worthless capture medium that's not editable by anything but Premiere.

 

Panasonic GH5 / GH5S (rock solid workhorses that are packed with features)

Horrible menu's and again, .h264 and .h265 capture, totally worthless.

 

Z Cam E2 (4K 120fps!! And recently got a firmware update for ProRes)

That's a neat camera, never heard of it. Small problem of not having a display tho. Still pretty feature rich!

 

Nikon Z6 (4K raw output from a vistavision sensor!)

Same .h264 .h265 issues... kind of a toy again.

 

The pocket camera records compressed RAW internally. It has all the IO you could really need and it has a effin' display that's huge. I mean yea its a big camera compared to the competition, but it also has a more refined function.

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In the Uk the list price of the fuji is £300 more then the price I got on the BM. But maybe I could get a better deal on the fuji If I talked to the dealer about academic discount. I think the 4k BM is the best bang for your buck and if you don't have many bucks

 

But I totally take your point about the camera in the hand is worth more then the stupid BM camera that takes a year to come. I'm kind of stuck because I've brought the accessories with the BM in mind and if I did get a refund I would have extra money - so would have to get a worse camera.

 

Will have to keep waiting.

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I'm actually at peace with having a BMPCC4K on backorder for a couple of months. I was was wanting to upgrade from my Canon T3i (and still want to) but decided to pay attention to the saying that the best camera for you is the one that you have. Initially, I (mentally) put projects on hold because I didn't have my new camera. Hey with that! I have a camera and will keep shooting with it until I have something better. In the mean time, I'm still able to improve as a filmmaker.

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I'm actually at peace with having a BMPCC4K on backorder for a couple of months. I was was wanting to upgrade from my Canon T3i (and still want to) but decided to pay attention to the saying that the best camera for you is the one that you have. Initially, I (mentally) put projects on hold because I didn't have my new camera. Hey with that! I have a camera and will keep shooting with it until I have something better. In the mean time, I'm still able to improve as a filmmaker.

 

waiting will work perfectly as long as one does not need the camera for paid work. for personal projects thus totally OK most of the time. But if you have lots of paid projects waiting you can't just delay them because you don't have the camera right now, you need to rent or purchase another camera then even if it costs thousands of dollars more. Waiting is simply not possible and would be the most expensive option for sure.

 

I already started looking backup options in case the Pocket 4k is not delivered in time which is likely. the problem is, I really need 50fps in 4k and preferably raw or at least very high bitrate low compression footage (lots of gradients, greenscreen plates, etc) and the camera needs to be very sensitive so there is no cheap or easy options especially if not wanting to purchase two separate camera bodies AND an external recorder with a bunch of SSDs

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waiting will work perfectly as long as one does not need the camera for paid work. for personal projects thus totally OK most of the time. But if you have lots of paid projects waiting you can't just delay them because you don't have the camera right now, you need to rent or purchase another camera then even if it costs thousands of dollars more. Waiting is simply not possible and would be the most expensive option for sure.

 

I already started looking backup options in case the Pocket 4k is not delivered in time which is likely. the problem is, I really need 50fps in 4k and preferably raw or at least very high bitrate low compression footage (lots of gradients, greenscreen plates, etc) and the camera needs to be very sensitive so there is no cheap or easy options especially if not wanting to purchase two separate camera bodies AND an external recorder with a bunch of SSDs

 

This is completely true. The problem with waiting is that if they say it will take a month you can plan for that but it one month turns out as six months then it's a big problem.

For example right now my team is in pre-production of a music and the one thing that kept bugging me was if we were going to get the camera in time. Of course we didn't so now I have to ask a friend a favor to borrow his equipment in order to be able to shoot. Of course I can't do that every other week if you know what I mean. :)

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Yep. I just canceled my order of the Pocket4k and will look for other options now for a camera.

 

that's what happens if a company does not deliver their product on time: they will lose money.

 

**** Blackmagic <_<

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I'm getting seriously close to cancelling my order - but I still can't match the prices on similar gear.

 

Its def a problem not having the gear - I expected a 3 month wait but 6 months is Extracting the Micheal.

 

Whats getting frustrating is reading the BM forum and seeing that plenty of people in the US ordered in Dec and already have their cameras. They are prioritising some markets over other - the UK seems to be getting minimal stock

 

As a Uni we've probably spent close to £200k on BM gear over the last 5 years - we have 6 multi-camera studio rigs built round their gear.

 

I will be making sure we don't spec anymore BM kit its not worth the stress. So they will miss out on future orders, we also have 100's of Media production students that I can poison against Black Magic.

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I'm sure the European market is being stretched thin right now. I'm unaware of anyone in Europe who has the new pocket cinema camera, who didn't buy it from the US.

 

Blackmagic made too many of the original pocket cine cameras so this time around they're not going to make that same mistake again, hence the limited stock. I'm personally waiting until after NAB because they are set to announce a new camera and I have a feeling it will be the right thing for me.

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I'm personally waiting until after NAB because they are set to announce a new camera and I have a feeling it will be the right thing for me.

 

you mean this or another new model? https://www.provideocoalition.com/blackmagic-design-announces-ursa-mini-pro-4-6k-g2/

 

the high speed would be pretty neat for the price. though I am a little sceptic about actual delivery dates as usual B)

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I actually just got an email yesterday that they were beginning to ship the cameras to customers that ordered them in September.

But I agree if something better comes onto the market and I haven't gotten mine yet... it's adios muchachos...

 

Right now I've got a problem because I've got a project that we're doing complacently in house if I had the camera I could do the project and put the money towards some useful equipment we need or pay for the camera or anything. But I can either rent and throw money out the window or I can ask a friend for another favor and borrow his equipment again which is an option if he doesn't need it.

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Blackmagic products would be very nice purchases if one just likes to walk by a shop window and sees a nice camera there which they even happen to have in stock and then just goes and buys it right away, "here's my Visa, wrap it up with couple of Vlocks and a tripod and those lenses" :rolleyes:

When you have to order them and they are promised to deliver and then there is none for half a year it just does not work at all :blink:

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you mean this or another new model? https://www.provideocoalition.com/blackmagic-design-announces-ursa-mini-pro-4-6k-g2/

 

the high speed would be pretty neat for the price. though I am a little sceptic about actual delivery dates as usual B)

I hope what I heard was not this incremental update. I was disappointed with the G2, I hope they unlock some of it's potential in software soon.

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Blackmagic products would be very nice purchases if one just likes to walk by a shop window and sees a nice camera there which they even happen to have in stock and then just goes and buys it right away, "here's my Visa, wrap it up with couple of Vlocks and a tripod and those lenses" :rolleyes:

When you have to order them and they are promised to deliver and then there is none for half a year it just does not work at all :blink:

I've never had that problem with them. I have two pocket cameras, both I had zero issues getting when brand new.

 

As I said before, I think the European market is a struggle for them. The US peeps aren't having issues getting them at all.

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