Additionally, the BMPCC6K has three different custom function buttons, though they can only be set to control shoot assists, preview LUT on/off, guides and toggling off-speed frame rate, the camera’s high frame rate mode. You must verify your email address before you can create a new comment. On the heels of Panasonic’s announcement of their entry-level 6K camera, the LUMIX S1H, Blackmagic appears to have the edge with a notably lower price. Visit our corporate site. PCMag Digital Group. Blackmagic 6K Video Camera Low Light and High Dynamic Range Tests and Review September 30th, 2019 by Mirko Bonet Video Tags: blackmagic , Blackmagic 6K , BMPCC6K , videomaking In this weekend I was able to test the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K and I really liked it. 300 free Lightroom presets: what they do, where to get them, how to install them! Last but not least, the camera uses the EF lens mount. What you should have on your desk (review), Review: OPPO Reno4 5G – everything you expect from a mid-range 5G, Review: Sony a9 II full-frame digital camera, Trivago – rips-off customers, puts profit before people (update – loses appeal), 5” LCD capacitive touchscreen / 1920 x 1080, 1 x mini XLR analog switchable between mic with phantom power support and line level (up to +14dBu), USB Type-C for external drive recording, PTP camera control and software updates, CFast card slot, SD UHS‑II card slot, USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 expansion port for external media for Blackmagic RAW and ProRes Recording.

It measures 4.0 by 7.0 by 3.8 inches (HWD) and weighs just a smidge under 2 pounds without a lens attached.

Chances are, you're used to working with external monitors, and you can certainly connect a Atomos Ninja V or similar device to the Pocket 6K for a better experience.

Outside of being inspired by the aesthetic of the camera — which should not be undervalued — the look of the camera isn’t that big of a deal. The result is an image that looks sharper and emphasizes the many more colors captured. Although it would have been cool for this camera to have one of the mirrorless lens mounts — we would pick sony E mount because of the wide selection currently available — EF is a wonderful choice. They do sell a battery grip, but it will set you back another $245. The headline feature is internal capture of 6K 12-bit RAW video to one of three capture media options: SD, CFast2.0 or external SSD via the USB-C port. If you thought the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K was a potato, the 6K version is even worse. Its single Canon compact size LP-E6 battery is just too small to power screen, internal audio pre-amps, 6K sensor and image processing for much longer than 40 minutes. You can find him on Instagram @jamespfisher, How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad, How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill, How to Find Free Tools to Optimize Your Small Business, How to Get Started With Project Management, The Best Action Cameras and Camcorders for 2020, DJI Targets Vloggers With Pocket 2 Camera, DJI Unveils Smaller, Lighter Ronin RS 2 and RSC 2 Gimbals. You'll have a hard time finding fault with the quality of the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K's video, but the camera itself isn't a pleasure to use. Anyone with a collection of EF or EF-S lenses can just pick up the 6K and start shooting. But it has its share of faults and foibles, which means you'll spend more than its base price to put together a kit. The 6K sensor provides latitude to zoom in and re-frame in a post – there’s so much resolution to work with.

Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. Likewise, you'll need to add an external monitor to get a good view of your frame. This is what we are reviewing. If you have a lot of Micro Four Thirds lenses or are on a tighter budget, we’d suggest you go with the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K which, when combined with the Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 LUMIX G X VARIO, for example, is about as inexpensive as a versatile film camera gets. They don't serve the same function as Arri cameras though, literally no one is shooting solo on an Arri and without a large enough budget to control every aspect of the scene. It supports 16:9 or 2.4:1 capture at standard frame rates up to 50fps in the Blackmagic Raw format. The only mirrorless camera that even comes close to that is Panasonic's GH5/GH5s, which … However, a cage like this one from SmallRig will give you plenty of options. ;-). You can go.

With the 6K camera Blackmagic has moved to a larger image sensor—a Super 35 chip, similar to the APS-C format used by many cameras with stills-first designs, and physically larger than the sensor in the Pocket 4K. A histogram is available to help you properly set exposure; there's no waveform option, which is something you get with the Panasonic S1H.

Blackmagic has also created an extended video mode, sitting somewhere between RAW and compressed, which delivers a broader tonal range ready for colour grading, and with a free copy of Davinci Resolve with every camera sold, you don’t even need to invest in any pricey software to get started. However, the best part is that, since there is very little demand for 6K delivery, you are able to downsample the image. Again, with the smaller sensor and mount, the lenses will be cheaper. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. You can buy the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K right now in certain regions, including the UK and US.

As this is a ‘cinema’ camera, we didn’t expect to see a very advanced auto-focus system.

How artificial intelligence is transforming the photo editing industry. The benefit to a camera designed for video is you don’t have to deal with record time limits. If you have a great idea you’d like to share with our readers, send it to editor@videomaker.com. In all, we are not impressed with the build materials compared to any other mirrorless camera. For fingertip shooting, there’s stop/start and still photo buttons and a Iris jog-wheel on the handgrip.

The big thing that the Blackmagic Pocket Camera suffers from is poor battery life.

Be aware that recording audio on the camera will drain battery life.

It comes in two flavours – 4K and 6K. You can also preview film dynamic range with a LUT applied, and the camera has zebras, focus-assist, a histogram and false color. We are lucky and have six EP-L6 batteries available because we needed every one.

While this camera includes some impressive features, it is not all rainbows. But if you add a follow focus system, powered gimbal, or similar accessory, you may find the experience to be better. Noise is handled well, and even at up to ISO 8000. We often found ourselves reducing the aperture to increase depth of field, though, especially when shooting people – to make sure faces were sharp across the board. •  The best cine lenses The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K is a great technical achievement and offers amazing value for money. There are many ‘best things’ about the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K on paper, but what might be the clincher for many potential buyers considering it is the EF lens mount. For those that think 6k is overkill, it's awesome. This helps create shallow depth of field effects with lovely bokeh. This also means it’s also set up to capture HDR content. The rest is a matte plastic – and the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K does rather feel like a toy until you put a giant lens on it. Blackmagic hasn’t included continuous autofocus either of its Pocket Cinema Camera cameras. Get the best camera deals, reviews, product advice, competitions, unmissable photography news and more! You can use the 12-bit Blackmagic RAW for 5.7 and 6K modes. Output and input options are also comprehensive, with 3.5mm headphone out and separate 3.5mm microphone in. You've got a wide latitude to adjust temperature and exposure, as well as to rein in highlights and pull out details in shadows to capture video with strong dynamic range. It's a long, narrow camera—matching its 16:9 capture format—with an SLR-style handgrip and black plastic exterior. With the 12-bit Blackmagic RAW codec, you can shoot at up to 6K (6,144 x 3,456) or wider-screen 6K 2.4:1 (6,144 x 2,560) at up to 50 fps. The internal mics seemed to do a reasonable job, especially considering the fan noise.

When it comes to entry-level film cameras that punch way above their weight, both the Blackmagic Cinema Camera 4K and now the 6K are the best around. The body Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K (right) is deeper than the 4K model (left) to allow for the longer flange distance of Canon EF lenses, but otherwise these two cameras are very similar. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology. Blackmagic is being a bit conservative with 13 stops, but we applaud that. • Display: 5-inch Full-HD fixed touchscreen, Blackmagic OS touch interface The best cameras to buy in 2020: cameras for every user level and every lifestyle!

But has Blackmagic tried to squeeze too much value out of the range with its Pocket Cinema Camera 6K? The screen does not articulate or flip outwards into a mirror mode if you need to film yourself. Right off the bat, the image looks great. If you wanted to retain some details in the shadows, you likely could, but it could be noisy.

While most of our shoots were in daylight or lit conditions, we did check out a few night shots. You'll want to use high-speed cards. The camera has a wider angle of view than the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K with lenses of the same focal length, and with its larger sensor, gets more depth (you’ll generally be using longer lenses) which can be perfect for certain shots. BMPCC 6k is a video camera not a hybrid so it can record with no time limits in high quality 6k until the card or battery die without a worry. When combined with Blackmagic’s Davinci Resolve software, for example, (and free with the camera) editors have scope to go a step beyond RAW photo capture, even changing the ISOs of clips after they are captured. The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K does have some limitations, but offers enormous resolution and power for the price. It is no surprise that the Pocket Cinema Camera’s colours are great as well. The autofocus system is entirely rudimentary—it checks for contrast in a large central part of the frame.