[Phil Balsdon] "I have some major reservations with this camera.
1) It's not a Super35 sensor, it's only approximately Super16 size which is about half the size. Anyone introducing a camera that doesn't have a Super35 sensor today is way behind the pack."
See:
http://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/280/8731
[Phil Balsdon] "2) It looks like a box designed by a post production technician and with no consideration for the cinematographer using it. No grips or handles to hold it, not even shaping of the body to grip it comfortably and securely. An LCD screen shoved on the back which can't be angled for the user to see it and if hand holding needs to be held way out in front of your face."
Since the BmDCC was designed by a company which specializes in high-tech devices for post-production & production, its design appears to closely follow its primary purpose: To shoot 12-bit RAW 2.5K CinemaDNG (and ProRes 422 HQ & DNxHD) onto an internal SSD drive, to have a modern 5" touch-screen interface, and include modern pro I/O such as 2 balanced analog & digital audio inputs, HD-SDI out, Thunderbolt, ext. 12-30VDC power input, a headphone jack, a LANC port, and an uninterruptible power supply (built-in battery) -- and do all this for <$3K US. I think BmD has done an admirable job of fitting all that into a small, hand-holdable package -- especially given its relatively low list price.
I agree with you that a BmDCC will probably not be anywhere near as comfortable to hold as a modern DSLR or classic ARRI 16mm film cam. But I challenge anyone to design a "more comfortable" camera with the BmDCC's exact same specs & features for the same price. I suspect the BmDCC's ergonomics are form following function within a target price.
[Phil Balsdon] "There's a whole lot more to a camera than tech specs, usability and being able to get the camera set up quickly and easily for the best angle for a shot is a major one,"
The BmDCC is a cinema camera, not a ENG, event, or documentary camcorder. I bet with some practice the BmDCC can & will be used for all those purposes (wisely or not), but in a typical cinema-style production -- even a low-budget one -- there's time enough to set up and correctly capture a scene.
[Phil Balsdon] "It's not very price competitive with traditional HDSLRs from Canon, Nikon, Panasonic and Sony and the BlackMagic has no track record in camera technology."
True, the BmDCC is not a digital still camera; it doesn't take stills, so it can't compete with HDSLRs. But there exists no HDSLR on earth (except perhaps the vastly more expensive Canon's new 4K Cinema DSLR) that has motion video capture features even remotely comparable to the BmDCC. The BmDCC and HDSLRs are completely different; apples & oranges.
One of the most remarkable things about the BmDCC is that
in spite of BmD having no track record in camera design, in one fell swoop they knocked NAB 2012 on its ear. Given BmD's excellent reputation I'd be surprised if they're not able to follow through on the promise of their new Cinema Camera. YMMV.
Like every piece of gear, there are different tools for different shooters, projects & budgets. I think the BmDCC will find good use with all three, but of course it can never be the right tool for every situation.
Cheers.
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http://www.peterdv.com 
