Article: Is the New Blackmagic Cinema Camera the HDSLR Killer?

I just wish the mount was shorter to allow for 16mm cine lenses...

Raamw3rk - independent colourist and visual effects artist

Dave - I agree 100% - that is why I ditched my Canon DSLR for a GH2. Not a perfect solution, but I got away from Sony/Canon/Nikon artificially imposed 29 minute video recording time limits. But I'm sure glad I held on to one EF-S lens - because I'll need it for the BlackMagic!

Cheers,
Bill

[Dave Haynie] "But guys ... I don't live in Europe. No reason you can't offer me different firmware (and yeah, there are plenty of ways to signature cameras and firmware to ensure that Europeans can't jump past this limitation). I think the real reason for this is some brokered deal between the video and still divisions of these companies. Otherwise, how does Canon get 3+x the cash for a C30 vs. a 5DmkIII. "

you forget photographer why would they pay more for a video feature?

FYI- for anyone interested you can check the BMD camera against various others for FOV on its sensor:

http://www.abelcine.com/fov/

Noah

Call Box Training.
Featuring the Panasonic GH2 and Panasonic AC160/130.

It's another option, but the 5D Mk III is such a big improvement over the Mk II.

I'm waiting on Sony's new camera that'll shoot high speed and has a new sensor, for under 10 Grand.

Brent Dunn
Owner / Director / Editor
DunnRight Films
DunnRight Video.com
Video Marketing Toolbox.net

Sony EX-1,
Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 7D
Mac Pro Tower, Quad Core,
with Final Cut Studio

HP i7 Quad laptop
Adobe CS-5 Production Suite

Thank you for saying so, Alain!

Marco Solorio | CreativeCow Host | OneRiver Media | ORM Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Media Batch

Wow, thanks, Tim! Just don't ask me any questions about taxes and stuff... then we'd be in trouble!

Marco Solorio | CreativeCow Host | OneRiver Media | ORM Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Media Batch

Jim, you're incorrect. The Canon 5D Mk II has definitely been out for over three years now. The year in my article is actually incorrect. It should say, "late 2008" not "late 2009" but my reference to over three years is correct. I received my 5D Mk II directly from Canon and double-checked my email correspondence with them. November of 2008 is when it came out.

But I agree... I can't wait until I get my hands on this camera as well. Going to be a lot of fun!

Marco Solorio | CreativeCow Host | OneRiver Media | ORM Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Media Batch

Well I think for some, myself included, it's much of a step up... 13 stops DR, 12-bit RAW or 10-bit ProRes/DNxHD, on and on. DSLR with H.264 @ 8-bit 4:2:0 just can't compare to that quality.

As for Micro 4/3rds mount, it sounds like there are 4/3rd adapters to EF mount in the works. Time will tell.

Marco Solorio | CreativeCow Host | OneRiver Media | ORM Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Media Batch

Thanks for the nice comment, Jiggy!

Marco Solorio | CreativeCow Host | OneRiver Media | ORM Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Media Batch

Yeah, the internal battery issue isn't a hit. But lack of viewfinder is no different than HDSLR shooting. Either you'd need a loupe (might be kinda big for a 5" screen, but I'll bet they'll be made) or an EVF like Zacuto's offerings.

As for me, the silver casing of the Cinema Camera will be buried in rigging, so I'm not concerned about that! But that's just me! ;-)

Marco Solorio | CreativeCow Host | OneRiver Media | ORM Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Media Batch

Nice overview, Marco. I am a little surprised at this statement though "Will it have razor-thin DOF like a 5D Mk III? Nope."

Won't DOF depend on apeture? I.E., a 50mm lens will have the same compression, DOF, ect. regardless of sensor size?

[Barend Onneweer]"I just wish the mount was shorter to allow for 16mm cine lenses..."

The BM sensor is larger than S16... wouldn't you get vignetting?

Shawn

@Barend Onneweer

Thanks for the reply Barend. I didn't actually say anything about FoV...I'm aware that it will be more narrow with a smaller sensor. :-)

Shawn

"Thirdly, the smaller sensor means you don't need as much resolving power for the lens itself, which in turn means a lower quality lens will look better on this camera than it would on something like a 5D Mk III."

I would have thought the opposite would be true as more pixels are being crammed into a smaller area of usage on the lens.
If there is an advantage, it would be only if you assumed that the given lens was sharper toward the centre.

Interesting, but no substitute for actual sample footage files direct from the camera ... footage of real-life scenarios... I contributed to the purchase of the Panasonic AF100 and after a few months of usage it was clear that the MFT sensor was not up to scratch - great camera in ever OTHER way, but not good in low light (by today's standards). The sensor is important - photo site density is an issue, but it's far from the whole story. lots of factors, at the end of the day, you need to be happy with the job it does. I would never buy a camera at that price range based on specs alone (like I did with the AF100).

Is just fantastic that somebody make DSLR manufacturer start give something more after 3 years ! Let's see if they anderstend .....

Great article Marco. You touch every important point and i agree with your considerations.
From my point of view the smaller sensor brings only advantages to this camera. Not only makes easier the picture processing but wides the DOF making the camera more usable. Shallow DOF is just an historical shortcoming of filmcameras and for generations has been a pain in the ass of serious filmakers.
So, give me wide DOF that I know how to reduce it. Don´t give me shallow DOF because there is no way to increase it.

For my self this camera is not just the HDSLR killer; the BM shakes the film acquisition scene. From now on cameras manufacturers need to rethink their strategies.

http://www.nagavideo.com

Hey Marco, As a 7D owner and one of the thousands at NAB this pass week, I'm completely impress with the BMCC. Got my hands on it at a party it felt good to hold. I was on the verge of buying a 5D Mark III after NAB, but wanted to wait on announcements. I'm now going to pre order the BMCC, my contention in this crazy camera market is rent when I need a C300 etc. At $3,000 you can not loose with the included software plus SDI out , thunderbolt etc. It will make Canon and the rest rethink pricing and tech for future Cameras. I'm sure we will no longer see USB 2.0 in cameras in months to come.

George

BmD Cinema Camera pre-release sample video footage and frame grabs are available for viewing on John Brawley's blog:
http://johnbrawley.wordpress.com/

Thunderbolt will be available on new Windows PCs & laptops very soon.

---

http://www.peterdv.com

While I'd like to see USB3.0 as well (it's in both of my PCs), there are some advantages to Thunderbolt. Specifically, like ePCI from which it derives, and like Firewire, Thunderbolt is multi-mastered. So the camera can just send you video, it doesn't require the PC keep asking, as USB does. Not a huge deal given all the solid-state and "PC-like" storage anyway, but it's still good.

I think Thunderbolt has a chance of succeeding where Firewire really failed. A big part of that is who's involved... Apple came up with Firewire, and did pretty much everything you don't do when you're trying to establish an industry standard. As a result, they pushed the USB folks, lead by Intel, to release USB 2.0 to solve some of the same problems.

This time, Thunderbolt is from Intel. That's good for two main reasons. One is simple: Intel builds tons of chipsets. Thunderbolt will be in all of the new "Ivy Bridge" PCs coming out, starting this Spring. And of course, everyone else building chipsets copies what Intel does. So, <>, instant standard.

The other reason is that Intel typically licenses all patents for free, and spins control of the new standard off to an independent group for management. In short, Intel just wants to sell chips, and they've figured out long ago you don't build a new standard by asking $1.00 per port (Apple's original asking price for Firewire).

-Dave

Once it is encumbered with all the rails, matte boxes, French Flags, viewfinders, cages, auxiliary grips, hoods and eyepiece shades, focus whips and assorted "stuff" that turns it into another nod to the must-look-like-an-erector-set-to-be-pro aesthetic, people will flock to buy it. It has to look complicated to be good, right? Right?

Not only are rigs good marketing for camera manufactures as u point out, but also good for client sales, well, at least here in Poserville Nepal. Our clients oogle my brother's rig and u can literally hear them thinking: "This is gunna be good, and worth the high price charged." Sad but true.

Phoenix Studios Nepal: A small A/V Production House in Kathmandu.

Marco, great walk through.

Picking around the nitish, the D800/D4 Nikons are missing from your sensor diagram, albeit ever so slightly smaller than the MK3, also, both of these devices will record 4.2.2 uncompressed which, if one is a stills/videographer as some freelancers and company owned gear shooters in the photojournalism, ENG, documentary realm are these days, that compromise is still a given.

The effort for 2K+ files is without peer from BMD, as noted above, the Nikon/Sony/Canon cabal, will either respond or be eclipsed.

Nikon has the least to lose, no parallel or vertical marketing actuarials to protect/cannibalize and as far as DR, the MK3 is not much improved over the MK2.

The D800 sits in the MF pocket and now smokes Nikons entire line, rhetorically, some of that has to be relevant in 2MP 1080 files which drive the business even with the giant workarounds for spots (some 70% are shot on HD enabled DSLR's).

The apprehension I have in a format changeover is the glass, and waiting for adapters which accept the budget realm AI and post AI (still stellar f/1.2/.4/2/2.8) primes, zooms and Pro lens purchases since the D90 broke open the HDslr egg.

I'm bound by economics for now and for better or worse have to stick with Nikon to meld the two worlds.

Now, if my DP pal returns from shooting a RED on tour in South America and buys the BMD, that will be a good thing in the best of both worlds kind of way.

Regardless, your tome is much appreciated and illustrates a long awaited beach head for parity minded creative folks who have been shouting, stranded, after negotiating a shoal of technocratic drip, drip, drip from engineering and marketing powerhouses who just don't get it.

That is changing, thank goodness.

I could not make NAB, had a concert to shoot but the new flash I like the most is http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120415005071/en. which is the next tool to use if, one has the ball and chain of HDslr tied up in the gear locker.

Thanks!

RM

I think the meme "DSLR killer" is a misnomer. In reality, every new piece of tech that challenges the status quo is good news for the whole industry. DVCAM challenged Beta SP. The DSLR challenged the traditional form factor HD camcorder. The 35mm sized camcorders challenged the DSLR and now the 2K+ cameras are challenging the 35mm cameras and the DSLR has to keep playing catch up. The net result is that people have more choices which is never a bad thing. Plus now there are choices for everyone depending upon your budget and your needs.

Choice = good.

MC

Can the BMD Cinema Camera use EF-S lenses? I know it can use EF, but not sure about EF-S.

I read somewhere that EF-S lenses have an extra notch that refrains it from attaching to EF cameras, in order to not damage the sensor if one tried putting it on a full-frame EF camera.

I hope it does, because there are some pretty good EF-S lenses made by Canon.

im looking forward to this camera as well! such a bargain especially with the package deal with da vinci resolve. amazing price!

have you guys seen this: http://johnbrawley.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/blackmagic-cinema-camera-lets-t...

_______
Jonathan
Wedding Video Sydney | eMemories Productions

Yes, Mike and in another post on BMCuser.com John specifically mentioned one of the sample videos was shot with an EF-S lens so it's confirmed. Yea!

Rick Lang

iMac 27” 2.8GHz i7 16GB

Hi Marco,

Great Review, looking forward to more. (My next camera)

Regards, John

Very good approach to BMD Camera!
One only and direct question. The idea we get (real?...) is that BMD is specially focused to Mac users.
I´m a long time and present only user of Adobe Software in Windows PC. If right, how does will work BMD Raw and DNG files in Premiere CS 5?
Sorry for my academic question.
Thanks!

Great article!

I looked at other articles on the BMC, but could not find anything on the choice of a non-standard sensor size. I find this puzzling as it's too small for m4/3 and too big for S16, with the EF/F mount it's way too small. Strange choice for what otherwise looks like a very interesting camera at a good price point. Too bad it does not have a "crop" mode to work with S16 glass as the GH2 does, that would be interesting.

M

Malcolm
http://www.malcolmproductions.com

Well, it does not exceed the Red Epic specs, so I cannot even start to label this camera as a "killer"...

Great review Marco

I'm a bit of a newbie, but have the need to film video in 2.5K. I also have a swag of Nikon lenses...is there an adapter that would let me marry the BM with these and not lose lots of functionality?

New update: I'm happy to officially confirm that my variable crop factor theory using the Canon 8-15mm f/4L lens indeed works without vignetting. I've been granted permission from Blackmagic Design today, allowing me to post pics and info about our beta pre-release unit of the Cinema Camera. I've been posting stuff on our facebook page today, including stuff about the 8mm lenses with the Cinema Camera and such:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.493724947322557.124136.11565999846...

I'll be adding more and more pics and info on that photo album. Fun stuff!

Marco Solorio | CreativeCow Host | OneRiver Media | ORM Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Media Batch