Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K Review

Calling out to all the visual storytellers, now is the time to take mesmerizing shots with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 4K. Do not get confused by the size because this bad boy really does deliver some magnificent shots. Before you get into purchasing this device, we advise you to take a look at the review we have here for this camera. Find out all about its features, design, and battery life, and learn its capabilities in-depth. 

The camera sets the standard as a game changer with an affordable price tag of $1,295. Discover all about the device!

Black Magic Cinema Camera Features

The following are the features of the pocket camera black magic 4k:

• The Black Magic Pocket 4K has a very spacious sensor and a resolution of 4096 x 2160. 
• The pocket camera has smooth connectivity allowing you to connect with Micro Four Thirds lenses of exceptional quality. 
• You can control the camera through the Bluetooth connectivity. 
• The low light performance is remarkable, with an ISO range of at least 25600. 
• The camera can capture stunning visuals, has a dynamic range of 13 stops, and is perfect for achieving a cinematic look. 
• It has an extended recording time, can conveniently utilize a USB-C port, and is compatible with flash disks and external SSDs. 
• You can quite easily benefit from the built-in USH-II, SD, and CFast card records that allow easy means of storage. 
• The camera supports standard file formats and even other formats such as the NLE software, 10bit ProRes, and 12-bit RAW. 
• The black magic pocket cinema camera 4K is created from lightweight and durable material, making it an extremely portable gadget. 
• Allows the connection of additional audio features, including a 3.5mm audio jack, locking DC 12-volt power connection, and a headphone jack. 
• Capture footage at an outstanding FPS, 4K up to 60 frames per second and 120  frames per second. 

Blackmagic Camera Display

You can take advantage of the BMPC4K’s massive 5-inch touchscreen, which has a great resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, for positioning your pictures and viewing your video. When the subject of your photograph is in focus, the screen will provide a colored outline, either in red or green, to help you focus on your pictures. 

The Blackmagic 4K camera lacks advanced autofocus like Nikon or Canon cameras; this is particularly advantageous. Even if you’re not an experienced filmmaker, using this cinema camera to record videos will probably require manual focus. You might have trouble seeing the BMPC4K screen when filming outdoors in bright light. But you can remedy this situation by grabbing onto a sun hood from Amazon which will increase the visibility on the screen. 

Blackmagic 4K Design

The camera has a strange yet somewhat vintage appeal, but it feels sturdy and well-balanced thanks to the use of fiberglass and polycarbonate. Its comfy, non-angular spherical design has a large, intriguing rear screen, dial easily accessible buttons and dramatic air vents.

The upgraded twin microphone set up on the right side works in combination with the ribbed grip to give stable tactility. There is also a record button that is situated on the front and an LED light. The Pocket Cinema Camera 4K has an extra mount where a stills camera’s normal hot shoe would fit and a standard tripod thread mount at the bottom. You can use this mount for your LED lights and external monitors. 

A removable and relatively fragile battery cover is located at the bottom, allowing for the potential use of alternative battery grips. A dual card slot on the left side offers a more solid design. SD and CFast cards are both compatible with the camera, although CFast cards are necessary to capture the highest-quality raw 4K video.

Performance of Blackmagic 4K

To understand the performance of the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 4K, here are some things you need to understand:

• The Blackmagic 4K features a Micro Fourth Thirds sensor which comes along with a 1.9x crop factor allowing a smaller sensor in comparison to the larger sensor options. 
• The outstanding image quality captures tiny details and enables the extraction of high-quality still images from films.
• Viewers will notice an important overall quality rise when 4K footage is reduced to 1080p or full HD.
• MFT lenses are a suitable substitute because they are around half the price when compared to full-frame lenses.
• The camera effectively handles image noise and captures HDR content thanks to its 13 stops of dynamic range and dual native ISOs.
• Many multi-purpose DSLRs and mirrorless cameras are missing the functionality of built-in fans, which helps keep the camera cool when recording.
• For adaptable footage for color grading in post-production, shoot in 4K with 12-bit colors.
• The footage that appears flat right out of the camera is ideal because it gives editors plenty of information to push and pull colors.
• The flat footage’s color chemistry is adaptable and provides various options for various aesthetic styles.
• As opposed to the conventional 3:2 aspect ratio used by photography cameras, the Blackmagic pocket cinema 4k records in a 16:9 format.

Blackmagic 4K Focus 

While professional videographers normally steer clear of continuous focusing, video journalists occasionally have to rely on it. Although Canon leads in this area, the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K does not have continuous autofocus.

However, the camera offers focusing, which can be accessed by either using the focus button on the rear or giving the screen a single press. It works well in brightly lit environments but may have trouble in dim light or while trying to focus on items that are dark.

Blackmagic Camera Battery Life

Canon LP-E6 batteries with a 2,000mAh capacity are used with the Blackmagic Pocket Camera. However, the battery restrictions become apparent while filming continuously for longer than 25 minutes. Even though battery life varies, turning the camera off between pictures will allow you to record video for 35 to 40 minutes.

We strongly advise buying extra batteries or the Battery Grip for Blackmagic, which can increase the recording time by several hours, to get around this restriction. A better option for powering the camera is to use an external battery. The Juicebox is one solution and has a three-hour battery life. You can also use the supplied power cord to attach the camera directly to a power source when shooting inside.

Blackmagic Camera 4K Storage

Storage quickly runs out while shooting 4K at 12 bits RAW. The Blackmagic 4K has various storage options, including SD and CFast cards; however, inserting an SSD through the camera’s USB-Type C connector is the most effective alternative. You can easily transmit film with an SSD by immediately plugging it into your computer’s USB-Type C connector. SSDs are currently inexpensive, costing less than many CFast cards. 

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K: Positives and Negatives

These pros and cons will help you decide if the pocket camera is good enough for you. 

Bottom Line

With features like 4K resolution, Dual ISO, 13 stops of dynamic range, outstanding low light performance, and several ports, the Blackmagic Pocket Camera provides affordable cinema-quality video. It performs better than other more expensive cameras and has a lightweight design. It is incredibly affordable at $1,295 and comes with DaVinci Resolve software.

It does tick some appropriate boxes and can be a decent purchase if you’re looking to invest in a pocket camera!

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