BLACKMAGIC DESIGN POCKET CINEMA CAMERA 6K PRO
A lot of filmmakers are excited about Blackmagic Design’s latest Pocket Cinema Camera. ANGELA NICHOLSON takes a look at what the fuss is about
The name doesn’t roll off the tongue, but is the footage from this camera any smoother? Discover the features on offer for filmmakers
The Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro (the BDPCC 6K Pro) is the longwinded name for the latest model in Blackmagic Design’s Super 35 format digital film camera line. The Super 35 sensor measures 23.1x12.99mm, which puts it close in size to APS-C format (around 23.5x15.7mm). To match the increase in sensor size from the
Four Thirds type in the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K models, Blackmagic has switched from a Micro Four Thirds mount to Canon EF-mount.
The BDPCC 6K Pro can shoot in a selection of 12-bit Blackmagic RAW and 10-bit Apple ProRes codecs at a range of resolutions up to 6,144 x 3,456 (6K) at up to 50fps, and at frame rates up to 120fps at 2,868 x 1,512
(2.8K 17:9). Clips can be recorded internally to a CFast card or a UHS-II SD card, but for long shoots at high resolution, it’s best to connect an external SSD via USB-C.
Blackmagic has given the camera a few features that are fairly unique to filmmaking cameras. For example, there’s dual native ISO technology (ISO 400 and 3,200) to extend the 6K Pro’s dynamic range and help reduce high ISO noise, and a built-in ND filter that can be set to clear, 2-stop, 4-stop and 6-stop. It’s also possible to install LUTs, to make it easier to assess the flat footage captured in Blackmagic RAW or using the ‘film’ dynamic range mode. Although the LUT isn’t ‘baked in’ by default, you can choose to bake it in if necessary.
If you’re coming from stills photography and migrating into video, you might be surprised by the size of the BDPCC 6K Pro. It’s definitely not something that you can slip into your pocket. With the body cap on, it looks like a beefed-up bridge camera and it’s bigger than a full-frame DSLR like the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV – not just a bit, but a lot bigger. Pop on a lens like an EF 24-80mm f/2.8L USM and you quickly realise that this is a camera that you’ll want to put on a tripod as often as possible.
However, that size enables the BDPCC 6K Pro to offer a few advantages over many of its DSLR and mirrorless camera competitors. For instance, if you are hand-holding the camera when you flick the power switch to on, you’ll notice a slight breeze emanating from inside. That’s because it has a cooling system built-in, which is vital for recording long clips of highresolution footage. Also, look at the back of the camera and it’s immediately obvious that the screen is much bigger than normal: it’s a 5-inch 1,920 x 1,080 touchscreen.
Initially, the BDPCC 6K Pro may seem unfamiliar but it doesn’t take long to get to grips with it. The row of three function buttons on the top plate, for example, are customisable, but their default settings soon prove their worth once you start shooting. The first one, for example, toggles the false colour view on and off, the middle button toggles on and off the LUT display, and the third button activates the frame guides. False colour is useful for assessing exposure, going way beyond the zebra display and exposure warnings that are more commonly seen on stills cameras.
By default, the camera shows the shutter speed as shutter angle in degrees, with 180° being a speed that’s twice the selected frame rate. If you prefer, the shutter speed can be switched to display in seconds via the setup menu, but once you’re into filmmaking, the degree values may start to seem more natural.
Pressing the iris button on the back of the camera sets the aperture value on the basis of the brightness of the scene, while the dial on the front of the camera, just above the grip, lets you adjust that setting. However, if you tap a parameter on the screen, the dial can be used to adjust that setting.
While the BDPCC 6K Pro has a contrast detection AF system, it’s not the most sophisticated and you won’t find Eye AF or even continuous focusing. Unless your subject stays put, you have to focus manually and develop your focus-pulling skills.
Although the BDPCC 6K Pro looks a bit odd and the focus is old-school, the quality of the footage that it delivers is superb. There’s detail where you want it and there’s plenty of dynamic range. It’s not a camera for spontaneous videography, but it can deliver cinematic results at an affordable price.
SUMMARY
It’s not pocket-sized and it lacks snazzy focusing options but the BDPCC 6K Pro has some great features for filmmakers and it can deliver cinematic results at a great price.