bm pocket camera?
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Serena
wrote on 7/22/2013, 8:46 PM
The form factor of the pocket camera probably suggests that it is a compact camera that shoots video. The name of the camera tells you quite a bit about its intended users: BMP Cinema camera. So it is an interchangeable lens camera designed to shoot high quality video. What Black Magic will sell you is a sensor, image processing and recording system and you build it into a production camera by adding whatever you need. I presume you have read http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagicpocketcinemacameraBlack Magic Pocket Cinema Camera[/link] and have probably scanned FAQ and their Forum.
If you want to shoot stills you don't want a cinema camera. Or you want more than one camera. The Pocket Cinema Camera has an active MFT mount, so there are many lenses available. One thing to consider is that not all lenses are equal so to get the promised results your lens must be up to the job. Any such zoom lens is likely to cost more than the camera.
You should also think about how this camera will affect your post workflow if you are to get the results promised.
If you want to shoot stills you don't want a cinema camera. Or you want more than one camera. The Pocket Cinema Camera has an active MFT mount, so there are many lenses available. One thing to consider is that not all lenses are equal so to get the promised results your lens must be up to the job. Any such zoom lens is likely to cost more than the camera.
You should also think about how this camera will affect your post workflow if you are to get the results promised.
bill-kranz
wrote on 7/22/2013, 9:59 PM
Serena and wwjd:
Thanks for your replies. I have read the web pages concerning the new camera and am just trying to verify the single shot aspect as it looks like a camera that would take a still. However I feel I can get a pretty good screenshot from it as I do this at 720p and for web use it is passable. At 1080 it should be even better.
For workflow I have Sony Vegas Pro 12 - not installed - and a modern PC - half bought - with good drive space - I assume - and feel with the millions of lens out there - like guns - can get something passable/ cheap - who knows? - via Ebay, Amazon and hundreds of other sources.
Thanks!!
Bill
Still a little confused about RAW as a video source as compared to how it is used in a single shot camera. I like the HDR look soooo.....Pro Res, what's that???
Thanks for your replies. I have read the web pages concerning the new camera and am just trying to verify the single shot aspect as it looks like a camera that would take a still. However I feel I can get a pretty good screenshot from it as I do this at 720p and for web use it is passable. At 1080 it should be even better.
For workflow I have Sony Vegas Pro 12 - not installed - and a modern PC - half bought - with good drive space - I assume - and feel with the millions of lens out there - like guns - can get something passable/ cheap - who knows? - via Ebay, Amazon and hundreds of other sources.
Thanks!!
Bill
Still a little confused about RAW as a video source as compared to how it is used in a single shot camera. I like the HDR look soooo.....Pro Res, what's that???
Serena
wrote on 7/23/2013, 12:32 AM
O...K....
Then looks are deceiving, because it doesn't do stills. Or S&Q and lots of other stuff that can be useful. I guess I should ask the usual question: why do you think this is the camera for you? Does it attract because it is small? Inexpensive? The quality of the images? The 13 stop dynamic range? The joy of working with12 bit uncompressed output files? http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/blackmagic-cinema-camera/DVInfo[/link]
ProRes files from the camera are 10bit; (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ProResProRes[/link]).
If you like HDR in stills then I guess you're attracted by the dynamic range, but since that has to be graded to the 8 bit REC 709 for display you will need a little more than Vegas Pro 12.
One of the indicators of the level of work BlackMagic envisages for the camera is the included DaVinci Resolve software for post production (principally the colour grading stage) and here is the http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/4805318/Resolve_Win_Config_Guide_2012-08-30.pdfResolve computer spec[/link]
Then looks are deceiving, because it doesn't do stills. Or S&Q and lots of other stuff that can be useful. I guess I should ask the usual question: why do you think this is the camera for you? Does it attract because it is small? Inexpensive? The quality of the images? The 13 stop dynamic range? The joy of working with12 bit uncompressed output files? http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/blackmagic-cinema-camera/DVInfo[/link]
ProRes files from the camera are 10bit; (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ProResProRes[/link]).
If you like HDR in stills then I guess you're attracted by the dynamic range, but since that has to be graded to the 8 bit REC 709 for display you will need a little more than Vegas Pro 12.
One of the indicators of the level of work BlackMagic envisages for the camera is the included DaVinci Resolve software for post production (principally the colour grading stage) and here is the http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/4805318/Resolve_Win_Config_Guide_2012-08-30.pdfResolve computer spec[/link]
ushere
wrote on 7/23/2013, 2:44 AM
in a vague way i can see some of btcelestial's thinking....
i can't for the life of me see why anyone should think a 'video camera' a substitute for a dslr, even if a great many think the other way around ;-) . BUT, i can happily see myself pulling stills from a bmpc - all they're ever usually used for is display, ie, internet - pc screen, hd tv.
true, i wont have the ability to do any serious cropping, etc., but it will save me schlepping around a dslr for 'location' stills.
i can't for the life of me see why anyone should think a 'video camera' a substitute for a dslr, even if a great many think the other way around ;-) . BUT, i can happily see myself pulling stills from a bmpc - all they're ever usually used for is display, ie, internet - pc screen, hd tv.
true, i wont have the ability to do any serious cropping, etc., but it will save me schlepping around a dslr for 'location' stills.
Serena
wrote on 7/23/2013, 3:21 AM
Indeed one can always pull stills out of video. I was just wondering a bit whether he wants the camera with its 13 stop dynamic range so he can generate HDR stills. Seems to me to be the wrong camera for that purpose.
ushere
wrote on 7/23/2013, 4:44 AM
does one really need 13 stops for hdr?
i played a bit with hdr on my nikon, 2 stops +/- seemed pretty good to me, but then again, i really dislike hdr in general ;-) so wouldn't really know.
i played a bit with hdr on my nikon, 2 stops +/- seemed pretty good to me, but then again, i really dislike hdr in general ;-) so wouldn't really know.
bill-kranz
wrote on 7/23/2013, 11:20 AM
Serena:
Thanks for that great information. I do not expect to be buying into the Resolve workflow process but can answer some of the other questions below...
Then looks are deceiving, because it doesn't do stills. Or S&Q and lots of other stuff that can be useful. I guess I should ask the usual question:
why do you think this is the camera for you? "As the video archive coordinator for the Celestial Theatre; we have footage from our shows dating back to the 1970's in the Black and White/Color Super 8 format. Then we advanced to VHS, SD tape, and now 720p HD with a Canon Powershot IS 20X. You can see our psychedelic theatre in action on the You Tube channel "thecelestialtheatre". So, this camera sounds like a great upgrade for us.
Does it attract because it is small? --"Yes"
Inexpensive? -- "Yes"
The quality of the images? -- "Yes"
The 13 stop dynamic range? --"Yes"
The joy of working with 12 bit uncompressed output files? DVInfo -- "Have not worked with that yet..."
ProRes files from the camera are 10bit; (ProRes). –"Am looking at the listed conversion options for this."
If you like HDR in stills then I guess you're attracted by the dynamic range, but since that has to be graded to the 8 bit REC 709 for display you will need a little more than Vegas Pro 12. –"That seems to be a broadcast TV standard and beyond our capabilities for now."
One of the indicators of the level of work BlackMagic envisages for the camera is the included DaVinci Resolve software for post production (principally the colour grading stage) and here is the Resolve computer spec – "I do not expect to be buying into this system… My new half-purchased PC will have Win8 Pro, a Intel-3770 chip, a 770 NVideo GPU, and an ASRock Z77 Extreme 4 1155 Intel Z77 83.00 MOBO as the key specs. Side note: I do have a $100.00 value license for the basic Cineform convertor but could not get it to read the video files properly on my XP system so had to abandon that for now. "
Thanks again, I hope someone will produce a working tutorial for us Sony Pro 12 users in regard to this new BMDS camera.
Bill
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_video_editing_software
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingex
Thanks for that great information. I do not expect to be buying into the Resolve workflow process but can answer some of the other questions below...
Then looks are deceiving, because it doesn't do stills. Or S&Q and lots of other stuff that can be useful. I guess I should ask the usual question:
why do you think this is the camera for you? "As the video archive coordinator for the Celestial Theatre; we have footage from our shows dating back to the 1970's in the Black and White/Color Super 8 format. Then we advanced to VHS, SD tape, and now 720p HD with a Canon Powershot IS 20X. You can see our psychedelic theatre in action on the You Tube channel "thecelestialtheatre". So, this camera sounds like a great upgrade for us.
Does it attract because it is small? --"Yes"
Inexpensive? -- "Yes"
The quality of the images? -- "Yes"
The 13 stop dynamic range? --"Yes"
The joy of working with 12 bit uncompressed output files? DVInfo -- "Have not worked with that yet..."
ProRes files from the camera are 10bit; (ProRes). –"Am looking at the listed conversion options for this."
If you like HDR in stills then I guess you're attracted by the dynamic range, but since that has to be graded to the 8 bit REC 709 for display you will need a little more than Vegas Pro 12. –"That seems to be a broadcast TV standard and beyond our capabilities for now."
One of the indicators of the level of work BlackMagic envisages for the camera is the included DaVinci Resolve software for post production (principally the colour grading stage) and here is the Resolve computer spec – "I do not expect to be buying into this system… My new half-purchased PC will have Win8 Pro, a Intel-3770 chip, a 770 NVideo GPU, and an ASRock Z77 Extreme 4 1155 Intel Z77 83.00 MOBO as the key specs. Side note: I do have a $100.00 value license for the basic Cineform convertor but could not get it to read the video files properly on my XP system so had to abandon that for now. "
Thanks again, I hope someone will produce a working tutorial for us Sony Pro 12 users in regard to this new BMDS camera.
Bill
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_video_editing_software
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingex
wwjd
wrote on 7/23/2013, 1:40 PM
in my humble opinion about the looks...
it's just a sensor and recorder within some kind of box that is made to mount on common hard ware stands, support lenses, and a battery, and some jacks. Not sure how else it should look to be less deceiving.
it does fit in a pocket, but is billed as a cinema (video) camera, not a point and shoot still camera.
the output probably looks fantastic, but if you must have stills, maybe this is not the best choice.
BTW I bought a DSLR for VIDEO ONLY. I don't shoot stills with it - just occasionally, but barely even know how that part works. It was the best looking option at the time... now they are making these BMPC for my types that don't need stills at all for any reason.
it's just a sensor and recorder within some kind of box that is made to mount on common hard ware stands, support lenses, and a battery, and some jacks. Not sure how else it should look to be less deceiving.
it does fit in a pocket, but is billed as a cinema (video) camera, not a point and shoot still camera.
the output probably looks fantastic, but if you must have stills, maybe this is not the best choice.
BTW I bought a DSLR for VIDEO ONLY. I don't shoot stills with it - just occasionally, but barely even know how that part works. It was the best looking option at the time... now they are making these BMPC for my types that don't need stills at all for any reason.