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BLACKMAGIC POCKET CINEMA CAMERA 4K TEST
HOW IT RATES Features: 9 No image stabilisation, but it shoots Raw and ProRes to a memory card Performance: 8 Stunning quality but let down by average AF and heavily cropped 120fps frame rate Handling: 9 Great menus, sensible buttons, and a large screen– but sadly it doesn’t tilt Value formoney: 10 There is nothing remotely close to it in any category of cinema camera OVERALL RATING: 9/10 It’s cheap, shoots Raw and ProRes, has great image quality and is easy to use Pros: 4K Raw shooting, image quality, stunning price Cons: Not ideal for run-and- gun filmmakers THE VERDICT For the money, there’s nothing that comes close to the spec of the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K. And for filmmakers who want to use it as a small cinema camera, it really delivers, with lots of options – including killer 4K Raw for the ultimate quality. For run-and-gun users it’s not ideal as there is no stabilisation or workable AF – certainly compared to rivals. Its merely adequate AF, combined with its heavily cropped 120fps super slow-motion, means it’s not ideal for wildlife or sports shooters. There are tools such as false colour, peaking and zebra patterns, but it’s no super-fast camcorder. However, for documentary shooters –with time to set up for more cinematic shots – it’s an incredible tool with fantastic image quality, and at a stunningly low price. The lenses are plentiful and relatively inexpensive, and of course you don’t need to buy extras such as external monitors or XLR audio converters to get a workable camera kit.
overcranked to 120fps, but this crops the sensor by a factor of 2x. However, in other ways, the slow motion can be useful for filmmkers who like to record audio with the slow-motion so it can be used as scratch audio, or even when the speed of footage is ramped up or down in editing. In 4K, you can just set the frame rate to 50 or 60p and record with audio as normal. Or you can set the camera to record at 24p but set the High Frame Rate option to 60p. Press the HFR button and it’s recorded in 60p and plays back in slowmotion, but records audio in real time, too. Many cameras don’t record any audio with slow- motion footage. Of course, the key question is what the footage looks like, especially considering the limitations of the smaller sensor compared to full-frame rivals. And in this case the camera punches well above its weight, giving sharp images with lots of detail, neutral colours, lots of dynamic range and, crucially, low noise thanks to its Dual Native ISO sensor technology. There is virtually no moire, and rolling shutter is largely absent thanks to the smaller sensor. The colour is especially pleasing, with neutral skin tones and natural-looking colours, especially “The camera punches well above its weight, giving sharp images with lots of detail”
if graded carefully. Spend some time grading and you will find there is lots of detail in the files, to change colours, recuse highlights and pull back shadow detail without too much noise. Shooting Raw or Log means you will need to add some noise- reduction in post, as is the case with all cameras. The Dual Native ISO function means that the camera essentially has two base ISO settings of 400 and 3200, although you can set any ISO rating from 100-25,600. At any setting up to ISO 1000 it uses the base 400 circuitry, and switches seamlessly to the higher 3200 base at ISO settings higher than that. Comparing footage at ISO 400 and ISO 3200 gives results that are incredibly similar in terms of image quality and low noise. Only in deep shadows, where you would expect to find noise, does it rear its head. The reality is that at any ISO setting up to 6400, the camera delivers clean images with lots of information for you to grade them how you like in post production – especially if you’ve chosen to shoot Raw files.
ABOVE This affordable camera provides fantastic image quality, but mediocre AF could prove disappointing.
More information blackmagicdesign.com
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PRO MOVIEMAKER WINTER 2018
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