TOOLZ: Black Magic Design Drops a Hot New 2.5K Video Camera for Only $3K!
So as expected, the buzz from the annual NAB Show in Vegas is making it’s way out into the universe as all the video manufacturer’s drop their latest digital goodies. This is the probably the first N.A.B. Show I’ve missed in 6 years, so it’s killing me to have to monitor the developments from afar. It’s a fun and educational pilgrimage that I recommend that every film techie make at least once in their lifetime.
One of the most interesting new product announcements thusfar is from Black Magic Design, which is normally known for making digital recorders and transcoding boxes, but is now throwing down a trump card in the low-budget/big chip camera game.
And from the looks of their new Black Magic Cinema Camera it’s in square competition with the yet-to-be-released Digital Bolex that I just featured on this blog a few days ago.
This Black Magic Cinema Camera and the Digital Bolex are both part of a new wave of dedicated video cameras with DSLR-sized (or larger) chips that I’ve anticipated for some months now. These camera’s basically marry the image-quality and lens choice of a DSLR camera with the standard pro features and user-friendliness of a traditional video camera.
Check the Specs:
- Integrated Solid State Drive (SSD) Recorder
- Raw 2.5K recording (2432 x 1366)
- Can also record compressed at 1920 x 1080
- 13 stops of dynamic range
- Records Cinema DNG Raw (via SSD), ProRes and DNxHD
- EF and ZF mount lenses
- SDI and Thunderbolt output ports
- Touch Screen LCD
- includes DaVinci Resolve color correction software
…but the most impressive spec to me is the price: $2995.00 (shipping July 2012). Get much more info and full specs at Black Magic Cinema’s website. And if you wanna see some early test footage, check some videos HERE.
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Rev. Al
Pros:
– 2.5K sensor is a nice balance between resolution and sensitivity
– Industry standard codecs – YAY!
– RAW capability – WOOT!
– Multiple lens mounts – FO-SHO!
– Thunderbolt – finally somebody is doing something with it.
Cons:
– Boxy form factor. Meh.
– No dedicated viewfinder (or HDMI out for something like a Zacuto VF). That little screen hood isn’t going to do much on a bright EXT. DAY shoot. I’ll want a diopter to check critical focus, which means it’ll have to flip-up in order to access the camera controls, and then I’m still stuck with that annoying on-axis viewfinder problem that’s continues to be one of my main beefs with DSLR shooting. Sure, it’s got SDI-out, but that’s only good for an expensive handheld field monitor or reference monitor. With a dioptered viewfinder, your entire world becomes that screen, and without distractions, you’re better able to check critical focus and other elements of the mise-en-scene that you might miss.
– Definitely not a run-n-gun doc camera. Touch-screen software controls? What happens when you have to adjust a parameter on the fly?
– SSD drives can be expensive, although prices will halve 18 months from now.
– 90 min battery life with no way to swap? Seriously? OUCH. (Add $1000 for a decent external power system with mounting options like rods.)
– 1/4″ TRS audio. Eh, oooookay. But that’s false advertising on that “Say goodbye to annoying custom cables you can never find when on a location shoot” value prop. Chances are somebody will need to come up with a properly-wired female XLR to 1/4″ male TRS. Or make your own. How are your soldering skills?
– That iris button that automatically adjusts the iris so that no pixel is clipped? Provided the lens is motorized…Don’t try that with that juicy Zeiss CP they show on the website (because there’s no motor in it) or a clicked DSLR lens (at least not while you’re rolling).
– This is NOT a Super 35 size sensor. It’s basically a 2/3″ sensor in the video world, so that means two things:
1. Forget about that super-shallow 35mm DoF. Not necessarily a bad thing for the focus pullers out there.
2. The FoV is going to be narrower for any given focal length versus the same lens on a 35mm or APS-C camera. That 28mm you thought was going to be nice and wide for your master shot? Yep that’s now your CU lens.
I also worry that they promote this “edit right from your acquisition drives” mentality. That is NEVER a good idea. In a file-based world, your data doesn’t exist unless it exists in two different places. The speed of the throughput is only a value proposition in making backup copies, but editing right from the field drives should NEVER be part of the conversation. The marketers at Blackmagic should be ashamed.
Rev-Al approved for commercial and indie work in highly controlled situations with at least two people in the camera department and either enough SSD drives to shoot all day without wiping the media, or a dedicated DIT on set to manage media.
I’d like to see a shoot-out between this and the Digital Bolex.
Rev. Al
I also fail to find any info about phantom power in the product lit. On simple setups, that could be a problem.
Anthony
@Rev. Al – I still have to look into that, but one of my other techno film geek friends, said he’s seen cameras use 1/4 audio w/ an XLR adapter/box that incorporates phantom power. So could be a (clunky) solution. Definitely a hindrance to run and gun style…Also think the sensor is closer to micro 4/3″, so actually more of an issue for getting wider shots as opposed to shallow d.o.f. I think once you add in the crop factor… It’s all too geeky for me to figure out reading, I just wanna put this M.F. on a tripod and hit the streets and SEE for myself! Shootout with the Digital Bolex is inevitable.
Down & Dirty DV | DSLR Cameras Evolve to Be More Video-Friendly
[…] growing crop of (relatively) affordable new video cameras like the Canon C300, Digital Bolex and Black Magic Cinema Camera that have been announced in just the last […]