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4K Black Magic Production Camera, raw, $2495 now
  • 330 Replies sorted by
  • shianshian

    I've been discussing this cam with some friends/colleagues and really the only thing that is preventing us from pulling the trigger is the damn lens mount. Basically because there's gonna be a point where we'll want to fly this along with other more expensive cams with PL glass. Seriously, they would have landed all 8 of us in a hearbeat with any kind of short flange system. Here's hoping they have a short flange system in the works. A lightweight 4K Raw cam is mighty attractive.

    And then there's the lack of any footage shot with the cam. It may be an amazing sensor, and an amazing image processor onboard, but I guess our frustration is with these companies announcing these cams without any demo footage. RED is just as guilty in this regard. Where's the mind-blowing Dragon footage? Where's the mind blowing BMCC4 footage?

    Just damn frustrating.

  • johnbrawleyjohnbrawley

    @shian

    Not much point releasing footage that won't represent the finished camera. The 4K is a fair way from being done. they still haven't determined the ISO (but it will be slower than the BMCC).

    • oh and I've been pestering for a PL mount.... ;-)

    jb

  • shianshian

    Thanks, John.

    I'm sure you'll once again be the first online with a short shot on the new 4K system, and maybe some DNG downloads for our inspection.... yet again?

  • driftwooddriftwood

    Nothings perfect yet @shian :-)

  • Mr_MooreMr_Moore

    I second the plea for a shorter flange mount.

  • stoneystoney

    Being an early adopter must be PITA.

  • gh2hackedgh2hacked

    For me, the option to have EF mount is better choices than just PL mount. This way I can use IS functions lenses. Mainly for steadicam works. If I wanted PL, I can use an EF to PL adapter. I do agree on getting shorter flange mount that is adaptable to electronic EF and other mounts. I don't see how it could be so hard. Just create the short mount and have the EF mount with electronic contacts as additional attachment. How hard is that?

  • shianshian

    Could you link me to that magic EF to PL adapter that works without having to physically and permanently modify the EF mount, please?

  • gh2hackedgh2hacked

    Won't work on all PL lenses but work without any modification to EF. I have one similiar to this one for $89 and that is a couple of years ago. http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Kipon-adapter-for-Arri-PL-cine-mount-lens-to-Canon-EOS-EF-camera-/110979762576?pt=US_Lens_Adapters_Mounts_Tubes&hash=item19d6e8c990#ht_3337wt_1161

  • gh2hackedgh2hacked

    Also I think the current Blackmagic 4K have the original EF with a PL adapter. Not sure if it is modified or not though. Hopefully John Brawley could answer that.

  • WhiteRabbitWhiteRabbit

    BMPC 4K, short flange please, short flange please, short flange distance mount please.

  • HucksterHuckster

    Could Sony E-mount be the short flange distance mount we're looking for? Seems like there's an easy adapter solution for every major mount-style to Sony E.

    If so, hopefully Sony E could be next in the works, in the same way the M43 model followed the EF model in the original Blackmagic Camera.

    Is there some sort of licensing fee that Blackmagic would have to pay to Sony to use it?

    Any insights about Blackmagic's intentions for another mount style on the 4K model, Mr. Brawley? Thanks.

  • B3GuyB3Guy

    I'm still tempted partially because anything can be done . . . for a price. I'm sure there is someone on the face of this planet that would be willing to modify this camera to have a different mount. It would not be cheap, but such things have been done before, like Canons modified to PL for example. I think I'd go for FZ mount as well as get it clad in some sort of close-fitting permanent cage.

    But as of right now, I can't even afford the pocket cam, so wait it is, and that doesn't phase me. By the time I'm in the market to upgrade from my GH2, hopefully Blackmagic will have a new model of this camera out with a better mount and maybe even some faster framerates.

  • shianshian

    Eventually we'll be able to just download and print our own mounts. Or design our own solution. Print an entirely new enclosure. Hack not only the software but the form factor, etc. 3D printers can be had for around $1500 complete or $1000 DIY kit. It's not ubiquitous yet, but someday it could be as widespread and easy to use as document printers.

    http://www.3dstuffmaker.com/brochure.pdf

  • JaskettiJasketti

    +1 For shorter flange mount. Please! EF mount is the only thing stopping me from ordering.

  • squigsquig

    All of my vintage glass is adapted to EF but even I don't want an EF mount, Sony E or EOS-M mounts are the most adaptable options. It's not an S35 size sensor, it's 35mm academy, it's crying for a speedbooster.

  • qwerty123qwerty123

    I think what Blackmagic needs to do is design a proprietary mounting system that allows one to mount (almost) all of the in-use lens mount options today: you'd have a central "blackmagic" mount with a very short flange distance. Then there would be a special attachment for every kind of lens mount, and people could purchase these separately.

    So, it'd go: 1. Canon FD lens --> 2. canon FD to blackmagic mount adapter --> 3. blackmagic mount on all cameras

    the last link in the chain is fixed, and the others are variable.

    There's a company that makes a system like this for RED. They call it the "All-Star A Mount". Only problem with their system is you have to attach the mount--"2" portion of the chain above (like PL or Oct19 or EF, etc)--to each lens. But you should be able to do something different in theory, I think...

  • WhiteRabbitWhiteRabbit

    There are a number of mount adapter manufacturers already with Sony E-mount and FZ-mount and even for the Canon EF-M all having the short flange distance at 18mm. Good to adapt from these, FZ would be the most rigid due to the design. I would be looking for a dumb mount, but that is just me. If licensing rights were an issue, then if BMD came up with their own short flange distance mount, third parties would soon make mount adapters for various lenses.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flange_focal_distance

    So the 4K camera, while interesting, does not fit my parameters.

  • truestorytruestory

    Hi guys, not up with all the mounts for the 4K camera.. Can you mount standard Ai nikon lenses with adaptor, i have a heap of old Ai & Ais lenses.. Cheers

  • anthonybertanthonybert

    Hi all,

    Sorry if this has already been covered but do we know how the 1080p is handled on the bmcc 4K? do they capture with the full sensor and then reduce the image to 1080 with an in-camera algorithm or do they just take 1920x1080 pixels portion on the sensor which will result in some serious crop.

    I would definitely prefer the first option or even better have the choice.

  • OedipaxOedipax

    @truestory, I'm counting on it! I don't see any reason why not if it's a standard EF mount.

  • WhiteRabbitWhiteRabbit

    @anthonybert, the BM guys said in one of the NAB interviews that 4K is converted to 1080, not a crop of the sensor, so that should produce very nice 1080 footage. If I find the video, I will post it later.

    edit: watch from 3:30 on for reference to 4K to 1080 down sampled in camera.

  • squigsquig

    Where's the 2k downsample option? Some people might actually want to make movies with this thing.

  • anthonybertanthonybert

    @WhiteRabbit Thanks for that... This is great news, especially if their reduction algorithm is well coded. Most of us would probably do that in resolve anyway, I mean going from 4K to 1080P. So if the camera does it for you and you have a beautiful footage ready to edit in ProRes then that's great. with still the option of keeping 4K shoots for special effect or stabilisation...

    Well I guess we need to wait for the footage now. I'm sure Mr Brawley will get his hands soon enough on that camera and share with us some raw footage.

  • anthonybertanthonybert

    @squig I don't believe that 2K is actually necessary... From 4K you can get any flavour you want. If you shoot for Cinema, Well shoot 4K, if if for TV or the Net, shoot 1080P. But let's face it, Broadcast is 1080P and with the economic climate I don't think people will rush to get their 4K TVs that soon and even so, that camera cover such a wide range... Personally I think this is a very cool camera spec maybe a little bit of a market killer of their previous BMCC... Well time will tell

    Regarding "making movies out of this thing" You will have to explain what you mean by that? are you saying that without the 2K option you can't make a movie?

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