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BlackMagic: Official $2,995 raw cinema camera topic
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  • @John_Farragut but think about pricing when the "revolution" began. 5D Mark II could be had for well under $2000.

    When it began (5D Mark II), Nov 2009, I got a camera from first shipping batch and it was $3495 or so. They were back listed for a very long time. No camera went out at $2000. 2 weeks after, I received a body only for $2695 if memory serves me right..... Sold that on ebay 2 weeks later for a nice profit.

    To everyone else discussing whether BM got it right or wrong on this camera, I think it's a moot issue as they are going to sell their fare share of cameras. They are not a Canon or Sony and I doubt they could ship the number of 5D MK II's that Canon sold the first year. I've bought one and am very excited to get the dynamic range that is appears to offer. I'm excited to be able to use my 3 Canon L lens and and all my old Nikon manual primes. If I can use my 12mm 4/3 lens sometime in the future, I'll be very happy.

    Many people think that the iPhone will we shooting features in the near future. Probably not to far off. Technology keeps making things better. As the conversation on these pages attests, it's pretty evident to me, that the argument about digital audio formats is pretty much done at this point. Peoples ears can't hear the difference. My 27 year old son listened to his cheap computer speakers 15 years ago instead of my $3000 dollar stereo. I seldom listen to it and I've updated the speakers. The sounds of my computer speakers, my car stereo, and certainly my headphones, are extremely good. Visuals aren't far behind. In my opinion 4k will become a standard only when it's cheap because 99% of the consumers cannot tell a difference and won't pay a penny extra for it until it's consumer priced. iPhones or some other point n shoot in the future, is going to be projected in the movie theaters and look fine. Maybe not for a decade, but it's gonna happen.

    When I go to our local theaters that have 4K projection now, I ask my non industry friends what they think about the quality, and they say it's no different than what they were watching in past years. Just don't have the noise and scratches in the film.

    Eventually, we will have an affordable Red Epic type camera that turns on in 2 seconds, has auto focus, can shoot great moving pictures as well as stills that can be printed on bill boards. Until then, we are going to have all types of cameras, and BM is filling a very needed space. Can't wait for July!

  • With audio, how much can you hear the differences between an analog reproduction or a digital playback or even between 2 analog playbacks depend on both the recording and transfer , the music content (synthesized music or not) as well as your own playback system (most systems are severely limited). With a local audio club I belong to, we listened comparatively to a lot of very high quality playback systems, and I would say that if there is a pretty clear difference between analog and PCM 16-bit/44 or 48Khz, that difference is nearly undetectable once you compare analog against 24/96, 24/192 and DSD. Not everybody can hear this, as they say your mileage will vary with how good your ears are.

  • @jfro I got the pricing of the 5D Mark II wrong. Yes, it slowly went down and down. Maybe 5D was not the best example. But more the camera's like GH and APS-C.

    Nobody is contesting BMCC is the right or wrong way. It is a nice budget feature camera. People will do some nice stuff on these. I'm just thinking there is still value in GH3 and NEX, etc. for a whole category of people who just want this form factor with nice picture quality (and in the upper end IntraFrame will be enough.)

  • @Aria BMD very much wanted to give 5D users a better alternative to line skipped highly compressed HD video. That's what they are going for. To make this camera a better 5D and a complimentary camera to bigger cameras like the Alexa or RED.

  • @ghkqn

    Any comparisons can be made only using double blind test.
    As any attemp to make open testing introduce huge coloration and makes results wrong.

  • @alcomposer I believe that's the plan....Thunderbolt....

  • @johnbrawley I'm just thinking, and asking, the 5D users, will they be attracted to the BMCC? I thought many were hooked on the full frame look of the 5D. Something they cannot achieve in this price range.

  • I find the BMCC attractive as a serious entry level feature camera. 5 years ago I bought a camcorder with the same price that is nowehere as nice and versatile as BMCC. Now you get a cinema quality for the same price. But I would think 5D users like the 5D look and like the 5D form factor.

  • The most appealing thing to me is the dynamic range .. be it raw, avchd, or DNxHD, 720P, 1080P, or 2.5K, full frame, s35, or s16

    I choose the 13:1 range .. the highest DR I can get in my budget

  • I've done 20 odd years work in audio and using DAW's from Logic to Reaper etc.. Most of the real difference that happens, actually happens in mixing (before its mastered) and the engineers ability to create space with Eq, reverbs etc...and also musical arrangement, then theres microphones, pre amps...all that stuff. Then there is the plethora of new VST mastering tools that work on the stereo out of the DAW...modeling valve compressors etc... and some of them are really good. Thats where you will hear a difference thats quite noticeable. To me anyway (the final medium) the stereo PCM Audio 24 bit, 16 bit, be it 96k or 44.1k or even the higher encoded mp3's 320kb etc.. is where you will hear the least difference. Sure in an enclosed and controlled studio environment you will hear a little difference....but as most people listen on ipods and whatever else and computer speakers...so I doubt wether there will be a big push to surpass PCM, since most people listen on lesser mediums than that.

  • I've also been in Pro Audio for 30 yrs and I can indeed hear the difference between my 16bit/44.1k CD mix and the 24bit/96k version, but I'm usually listening on my high end playback system in a very well treated studio. I'm sure it would be harder on my car system, iPhone, boombox or some other situation. We've reached a point of diminishing returns in audio tho I'm sure there will be some future breakthrough that will come along.

    The BMCC is just such a sweet idea in the areas of weakness for any cam in this price range, namely DR and gradeability! The most frustrating thing for me is not being able to get past my GH DR limits and not being able to deal with a somewhat baked in look. BMCC looks like it will address those limits that prevent getting closer to that film look we're chasing.

  • @Vitaliy

    I know you feel this camera is geared to a different market than the DSLR market, but I have to disagree. I know at least 7 people off the top of my head that canceled their 5DMkIII, D800, and/or D4 orders for this camera.

  • @Brian202020

    I know at least 7 people off the top of my head that canceled their 5DMkIII, D800, and/or D4 orders for this camera.

    And I can assure you that "I know people who..." arguments are not valid statistically.
    This guys was heavy interested in video specifically and according to your words already had money in their budgets reserved for this.

  • @johnbrawley wrote

    @Aria B

    MD very much wanted to give 5D users a better alternative to line skipped highly compressed HD video. That's what they are going for. To make this camera a better 5D and a complimentary camera to bigger cameras like the Alexa or RED.

    This is pretty much how I understood the goal of this camera. There was a desire for such a product from the user base. Of course not every DSLR user is in this group looking for a bit more than a 5D can deliver, but there is a HUGE percentage of users out there that have been looking for just this kind of solution. All those guys trying to get clean HDMI out of the DSLR's and hooking them up to Atomos Ninja's etc. Guys pushing the limits of the GH Hack and tweaking their cams to death. Desperately trying to inch closer to the look of the big boy cameras.

  • @modernhuman: "But we have the tools now, with photography and audio, that anybody with talent could create something as good as anything. Video will follow suit..."

    Not likely. At least, not if you're talking about dramatic material. As anyone who has shot 16mm or 35mm film can tell you that, without "production value", which hasn't gotten any cheaper over the years, the format is almost irrelevant. There are thousands of films shot on film which don't look like "films".

    @Aria: "You can make videos with just about anything but to get that film aesthetic in a convincing way at this price is the Holy Grail!!!"

    You can't get the "film aesthetic" even with film itself, if you don't have the production apparatus and money to do it.

  • @Brian202020 Yep, I was considering trading up to a 5dmkiii and the BMCC announcement changed that. New plan is get a BMCC and keep my 5Dmkii as a B-cam (also for stills). Keeping my GH2's as well.

    The biggest issue I see with the BMCC is the crop factor along with the EF mount. The widest lens I've got in ef compatible mount is a 16-35L which won't look too wide. I've been looking at the sigma 12-24 for a while...might have to pick one up (slow but works as a super-wide on my canon as well). Ultimately, I hope they come out with a way to use both M4/3 and canon lenses...or at least the camera side mount can be easily&reversibly removed and adapted to something with available wide glass. Wait and see I guess...

    On the subject of glass--there will be more legacy mount to EF convertible lenses usable for the BMCC than for the Canon DSLRs.The issue is that a good number of legacy lenses in mounts that can be adapted to EF mount based on EF flange distance actually end up hitting the mirror on a Canon DSLR. On the ones I have, this is due to the rear element protruding back into the camera (often only at infinity focus, but still annoying). The BMCC (like the Gh2) has no mirror and an extreme distance to the sensor from the flange. So more choices...

    One more thing--I already use Resolve. That software kicks ass. Getting the full version for free with the BMCC is icing on the cake!

  • @Aria @JMZ Right on... this camera will fill a void for all indie film makers, while still competing at the highest level. All this camera needs is the right talent behind it, a compelling story and the rest is history. I strongly believe that we have a game changer with the BMCC.. The guy's @ Blackmagic know what makes a great image, to be more specific what makes a filmic image.

  • @TrackZillas

    It's probably true that if you have a great script that only someone who's highly accomplished could write, and actors who are capable of doing work of the highest order, great lighting, first class production design and appropriate locations, and a director and crew which can put it all together, a BMD camera may prove to be workable on the production and may deliver "filmic" imagery. It won't save much money in the end -- the cost of the camera will be a fairly small percentage of the budget of such a production -- but at least it's an option.

    But the fact is, these claims -- that filmmaking will be a democracy -- are made every time there's a new format or a new camera. It's been going on for at least 20 years. But nothing ever changes, because all the other production costs either stay the same, or go up.

    For that matter, I can give you a great script for nothing: King Lear, Hamlet or Othello. And the camera is only $3000. If it were that simple, everyone would be making masterpieces for next to nothing.

  • @jrd

    Fully support your POV.

    Generally we have theaters, who do not use cameras, grading, etc at all to show their performances. And small theaters could perform on famous stages. Yet we have many that suck badly, and everyone skilled know good actors, directors, etc.

    Idea that cheap raw cameras allow beginners to compete with average or big professionals teams is absurd. Hence we have many failed attempts to make horrible horrors without any story, timelapse slideshows with only goal to sell gear, and all usual stuff that you get if you do not have enough people, artists and skills.

    Such cameras allow to improve the result, but only if you stay in your niche, understand that camera will allow to get better picture, but do not start to assume that it somehow allow you to jump out of your boots.

  • @Vitaliy @mwp

    Yeah these were people that actually had paid for the 5DMkIII, D800, and/or D4's and were on hold with major online or local resellers. They, along with me, canceled the orders and placed new orders for the Magic Cam.

  • Sorry to have to disagree with you guys, but they clearly and repeatedly state where they were going. You can quote a few BMD people on the net, but the gist was very well stated:

    This will compliment high end cameras like Alexa and RED.

    It's just low enough in price that we too can participate and it defeats the weird things that DSLRs give. But, it's not targeted at the AF100 and FS100 by any means. If it were, it would have many MANY more features and video friendly options.

    It doesn't. It is not a video camera, it is clearly designated as a Cinema Camera.

  • This will compliment high end cameras like Alexa and RED.

    It is common misconception, they could think so, but in reality it won't happen this way.
    They'll be used in such, yep, but it will be only minor share.

    But, it's not targeted at the AF100 and FS100 by any means. If it were, it would have many MANY more features and video friendly options.

    What features exactly? All this waveforms, etc are clearly going to EVFs and monitors or even to portable computers.

    I think that while original idea had been quite different, FS100 and AF100 are the cameras that compete with BM in the minds.

  • @Vitaliy_Kiselev

    Honestly, coming from working in that world, I do disagree with you. I know producers, I know DPs, I know how this system runs. What John says is pretty spot on.

    Most FS100 and AF100 owners are shooting for web or corporate videos. Talking heads. The majority of 'em are happy with what they have and don't need more. Go on over to the Af100 forums on DVXuser and ask.

    I guess we'll see how much they get used, but my bet--from working experience on high end/major shoots to low-end shoots is that it's going to go there and go wide.

  • @kholi

    Anyone who's thinking of a 5dmk3 or and upgrade from a 5d/7d then you should really look at this camera

    You mean this part? :-)

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