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2K BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera, active m43, $995
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  • Seems like all the "ready to ship" BMPCC's on Ebay were pre-ordered via Adorama... Really thought Blackmagic would cater to B&H first... now I'm hearing people saying B&H is claiming 4-6 weeks for pre-orders. Seriously, this company (Black Magic) needs to get their act together. Delays are understandable if you received more pre-orders than your first production run - but here we are, over a month past the "release date", and next to no one has received a camera (except a dozen or so elites). Clearly they simply lied about the release date, but where are the status updates? Why won't they tell us what's going on?

  • Here is the link: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/pho/4031589398.html

    I decided to keep mine. Will put my hands on it in a couple of weeks... let's see how it goes!

  • Hahaha, People are pissed about others trying to bid these cameras off for a huge profit! Isn't that sort of normal though?

  • @Artorius, Thanks for the heads up but The search for posting says::

    " This posting has been flagged for removal. [?]

    (The title on the listings page will be removed in just a few minutes.) "

  • It does look very bad in many of the shoots where you have a light source. The worst I think was the car light. Looks like alien. I am a little sad that it is turning this way because BM really is trying to put some very good camera at very affordable price. The vaunted DR will have to be seen as lower by 1 or 2 stop if it blooms like that.

  • There's a BMPCC for sale on Craigslist Los Angeles right now if anyone is interested.

  • @kholi

    Considering the 18-35 + speedbooster. Still waiting to see some results of that combo.

  • FYI Fuji X10 had white orb issues even during daytime. Strong sun reflection on car hood and water, etc. BMPC might do the same.

  • @majoraxis

    I agree with you. Even with the Black Spots and the Orbs, the image coming out of this thing is quite pleasant. Don't have one, and was actually thinking that I wouldn't be an owner because I have 2.5K camera(s) already, but after playing with one at Hot Rod Cameras for a little while, and getting to see the 18-35/1.8 Sigma/GL Optics PL Rehouse on the camera...

    It's a must have, for me anyway. I'm surprised noone has commented on the Video mode in ProRes, yet: not a fan of it on the 2.5K but would absolutely shoot Video on Pocket for a quick turnaround. It looks really good when you under-expose just a slight bit.

    Also... 18-35/1.8 on the camera... maybe a bit premature here, but if you don't need IS and you already have a 12/1.6 SLR... I really feel like this is the "it" lens for the camera... and the 2.5K. Just sold most of my Canon glass to get this thing, but barely missed an Amazon sale.

    .-.

  • Keeping my order at BH. They said 4-6 weeks from when I asked a week or so ago, ordered on the second day after the announcement. If you have heard it will be sooner - I like your estimate better ; )

    Even though the orbs are a big distraction, to my eyes the image is otherwise compelling, emotive, and organic.

    So I am buying now and I will buy again in the future. In the long run I am committed to the 1" format. At least as one of the formats I look forward to shooting on.

    Why?

    I like the look of Super 16, so I've been purchasing lens in anticipation of this camera and believe that this investment will further pay off when the next generation of 1" 4k raw cameras are available. Ideally, I would like to use 16mm lens and 2/3 c-mount as well and be able to crop and stabilize in post with an HD final resolution without vignetting.

    So yes, I am willing to accept this camera with it flaws and make the most of it until something better comes along.

  • The nightime test is crucial though because half the benefit of 13 stop of DR is the rolloff of the highlights. The orbs don't stand out because I'm used to seeing blown out street lights, but there should be some detail in there on the BMPC, like the BMCC has.

    The orbing hilights are clearly a mistake and not a funky, eccentric aspect of the BMPC that we have to live with. BM will fix the problem as its a dramatic shift from the BMCC image quality.

  • That video isn´t bad. It´s a nightime test with a fast lens. The orbs and what seems to be a little black spot in the car light at 02:35 is really about testing the limits of the camera.

  • @rlima, I respect your sentiment about the video you linked. My personal view about that video summarize as : " One the best night camera test edits I have seen lately ". If the photographer saw the orbs, perhaps he didn't find them scary. If the photographer didn't notice them while shooting, either they were not as important or in his view they are part of the scene or these ( scary!!! ) shuts end down on the floor. Point is, if you find the anamorphic flares scary !? Or, the extreme lens flares scare you also !? Again this is my personal view and you are entitled to yours. If you are cancelling your order I need a " third " BMPCC for my former BOSS ( now client ).

  • The orbs are everywhere... scary!!!! :/

  • @Killagram, I wished you had announced your intentions for cancelling your order in here. A few PV members including me. It's not my position to question your decision based on the facts you mentioned, but I'm not sure there is any camera out there to qualify as " non-component " ( not my terminology ) ! These days we are shooting on F3, FS700, Red Scarlet ( never again ) and soon F5 and F55. We have to supply multiple external battery ( ouch in case of Scarlet ), External recorders ( necessary backup ) and most importantly External Audio.

    Let me drop my penny worth opinion about the orbs. When the front element of the lens is pointed at extremely bright light source or a reflection you get all kinds of crap all over the shut that orb most of the time will blend in with the rest of crap ( creative flares !!! ). If it doesn't we could recompose, change camera position or vantage point, move the light(s) a bit over or take a much needed break and come back when the sun have changed position a bit.

  • If they did plant the BMCC sensors with bad glass in the pocket camera, it would'nt be the kind of thing anyone would openly admit too.

  • Just cancelled my order. Unfortunately I'm seeing many caveats to what seemed too good to be true. This is simply a component camera - you will need to buy many more accessories (multiple batteries/alternative power source, external audio recording gear due to low level pre-amps, external SSD, etc) in order to have a truly comprehensive rig. I'm not debating the fact that recording RAW or ProRES is the holy grail. For $995 that is simply amazing. But there are serious problems with this camera that most likely won't be fully resolved through firmware updates. I'm fairly certain in the next year or so there will be a product by BlackMagic or its competitors that will trump the BMPCC in a comparable price range. For now I'll be quite happy with my GH2.

  • @johnbrawley

    Sorry John, I must have miss understood your response to me back in April. Thanks for clarifying.

  • @Brian202020

    There are two sensor companies. One makes the 4K sensor. Another makes the BMCC and the Pocket sensor. The pocket sensor and the BMCC sensor are DIFFERENT sensors in that they aren't the same "package" but they are from the tech / generation family.

    jb

  • What if sensor is really absolutely tha same as BMCC. But it was this sensors that had been thrown out during previous release (and it was quite big amounts) due this isue. But as BM paid for them he got the idea to produce BMPCC with them.

    In Italy we have the term "dietrologia" = "behindology"

    • speculation about the reality behind appearance, about the true events that lie behind events
    • the critical analysis of events, in an effort to detect, behind the apparent causes, true and hidden designs
  • @Vitaliy_Kiselev

    I suggested the theory that the BMCC sensors with the bad glass were being used in the BMPCC way back in April. I suggested it on this forum and others right after the announcement of the BMPCC. JB said it's simply not true because the sensors are made by a different company altogether and have mostly different spec's.

  • Wait. Are you saying this camera for $995 is not perfect? Really?

  • @rlima What thread? Just PM me to make it less strain here :)

  • That's why I never 'preorder' anything or get involved in thunderdome geek thread battle royale's.