Tag Archives: BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera
BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera on (Unbalanced) 3 Axis Stabilizer Gimbal
A few weeks ago, I had a comment-chat if a BMCC can fly on a CAME 5000 gimbal. So four of us guys spent over half an hour trying to stuff the BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera into this CAME 5000 Gimbal, but clearly it was not meant to work. The BMCC is just too wide from the center mount, and to compensate we tried adding a quick release plate sideways. After failing, we decided to give it a run with an unbalanced setup. Here are the results.
Surprisingly the horizon stayed just about perfectly level the entire time, but you can see how it struggled with the panning stabilization. Of course if I really wanted to, I can add post stabilization to the footage and it may not be so noticeable. Had I disabled the pan stabilization, I think this would have been a perfectly acceptable run. On lighter camera setups like the GH3, the results have been very good, but I can't suggest the CAME 5000 3 Axis Gimbal with anything more than an average DSLR.
SHAPE Cage for Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera
You've probably heard the news and seen the images, but here's a closer video look at putting together the new Shape Cage for the BlackMagic Pocket Camera. The BMPC simply drops into the Shape Cage and is locked in place by a rear sliding metal cover. So even if your system is completely rigged up, the camera can be removed from the cage.
Access to all buttons, menus, battery door / SD card, and ports are easily accessible. A very solid cold shoe above the Shape BMPC Cage can be used to mount heavy accessories (monitors, evf, audio) or to add a Shape Candy Handle. The SHAPE Cage for Blackmagic Pocket Camera can be purchased with or without the bottom 15mm rail adapter.
For more information about Shape products, check out their website at https://ShapeWLB.com, or follow the links below for information about these specific products.
Shape Cage (only) for BlackMagic Pocket Camera
Shape Cage for BlackMagic Pocket Camera + Top Handle + 15mm Rail Base
BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera $1000 OFF (now $1995)
The BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera drops down to just $1995, that's $1000 dollars off it's initial release price. This is really an amazing deal on a camera capable of shooting RAW video and available in both Canon EF and MFT (micro four thirds) mount.
BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera 2.5K RAW EF / MFT Mount
If you're looking for a perfect lens to match, the new Sigma 18-35mm F/1.8 (world's fastest zoom lens) would be one to look in to. I've been dying to get this lens on my BMCC for a test, but Aron Nanto beat me to it. Here he's showcasing the BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera + Sigma 18-35mm F/1.8 Lens
The new Sigma 18-35mm F/1.8 will give you a fast wide aperture through it's focal range. You can move from wide to zoom without changing exposures and maintaining a very shallow depth of field. The Sigma 18-35mm F/1.8 lens is available in a variety of mounts from Canon, Sony, Sigma, Pentax, Nikon, etc. (found here).
Sigma 18-35mm F/1.8
Quick Look: Adjustable Universal Top Handle BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera
Here's a closer look at that universal Top Handle posted a few weeks ago. The handle fits perfectly on a BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera or attached to a variety of other systems. The original article and other comments about this product can be found (here), or can be purchased online through the link below (found here).
QR Top Handle for BlackMagic Design Cinema or 4K, RED Scarlet, EPIC, Cages
BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera in Kamerar Tank Video Cage
I often get questions about whether the Kamerar Tank Cage will work on the new BlackMagic Design Cinema camera. It was originally designed to fit Canon DSLR cameras, but by accident, it can also fit the BMCC. By changing the stock rods on the Kamerar Tank Cage with standard 15mm rails, i'm able to fit the BlackMagic Design Cinema camera in pretty well. The top plate lines up to allow a 1/4-20 bolt to attach to the BMCC trapping the camera between the plates. It's a very solid mount. Just another affordable option for those looking to mount accessories and or a 15mm rail system with the BMCC. More information about the Kamerar Tank Cage can be found at the product website (click here).
Kamerar Tank Cage with 15mm Rails
Cineroid Retina Display EVF HDMI HD-SDI w BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera
Here's a look at how the new Cineroid Retina Display EVF4RVW looks mounted up to a BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera. It's expensive no doubt, but I decided to pick up this EVF and replace the SmallHD DP4 EVF and Zacuto EVF. The Cineroid has a better display using the same Retina tech as the iPhone, Waveform and Vectorscope Displays, and most important a direct 3G/HD/SD-SDI (BNC) + HDMI input (and pass through) to support the BMCC. On this particular EVF i'm also using the Red Fleece Oval Large Eye Cushion.
Blue Star Eye Cushion for LCD View Finders
I didn't want to dive into the features on my own video, since there was one already available that shows off some of what this EVF is capable of and how it can help you when shooting video on just about any camera from the BMCC to smaller GH3 or Canon DSLRs. Even if you are not interested in EVFs, the video below is a good explanation of monitor features in general to help you understand what Zebra, False Color, Peaking, Waveform and Vectorscope displays are used for and why some monitors will cost more than others.
This will not replace my larger monitors in every situation, but it will replace other small EVFs i'm currently using. It is very helpful to use an EVF with the BMCC, but even more useful when shooting with DSLRs because you have to try to nail your color and exposure as best as possible. Compressed footage will not have the same latitude to adjust later in post processing.
Even though I went 'balls out' on the most expensive Retina Display version, Cineroid also makes EVFs that are less than half the price I paid. You can get more information other Cineroid products available at B&H following the link (click here).
Cineroid Retina Display EVF with HDMI HD-SDI Loop Through
For reference i've mounted the BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera into a O-Ring Rig Kit. It's originally designed for DSLR cameras, but it works well to add a top handle,, 15mm rails, and several new mounting points for accessories. You can find that rig via eBay (Click Here).
DSLR O-Ring Rig Kit Handle Support 15mm Rails
BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera Test Footage
Here's a recent video from Vimeo member Jason Shelton put together with the BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera. He had the opportunity to shoot with the new BMCC for a week and used the following lenses: Tamron 18mm-270mm, Rokinon 24mm 1.4, Rokinon 35mm 1.4, Rokinon 85mm 1.4, and Canon 200mm 2.8.
The BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera was announced in April 2012 (last year) and is still on backorder with every retail store. There are quite a few consistently listed to auction via eBay, but just be prepared to pay a bit more than the $2995 suggested retail price. Check out the listings via eBay (click here).
BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera In Stock
BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera RAW Footage + Adobe LightRoom + FCPX
I've received a few questions about the RAW format of the BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera, so I thought i'd do a short video. The RAW setting of the BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera does not shoot video - it shoots RAW pictures. Each picture equals a single frame, so if you're shooting 24p then it will capture 24 individual RAW photos per second. If you're shooting at 30fps, it will capture 30 individual RAW photo per second.
Even though the DNG format is open source, not all DNG files are created equal. This is the reason why you can't import the BMCC DNG directly into Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro X (until they've found a way to support the BMCC DNG version). So if you're not ready for Davinci Resolve, or maybe your computer just can't handle Davinci, one solution for basic color grading / correcting the BMCC RAW files is by using Adobe Lightroom.
Adobe Lightroom can import all of the BMCC DNG files and take advantage of the full dynamic range. Once you've performed your basic color grades or color corrections, you can export the images to JPEG (or tiff). One thing I may not have mentioned in the video is that you would change the export settings to 1920 pixels for the long edge if you want to fit a 1080p HD video project.
The final step is to import your image sequence into an editor like Final Cut Pro X or Adobe Premiere, sync up the Audio file, and export to your favorite video format. The BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera will be available in Micro Four Thirds mount and is currently available for Canon EF Mount (both found here)
BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera