There’s not a lot to criticize about the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera Pro 6K—moreover its cumbersome title. An array of considerate options and a deal with video first make it the good stepping stone between conventional mirrorless shooters and high-end film cameras, if you may get previous its hefty weight and middling battery life.
An Affordable Pro Package
The BMPCC 6K Pro makes use of a Super 35-mm sensor which has been one in all the hottest sensor codecs for filmmakers for many years. While it is technically smaller than full-frame sensors, it is akin to the APS-C sensors you will discover in lots of pictures cameras (although it is a bit wider). The digital camera additionally makes use of an EF lens mount, which implies it has entry to a reasonably big selection of standard lenses.
Most notably–so notable they put it in the title–this digital camera can shoot as much as 6K footage, which is difficult to search out at this worth level. Why may you need 6K footage, you ask? Well, in case your modifying rig can deal with it, you get much more flexibility to crop, zoom, and motion-track footage in postproduction, with out sacrificing image high quality. For low-to-no price range productions, a standard approach to get this flexibility is to shoot in 4K and distribute in 1080p, however 6K lets you hold that energy whereas nonetheless outputting the highest decision most individuals can watch proper now.
The digital camera additionally helps taking pictures in each Blackmagic RAW and Apple’s ProRes RAW codecs (the latter is just supported as much as 4K, although). Both codecs are nice for capturing as a lot element as doable whereas taking pictures and adjusting your coloration grade later. Blackmagic additionally makes DaVinci Resolve, which began as top-tier coloration grading software program and has since advanced into a whole video modifying package deal that may generally give Adobe a run for its cash. So naturally, the digital camera  comes with a free copy of the $300 Studio model of the app.
DaVinci Resolve’s free model is already extremely highly effective, and most cinema cameras that push into the 6K vary are fairly a bit pricier than the BMPCC 6K Pro. If you are seeking to get your foot in the door on pro-level filmmaking, it is exhausting to discover a cheaper entry level.Â
Chonky Bod
Photograph: Blackmagic Design
The 6K Pro felt unbelievable once I first pulled it out of the field. It’s clean however grippy, and the crisp LCD display screen dominates the digital camera. Unlike most competing cameras, bodily buttons are pretty sparse right here, and the ones which can be on the physique have all earned their place. Just a few bodily buttons and a dial on the proper facet allow you to alter settings like ISO and white steadiness with out digging by way of the interface.
On the rear of the digital camera, buttons to regulate the aperture and focus routinely (in case your lens helps these options) are handily proper subsequent to your proper thumb. Finally, there are three programmable buttons alongside the prime, which by default are mapped to the False Color characteristic, a default LUT, and body guides. However, you may change these to no matter perform you discover most helpful whereas taking pictures.
