Serious competition for the BMPCC

[Jeff Walters]

"Who in their right mind would use this camera, or any small pocket camera such as the Sony RX100ll for that matter, to make a real movie? A home movie perhaps but given the BMPCC limitations even that seems a huge stretch to me"

Are you kidding? For those of us who travel the world on a regular basis, or just plain work anywhere this camera is a miracle. Spectacular image, ProResHQ or RAW soon. Don't compare it to the RX100 or any camera that doesn't feature a professional codec. It has 1/4-20s on both the top and bottom of the camera, so it will attach to anything. Yes, you must use a loupe. EVF not necessary. This works great if you have a Manfrotto 501 or 701 head laying around: QV-1 LCD View Finder – Kamerar. Otherwise a host of others are ready to roll out loupes for the pocket.

What limitations? My main camera is a C300. It continues to be a workhorse for me. But I will find plenty of use for this new professional tool. It takes up almost zero additional space in my carry-on. A basic grading pass only takes minutes as long as exposure is close. And the ability to push the image around to the extent that you can - if you want - is too good to be true... but it is.

[Sam Tansey]

Originally Posted by Chris Joy

I will say after spending a few days with the Pocket Cam, focusing is a challenge to say the least, so I can empathize with the OP's frustrations. I've handheld my Z-finder to the LCD and it doesn't help much, not enough resolution for my eyes. Of course focus magnify would make life a lot easier, but since BM's firmware updates seem to address functional issues as opposed to adding features - I'm not holding my breath. That was something I knew going in, based on the Cinema Cam complaints and what BM has done in the year since its been out. Some sort of external monitor will be necessary for me. I may try one of the Lilliput 7" LCD's or a small EVF.

It does have focus magnification. Double press the "ok' button

[Chris Joy]

Originally Posted by Sam Tansey

It does have focus magnification. Double press the "ok' button

Yes and peaking, wish the magnification pushed in more though. I still find it far easier to focus with my 5d3, a Z-finder and its higher rez LCD - where I rarely use magnification. I'm not putting any more into the pocket until raw drops. For now its bare bones - the camera and my Oly 14-42 lens that came with my dearly departed EM5.

[John McCully]

Seems the RX10 uncompressed out via HDMI reported earlier has been confirmed. From dpreview.com: PPE 2013: Hands-on with Sony's new A7 / A7R and RX-series cameras by dpreview staff on Oct 26, 2013 state ‘The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 is an ultra zoom compact camera, featuring a 24-200mm equivalent (8.3x optical zoom) lens with a continuous F2.8 maximum aperture, and a 1-inch, 20 megapixel BSI-CMOS sensor. The RX10 uses the new Bionz X sensor (the same as the Alpha 7R/7 full-frame mirrorless cameras), which provides improved sharpness and noise reduction, reduced diffraction, and snappy performance.

Other features include a 3-inch tilting WhiteMagic LCD with 1.228 million dots, SVGA electronic viewfinder, a weather-resistent body, Wi-Fi, 1080/60p video with uncompressed HDMI output, and much more.’

And with the better than 12 stops of dynamic range...we might just have a point and shoot (with complete manual control available of course) cinema camera with excellent ergonomics. How about that!

[Darren Levine]

Really... they posted a review on october 26.... wow... and i thought deloreans were all talk and no flux

[John McCully]

Yep, Oct 26, 2013 at 00:59:53 to be precise. I believe they are located in the UK and are therefore a bit ahead of you the way the world turns:-)

[Darren Levine]

blasphemy, the world doesn't turn, it ballerina twirls.

[John McCully]

Gordon Laing, Camera Labs.com has posted Sony Cyber-shot RX10 footage at Vimeo. Not sure if it's kosher to post a link here therefore I shan't, but if you search 'Gordon Laing on Vimeo' you will find this footage. The original mts files directly off the camera and untouched are available for download.

I am very favorably impressed. Just take a look at that dynamic range; 14 stops do you reckon:-)

Forget the BMPCC; this will do me just fine, I'm thinking.

[Simon Denny]

I reckon It's a little ripper for what it can do and I will be adding one to my kit for sure. I wish it had a night vision thing for those shots at a campsite or spooky house etc...

[Darren Levine]

looks pretty darn nice. download the originals.

far detail in the landscape definitely looks a notch above dslr standards, and the iso3200 looks to be at least as good as the 5D2, and has far more grain like noise than the 5d2's line noise

[Wilf Davies]

Hi all just a question on the Sony A7. I put on the front a Sony 18-200 power zoom off my VG30 the images are excellent the power zoom works fine from the switch on the lens but I can't get it to work using sony multi lead and controller that same lead etc plugged into my small handycam works a treat do I need to set something on the A7 or will it just not work' Thanks Wilf.

[Alex Anderson]

Originally Posted by John McCully

Gordon Laing, Camera Labs.com has posted Sony Cyber-shot RX10 footage at Vimeo. Not sure if it's kosher to post a link here therefore I shan't, but if you search 'Gordon Laing on Vimeo' you will find this footage. The original mts files directly off the camera and untouched are available for download.

I am very favorably impressed. Just take a look at that dynamic range; 14 stops do you reckon:-)

Forget the BMPCC; this will do me just fine, I'm thinking.

please post the link. i can't find what ur talking about.

[Frank Glencairn]

Originally Posted by John McCully

Seems the RX10 uncompressed out via HDMI reported earlier has been confirmed. t!

If you don't mind the sub par quality of a "on-the-fly" half-debayered signal, that was made for monitoring use, but not for recording, than you are fine with the RX10.

[Darren Levine]

Originally Posted by Frank Glencairn

If you don't mind the sub par quality of a "on-the-fly" half-debayered signal, that was made for monitoring use, but not for recording, than you are fine with the RX10.

Do you have any support to your claims, or are you just trolling?

right on the sony site:

"Connect via the HDMI terminal to transfer clear, uncompressed digital movie signal output from the RX10 to an external monitor/recorder simultaneously in real time. Or, for a cleaner view, turn off the shooting info display and watch your movies unfold on an external monitor/recorder."

[John McCully]

Originally Posted by Frank Glencairn

If you don't mind the sub par quality of a "on-the-fly" half-debayered signal, that was made for monitoring use, but not for recording, than you are fine with the RX10.

I have a Sony Cybershot RX10 on order due next week. I also have a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera which I not particularly affectionately call ‘little Oink’ as it really is such a pig of a thing to use even if the imagery is half-decent. You can be sure I will conduct objective disinterested dispassionate comparisons (I do NOT have a ‘special’ relationship with either Sony or Blackmagic therefore trolling will not be my game) under my regular shooting conditions.

Based on the mts files directly off the RX10, and not re-compressed, that I have viewed, and for that matter the output published at the Sony RX10 user group at Vimeo and to a lesser degree on YouTube I am of the opinion that Little Oink will be getting a short shift to Trademe primarily because of the horrible ergonomics. I hardly need a comparison to know that already, nevertheless I shall conduct the comparisons.

The Blackmagic Pocket was a good idea very poorly executed, unfortunately, and because of that not only will the RX10 provide serious competition but, in my opinion, will leave it floundering and falling to pieces in the dust no matter the final vain inglorious attempts to stop the hemorrhage.

Back to the drawing board Blackmagic, and may I suggest you begin again at square one. And next time drop the silly ‘Pocket’ nonsense perhaps.

I shall post my findings in due course.