New! Blackmagic 2.5K Raw cinema camera!

[Glen Vandermolen]

Originally Posted by Greg Fiske

Also, integrated battery is a no go for event work.
BlackMagic Cinema Camera: Whopping 2.5K Resolution for Under $3000

I don't think this is an ideal camera for event work. This is a digital cinema camera. It's purpose is to make films, narrative mostly, but documentaries as well. Commercials, corporate shoots, anything that gives you time to set up shots.
Event cameras are more like run and gun style, quick to set up and use, preferably with power zooms. I would not choose this camera for event videography.

[Justin Molush]

Well this thing threw a spanner in the works - Black Magic makes some great products, and Im glad they came out with this camera at this price point... makes all the other manufacturers move a bit quicker!

[Mark OConnell]

Originally Posted by Walter Brokx

The cropfactor will probably make this camera interesting for wildlife-projects.

That's what I'm thinking too.

[Graeme Sutherland]

I think that Blackmagic are the first sensible company, and stuck an SSD slot into the camera for its recording media, and a Thunderbolt (or Lightpeak) port for IO. They're taking commodity PC hardware that has the capacity and throughput for high definition video.

Oh, and how about a 512 GB SSD, capable of recording just over an hour of RAW, lossless video? And I'm pretty sure that 1 TB drives are just around the corner.

It also looks like they're pushing a lot of functionality into software on a laptop, rather than hardware.

I think that they've been very smart. It'd have been nice if they'd offered a few different lens mounts.

[Henry Coll]

Yes, using off-the-shelf, common electronic parts from the computer industry is a very clever thing to do that lowers costs, leaves R&D resources for the important stuff and improves sinergy. This is what Apple has been doing for some time and BMD is following Apple's steps as of lately.

I'm convinced this camera will only be the beginning and in one year BMD will release the S35 model with 120fps under $6k, shaking the industry upside down.
BMD has done it before in other fields, switchers, video cards, video mixers, grading software, etc. Cine Cameras are next.

I'm sure executives at RED, Canon, Sony, Panasonic et all will go to sleep a bit troubled today.

[Mark Williams]

What would be the crop factor when using EF lenses with this camera? Trying to figure out if I have things covered with my existing lenses.

[Justin Molush]

From what I understand, m4/3 is essentially a 2x crop factor vs 1.6 with APS-C and 1.3 with APS-H sizing.

I see it was mentioned that the crop factor might be 2.3x above? So a bit smaller than m4/3... So your 100mm would be 230mm, 50mm is 115mm, 24mm is 55.2, and an 11-16 would be 25.3-36.8. Those being equivalent focal lengths on FF obviously, not new focal lengths.

[Greg Fiske]

Originally Posted by Glen Vandermolen

I don't think this is an ideal camera for event work. This is a digital cinema camera. It's purpose is to make films, narrative mostly, but documentaries as well. Commercials, corporate shoots, anything that gives you time to set up shots.
Event cameras are more like run and gun style, quick to set up and use, preferably with power zooms. I would not choose this camera for event videography.

They actually have a power pack option/port.

If you read their website they call out weddings, so they are marketing it to event film makers. The main issue would be lack of on camera controls, but they've included a lanc control port, so hopefully that is for future iris and shutter controls. Raw format is the future, the storage cost might not be there currently, but I would shoot proress if it saved the sky from blowing out. I offer a document edit (camera on a tripod) that this camera would be a good replacement for (GH2), and would pay for itself. As third party support starts to step in and storage options drop in price, it might get A cam work??

[Steve Nelson]

Originally Posted by Henry Coll

I'm convinced this camera will only be the beginning and in one year BMD will release the S35 model with 120fps under $6k, shaking the industry upside down.
BMD has done it before in other fields, switchers, video cards, video mixers, grading software, etc. Cine Cameras are next.

I'm sure executives at RED, Canon, Sony, Panasonic et all will go to sleep a bit troubled today.

My thinking exactly. This will kick over the apple cart for the competition for a while but a big brother version with an S35 sensor, XLR inputs etc. for $6k or so will be the follow up punch.

Finally a camera focused on cinema work at a highly accessible price point. Brilliant!

[Damian Heffernan]

The unfullfilled promise of the red scarlet now gets delivered by a Company who've kicked some goals in the past. Sweet!

Now my choice is between a D800, a kineraw S16 and this.

[Jim Giberti]

Originally Posted by Glen Vandermolen

I don't think this is an ideal camera for event work. This is a digital cinema camera. It's purpose is to make films, narrative mostly, but documentaries as well. Commercials, corporate shoots, anything that gives you time to set up shots.
Event cameras are more like run and gun style, quick to set up and use, preferably with power zooms. I would not choose this camera for event videography.

Exactly Glen. This is definitively not a run and gun camera. No hot shoe, mic mount etc. or quick to grab buttons. This is a film making tool and if it was full sensor it would be the Scarlet or new 5D that everyone wanted, but better...with the codecs and audio and 5" screen and peaking.

Is there a full sensor version in the works I wonder?

[Kris Koster]

I do a lot of music promos and high speed is essential. I could deal with that crop factor, but frame rates let these cameras down for me. Even if they lowered the res to offer 240 at 720p, or 120 at 1080, it's something. I think if you're only offering 30fps max in these modern times, you're effectively turning your back on the entire music video making industry.

I like the BMD offering a lot at that price point though, and that footage looks lovely. I didn't see anything wrong with the low light clips at the skatepark either. But it's a 'no' based on slow frame rates.

The FS700 is still out on top for my requirements at the moment.

[Thomas Smet]

High framerates may just be one of those things we still have to pay top dollar for. In the low cost market we always have some kind of tradeoff. At one stage it was not being able to get away from DV. Then it was 24p and so forth. I do agree that at least 60p would have been nice but if that is the only negative then that is more of a creative negative and one that a lot of people could learn to deal with. Given the fact that $3,000.00 could barely give us the option to record a 4:2:2 8bit image via HDMI or SDI I think this is pretty darn slick.

This camera may not have all of the options for everybody but for those who want about as high of quality 2.5k images as you can get your hands on at 24p or 30p then this camera will really shake up the industry.

[Thomas Wong]

i think it's already a very good start for BMD into the camera field. At $3k, this will really make all other manufacturer headache. And this is just the first camera to test the market's response.

Looking forward to see the next version

[Sareesh Sudhakaran]

Since this is their first effort, I congratulate BlackMagic.

I'm not too sure about this camera now that I've read the specs. A few questions:

1. 16mm sensor design - Most people with low budgets switched to DSLRs for the FF and Super 35-like DOF characteristics. If that is the case, the T3i and GH2 offer more value for money, doesn't it?

2. Poor audio connectivity - The BlackMagic website harps on about how quality cannot be compromised, and yet they compromise on one-half of any production's quality - it's audio. I for one would have welcomed a couple of XLR inputs for an additional $1K. Why did they overlook this fact?

3. On-screen controls only - I'm a button guy, so I don't know if this is a good thing for run and gun work. Why no buttons, at least for critical work?

4. Integrated battery only - So how many minutes can I shoot before losing charge? The specs claim 90 minutes. What do I do for a feature film, if I have to wait for 2 hours in between recharges? Do I need to hire a generator just for this camera?

5. Poor form-factor that will be front heavy with EF zooms. Unlike DSLRs, there isn't a way to handhold this camera without a rig - not a single grip on camera as far as I can see. The optional grip accessory has two handles - I'm confused on why they didn't include a shoulder rig so the videographer can use one hand for focus control? Their marketing images show a follow focus system.

6. If the sensor is only 16mm, why is the mount specifically EF? What's the point? By having smaller mounts one can technically use lighter glass to reduce the effect of the poor form factor. Is this going to be a future upgrade/downgrade?

I hope they can get a $5K model that will definitely put most questions (and cameras) to rest.