Blackmagic Production 4K Camera Review and Tests

[@DaveDugdaleColorado]

Good review Tom. You make some good points on who it is for and who it's not for.

[@Jamiemartinez06]

OMG it's Dave Dugdale!!! You're my hero Dave!!! :D

[@dahrrg]

Jamie Martinez OMG Jamie, you will be my hero tomorrow 'cause everyone can/should be for at least a day.

[@victorbart]

The workflow and the amount of storage space needed for this camera is huge. Some people calculated that they need 64tb of storage for a film productions. It eats SSD's while shooting and handeling the footage and backing it up take a lot of gear. That is also a thing to consider with this camera. Can you handle the post production and storage. But the lack of moire and rolling shutter is great! My GH3 has to much moire :|.

[@Deloix]

1 TB can store 2 hours of shooting, so I dont get what do you mean... Try calculate how much hours is 64 TB ;-) If is someone unable deal with big data, then he should shot on shitty compressed DSLRs and should forget for real filmmaking.

[@victorbart]

Deloix Ok so 1000gb for 2 hours of footage, My GH3 @ 72mbits is for 2 hours 120gb and on avchd is is only 24gb for 2 hours. That is a huge difference to consider before buying that is my message :)

[@Deloix]

victorbart ok, you cant compare compressed H.264 vs clean 12bit RAW. All "big" cameras need space if you make big things you need big HDDs. But if I buy 3000 dollars camera, 200 bucks for 4 TB disk (8 hours) is not that much.

[@joepiekl]

Deloix That's true, but I think the point is that you can't just think that the camera itself plus accessories will be the end of your spending. It's also quite likely that your computer that performs well with 1080p footage will struggle when editing 4k, so it might not just be a case of buying a few more hard drives. A switch to 4k resolution is usually going to be a serious investment whatever camera you choose.

[@ehoustoun]

victorbart your GH3 is not shooting in raw, a very important difference for having creative control over your footage.

[@stephanes.]

its colors are so great, even several years later

[@ChannelJoeE]

Thank for the review~ Just a note of advice to all the tech spec heads here though... Do you remember watching The Gremlins, Ben Hur, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, or any number of awesome films that we enjoyed or left a mark in cinematic history? Do you remember watching them on VHS or even on DVD? Did your "viewer experience" diminish because they weren't 4K or Full 1080...? The chances are...no. If the story is good, acting is good, and the general message and feel of the film is awesome, people are going to love it and watch it, even if it looks like something out VHS or Super 8... Stop mulling about all the resolutions, etc, and focus more on creating beautiful and/or exciting film. Then, there shouldn't be so much nit picking over the specs of cameras...

[@NelsonStJames]

Thank you for that. If half the people were as worried about their content as the specs of the cameras they were using we'd be living in a new golden age of cinema right now. Unfortunately that is far from the case. The ability for anybody to make a film today as opposed to 30 years ago is amazing; in the 80's I'd have killed to be able to get my hands on an HD camcorder, and now you've got people that will tell you a camera is obsolete simply because it's not 4K -- that's insane!

[@ChannelJoeE]

Nelson Smith Ah...it infuriates me... Granted that 4K things do look pretty good...in the end, it is the content, not the resolution that will sell the story... It's just ridiculous and stupid when people, up until about a year or so ago were completely blown away by BluRays are suddenly like, Full 1080? Ain't good enough... I need 4Ks!! Especially stupid given that most of the TV contents are not even full 1080 here in Australia...and no country in the world has infrastructure to support 4Ks or that a lot of these "indie" film makers who want these 4K resolution are catering for the audience who will be watching their shorts, etc, on their tablets, smartphones or their 24" computer monitors = completely pointless. What's worse is the "clients" who don't know about these technical aspects only care about the latest advanced thing to shoot their commercials, etcs with. Suddenly, Blackmagic Cinema Camera, Canon C300, and to an extent, even ARRI ALEXA with its 2.4K is obsolete as you said... That coupled with companies making 4K mirrorless DSLRS and smartphones... And people are buying into that... Technology has always relied on the latest fads... But, this insatiable need for higher resolution is just beyond comprehension... And ironically, at the end of the day, even the shorts shot on 4K cameras receive maybe 2,000 views...20,000 views if lucky on KZbin...whilst some stupid idiot setting his chest on fire or singing gibberish whilst sitting on a toilet (all shot on crap camera phones) receive millions upon millions of views... We're doomed... Hahahha.

[@flagday84]

Thing is... the screenwriters, directors and actors who created the memorable content of those films had a team of people behind them who were obsessed with using the latest technology to make the film look good.

[@NelsonStJames]

Aaron Hodgins Davis That is true, and to a certain extent still is, but if you take a classic like say Citizen Kane, I'd say that you have kids with technology that rivals the equipment used on that at their disposal (Wells would be drooling to have had access to the equipment the average guy can buy with a couple of paychecks.) It's the same as giving a $150k Intimidator pool cue to an amateur pool player, and giving a house cue to Minnesota Fats. He doesn't have the latest, but his absolute mastery of the tool he has will trump you every time. Also we should make clear the distinction between technology that makes a film look good, as opposed to making a "good" film.

[@ThoriumHeavyIndustries]

No the experience ... switching from soft analog screens (tv or cinema) to digital screening full of artifacts and banding (and shitty cgi)... that is something that destroyed a lot for me.

[@UncVee0X]

Very well said Tom. if we for a second forget about the guys who are doing run and gun stuff and focus on a true indie film maker. this is a pretty good camera not just for the price but also for the image quality. but you wont get that quality like you said until you start using lights, great audio and everything else that comes with a great motion picture. love the review.

[@Anand_Bhatt]

Tom would you recommend the Ursa Mini 4K or this one?

[@frankm.2065]

not just a perfect review of the Blackmagic, also a very worthwhile lesson in filming for me. Thanks very much!!!

[@Deloix]

Hi Tom, can you measure value of power consumt from external batery? 2.5K was 18W. So if I buy backup battery 12V/7Ah (try search on ebay) then I get battery which can power camera up to 4 hours (if 18W is true) and this bateries cost arround 20 dollars. Carging is arround 10-12 hours and charger cost between 25 - 60 dollars. Weight of battery is 4.50 Lbs / 2 Kg. Looks for me as great alternative to expensive V batteries.

[@CBSuper]

Great review Tom. Although you didn't touch on the Raw vs. Prores or even the codec/formats...what are your thoughts on the Prores? How well does the footage grade? How well do the files chug on your computer? Are you using Davinci to grade? How do you like it? Thanks again for taking the time to review the camera, the rest of us have to sit around and wait for our cameras to arrive, so it's nice to see you got yours and sharing some footage and opinions.

[@ClimaxClips]

Great review! Looking forward to your take on the GH4 when it comes out

[@vladimirtalijan]

Tom, you should compare it al least with 7D ML RAW, and more realistically with 5D Mark III RAW, as the price is much similar to the Blackmagic camera...

[@emmaejwertzmusic6931]

Where can I get the gimbal for the black magic design?

[@JayMissJ]

did you set the white balance before recording??

[@CornOffTheCobb]

Hey Tom. Did you grade the BM footage? It really isn't meant to be used without any post correction. even if shooting prores video. I'm sure you can pull much more information back out of those highlights if you graded it.

[@jessegimbel]

Late on this video, but would you mind sharing what kind of tripod you're using for your panning shots? At 1:09 it looks fairly smooth for just a test shot.

[@AQUPAS]

Could Tom Antos or someone else help me. I just got the 4K cam, Im using WINDOWS 8 PC, how can I get my videos from the camera to the computer ?

[@lastkeyblade]

Tom, why have you stopped making videos? I miss your videos man. These tutorials/reviews are still awesome though.

[@TomAntos]

Im always working on films... I will post whenever I have the rights to post them on KZbin.

[@NajamGaming1]

have blackmagic fixed the noise issue? I heard they updated firmware and its completely gone, is this true?

[@FilmProductionWrkShp]

Which lens did you use?

[@Soilwar]

Thanks for the honest review - it really helped me a lot!

[@TheBlueScarecrow]

What a great demo of a global shutter vs a rolling shutter. Thank you!

[@Rawberto.The.Producer]

I purchased two Panasonic GH4 would you recommend me to sell them and get the blackmagic cinema camera ? Thank you

[@RareMade]

Nice video!!! I got a question are you from Spain, France, or Italy? or around there?

[@ttlstudio9908]

would be better if you bring the 5D mark iii to compare with the BMPC 4k not the 7D!

[@TomAntos]

Im guessing you say that because you own the 5D? Ideally I would compare it to the 5D and 7D and 60D and T2i etc... but I couldn't... and since the 7D is a mid range DSLR camera I chose to compare it to that.

[@Moriarty2007]

Cheapest 4K global shutter camera in 2021 ~800$. But lowlight suck.

[@fareastmanilavideoproducti4499]

how did you manage the battery power? did you buy an external pack?

[@brazhnikov]

Npf plate with built-in 12v conversion

[@archiethedog4515]

I heard you pretty much need a good lens for this which could cost a lot more than the actual camera.

[@lucefece]

Tom, thanks for all this great reviews, let me ask you something short and tricky, if you would have to chose a camera for documentary in many different light conditions, different weather, light, etc. Wanting a good, crisp cinematic image, would you choose this blackmagic or let's say the small panasonic gh4?

[@Its_Eli-s3i]

is this camera able to take stills? and is compressing the 4k to 1080 easy to do and does it disrupt the image?

[@Q36BN]

I wonder how it fares at the end of 2020. Let's say the battery. We have plenty of powerbanks now, outputing even 20V... Is it easier now to use it? SSD are cheap now, you can easily get 1TB ssd cheap, unlike all of those fast SD cards...

[@Andybaby]

Hi Tom. Q: How do you position the camera so perfectly when filming yourself?

[@DaneMeale]

Hey Tom, You need a liver detox judging by the PTC segments...keep up the awesome work dude!

[@1oftheknights59]

What sort of lens do you recommend for this camera?

[@enterBeastmode1]

Could you recommend a workflow for shooting with the 7D? Seems like you get better quality than I do, even though I shoot only with L-lenses (I'm mainly a photographer, but I wanna start doing film as well). I have a task: creating like a loop-film for a webside (in slowmo). Was testing NTSC 720-60p slowed down to 24fps, and 1080-24, and 1080-30p.. Any recommendations? What would give the best result? Any post-processing techniques that can make a 720-60 look professional? I think the 1080-24p looks best, but I don't own a Gimbal, so the shaking annoys me.

[@enterBeastmode1]

Specifically at 8:08 would appreciate if you could tell me how you set up the settings and rig + post process there! It looks great, but I can't make mine to look that good

[@krishnadoshi7442]

Does it do high frame rates? Like 60fps and up...what resolution does it do it at?

[@TerjeNesthus]

I dont think so :\

[@omerquiaragua2]

man i have problems w/ the blackmagic and the card (decklink 4k extreme) on my mac, the video playbacks a little bit noisy, any thought about that? thanks a lot in advance

[@FIRUFILMS]

Hello the model 4K EF, have memory to record video? or I need to buy a memory card or something? is spensive? thanks!

[@AlexDerrick_DP]

SoyoDario23 You have to buy fast SanDisk Extreme Pro SSD cards to record in 4k RAW without dropping frames. You can get 256 GB for +/- $100 USD. If you wait for a sale you can get for even less. One 256GB card holds 2hr 30min of 1080p ProResHQ footage. While its not 4K RAW, it still looks better than any camera footage in this price point, and color grading of 1080p footage is superb. If you like the picture quality, don't worry about cards, buy them as you grow.

[@Quinotico]

Great video with pros and cons

[@trxstudio]

yellow color

[@FilmForger]

Great review - good detailed points!

[@ThoriumHeavyIndustries]

your "HI" nearly killed me..

[@ASadreddini]

Great review , well done and thanks a lot

[@gailardiar]

Could you tack in a comparison between the gh4 and the 4k black magic?

[@TomAntos]

gailardiar GH4 is better in my opinion

[@Distantfieldproductions]

Thanks for the advice, Tom

[@Norex1987]

Hello! I have now old BMPC4K camera and RED SCARLET MYSTERIUM-X and Canon 5D iii, I am using these cameras for weddings, but these too heavy. Maybe I gonna sell it, what can you offer me, which camera is still equal with quality?

[@sergioknuf]

Is american dream on amazon prime?

[@maddy123sir]

It's a very good review you addressed the relevant issues the rolling shutter so congrats now if you could compare it to Panasonic gh4 in low light conditions dynamic range and battery life I would be most grateful.

[@TomAntos]

once I get my hands on the GH4 I will do that

[@caryknoop315]

What camera/lighting did you use on this video? The skin tones are problematic.

[@hundertzwanzger]

Thanks Tom, great review!

[@TONYLOUIS100]

Great review. This is not a camera for me. I'm still a novice but great interview

[@Nonskiller]

So basically, should the Video-Maker require more than one type of camera besides the Black Magic? For example, if I were to get a Black Magic, a Canon 7D, and some sort of other camera, would this be a good idea? How I see it, it's the same like using a sword or a mic. Certain Microphones and Swords would be used for certain situations, with a katana, it's only great for slashing, while a normal two-handed sword can be wielded with one or two hands, not only that it is great for piercing. While a dynamic Microphone is great for concerts and have very high durability, they're not always great to use than a typical condenser microphone even if the condenser microphone has an extremely low durability when it comes to damage. And yes as you say, its how you use the camera in certain scenarios which makes the quality of the video and story great. ----------------- Anyway, very good review, made some very well points as well about that battery. There were some people I was filming with who had this camera, they were actually testing it and well it had a battery issue. Unless they have a larger battery which could support the camera, then the camera would probably be more effective.

[@lydelladvincula]

what is a better camera for me? I have a t3i and I want good quality video

[@TheGalacticWest]

What normal camera ever performs well in low light. You need a beast or a night specific camera. Thats what lights are for.

[@RavenscreekPictures]

Thank you or the post Tom. It was very helpful. Unfortunately it confirmed a lot of the things I suspected. Disappointing that BM didn't deliver the dynamic range of the original and the low light looks very poor but the biggest complaint is having only a canon mount. Still has it's place though, was just hopng for a tweak more. Thank you again for your review.

[@brazhnikov]

I’m using it in 2021. Also has original pocket and micro. Pocket 4k was sold after 5 days of tests.

[@hyperdoxical]

Thank you for your extremely informative review.

[@joshmalech]

This guy looks like Tom Antos! lol

[@Arnold_X3]

Yes, Tom, *I know.* (LOL @ the # of times you said "you know" :))

[@TheRealLink]

Great review and tips, thank you!

[@Shaftyfingers]

thanks, as much as i love black magic, my 6D was still a great choice

[@brainysmurf74]

Its a film camera not a dslr. Seems like you would like it to be a stills camera. Its designed for studio use. I have a bmpc and I have no issues with it. A lot of your comments are exaggerations. But again it is a cinema camera not a dslr. People who own actual film cameras are not looking for a 'bargain'. They seek what works best for their production. We are not wedding photographers.

[@stuffguy6664]

total set up price?? $$??

[@LaughingLion4Ever]

Great review.

[@tommyjones1978]

Guys STOP!! production camera is for "production" and that's why you need all the hassle like lighting to shoot, filters etc etc.. this camera is for pro production, movies, films, video clips on a production level, not amateur level... A lot of work is needed on set to shoot on this camera, like on a Red set, or a Alexa set... If you are an amateur and want the power of raw buy a pocket cinema camera. If you are a production company (or individual) and is able and comfortable with all the hassle on a set, buy this camera, but you must know that you will need a loot of light when shooting, lens filters when the sun is high. Its not a one/two man camera like Canon or Nikons DSLRs.

[@Deloix]

exactly... classic negative cine cameras didnt have ISO 800 or more, if you look at Kodak they offer 50 - 500 ISO films. It needs preparation and proper lighting...

[@GhostIntheShodow]

good all round review, thanks.

[@kaloloxful]

Red Epic Review?

[@BouncyBounceKids]

is this camera worth buying today?

[@brazhnikov]

Yes.

[@PhilippeOrlando]

Completely out of subject, but you look like Viggo Mortensen!

[@TomAntos]

Philippe Orlando LOL Thanks I guess

[@TerjeNesthus]

Ha yes I was thinking this too. Great video tho, just what I was looking for.

[@davidvalin1719]

After seen your low lights shots I let you know that you made me save +3K

[@emmaejwertzmusic6931]

Great video. I have some questions for you. I cant find your direct email. Emma

[@YuriShubenin]

Very good review, thank you so much!

[@KwasnikPictures]

Yes! 4K :O

[@deongibson897]

Can you delete video clips in camera?

[@TomAntos]

Nope... you can't even see how much of our hardrive has been used up.

[@projetchalet]

aaaawwwwsome review ! Thanks !!

[@Tanaisilver]

Good review. You know..

[@MCCmp]

You need the noise paddern, and than remove the noise.

[@electricsnut]

wow I had higher hopes for this camera in low light... That banding is absolutely atrocious even at 800. Thanks for the informative review! Definitely looking towards GH4 now :)

[@TomAntos]

Me too!!!

[@NailujProducciones]

who needs more ISO rage, when you can shot in RAW!?

[@ShaneFredrickKinsman]

ME!!!

[@NailujProducciones]

Shane Kinsman Why? haha you can change the ISO in post with a RAW footage, you know!?.... The ISO in camera is only for a preview, you define your value in your software!

[@NathanMillerVisuals]

I'd say your almost correct, I thought the same thing until I tried it. I just moved over to the BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera from my Canon 70D for my videography business. When I shoot RAW I can adjust the ISO in post if I shot at the middle ASA which is 800. When you do that it's guaranteed that the RAW DNGs will capture the 200-800 ASA range. When I shoot real estate work on it I always shoot 800 ASA on the interior shots and then I am able to tone down the windows to 200 ASA to get maximum dynamic range, one of the main reasons I love shooting RAW. When I shoot at ASA 200 you can't bring up the ASA that far in post without getting too much noise in the dark areas. Of course I am talking about my Pocket Camera, I'm sure the 4K Camera might have slight differences in the RAW data.

[@NailujProducciones]

MentalRadiationFilms I just moved over the Pocket to! from a T2i! so big step! haha! I love it! And you're right, even Blackmagic recomend us to shoot in 800ASA so when you shoot ProRes ND filter is the only option! And I never think in shoot ProRes until I saw the 13 minutes of RAW avalible in a 64GB SD card, haha so ProRes is not bad some times I think!

[@NathanMillerVisuals]

Yeah it's a totally different experience coming from a DSLR. When I shoot Prores I just set my ASA as if I were shooting on DSLR, 200 ASA in daylight because I know I'm not going to have to recover much detail in the highlights and shadows. The only times I find myself shooting RAW is when I shoot shorter length videos, especially real estate.

[@dasadopeboy]

dude looks like vincent gallo good review too

[@szydzisz]

nice Review! Please add some background Music please in next ;)

[@addictedtoart]

Drinking game: drink everytime he stutters or says "you know"...

[@jvhfilms]

Addicted to Art Hochzeitsfilm Fotografie Tirol Gottta be that dick!

[@nonsoville]

Hi my name is Tomatoes! XD

[@vivianvazquez578]

Why do you not compare it with the Lumix GH4, that you fear? :-)

[@alkevinzmedia]

Watch out!! GH4 is on its way... :)

[@TomAntos]

Damn right!

[@fabianbuckreus185]

Jepp, if you are after that cheap 100% videolook that's the camera to buy. :)

[@alkevinzmedia]

Fabian Buckreus Well considering the price point along with the endless customization of the camera, implemented 4:2:2 10 bit out, XLR, a huge variety of lenses etc. Id say i would buy that 100 % cheap camera in heartbeat.

[@shaunfontaine8687]

***** Yeah to get 4:2:2 you need an extra external recorder.It doesn't do it in Camera. Secondly the XLR only comes with the add on which is like an extra $1,998.00, it's not cheap, you can get the whole package a little cheaper altogether for $3,298.00, so really you can't argue it includes XLR unless you're willing to pay $3,298.00 altogether. Not so cheap now. Ok It's a nice camera and 96FPS at 1080p is really cool, but you'll never have that 35mm film look with that sensor. Two things that blackmagic beat this camera at, is 35mm sensor and the fact it's global shutter. It's such a shame 4k is being wasted on such a tiny sensor. If it were at least 35mm I would buy it even without global shutter. Sure I've heard the new sensor is good at handling rolling shutter but I miss the days of CCD which created rock solid shots. Global shutter will rectify this problem.

[@alkevinzmedia]

Shaun Fontaine You are correct in some aspects. BUT!!! Global Shutter is just another word for CCD, having that said I'm not a big fan of light streak images that make my image look the quality of that of cell phone camera in 2006. CCD is sure missed, noise patterns are less vulnerable and have great image reproduction in the color gamut. Now lets not forget that Metabone sells their speed booster for Canon FD to M/4.3rds giving you a wider angle view, and boosting the light that is coming into your sensor without degradation. Now back to the Black Magic camera, OK yes the price is great for what you get and you can't beat the Super 35mm. Now I want you to add accessories and extra batteries your going to need when you need to shoot of location, or deserted areas where you don't have DC plugins. Now the hassle of producing DNG files to premiere or FCP etc, and the PC you would need to handle those types of files. May i recommend a RAID 0 array of SSDs that will speed up production but will most likely fail in 2 years from now. Its all calculative when it comes down to choosing the right camera, for the right scenario. P.S cant wait for the GH4 to be hacked... :)

[@newmagicfilms]

Color grading fails too much

[@TheEditingResource]

20-30 minute battery life?!? I understand that it's considered a backup, but that's ridiculous. Are you planning on doing a similar video for GH4?

[@Evgeny_Voronin]

857 лайк Blackmagic 2.5 и 4к 👍👍👍🖐🖐

[@hydrofilms]

Great review from Viggo Mortensen.

[@TomAntos]

lol

[@grumblekin]

The color rendition looks terrible. It might just be You Tube, though. My calibrated 4K monitor shows a ton of yellow. I'd go with a Sony unit.

[@MSsssc]

dude... for $3000 is not worth that, its only worth $1000 at least. this camera only has one thing better then a 5d mark 3, and thats having a global shutter. other then that the 5d mark 3 blows it away. looks like I won't be buying this camera. Its not professional enough, like he said. its badly designed. I guess I will wait for the 5D mark 4 or get the 1DC.

[@MSsssc]

the image is not a issue here. Every New camera has good image quality. Detail is a different story.. ISO settings are the most important function on any camera for a "film Look" The black magic is just too much to invest with and not really worth it with it's only 3 ISO settings... that has to be a joke right? its really not a camera anyone should invest in. I mean just getting a canon 1dc is probably your best bet for all around. its light, amazing 4k, compact. Functionally should be a main thing next to ISO settings for sure.

[@MSsssc]

***** I guess you can say that but. I just know that the iso settings just dont do me any thing but cringe.

[@CoolDudeOnYoutube]

***** This is called a Cinema Camera for a reason. Its not your average "run and gun" DSLR camera. Cinema cameras are made for use in Controlled Environments. And by controlled, I mean you have control over the light and picture set up. If you for example had to use this for an interview or for a film, your DOP would set up your lighting hence the ISO/ASA range wouldn't be that relevant.

[@MSsssc]

Ndubuisi Aja this is true... but still i mean, the same goes for a canon 5d Mark 3. when the mark 3 has more iso settings on it. i mean its still I think a better choice.

[@CoolDudeOnYoutube]

*****​ at the end of the day, the Mark 3 is still a DSLR (I.e. a photography camera that can be used for video). The black magic cameras are for film makers who want to take the next step in their film making career. The limited ISO/ASA levels is a valid point but in my opinion not a deal breaker. Remember the BMPC shoots in 4K, has a native RAW option and a much wider dynamic range (i.e. better picture quality). To me, these features make it a better camera for video than the mark 3.

[@LLjtx]

dat camera doe

[@EdEditz]

GH4 for me thank you. :)

[@hakamsoufan]

great

[@FreakinYAY]

I like how my dad bought this camera and doesn't know shit.

[@jasontreyes8078]

I'd like to get it with a decent cine lens ... for my babies! Ha ha!

[@KeldorferPro]

he looks like aragon :D

[@kevinkelly8301]

madness

[@griffonsgroijacobs3237]

Looks like a great camera to rent, but wouldn't buy.

[@SouthPhilly28th]

GH5 anyone?

[@Luckyjo21]

kkkkkkkkkk keemstar

[@noybbyon3995]

no regard for post, this is a camera that u shoot with post in mind, you don't worry about baking a look into the footage per se, especially if ur shooting in raw ,, disappointed in this review