A Guide to Blackmagic Cameras: Shoot High-Quality Videos
If you’re about to dive into the filmmaking industry, you may have the right idea and concept, but lack the crucial component – the right equipment to make those ideas heard or better said “seen” by the public. Sure “nothing beats the good old digital camera” but have you heard of Blackmagic cameras?! No? Let’s find out what all the hype is about.
Why Is Black Magic Camera So Good?
The amazing images with their striking details are the main reason. Australian firm Blackmagic Design stands behind the production of these game-changer cameras. And, that’s not all, the company also creates video editing software and manufactures broadcast and cinema hardware, including high-end film cameras.
Every premium quality camera Blackmagic Design offers allows you to record high-resolution videos at a reasonable price! The combination of high dynamic range, excellent low-light performance, and Blackmagic RAW produces outstanding shots with exact skin tones and amazing organic colours. Therefore, consider gaining film quality for independent films, music videos, weddings, corporate videos, documentaries, and other projects.
There are a variety of cameras available, some suitable for on-location short shooting documentaries and others suitable for standalone broadcast studio cameras with front tally and professional video and audio connections. In short, there’s something for everyone, whether you’re a new or experienced broadcaster.
Types of Blackmagic Design Cameras
Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K Plus
The Studio Camera 4K Plus is one of the most affordable Blackmagic studio cameras. It’s essentially the same camera as the 4K Pro, but it simplifies connectivity by adopting an HDMI-focused I/O built for a smooth workflow with the Atem Mini camera switcher.
It’s simple to use, with controls that anyone with little or no broadcast expertise can understand. Because it’s so small, it travels nicely on site but is equally suitable for a home studio or office. The camera also features a front tally for those with multi-cam setups. Because of all these benefits, the 4k Plus Blackmagic camera is ideal for novices and anyone new to broadcast video who wants to get started without breaking the bank.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro
Blackmagic has reshuffled its Pocket Cinema 6K line-up, replacing the older, lower-powered base-level Pocket Cinema 6K model with the new and enhanced Pocket Cinema 6K G2. This model has many of the same capabilities as the Pro model, but most professionals prefer the 6K pro for its built-in ND filters and brighter screen.
The ability to capture 12-bit Blackmagic raw and 10-bit ProRes video, which is ideal for editing and colour grading, is what makes this camera appealing. A Canon EF mount unlocks a vast treasure trove of Canon lenses, ranging from high-quality primes to cinema lenses and beyond, allowing consumers to obtain a true cinematic experience. It’s reasonably priced and has a large video spec, which outperforms many other video capturing cameras in its range.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 4K
If you’re already an MFT user, perhaps with a Panasonic Lumix G or Olympus system, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 4K gives you cine camera controls at a much reasonable price than any compatible MFT body. Although it was released in 2018, it remains a popular choice among filmmakers who want ProRes and Raw recording.
Because of the Micro Four Thirds sensor, there are a plethora of new and used Olympus, Panasonic, and third-party lenses available. It boasts a dynamic range of 13 stops and can shoot in 4K 60p with no crop factor.
With a Canon LP-E6 battery, you might say it’s a bit of a mishmash of a camera, and while it only has 60 minutes of battery life, it can be plugged into the mains for continuous recording. It has one SDXC card slot and one CFast 2.0 slot, both of which enable 4K Raw. The camera lacks a flip-out screen, but if you’re a professional filmmaker, you’ll want to invest in one of the best on-camera monitors anyway.
Blackmagic Ursa Broadcast G2
The Ursa Broadcast G2 is a versatile broadcast camera featuring several memory card slots, the ability to record to external drives, H.264, H.265, Blackmagic Raw, and ProRes recording file formats, and interchangeable lens mounts, allowing users to use their existing kit.
The ISO range of -12dB to +36dB makes low-light photography easier. It uses the same Blackmagic Generation 5 colour science as the much more expensive Ursa Mini Pro 12K and includes a 12-bit gamma curve designed to save detail in highlights and shadows, resulting in broadcast-level tonal quality when edited in raw format.
Things to Consider Before Purchasing
One of the major issues with Blackmagic cameras is that they come with very little included. Besides purchasing the main device, the camera, you’ll need to consider buying additional accessories to hit the ground running.
Storage and Memory
The first thing to consider is storage: where will you keep all of this stuff? The camera and its accessories require a closet or drawer to be stored safely when not in use. It’s a bonus if a charging station is nearby.
Second, every camera Blackmagic Design produces lacks an internal hard drive and no storage as standard. You must consider what style of filming you will undertake and how long you will film. If you wish to film in 4K for an extended amount of time, for example, you’ll need a lot more storage than if you just ever film in HD for a short period.
Power
Power is another concern, primarily for the same reasons previously mentioned, but you’ll need to think about how you’ll mount any external power, such as battery grips, to the camera and whether it will interfere with anything else you use, such as a shoulder mount. You may want to power your camera in a variety of methods, such as using a gimbal when mounted to one and switching to a battery when not.
Microphones
Last but not least, the Blackmagic camera comes with some decent built-in microphones, but if you want to record professional audio, you’ll need something better. What you choose and how you connect it to your camera will be determined by your unique demands, but a good rule of thumb when it comes to microphones is to not go too cheap or you’ll end up spending twice.
Remember to bring a wind sock, or “dead cat,” for exterior recording, and consider how you’ll connect and mount your microphone. The Blackmagic Pocket 4K camera has both 3.5mm Jack and Mini-XLR input options.
