Blackmagic introduces Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro

Blackmagic Design has announced the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, a new more powerful model that includes features for high end digital film. This new model includes a brighter 1,500 nit adjustable HDR touchscreen screen, built in ND filters, larger battery, plus support for an optional electronic viewfinder. This model also includes latest generation 5 colour science, Super 35 HDR image sensor with 13 stops of dynamic range, dual native ISO of 25,600 and a popular EF lens mount.

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro is available immediately from Blackmagic Design resellers worldwide for US$2,495 (£1,790).

The elegant design of the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera packs an incredible number of high-end digital film features into a miniaturised, handheld design. Made from lightweight carbon fiber polycarbonate composite, the camera features a multifunction handgrip with all controls for recording, ISO, WB and shutter angle right at their fingertips. Because it’s an advanced digital film camera, the sensor is designed to reduce thermal noise allowing cleaner shadows and higher ISO. Plus the large 5 inch LCD makes it possible to get perfect focus at 4K and 6K resolutions.

Featuring a larger 6144 x 3456 Super 35 sensor and EF lens mount, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K lets customers use larger EF photographic lenses to create cinematic images with shallower depth of field, allowing creative defocussed backgrounds and gorgeous bokeh effects.

The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro includes additional pro features such as built in 2, 4 and 6 stop ND filters, adjustable tilt HDR LCD with a bright 1500 nits that’s ideal for use in bright sunlight. It also includes two mini XLR audio inputs and a larger NP-F570 style battery.

Whether users are shooting in bright sunlight or in almost no light at all, the 13 stops of dynamic range with dual native ISO up to 25,600 provide stunning low noise images in all lighting conditions. Plus the 6K models feature a larger Super 35 sensor that allows shooting with a shallow depth of field and anamorphic lenses. All models let customers shoot up to 60 fps in full resolution or 120 fps windowed. The sensor combined with Blackmagic colour science means customers get the same imaging technology as the most expensive digital film cameras.

The 6K models feature an EF lens mount so customers can use lenses customers already own from other cameras such as DSLR, URSA Mini Pro or even the original Blackmagic Cinema Camera. Customers can use commonly available photographic lenses that provide incredible creative choice and wonderful feature film quality lens effects. The active lens mount lets customers adjust focus and iris from the buttons on the camera or the touch screen.

The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro features high quality, motorised IR ND filters that let customers quickly reduce the amount of light entering the camera. Designed to match the colorimetry and colour science of the camera, the 2, 4 and 6 stop filters provide customers with additional latitude even under harsh lighting. The IR filters have been designed to filter both optical and IR wavelengths evenly, eliminating IR contamination of the images. Activation buttons are located on the rear of the camera body, placed within easy reach of their thumb from the multi function hand grip. User selectable filter settings can even be displayed as either an ND number, stop reduction or fraction on the LCD.

The Pocket Cinema Cameras feature dual native ISO up to 25,600, which means they’re optimised to minimize grain or noise in images, while maintaining the full dynamic range of the sensor. The native ISO of 400 is ideal for scenes with on-set lighting. The gain is set automatically as customers adjust the ISO setting, so it’s easy to capture great images when customers don’t have time to set up lights.

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera records using standard open file formats so customers don’t have to waste time transcoding media. Recording works in industry standard 10-bit Apple ProRes files in all formats up to 4K or 12-bit Blackmagic RAW in all formats up to 6K. Developers can download and use the free Blackmagic RAW SDK to add support into their applications. Best of all media files work on all operating systems plus customers can format media cards and disks in HFS+ for Mac and ExFAT for Windows.

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera features a large, bright 5 inch touchscreen that makes it easy for customers to frame shots and accurately focus. On screen overlays show status and record parameters, histogram, focus peaking indicators, levels, frame guides and more. The Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro LCD monitor is a more advanced HDR display that can be tilted up and down so it’s easy to monitor their shot from any position. Plus the 6K Pro model’s HDR display features 1500 nits of brightness, ideal for use in bright sunlight.

Featuring the same generation 5 colour science as the high end URSA Mini Pro 12K, the new Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro delivers an even greater advancement in image quality with stunning, accurate skin tones and faithful colour in every shot. Customers get a new dynamic 12-bit gamma curve designed to capture more colour data in the highlights and shadows, for better looking images. The colour science also handles some of the complex Blackmagic RAW image processing, so colour and dynamic range data from the sensor is preserved via metadata which customers can use in post production.

The Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro supports an optional viewfinder to make outdoors and handheld shooting accurate and easy. Customers get an integrated high quality 1280 x 960 colour OLED display with built in proximity sensor, 4 element glass diopter for incredible accuracy with a wide -4 to +4 focus adjustment. A built in digital focus chart ensures customers get perfect viewfinder focus setup. Customers can also view critical status information such as frame guides. The Pocket Cinema Camera Pro EVF connects quickly to the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro via a single connector. The viewfinder has a 70 degree swivel range and comes with 4 different types of eyecups for both left and right eyes.

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Cameras feature a mini XLR input with 48 volts of phantom power for connecting professional microphones such as lapel mics and booms. The 6K Pro model features 2 mini XLR connections, allowing customers to record 2 separate audio tracks using 2 mics, without an external mixer. The four built in mics have an extremely low noise floor and are shock and wind resistant, capturing great sound in any location. There’s also a 3.5mm audio input for connecting video camera microphones, along with a built in speaker for playback and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and 6K use removable LP-E6 type batteries while the 6K Pro model uses larger NP-F570 batteries. A locking DC power connector is used so customers won’t have to worry about losing power during a shoot. Plus the included AC plug pack can power the camera and charge the battery simultaneously. Even the USB-C expansion port can trickle charge the battery, so customers can use portable battery packs, mobile phone chargers or laptops. The optional battery grip lets customers add extra batteries to dramatically extend the power of the camera so customers can keep shooting all day.

All Pocket Cinema Camera models include a full version of DaVinci Resolve Studio, which is the same software used in Hollywood for creating high end feature films, episodic television shows, commercials and more. DaVinci Resolve features the new cut page with intelligent editing tools and innovative new features designed to help customers quickly find the footage customers want, edit it together and output it fast. In addition to the new cut page, customers also get DaVinci’s legendary professional editing, advanced colour correction, audio post and visual effects tools, all in a single software application.

“With the new Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, we wanted to include all the high end features from digital film cameras into a Pocket Cinema Camera design,” said Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. “This means you get an extremely portable digital film solution but with all the advanced features like the amazing ND filters, optional viewfinder and bright HDR touchscreen. We think our digital filmmaker customers will love it!”

BLACKMAGIC POCKET CINEMA CAMERA 6K PRO FEATURES

* Designed from carbon fiber polycarbonate composite.
* 6144 x 3456 sensor with 13 stops and dual native ISO up to 25,600.
* Compatible with a wide range of popular EF lenses.
* Built in motorised 2, 4 and 6 stop ND filters.
* Up to 25,600 ISO for incredible low light performance.
* Standard open file formats compatible with popular software.
* Adjustable, HDR 1500 nit LCD screen.
* Includes Blackmagic Generation 5 Colour Science.
* Optional Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera Pro EVF.
* Professional mini XLR inputs with 48 volt phantom power.
* Larger NP-F570 battery, optional Blackmagic Pocket Camera Battery Pro Grip.
* Includes full DaVinci Resolve Studio for post production.

Blackmagic also announced the release of the ATEM Mini Extreme as well as ATEM Mini Extreme ISO and the Blackmagic Web Presenter HD – a new broadcast transmitter for the streaming age, which includes powerful H.264 encoder for live streaming to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and more.