Blackmagic Design has announced its first full-frame sensor cinema camera. The Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K drops the Pocket moniker but uses the same body as the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 and 6K Pro cameras.
Full-frame sensor
The Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K has a full-frame 24 x 36mm 6K sensor with a native resolution of 6048 x 4032. That’s around three times the size of the Super 35 sensor in the company’s other 6K cameras and its Ursa Mini Pro range. The new sensor also has a dynamic range of 13 stops and a dual native ISO up to 25600. In addition, there is a built-in optical low pass filter (OLPF) that’s custom designed to match the sensor. An OLPF — also known as an anti-aliasing filter — prevents false color and moiré that can affect images with some clothing fabrics or patterns in the environment.
Lens mount
Another first for Blackmagic is that the Cinema Camera 6K uses an L-mount. Previous cameras have used EF or micro four thirds mounts. With a large diameter of 51.6 mm, the L-Mount works with the latest full-frame lenses from manufacturers such as Leica, Panasonic and Sigma. In addition, you can use adapters for other lens mounts such as EF or PL.
Resolutions
The Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K can record 6048 x 4032 (Open Gate 3:2) and 4838 x 4032 (Anamorphic 6:5) up to 36 fps. It can also shoot 6K DCI 17:9 (6048 x 3200) up to 48 fps and 6K 2.4:1 (6048 x 2520) up to 60 fps. In addition, if you drop the resolution to Super 35 4:3 (4096 x 3072) or 4K DCI 17:9 (4096 x 2160) you can record up to 50 fps or 60 fps respectively. These formats will crop the sensor, however. If you want high speed frame rates you can shoot in Super 16 16:9 (2112 x 1184) up to 100 fps or 1080 HD 16:9 up to 120 fps, again with a crop.
Recording formats
The Cinema Camera 6K records all resolutions in BRAW format. Previous models offered some ProRes recording options, but these aren’t included on the new camera. However, you can use the USB-C port to record BRAW and 1080p H.264 proxy files to an external SSD at the same time. Internally, the new camera records to a CFexpress Type B card slot.
Other features
The Cinema Camera 6K features the same articulating super bright 1,500 nits five-inch LCD as the Pocket 6K Pro. Alternatively, you can buy an optional 1280 x 960 color OLED electronic viewfinder which mounts on the top of the camera. The Cinema Camera 6K also uses Blackmagic’s highly regarded and simple to use operating system so will be immediately familiar to anyone who has used a Blackmagic camera before. This gives you all of the features you would expect such as histogram, focus peaking, false color, levels, frame guides and more.
Power
The Cinema Camera 6K uses a single NP-F570 battery internally. You can also add the optional dual battery Pocket Camera Battery Pro Grip for longer run times. Alternatively, you can use an AC supply or external battery into the camera’s locking DC power connector. You can even trickle charge the internal battery via the USB-C expansion port from a power bank or mobile phone charger.
What we think
Blackmagic users have been crying out for a full-frame camera and now they have one. There are those who will bemoan the limited autofocus and lack of in-body image stabilization. However, as with the other Blackmagic cameras, the new Cinema Camera 6K delivers a range of professional cinema camera features that are simply unmatched at this price point. It’s a shame that Blackmagic couldn’t find room for the built-in ND filters from the Pocket 6K Pro model, but it’s still the cheapest full-frame cinema camera by some margin. Blackmagic users will no doubt be queuing to buy the Cinema Camera 6K. We will have to wait and see whether the new camera will also win over other videographers to Blackmagic.
Pricing and availability
The Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K is available immediately from Blackmagic Design resellers worldwide for $2,595.
