Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K update improves audio recording and autofocus

Blackmagic Design is upgrading its Pocket Cinema Camera 4K with the Blackmagic Camera 6.1 update. It’ll reduce noise in audio recordings and improve the camera’s battery life.

Let’s run through what the update is doing for the camera:

“Significantly” improved audio recording

Users should see a vast improvement in the camera’s audio recording capabilities. According to Blackmagic, “The new Blackmagic Cameras 6.1 significantly improves audio recording when using the built-in microphones on the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K.” The camera will now analyze incoming audio from its dual microphones to “dramatically” lower the noise floor, producing quieter recordings than previously possible.

Also, the latency has been reduced for audio monitoring, audio and video synchronization has been improved and the camera’s 3.5 mm audio input selection interface is faster.

Improved autofocus

With the update also comes improved auto focus:

“Auto focus now responds quicker and more accurately so that lens hunting is greatly reduced when the camera is locking on to the focal point,” Blackmagic says.

Other updates from Blackmagic

The systems new in-camera calibration feature allows users to recalibrate pixels in the camera. The brightness of some of the pixels can change overtime, causing small variations across a camera’s sensor. This pixel calibration lets the camera correct the light output of each pixel.

Improvements to the battery life should boost the camera’s operating time by 10 to 15 percent. Additionally, the camera will be more of an accurate reading of the remaining battery power.

Blackmagic has also added 2:1 monitoring frame guides for more accurate previewing.

Finally, formatting media cards accidentally should happen a lot less frequently thanks to the camera’s new media formatting interface: “Once the camera is updated, customers will need to tap and hold the media format confirmation button for 3 seconds before a card will be erased and reformatted.”

Update rundown

  • Adds support for pixel calibration
  • Improves auto focus
  • Improves signal to noise ratio performance for the internal microphone
  • Adds 2:1 monitoring frame guide
  • Improves media formatting interface
  • Improves audio monitoring latency performance
  • More efficient battery life
  • Improves 3.5 mm audio input selection interface
  • Improves AV sync performance

Pricing and availability

The Blackmagic Cameras 6.1 update is out now for free at blackmagicdesign.com.

Sean Berry
Sean Berry
Sean Berry is Videomaker's Managing Editor.

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