Blackmagic Design updated their popular Pocket Cinema Camera 4K with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K. This new camera boasts a 6144×3456 Super 35 image sensor and an EF lens mount. It is priced at $2,495, making it a cool $1,200 more expensive than the aggressively priced Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, which Blackmagic priced at $1,295.
Blackmagic Design continues to show its penchant for disruption, releasing to market the most affordable 6K camera available. On the heels of Panasonic’s announcement of their entry-level 6K camera, the LUMIX S1H, Blackmagic appears to have the edge with a notably lower price. At $4,000 the LUMIX S1H is $1,500 more expensive.
We have loved Blackmagic cameras going back to the original Blackmagic Cinema Camera back in 2012. Every iteration of the Pocket Cinema Camera has been an incredible value, but they always come with notable flaws. We expect this new version will continue that tradition.
Let’s talk details
What Blackmagic has been able to include in a $2,500 camera is just short of incredible. The headline feature is internal capture of 6K 12-bit RAW video to one of three capture media options: SD, CFast2.0 or external SSD via the USB-C port. The camera also comes with a top frame rate of 120 frames per second in 2.8K and options for Blackmagic RAW and ProRes capture.
The camera can also output 10-bit 4:2:2 to an external recorder. It has a headphone jack and not one, but two audio inputs, though neither are full-sized XLR. Last but not least, the camera uses the EF lens mount.
Design and functionality
While this camera includes some impressive features, it is not all rainbows. First off, have you ever seen a more unattractive camera? If you thought the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K was a potato, the 6K version is even worse. The size and shape needed for the EF mount mean this ugly kid got a big nose to boot.
But let us not be superficial; how much does the look of the camera matter? Outside of being inspired by the aesthetic of the camera — which should not be undervalued — the look of the camera isn’t that big of a deal. Plus, the camera is small when you compare it to the original 16-pound Blackmagic URSA.
Although it would have been cool for this camera to have one of the mirrorless lens mounts — we would pick sony E mount because of the wide selection currently available — EF is a wonderful choice. Sure, it means there is a big bump for spacing a DSLR lens, but the number of EF lenses available at all price points is a significant strength for a camera that costs so little in the scheme of things.
Hidden costs
Another quirk for this camera is the screen. It is large and touch-sensitive, but it can not move. Get in a situation where there is glare on the screen, and you get to guess how good your exposure is.
One more note: It is easy to change the brightness of the screen, but it is not bright enough to overcome any glare, especially given that the monitor doesn’t move. Even a little tilt would make it much more usable. The solution to this is to get an external monitor or a hood of some kind. Even if you go cheap, you’re still talking about an added cost.
Another pitfall for this camera is the horrible battery life. Just like the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, the BMPCC6K chews through batteries. Make sure to save a couple hundred dollars for extra batteries. You will need them.
Likewise, internal 6K RAW is pretty rad for the money, but buyer beware, that is some heavy data being created. You could easily spend more money on storage than you did to buy the camera body.
In the end, there has to be some kind of give and take to achieve such a value. This is the major question you should ask yourself about this camera: Are the drawbacks worth the affordable price tag?
It looks like a potato. Does it feel like one too?
We joke, but it is pretty ugly, right? Anyhow, the camera weighs just 1.98 pounds, but we still think having “pocket” in its name is just silly. I don’t know who has pockets this big, but maybe Blackmagic should start transitioning to a new naming convention. The camera is usually wide and much larger than even a large DSLR like the Canon 5D MK IV.
In all, we are not impressed with the build materials compared to any other mirrorless camera. The lack of quality is quite evident. The case feels cheap. There are not a ton of buttons and the ones it does have are just okay.
The layout of the buttons is acceptable, though we would have liked a different feel to each button when they are next to each other. They could put a dot on one, two dots on the next and three on the last — anything to be able to identify the button by feel. We found ourselves using the touch menu most of the time, which fortunately is well-designed.
The menu is great. Other brands should take note.
It takes no time to figure out where everything is in the Blackmagic OS. All touch function extends into the menu and is super intuitive. Not only can you see all of the important settings while you shoot, but each menu page makes it easy to navigate to and execute a function. As an example of the thoughtfulness of the Blackmagic OS, when formatting media, before it will format, it has you hold a button for 3 seconds to confirm the format. Just that little roadblock would keep you from accidentally destroying your work.
As for the rest of the menu, all of the resolution options are on one page and then framerates are on the next. Plus, instead of offering a list of features, the layout optimizes the menu for its full-screen layout.
Like other Blackmagic cameras, the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K offers all the shoot assists you need. Frame guides, safe guides and a grid will all help perfect your composition. You can also preview film dynamic range with a LUT applied, and the camera has zebras, focus-assist, a histogram and false color.
Additionally, the BMPCC6K has three different custom function buttons, though they can only be set to control shoot assists, preview LUT on/off, guides and toggling off-speed frame rate, the camera’s high frame rate mode.
Three ways to capture
Depending on your workflow and more importantly your budget, the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K has a different capture medium solution. The most cost-effective option is to record to an external SSD. However, this can’t capture all resolution and compression options. SD cards cost a bit more per gigabyte than SSDs, but they are the most common choice. Because of the data rate, it’s likely that one would need a new card with faster write speeds.
Blackmagic has a list of supported media that is very accurate. We tested with a few cards that were not on the list but that had the same read and write speeds as cards that were listed as supported; they couldn’t keep up. Even if the specs on the card say it will work, it might not. Check with Blackmagic before investing.
Media for capturing Blackmagic RAW Q0 at 6K60 doesn’t exist yet
The camera gives you a lot of options when it comes to bitrate. The top option is 483 MB/s in Blackmagic RAW Q0 in 6K. The lowest available bitrate is 5.6 MB/s when shooting HD in ProRes Proxy.
However, CFast2.0 is the only media type currently available that can capture 6K 60fps in RAW, and even then only at the 5:1, 8:1 and 12:1 settings for constant bitrate or the Q5 setting for constant quality. There is no supported media for shooting in 3:1 or Q0 RAW at the highest resolution with the highest frame rate of 6K 60fps.
Though the need for most to shoot 6K at 60fps in Blackmagic RAW Q0 is pretty low, this is yet another example of Blackmagic releasing a camera with features that can not be utilized until the media catches up. Why even offer these features? Wouldn’t it be better to release them at a later date with a firmware update when media exists to support that feature?
Other recording limitations
The benefit to a camera designed for video is you don’t have to deal with record time limits. What you will have to worry about, though, is running out of space on your media. The camera will switch over to the next media option when one is full, however, you will be bouncing around between different kinds of media. You might not want to buy two SD cards, but rather an SD card and a Cfast2.0 card or SSD.
Additionally, although you can capture proxy quality video, you can not capture it alongside a more robust codec unless you capture using an external recording device at the same time. Sure, you can make proxies during the post-production workflow, but not all proxies are used for easing the load on an editor — they might be for dailies or a myriad of other niche uses. In those cases, in-camera proxy recording would be useful.
Also, at the time of our testing, you needed to transcode your Blackmagic RAW footage using DaVinci Resolve if you wanted to work in any other editing software. And if you want to shoot in 6K, you must capture in Blackmagic RAW. Transcoding with DaVinci Resolve isn’t difficult, and since the camera comes with DaVinci Resolve 16 Studio, you have the full rendering output for whatever you create.
However, Blackmagic Design recently announced Blackmagic RAW 1.5, which is available as a free download from the Blackmagic Design website. The update includes official plug-ins to allow Blackmagic RAW to be natively read and edited by Adobe Premiere Pro and Avid Media Composer, with complete access to all of the metadata capabilities that come with the codec. This at least partially resolves our original gripe.
Finally, if you want to shoot in 4K, you won’t get to do it in RAW. All 4K capture is in ProRes up to HQ only.
How does the final image look?
Right off the bat, the image looks great. And it should if you are going to all the effort to capture in 6K RAW. However, the best part is that, since there is very little demand for 6K delivery, you are able to downsample the image. This will make any noise smaller, reducing its impact on the composition as a whole. The result is an image that looks sharper and emphasizes the many more colors captured. Plus, it gives you the ability to zoom in without resolution loss when delivering in 4K or HD.
For the last year or so, whenever a camera is released, the most asked about feature is 4K 60fps internal capture. No need to worry, because the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K can shoot 60 fps in both 4K ProRes and 6K RAW.
However, for each available resolution, there is a corresponding crop when shooting in RAW. although you can capture 2.8K RAW at 120fps, it has a significant crop — 3.388x to be exact. The effective focal length of a 35mm lens with the crop factor is a 118mm. Without image stabilization, regardless of the focal length of the lens, the image is going to be very difficult to keep stable.
13 stops of dynamic range
Blackmagic doesn’t call their log profile log, instead dubbing the option dynamic range selection. With three different dynamic range settings; film, extended video and video to choose from you get — you guessed it — different amounts of dynamic range. Film offers the most dynamic range and video the least.
To verify Blackmagic’s claim of 13 stops of dynamic range, we used the DSC Labs Xyla 21 chart. The chart offers a stop of lightless at each increment with the first being just below an IRE of 100. The number of light bars that the camera can see corresponds to its dynamic range. In film mode, we saw 16 stops of light. However, once a REC709 LUT was applied, only 13 are visible. That means there is at least some information there. If you wanted to retain some details in the shadows, you likely could, but it could be noisy.
Blackmagic is being a bit conservative with 13 stops, but we applaud that. It’s better than saying more than it actually has.
Bonus: Built-in LUT preview
When shooting in film dynamic range, you are able to preview with a LUT applied. This can be a LUT already in the camera or one you load yourself. That means you can make your own custom LUT, shoot with it as your LUT preview, and then use it in post-production. Additionally, the camera has the option to record the LUT to the clip. That means your custom LUT can be baked into the file itself.
Is the rolling shutter bad?
The answer to that question depends on what resolution you are shooting in. In 6K, be careful of fast pans; there is a significant amount of rolling shutter. It’s not the worst we have seen, but it would need to be considered when planning camera movement. The amount of rolling shutter is similar when shooting at 2.8K. However, when shooting ProRes, the rolling shutter is nothing to worry about.
It has auto-focus… kind of
For filmmakers, most AF systems aren’t good enough to be useful. The Pocket Cinema Camera 6K is no different. It has only contrast AF, it’s slow and it only works before you hit record, not afterward — no continuous AF. However, because it’s never going to be used during capture, it’s a good focus assist tool. Use it before you start recording to get close to the focal point you want and then adjust the rest manually. So, the AF is usable, just not while you shoot.
Dual native ISO doesn’t make it great in low-light
Dual native ISO means that it has two different ISOs that offer a minimal amount of noise. The two native ISOs are at ISO400 and ISO 3200. So how does this translate to the camera’s performance? While doing an ISO ramp staring at ISO100 going up to ISO25600, we found that noise begins at ISO 800 and is acceptable up to ISO 6400, where the noise begins to have color shift and is much more noticeable.
The noise is not much difference between resolution options and follows the same trend as 6K RAW and 4K ProRes. Most mirrorless cameras currently on the market are clean up to ISO 6400. ISO 800 is a bit earlier than most to introduce noise, but it’s not horrible.
The bottom line is that the BMPCC6K’s dual native ISO feature doesn’t make it an exceptional camera in low-light.
The battery life is so, so bad.
The battery life for this camera is no better than the BMPCC4K — which was really bad. We are lucky and have six EP-L6 batteries available because we needed every one. We saw battery life ranging from 35 to 45 minutes per battery.
They do sell a battery grip, but it will set you back another $245. It uses a different battery — Sony L-series — and only extends the battery life to 2.5 hours. With the same EP-L6 battery with the Canon EOS-R, you get 2.5 hours of battery life — the same as with the added battery grip.
With the grip, this big camera becomes even bigger. This is this cameras biggest disqualifier. Our six batteries would get us only 4.5 hours at the most. At a cost of around $45 each, that’s an additional $270 cost to operate this camera. If there is an upside to the low battery life, it’s that the camera does not suffer from overheating.
The camera will only be down for the time it takes you to replace the battery. Additionally, it’s not likely your media will last longer than 30 minutes when shooting in 6K RAW — each minute captured produces 29 GB of data.
Other cameras to consider
Overall, we think the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K is a better deal than the 6K version — unless you absolutely need 6K. Overall, you will pay less for the camera and lenses because micro four-thirds lenses are cheaper on average compared to EF lenses.
At just $1,295 for the BMPCC4K, the difference in cost and the affordability of the lenses will allow for all of the accessories you need for the Pocket Cinema Camera line. Get a lens, batteries and media all for less than just the 6K body alone.
If you are looking for more features, longer battery life and some still capabilities, the Panasonic LUMIX GH5s is a great place to look. Again, with the smaller sensor and mount, the lenses will be cheaper. It doesn’t shoot RAW, but it does capture 10-bit 4K internally. At $2,000 you’ll also save some money over the BMPCC6K.
Last up is the Panasonic LUMIX S1H, the only other camera even remotely in the ballpark cost-wise that shoots 6K. At $4000, you get camera with a larger full-frame sensor designed for video first. Additionally, the S1H can output 5.9K RAW over HDMI.
Bringing it all together
Blackmagic Design put a ton of value in this camera. It has wonderful image quality and 6K RAW for just $2,495 — that’s crazy. However, it comes with some big hurdles to jump to be a strong, usable camera. Stock up on batteries, media and storage because you will need a ton of each.
The EF mount gives a ton of lens options, but they will be more expensive than if you went with a smaller sensor. The biggest question is if the pros outweigh the cons for your shooting style. We liked the camera, and if you are in need of its unique features, there isn’t a better option out there. If you’re not, however, you might be able to save a few bucks elsewhere.
STRENGTHS:
- Affordable Price
- 6K RAW internal capture
- EF lens mount
- Intuitive menu
WEAKNESSES:
- Battery life sucks
- 4K is only ProRes
- 6K is Only Blackmagic RAW
- Low-quality build materials
RECOMMENDED USES:
- Documentary Filmmaking and Journalism
- Corporate and Event Videography
- Marketing Video Production
TECH SPECS
- Lens Mount: Active EF mount.
- Lens Control: Iris, focus and zoom on supported lenses.
- Dynamic Range: 13 Stops.
- Dual Native ISO: 400 and 3200
- Shooting Resolutions
- 6144 x 3456 (6K) up to 50 fps
- 6144 x 2560 (6K 2.4:1) up to 60 fps
- 5744 x 3024 (5.7K 17:9) up to 60 fps
- 4096 x 2160 (4K DCI) up to 60 fps
- 3840 x 2160 (Ultra HD) up to 60 fps
- 3728 x 3104 (3.7K 6:5 anamorphic) up to 60 fps
- 2868 x 1512 (2.8K 17:9) up to 120 fps
- 1920 x 1080 (HD) up to 120 fps
- Frame Rates
- Maximum sensor frame rate dependent on resolution and codec selected. Project frame rates of 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94 and 60 fps supported.
- Off-speed frame rates up to 60 fps in 6K 2.4:1, 120 fps in 2.8K 17:9 and 1080HD.
- Focus: Auto focus available using compatible lenses.
- Iris Control: Iris wheel and touchscreen slider for manual iris adjustment on electronically controllable lenses, iris button for instant auto iris settings on compatible lenses.
- Screen Dimensions: 5” 1920 x 1080.
- Screen Type: LCD capacitive touchscreen.
- Metadata Support: Automatically populated lens data from electronic EF lenses. Automatic recording of camera settings and slate data such as project, scene number, take and special notes. A 3D LUT can also be embedded in metadata of Blackmagic RAW files.
- Controls: Touchscreen menus on 5 inch screen. 1 x Power Switch, 1 x Record Button, 1 x Stills Button, 1 x Scroll Wheel with push integrated into handgrip, 1 x ISO, Button, 1 x White Balance, 1 x Shutter Button, 3 x software configurable Fn buttons, 1 x High Frame Rate (HFR) Button, 1 x Zoom Button, 1 x Menu Button, 1 x Play Button, 1 x Focus Button and 1 x IRIS Button.
- Focus Auto focus available using compatible lenses.
- Iris Control: Iris wheel and touchscreen slider for manual iris adjustment on electronically controllable lenses, iris button for instant auto iris settings on compatible lenses.
- Screen Dimensions: 5” 1920 x 1080.
- Screen Type: LCD capacitive touchscreen.
- Metadata Support: Automatically populated lens data from electronic EF lenses. Automatic recording of camera settings and slate data such as project, scene number, take and special notes. A 3D LUT can also be embedded in metadata of Blackmagic RAW files.
- Controls: Touchscreen menus on 5 inch screen. 1 x Power Switch, 1 x Record Button, 1 x Stills Button, 1 x Scroll Wheel with push integrated into handgrip, 1 x ISO, Button, 1 x White Balance, 1 x Shutter Button, 3 x software configurable Fn buttons, 1 x High Frame Rate (HFR) Button, 1 x Zoom Button, 1 x Menu Button, 1 x Play Button, 1 x Focus Button and 1 x IRIS Button.
- Focus: Auto focus available using compatible lenses.
- Iris Control: Iris wheel and touchscreen slider for manual iris adjustment on electronically controllable lenses, iris button for instant auto iris settings on compatible lenses.
- Screen Dimensions: 5” 1920 x 1080.
- Screen Type: LCD capacitive touchscreen.
- Metadata Support: Automatically populated lens data from electronic EF lenses. Automatic recording of camera settings and slate data such as project, scene number, take and special notes. A 3D LUT can also be embedded in metadata of Blackmagic RAW files.
- Controls: Touchscreen menus on 5 inch screen. 1 x Power Switch, 1 x Record Button, 1 x Stills Button, 1 x Scroll Wheel with push integrated into handgrip, 1 x ISO, Button, 1 x White Balance, 1 x Shutter Button, 3 x software configurable Fn buttons, 1 x High Frame Rate (HFR) Button, 1 x Zoom Button, 1 x Menu Button, 1 x Play Button, 1 x Focus Button and 1 x IRIS Button.
Connections
- Total Video Outputs: 1 x HDMI Type A
- Analog Audio Inputs: 1 x mini XLR analog switchable between mic with phantom power support and line level (up to +14dBu). 1 x 3.5mm Stereo Input. Can also be used for Timecode input.
- Analog Audio Outputs: 1 x 3.5mm headphone jack.
- Computer Interface: USB Type-C for external drive recording and software updates.
Audio
- Microphone: Integrated stereo microphone.
- Ultra HD Video Standards: 2160p23.98, 2160p24, 2160p25, 2160p29.97, 2160p30, 2160p50, 2160p59.94, 2160p60.
- 4K DCI Standards: 4KDCIp23.98, 4KDCIp24, 4KDCIp25, 4KDCIp29.97, 4KDCIp30, 4KDCIp50, 4KDCIp59.94, 4KDCIp60.
Media
- Media: 1 x CFast card slot, 1 x SD UHS‑II card slot, 1 x USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 expansion port for external media for Blackmagic RAW and ProRes Recording.
- Media Format: Can format media to ExFAT (Windows/Mac) or HFS+ (Mac) file systems.
Supported Codecs
- Codecs
- Blackmagic RAW Constant Bitrate 3:1,
- Blackmagic RAW Constant Bitrate 5:1,
- Blackmagic RAW Constant Bitrate 8:1,
- Blackmagic RAW Constant Bitrate 12:1,
- Blackmagic RAW Constant Quality Q0,
- Blackmagic RAW Constant Quality Q5,
- ProRes 422 HQ QuickTime,
- ProRes 422 QuickTime,
- ProRes 422 LT QuickTime,
- ProRes 422 Proxy QuickTime.
Storage Features
- Storage Type
- 1 x CFast 2.0.
- 1 x SD UHS-II card.
- 1 x high speed USB-C expansion port for external media.
- Storage Rates
- 6144 x 3456 (6K)
- Blackmagic RAW 3:1 – 323 MB/s
- Blackmagic RAW 5:1 – 194 MB/s
- Blackmagic RAW 8:1 – 121 MB/s
- Blackmagic RAW 12:1 – 81 MB/s
- Blackmagic RAW Q0 – 194 to 483 MB/s *
- Blackmagic RAW Q5 – 49 to 139 MB/s **
- 6144 x 2560 (6K 2.4:1)
- Blackmagic RAW 3:1 – 240 MB/s
- Blackmagic RAW 5:1 – 144 MB/s
- Blackmagic RAW 8:1 – 90 MB/s
- Blackmagic RAW 12:1 – 60 MB/s
- Blackmagic RAW Q0 – 144 to 359 MB/s *
- Blackmagic RAW Q5 – 37 to 103 MB/s **
- 5744 x 3024 (5.7K 17:9)
- Blackmagic RAW 3:1 – 264 MB/s
- Blackmagic RAW 5:1 – 159 MB/s
- Blackmagic RAW 8:1 – 100 MB/s
- Blackmagic RAW 12:1 – 67 MB/s
- Blackmagic RAW Q0 – 159 to 395 MB/s *
- Blackmagic RAW Q5 – 40 to 114 MB/s **
- 4096 x 2160 (4K DCI)
- Apple ProRes 422 HQ – 117.88 MB/s
- Apple ProRes 422 – 78.63 MB/s
- Apple ProRes 422 LT – 54.63 MB/s
- Apple ProRes Proxy – 24.25 MB/s
- 3840 x 2160 (Ultra HD)
- Apple ProRes 422 HQ – 110 MB/s
- Apple ProRes 422 – 73.6 MB/s
- Apple ProRes 422 LT – 51 MB/s
- Apple ProRes Proxy – 22.4 MB/s
- 3728 x 3104 (3.7K 6:5 anamorphic)
- Blackmagic RAW 3:1 – 176 MB/s
- Blackmagic RAW 5:1 – 106 MB/s
- Blackmagic RAW 8:1 – 67 MB/s
- Blackmagic RAW 12:1 – 45 MB/s
- Blackmagic RAW Q0 – 106 to 265 MB/s *
- Blackmagic RAW Q5 – 27 to 76 MB/s **
- 2868 x 1512 (2.8K 17:9)
- Blackmagic RAW 3:1 – 67 MB/s
- Blackmagic RAW 5:1 – 41 MB/s
- Blackmagic RAW 8:1 – 26 MB/s
- Blackmagic RAW 12:1 – 17 MB/s
- Blackmagic RAW Q0 – 41 to 101 MB/s *
- Blackmagic RAW Q5 – 11 to 29 MB/s **
- 1920 x 1080
- Apple ProRes 422 HQ – 27.5 MB/s
- Apple ProRes 422 – 18.4 MB/s
- Apple ProRes 422 LT – 12.75 MB/s
- Apple ProRes Proxy – 5.6 MB/s
- 6144 x 3456 (6K)
- Recording Formats
- Blackmagic RAW 3:1, 5:1, 8:1, 12:1, Q0 and Q5 at 6144 x 3456, 6144 x 2560, 5744 x 3024, 3728 x 3104and 2868 x 1512 with film, extended video, video dynamic range or custom 3D LUT embedded in metadata.
- ProRes at 4096 x 2160, 3840 x 2160 and 1920 x 1080with film, extended video or video dynamic range or custom 3D LUT.
- Power Requirements
- Power Supply: 1 x External 12V power supply.
- External Power Input: 1 x 2‑pin locking connector.
- Battery Type: Canon LP-E6.
- Battery Life: Approximately 45 minutes (recording 6K RAW at 24 fps to CFast 2.0 with screen brightness at 50%)
Power: 12V-20V.
