This is from a short film project I’ve been working on with the super talented writer / director / actor Ian Meadows.
This was a simple story about how a couple meet at the beginning of their relationship. This is MY edit of the rushes and it doesn’t necessarily make story sense. I’ve just given you all a selection of the shots to look at. Ian had very kindly given me permission to show some of this footage.
It’s been shot ProRes in FILM mode. And until the camera has finished it’s ProRes certification, I won’t be able to release any of the original camera footage. You’ll just have to be happy with this ! As soon as I can I’ll make some ProRes files available. (and DNG !)
It was shot with just myself and a sound recordist plus I had a focus puller, Ella Gibbons helping me out again. So entire crew is myself, a sound and focus puller. Ian was acting as well as directing along with the gorgeous Ella Scott-Lynch.
I did a very quick, mostly single node grade in Resolve after doing an edit in FCPx.
Lenses were again, the lovely Zeiss Compact Primes. The widest I had in the CP’s was the 28mm, so the two extra wide shots were done with the 15-85 Canon EF-S.
This time I also had the chance to put the camera onto a Steadicam Pilot. Now, I’m NOT a steadicam operator. I also only built the camera on the day with the rig and didn’t get a chance to practice with it at all. So the steadicam operating is very ordinary. I know I’d certainly fire me if I was selling myself as a Steadicam op ! But I wanted to include them just to show you because I thought they looked lovely from a lighting point of view.
I also did a fair bit of handheld. Most of the mid shots’ and close ups are hand held with the 35mm or the 50mm CP. I was generally shooting around T4 @ iso 800 (using T1 ND’s to get the right stop).
The one exception was the 2 steadicam shots which were shot at T16 @ 28mm. I didn’t have any remote focus motors so I went with DOF.
I was very happy with the way the camera handled the contrast. We often and shots where direct sun was hitting the cast and although I would try to avoid these scenarios in the staging, you can see sometimes you just have to suck it up. I was impressed though with how the camera handled it. Using the Zebra’s I simply made sure I exposed by looking at what was clipping at 100% and making a judgement on what I wanted to keep in terms of exposure.
Now for those looking for Moire and aliasing, pay attention to Ella’s cardigan. You can often see the weave of the fabric there, and on many DSLR’s I would expect this kind of pattern / weave to cause aliasing issues.
Enjoy !
(by the way, there’s no sound)
johnbrawley 
Compressed web video only?
Did you actually read the introduction ?
Funny.
Yeah I did. It was more a question out of despair. I guess the proper expression of my frustration should have been ‘Compressed web video only!’.
It’s not that hard to understand.
If it’s not certified by Apple, a process BMD don’t have control over, then it can’t be released.
jb
I’m sure it’s not hard to understand people’s frustration at not seeing quantifiable test footage at this stage either. We are post July and this camera does support non-propriety formats that don’t need certification.
I guess in a month this’ll all seem silly.
It’s not up to me. I can tell you the DNG’s and ProRes looks great. Very soon, you’ll be able to judge for yourself.
jb
haha
Thank’s for sharing!
One question, Is it 24 or 25fps?
cheers
25 FPS.
jb
Thank you John,
This is because i’ve notice a slight difference in motion between this video and the other first 3 videos you posted, like “dusk” shot in 24fps.
Is perceptible in few shots and I was wonder if there was any kind of modification in camera that could do this, but since this is 25fps I think its probably that… faster shutter less motion blur.
Thanks!
Once again, the dynamic range of this camera is just glorious, thanks so much for sharing this John!
Engaging…even as is. Thanks again for sharing your work!
Thanks John for taking the time to do the write up as well as sharing the video. What frame rate where you shooting this at?
Another beautifully produced little piece. I really think this camera looks great with you operating (it doesn’t have that same DSLR smeariness or compressed codec feel to it in my opinion).
I’m curious if the choice to use the BMC was a result of budget or simply intrigue (I mean heck, it’ll be an instant viral hit just because of the camera). As you’ve already mentioned, it’s not trying to replace the RED or Alexa, but on your larger budget shoots where do you see this camera fitting into your lineup?
I always think it’s better to TEST a camera like this in a real world scenario rather than some kind of artificially contrived test. This is a short film project that Ian Meadows had been developing. Actually he wants to make it into an episodic series. Both of us as filmmakers are interested in low footprint filmmaking and the BMCC is a natural fit for that. I asked him it would be OK to shoot with the BMCC. He said …yes !
jb
Thanks for posting this, JB!
When I placed my pre-order for a BMCC as soon as it was possible to do so, my hope was the camera could be a less-expensive substitute for cameras such as the FS100, F3, etc. The more footage I see from BMCC, the more confident I am that I’ve made the right choice. Thanks again, and cheers!
it still lacks versatility compared to the cameras you mention. If you wanna add the FS700, you have slow mo, a very nice addition. Although I think the 4k potential for FS700 is compressed compared to BMC 2.5k uncompressed
Can’t complain. What do we expect for $3,000.00. Practical speaking, it will be more expensive than that, once kitted out with all the aftermarket stuff
At least these cameras allow you to build up as you go, unlike pro shoulder mount, although, for comfort and practicality in use, I’d take a pro shoulder mount, if I could afford the thing. Versatility is more important for me than anything else
I agree that versatility is important, but as you say, the extra capabilities of those other cameras cost quite a bit more. Most of my projects don’t require slo-mo or 4K resolution, and when they do, expensive cameras with those capabilities can be rented.
I like that the BMCC appears to handle most camera basics extremely well. I might use the BMCC’s 12-bit RAW capability occasionally, but for me its ProRes HQ (10-bit 4:2:2 @ 220 megabits/sec.) and near 13-stop latitude promise to be so much better than any other cam anywhere near the price. Plus the BMCC includes fantastic software, too.
As for add-on items such as lenses, mounts, batteries, mics, and so forth: I already own some, and for the most part it’s the same gear used with other cameras I own or rent, too.
It’ll be interesting to see if BMD might later add additional capabilities to the BMCC via future firmware updates. Nothing is promised or certain, but more FPS or other capabilities are not completely out of the question. Not a reason to buy now, but nice if it happens. Exciting times!
Cheers.
John Brawley this is really impressive…..lens flare at 3:40 looks beautiful and then top left is a light bulb shining brightly just highlighting the wall. Can see under the table, surface of the road, detail in the faces.
How much better can it get ?
Now we’re talking! Thanks so much John. The footage looks great. For a $3K camera, the dynamic range and sharpness are jaw dropping. I’m assuming this was all natural light with maybe some bounce?
No bounce. All available light. And creative staging. 😉
jb
plenty shallow dof. who says the sensor is too small to achieve this. love the picture quality overall and appreciative of the effort with this video. i agree that the light was captured amazingly by you and the camera. thanks again!
Absolutely awesome. I asked my daughter if she thought it looked like a movie, and she said that it looked more like “real life” than a movie (because of the pervasive color tinting in H’wood). The highlights and DR and color are superb. I couldn’t dare ask for more for $3k.
Thanks, John.
I suspect I will get shot down for this, but ( here goes ), if you want the film look, get a film camera
Its not about the kit, its what you do with it:
http://www.zacuto.com/shootout-revenge-2012/revenge-great-camera-shootout-part-one
Thanks John for your efforts, hope you get to keep the camera as payment for your work.
Looks great John … thank you … Can’t wait to shoot with it ..
This look great, i cant wait to have one of this toys.
I DO see some aliasing though, in the garage lines at 4:05.
Aliasing ? Not that I can see on that shot, but maybe you have better eyes than me !
jb
I see it too 🙂 but its not so crucial as for me 🙂
Bravo for even leaving comments open John, though I AM impressed that you asked no-one to complain about your steadicam skills and no-one has.
Wow. Amazing! I’m sold. Thank, John! 😀
Looks beautiful! Why the choice to use an ND and boost the ISO? Could you not have shot at the minimum ISO and opened the iris?
Hi John,
can you publish DNG file (just one frame)? or it’s impossible because the issue with apple?
thanks!
Not Yet.
Love it! Everything looks fantastic, just the natural look I’m hoping for.
One problem though: there’s a dead pixel. About 25% from left, nearly 50% from the top. It’s there the whole time, but it’s most clearly visible at 3.19. Once seen, it can never be unseen. Not obvious if you’re not viewing at 100% though.
Hi.
Not sure about that. Bit strange because it’s black, Normally dead pixels are white. I’ll have to chase that up. This is still a pre-prod hand built prototype camera too I should add at this point.
John, a dead pixel never shows light (dark) and a stuck pixel always shows light (typically red, blue or green) and finally, a hot pixel is white, basically containing 3 sup pixels always off (tn) or on (MVA/PVA panels) allowing light to pass through to the RGB layer.
yup, see it. Well, hopefully they have good mapping. I had to send my 5dmkII in a month after I got it – I had like red stuck pixels. They sent it back to me after mapping them out.
It can happen. Over time as well. Also when you travel with a camera on aeroplanes it increases the chance of getting stuck pixels because of the increase in cosmic background radiation.
In other words, over time, there are increased chances of getting stuck pixels for lot’s of reasons. Not saying that’s whats happened here of course, but just that even if you had a perfect sensor, you inevitably get stuck or dead pixels. All cameras have a routine that looks to map out dead pixels so you don’t see them. I”ll have to wait to hear what’s going on here form BMD.
jb
I was just thinking, if the sensor is 2.5K and it gets down sampled or summed or whatever you want to call it (basically you are sampling several “sensor pixels” to make a single “image pixel”) to get 1080p ProRes, then would a dead pixel on the sensor even show up like this? Wouldn’t it show up something more like an oddly colored pixel in the final. Just thinking out loud…
It has BMD scratching their heads as well.
jb
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John, 3:44 is my favorite shot, second is your Steadicam with the sun coming through. Anyway, thanks for this! In that 3:44 shot, we see the light bulb, detail of the room, sun, diffused glass, great color, great detail. I’m watching Hulu TV shows as I write this, and that scene is money, would cut in to any movie or major professional set.
I wish I could of been there to whip out the 5dmkII while you were there to get a comparison. I know there wouldn’t be much, it would be cool to see the Canon kicked in the pants! 🙂 That would be a hard shot for it.
I have plans for a 5d comparison. i’ve done a few which I can’t release. Kicked in the pants is an understatement.
jb
Wonderful! I am looking forward to those, thank you for sharing with us John. I can’t believe I’ll have a legit cinema camera soon. I knew I made the right choice 🙂 Two years ago, I was anti ‘smaller’ sensors (which this isn’t even considered too small), but then I actually learned some things beyond the popular opinions and I am really glad I have invested in this!
And while I am sitting here patiently waiting for the delivery van to drop off my new BMC……how cool are the actors Ian and Ella…..reckon Ian Meadows was excellent in The Birth of Cleo.
I’m really glad you mentioned Ian. He’s a bloody talented bugger. He Acts…but he also WRITES and DIRECTS….
jb
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It seems there is a purple fringe around the actor’s shirt at 03:09. I’m pretty impressed with the dynamic range.
Thanks John. It looks incredible. To my eye, the dynamic range is definitely on a par with a Red or Alexa and that was only a Prores file. The image also looks very clean!
I’ve spent a lot of time looking at Alexa DPX’s shot lately and they look mighty similar! I hope BMD manage to get the first batch of units out the door shortly.
This is mighty! Thanks for sharing.
Of interest perhaps, I have a test clip series 5dmk2 + Mosaic Engineering Optical Anti-Ailasing Filter. 24mm. Nikon. F8 – F16 100 iso, clear sky, mid afternoon. A transformed camera.
Wow, this piece contains some of the most beautiful images out of this camera so far. I’d love to see the 5D comparison. Does the autofocus work already by the way?
thanks for this John
This will be a great camera for those that use it for cinema, but most of us will end up on youtube and a few on TV, both of whom compress footage. Perhaps then, we won’t see the best of this thing unless we go to the theatre?
@alanbstardmp That depends on what you think of as ‘best’. If you think viewing it uncompressed in LOG with a LUT applied is best then you’re correct, BUT the advantage of the BMD comes in the Dynamic Range, and superior colour information, not just resolution – if you look at this clip you won’t see one shot where something is badly exposed or is banding due to colour issues. When you compress that 2.5k or even HD plate down, you’re still going to retain the nice exposure and latitude you wouldn’t otherwise get.
All that’s lost is bitdepth and perceivable resolution – but thats the same as watching a Bluray or DVD at home.
ah OK thanks Luke
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I see you used the canon 15-85 EF-S lense.
Did you have to use a converter or can you use all canons EF-S lenses ?
Awesome footage by the way!
-Joel
No converter. You can use any EF-S lens.
jb
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John, this is beautifully shot. Regardless of the camera. I really admire you’re “natural light” aesthetic. It’s so different from what I see coming out of Hollywood and I love it for that. Thanks!
JB wrote.. “I was very happy with the way the camera handled the contrast. We often and shots where direct sun was hitting the cast and although I would try to avoid these scenarios in the staging, you can see sometimes you just have to suck it up…”
John..what is wrong with direct sunlight ? To some it looks better…more contrasty.
As long as you have camera and actors that can handle it. Which you do here.
Well at least if you avoid the harsh directly straight down beams of high noon – 2:00PM
Direct sunlight is always very unforgiving, even when you have a camera that can soak a lot of high contrast like this one.
This shoot was very “DOGME” Normally, I would try to fly something overhead to soften the sunlight, or use bounce and negative to create a more pleasing shape.
But we were shooting with no crew, no permits and we had a LOT to do. This is what we needed up with. Bad steadicam-ing and all.
And direct sun from the middle of the day.
jb
Did the footage get removed? I don’t see it in any browser?
try google chrome
I don’t know why, but now the footage is here. It was just “Pieces” that was not loading. A few hours later and it showed up.
Oh, looks great.
I’ll just keep spinning in circles until mine appears.
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So how was the crop factor, in terms of difficulty to maneuver? Did you find it annoying? What was the overall experience for you and what are some pros/cons to the camera in terms of ease of use? Sorry for all the questions, I’m in the market and BMCC is top atm.
The BMCC’s crop factor is about 1.6 compared to S35 motion picture cameras, and about 2.3 compared to a full-frame digital still camera. The first comparison is perhaps the more meaningful one for filmmakers.
So, for example, mounted on a BMCC the FOV of a Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 DSLR zoom lens at its wide end is about the same as a 18.5mm lens on a S35 camera. If that’s not wide enough, one might use the slower but wider Sigma 8-16mm DSLR zoom lens for a FOV comparable to an 13mm lens on a S35 cam. There are many other lenses, including cinema-style primes, that can be used on a BMCC.
On a related note, someone noted that the BMCC’s shape allows it to be backed up into a corner or against a wall to yeild as wide a view as possible. Obviously you must leave room to poke its LCD touchscreen with your finger, but it’s an interesting thought. Cheers.
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Looking very promising indeed. Can you comment on rolling shutter issues, did you find any at all?
I can’t seem to see any jello effect, did you try to avoid it or is there none there to avoid in the first place?
loved it was great john..the camera is a game changer no doubt..richness of film look thumbs up!
Hello. What ASPECT RATIO in this camera? I think its 16:9 in this video. Its not for cinema its for HDTV.
I guess you can argue that. But it’s very day to get 1.85 from 16×9. Unless of course you’re in Europe where they like 1.66 more….or even 2.35….!
jb
Thank you John
Thanks, John, for all of this work to serve us. I suppose you feel the eyes of all of us upon you. In case the others didn’t quite say it well enough: we really appreciate all of the work you have put in to shoot, edit, grade, compress and post these clips for us. Right now you are ‘the only game in town’, and this camera looks really, really good. You have shot quite a few shots that really stress the light latitude of the camera, and many of us can see it.
Steadicam is really tough unless you are quite wide or very close to your subject. Only when you try it yourself do you appreciate how good the pro steadicam operators really are!
Most folks would have used some bounce or light on some of your shots in the latest short, but we understand what you are doing. Again, many thanks, and power on with your shooting!
Location guesses:
— car accident is down the road from Australian Technology Park in Everleigh
— next scene is off Broadway, as you’re going up to Broadway Shopping Centre?
— not sure where next park scene is
— cafe is in Camperdown
Correct..mostly…
jb
Ok, the park location is basically next to the cafe (says my partner). It’s where Camperdown Bowling Club is situated. What do I win?
A date with me at that cafe.
Not enought shallow dof, could be a trouble for storytelling 🙂 but amazing dynamic range!
In 3:40 is it only practicals or did you set up a fill light?
Tnx
NP
Since it was shot with T8 or higher, you can still get more DOF is you want with going down to 2.8 or something. I personally prefer using a more closed iris so you can see the background while it’s still out of focus like in 0:50. You see the talent in focus and can tell that she is standing on a long street while she still is the area of interest (she is in focus) storytelling wise.
With a T2.8 you would just see blurred shapes (harshly speaking) and the picture wouldn’t have that much dimension towards the end of the street. But that’s just taste I guess. It’s good thou that you have the option to get more DOF if you want to.
Nacon, how much DoF do you want?
If you go to 2.8 you will get this nasty fringe/abberation artifact.(on my canon lenses at least, but i guess on the Zeiss lenses its the same story 🙂 ) I also like apperture closed to 8 or smth. like that… anyway this camera is realy realy good product for 3K but a little bit larger sensor wouldnt be a bad thing 😉
All lenses have some personality. Some more than others. When you spend more, you tend to get better performance at wider apertures.
jb
This changes everything!
Thanks for posting this John, it looks very promising.
Nice skin tones, natural colour, good detail, impressive dynamic range, no aliasing or moire (that I can see) and more than enough control over depth of field to satisfy everyone labouring under the misapprehension that ultra shallow depth of field makes something look filmic. I’ll be very interested to shoot something with this camera.
Hi John,
Just wondering if you’ve used battery packs or external batteries on any shoots, and if so, what ones?
Cheers
The BMCC will work with most any 12-30VDC source via an appropriate cable.
For example, see some of JB’s test rigs, from bare bones to semi-elaborate:
http://twitter.com/#!/brawlster/media/slideshow?url=pic.twitter.com%2F88Gvjaw9
http://twitter.com/#!/brawlster/media/slideshow?url=pic.twitter.com%2FAHvXjiim
http://twitter.com/#!/brawlster/media/slideshow?url=pic.twitter.com%2F9UyVZlwi
http://twitter.com/#!/brawlster/media/slideshow?url=pic.twitter.com%2F2g6qCw8j
Excellent stuff John, very helpful and nicely done.
Are we sure the dynamic range is exactly 13 stops, or is it slightly 13+ (Looks very Alexa to me)?
I’d also like to say that I’ve read just about all the comments regarding the cameras DOF, “Crop Factor” etc… I’ve found comparing the BMDCC sensor to the S35mm size sensor is the best real world way to understand “CROP FACTOR” conversion, not FF. I’ve never owned a 5DM2, but I am a relative newbie. Thanks, John! (btw, this footage greatly reminded me of the show Psyhc)
*BMDCC 1.6x crop compared to s35*
I never believe what a camera manufacturer tells me their Dynamic range is. You have to test it for yourself. I can tell you this. For the way I work and light, it’s *almost* as good as an Alexa.
jb
Hi John,
Was the noise under the Startlet at 37 seconds on the original footage or was this introduced in post?
You can usually see this kind of fixed pattern noise when you lift the blacks of the camera beyond normal. Now the camera has a wide dynamic range. You’re seeing the point where the dynamic range is bottom out and intend of black you’re getting the black calibration of the sensor.
In this case I DONT think this is what’s happening.
I think what you’re seeing is where the blacks run out because the sensor has run out or DR and you’re left with that kind of noise. It’s no longer useful shadow information. In the grade I probably should have paid a bit more attention and crushed the blacks by half a percent till it disappeared.
This shot is a very difficult shot. It’s backlit and I’m trying to hold (largely succeeding) specular highlights, in an image that also has a lot of shadow. That’s a huge ask of any camera.
In a camera that was doing more processing in camera, you’d just have those values down there in the blacker than what the sensor can capture values turn to solid black.
In a camera like this, you need to pay attention and remember to do it…or choose to leave it in for the marginal shadow information that’s there in near black.
That’s as near as my LAY understanding of how it works.
You get everything, including the marginal stuff normally truncated by other cameras. This is really a grading choice by me to leave more information IN than I probably should from a camera that gives you everything.
Post is CRUCIAL to getting the most from this camera.
jb
Oh by the way, I saw your interview on PVC. Where can i get that shoulder rig behind you and how much is it.
It’s a very expensive rig called a MovieTube PR. It’s more expensive for the camera. it’s actually made for the Canon 5Dmk2. It’s not great for the BMD, but it was all I had. Right now I have two great rigs. ONe from Bebob and one from Viewfactor.
jb
Hey John, Thank you for all your hard work on the BMCC, much appreciated! I have a question but I’m not sure if it’s been answered already…. Do you know if it is possible or have you tried to use a Thunderbolt to HDMI cable to get a video out signal out of the camera.
Any info greatly appreciated.
Ibrahim
I don’t think it’s a simple thing like an adaptor cable,
jb
You’ll need to run the signal through something like this: http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/miniconverters/techspecs/ if you want to use your HDMI monitors and EVFs with the BMCC. No HDMI is frustrating seeing as most of the early adopted of this will be DSLR users who all have HDMI accessories. Still, it’s not exactly a deal breaker.
Thanks a lot. Is it also possible to make a screen capture of your DaVinci settings as well for the POOL SHARK close ups as well as the JFK ARCHIVE LOOKING SHOTS on the very first ocean clip you uploaded (the one with the guy with red hair in the light blue shirt)? Still waiting for the info and pricing on the awesome shoulder rig.
Hi Again,
The Bebob and the Viewfactor seem to be great cages for the BMD camera but which shoulder kit do you recommend? I’d love to be able to move the camera around like an old DSR 570. Also do you know of any optical viewfinder add-on that’s compatible with the BMD?
I haven’t really tested any hand held rigs specifically made for the camera. There are some challenges here because the screen is generally going to be in the wrong position to view if the camera is in a shoulder rig.
For that to be successful, there needs to be a viewfinder, be it an EVF or a screen.
jb
Hi Again
May I ask why you deleted my comment where I asked if it was possible to convert the thunderbolt signal into a HDMI video out.
Many thanks
Ibrahim
I didn’t. First time posters are moderated for SPAM protection.
jb
Thank you John, apologies my mistake.
Sorry guys, but all of the footage so far has looked flat and average. Does not make me want to buy this camera. Who cares about on paper specs and a RAW workflow, if the final output is average and flat?! Check out Philip Bloom’s review of the 5D MKIII. (http://vimeo.com/39292404) Once graded and sharpened, looks MUCH better then anything Mr. Brawley has posted. Just sayin!
These cameras directly compete with each other in some ways and in others are worlds apart. Some people like the full frame look and experience. If that’s the most important thing to you as an image maker then the 5Dmk3 is there waiting for you. You’re not going to get that look from this camera.
There’s no one camera to rule them all. You should choose the camera that you feel best services the story for the budget and resources you can allow.
The footage here is not review footage. I’m a working cinematographer who’s been “allowed” to share some of the footage I’ve shot. I haven’t set out to specifically review the camera and that’s not what I do for a living.
jb
Indies go on an on about shallow DOF. They overdo it. I own a 5D and it’s a focus puller’s nightmare, The people that use them for vid moan about moire and rolling shutter, and at the same time praise a shitload of mps. It is these high mps and also the large single sensor that are there for still photo use, and are counterproductive for vid. 2.2-4 mp is plenty for vid, and the large single sensor contributes to the vid problems. Real camcorders have 2 or 3 smaller sensors
The DSLR vid users do not seem to realize the built in technical contradictions here. If they are insistent on using DSLR for vid, they should be praying for as little mps as possible. Of course that won’t happen as that will be counterproductive for stills on a stills camera. They also totally disregard audio, which is 50% of yer vid
The big sensor bulldust goes a little too far too. S35, even 4/3 can give good DOF
I’m curious… How you are viewing this footage? On an old CRT monitor? This footage has significantly greater spatial resolution, near film-like dynamic range, and has excellent color rendition. Color grading is a choice. This footage may not blow your socks off, but because it’s 12bit, 4:4:4 color space, you can manipulate this image to your little hearts content without horrendous DSLR -like compression artifacts. This is some of the best footage I’ve seen south of $15,000! Plus you can always sharpen it in post if you’re going for that GH2 look. 🙂
Do you not that a simple external recorder can offer the same stuff as the BMCC… apparently not… many DSLR include clean HDMI that is better than what offer BMCC with a single HD-SDI that is limited to 4:2:2 low bit…
Also the color grading was no made with the BMCC but with the davinci software… you do the same with a DSLR you have the same result, same for the color space.. everything like that can be made in post production… the camera is just here to capture your frame that all… the big part is the post prod…don’t forget about that..
BMCC is for me a piece of shit that they try to sell because they can’t correctly sell davinci, they made a toy that you can use davinci…
Not quite… A “simple” ($345-995) external recorder (which at the least expensive end is made by Blackmagic, btw) does sends out a “clean” signal through the HDMI port at 10 bit 4:2:2, (1024 colors) far less than the 12bit 4:4:4 (4096 colors), which then records to either uncompressed or, you guest it, ProRes files. I would argue that the 10bit 4:2:2 is acceptable, except I can only think of a few DSLR’s that actually allow for this (Nikon D4, D800, GH2), not “many” of them.
Further more, professionals use post production software programs for editing and for their primary and secondary color grade (not relying solely on the in-camera image). Divinci resolve is one of the best, at a cost of $995 by itself, but here it’s included for free.
Why would Blackmagic go out of their way to give us this incredible camera at such an astonishing price point? Because they want to sell “shit” products? Really? Or perhaps they saw an unfulfilled need in the low budget indie film world and wanted to create a tool that allowed for enhanced creative control? Maximized post editing potential? And yes, while utilizing their top quality color editing software.
Reality check: Sub $3000 DSLR ‘s (currently) cannot compete with the latitude that is normal reserved for cameras costing far more! You can spend loads of extra time trying to light a scene, cranking up the fill light in an attempt to emulate film-like latitude, but in the end you’re still limited by your 8-10 stops of latitude (dynamic range). This may work for what you’re doing, and that’s okay, because there is “no camera to rule them all”… Just expanding choices, revealing creative possibilities!
Thanks for the feedback
Is there some aliasing at 1.11 on the cranes cables? I can’t see any anywhere else in the video, but looks really bad on those cables. Or are the cables made of some kind of braid and not smooth?
Would love to see the rig you used to film that little clip (with the cam on etc ) waiting for my BM to be delivered
Hi John, any chance you’ve tested the audio on this camera? If so how was the performance? Thanks
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Hi John enjoyed your wotk thus far, I am about to purchase a film camera, I narrowed it down to two, The Blackmagic and the Panasonic agaf100. doe’s one have a greater advantage over the other one? I need help! I’m new to this proffession
Hello Mike.
I used to own two af100s. I sold them not long after I first saw the BMCC. But I am mainly doing drama. I think the AF100 is better suited to event and doco style work generally. Of course you can find ways to make the most of either of these cameras but for overall DR and image quality the BMCC shines. But it also asks a lot of you from a post point of view too. Have you looked at what your editorial requirments would be ? Can you keep up with the amount of data backup required ?
Seriously you call that a cinema camera (i’m a film director)
Let me tell you something and i hope you don’t gonna censure my post
-The body of this product is Fragile, you can break all the camera easily
-Touchscreen is not good for cold/hot weather, hello fingerprint, fixed lcd that you can’t move…
-Don’t have any amovible battery
-You need to use SSD card that cost so much more than compact or SDXC (the SSD
is more fragile than SDXC)
– No high speed
– No Slow motion
– Fake raw that use a internal compression from the company… but anyway
-HD-SDI seriously you see many indie director that have this ?… not even a alternative
HDMI etc… that can offer a real 4:4:4 also only single HD-SDI bye bye possibility 4:4:4 raw
-I know a DSLR can beat the dynamic range from the BMCC but i know that some people will cry because i critic the BMCC product
-Sponsoring by Apple ?…
-Rolling shutter that is so visible
-Chromatic Aberation that also so visible more than many DSLR
-Too Expensive for what they offer…
-It would be nice telling the true… the BMCC can’t do more than 8/10bit 4:2:2 raw…
-no Weatherproof
– No good Shallow Dof
-the color grade are just here to clean the default 😉
-really bad in lowlight…
-Never see a real comparaison
-Too much crop
-etc…
Now let’s check the price
-2999$ (the same price in euro because they don’t like the conversion)
-Good lens for this camera not under 800$
-You need a external mic that need to be good to capture the sound
again not under 400$
-If you want to really exploit by Apple sheep product (more than 2000$)
-Buy all the cable you need (100$)
-Good SSD cost more than 300$
-Extra accessories to hold the camera -> 150$
I can continue but in final it can cost more than 5000$… for a camera that have a low cost hardware, bad fixed screen, no good features, etc..
A simple D800 FF, better body etc… that offer more better than that with clean hdmi 4:4:4/4:2:2 raw + recorder atomos… for less price thant that mmm
Also… the new A99 is coming that probably gonna be the same than the D800, etc…
For me the BMCC is too expensive for what they give… not just because it can record in raw that mean is good enough… 2.5K come on in reality you won’t see any difference, also even the GH2 offer a better quality… all what we see in here is more a pub for Davinci and the color grading, the product BMCC suck badly and all the video i saw can be better on a Micro 4/3/APS-C or FullFrame
I can continue a long time talking all about the defaut of this camera… even the Panasonic X900 or the Sony
Anyone who has picked up the camera knows that this is a false claim. Care to tell us where you picked up the body to be able to know enough to actually make this claim ?
Doesn’t seem to be a problem for iPhones, iPads, or RED EPIC cameras, SI 2K cameras (both feature touch screens)
Alexa Doesn’t have a removable battery. In fact. It doesn’t have a battery at all. Neither does a RED MX. Or a Sony F65.
the cost per Gb stored.
240Gb Sandisk SSD = $214. $0.89 per gig.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/857319-REG/SanDisk_SDSSDX_240G_G25_Extreme_Solid_State_Drive.html
64Gb Sandisk SD card = $162.95. $2.54 per gig
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/824149-REG/SanDisk_SDSDXPA_064G_A75_Extreme_Pro_64GB_SDHC_SDXC.html
Looks like an SSD is less than half the cost per gig to buy.
I think you’re repeating yourself. Most people know it only does 30 FPS. What are you comparing it to ?
Laughably wrong. How do you back up this ridiculous claim ?
Last I checked every professional camera on the market used HDSDI. HDMI is a consumer connector designed for connecting your television at home and has no place on a film set. Again, really interested to see how you get 4:4:4 RAW over HDMI. Tell me which camera you can do that with ?
How would you know unless you’ve tested a camera. You haven’t so you’re actually lying and spreading disinformation.
Are they ? Really ? You’re sounding pretty foolish now. If that was the case wouldn’t it have an apple logo on it ? What other companies to Apple “sponsor” ?
It has a rolling shutter that’s about the same as a 5Dmk3. Which costs more. I don’t think that’s ever been hidden.
You’re making stuff up again. CA is a function of optics. You know. The lens on the front of the camera. NOTHING at all to do with the camera.
The camera does 10bit 422 (HQ) ProRes. or 10 bit DNx. Or 12 bit DNG. Once again, please provide some evidence to back up your made up rubbish.
Compared to ????
yep. Everything’s in razor sharp focus on all the demo clips.
I don’t know what you mean.
is it ?How do you know this ? You haven’t tested it. The ISO goes to 1600.
You can do your own own given you’ve clearly been using the camera extensively.
You’ve already complained about the shallow DOF. Your’e repeating yourself.
I guess the camera isn’t for you.
Stick to your D800 friend. The more you post the more stupid you look.
jb
He’s just trolling. No one is this stupid.
“He’s just trolling. No one is this stupid.” – I think this maybe true statement, sadly. I think some people learn through being argumentative. Education through negativity, I think they call it the school of hard-knocks. Eventually they learn… Through trial and error, after error, after error.
Wow John
you are good in arguments. i did’t expect that, you will be answering to all points.
you just smashed it..
your work is nice.
nevermind, can you please post a link to your online portfolio (vimeo, youtube, tumblr, whatever), so we can all appreciate the glorious work you’ve produced with your Nikon D800’s uncompressed 4:4:4 RAW images? Would truuuely love to see something that defies logic. Thanks! 😀
Perhaps just a link to the imdb page for this ‘film director’? 🙂
Hi Nevermind: Here’s a handy tip: Avoid posting to the internet while drunk/plastered/stoned/smashed/etc. You’ll may come across sounding somewhat less like an ignorant troll. Unless of course sounding like an ignorant troll is your goal?
Hope not, because you seem like you may have a brain. But >99% of your “facts” about DSLRs and the BMCC are wrong. You’re right about the weathersealing on high-end DSLR & certain lenses, I’ll give you that. Please do more research. A good place to start is http://www.bmcuser.com. Cheers!
For what it’s worth, I think trolls have their place. John Stuart Mill in On Liberty suggests that if there’s no dissenting opinion, one should create one — debate is healthy. Even a correct opinion gets complacent if it isn’t challenged.
I personally learnt a lot from John’s generous reply to Nevermind. So, thank you very much, John, for taking the time to answer point by point. And thank you, Nevermind, for provoking John’s answer.
It’s one thing to have a dissenting opinion, it’s quite another when the so-called “facts” of that opionion are entirely baseless.
If you want the true objective CONS of this camera, here’s a short list:
If your a “low budget” film maker or hobbyist, this camera may or may not be for you, if…
1. You have limited processing power, and, or limited data resources. This camera records at 5 MB/frame in RAW 2.5K = 30 minutes of 24p video on a 256 GB SSD.
2. You have a need for an ultra wide field of view (FOV). This camera is great at getting you telephoto, but you desire an ultra wide FOV, you may be limited.
3. You require a super shallow depth of field. When partial to shooting scenes where you desire only an eyeball, or ear, or nose, in perfect focus, and can’t afford a s35mm sized sensor B-cam.
4. You’re financially able to consider a more expensive cam, and you require a cam capable of docu style run and gun, then maybe a camera like a C300 is better for you. This cam, like all CMOS cams in this price range suffer from the rolling shutter issue. Apples to apples, it’s fine, but if you have an extra $13,000 dollars in you pocket for a camera body, maybe give it some thought.
5. You’re always shooting outside of studio environments with no artificial light, in dark places. This cam has a max ISO setting of 1600, which in the world of staged cinema is spot on! However, if you’re a low budget guerrilla film maker, with the sensibilities of David Fincher, with a zero lighting budget after you purchase this camera, then consider your budget, and, or buy some portable lighting gear.
6. Slow motion is an intricle part of what you do. This camera will not give you high FPS, so if you can afford an fs700 ($5,000 more), or you slowmo is an absolute deal breaker for you, and you don’t have the option of a b-cam at 60fps, then consider a better all-in-one package that fits your specific needs.
To Summarize…
Possible CONS to those on a limited budget:
1. DATA HANDLING
2. ULTRA WIDE FOV
3. SUPER DOF
4. ROLLING SHUTTER (not apples to apples)
5. EXTREME LOW LIGHT CAPABILITY
6. HIGH FPS
If you’re answers to these CONS are as follows, then perhaps this camera IS for you:
1. I have a system that can handle the data storage and processing
2. I rarely shoot ultra wide shots, I’m usually inside the scene
3. I like things to be more in focus, like an actual movie
4. I except that CMOS sensors suffer from this, and I’ll work around it
5. I have/will investing in a lighting kit so that I can properly light my scene
6. When I occasional require a faster frame rate, I’ll borrow/rent a cam that does it
Now get out there, use your science, tell some stories! 😀
A really really good summary of the Pros and Cons.
Thanks for posting.
jb
Blackmagic have a reputation for product perfection (used worldwide). They have no reason to make and distribute inferior products.
@nevermind
hahahaahahahaha…
@johnbrawley
don’t feed trolls…
@johnbrawley
when can we expect some DNG and prores DNXHD files from BD…
As soon as the camera is signed off and shipping. Which should be really really soon.
Lemac (Melb) estimate release date to be within the next 3 months. Better to sort any issues now rather than later, unlike other manufacturers who rely on users to sort issues
Hey John! I was just wondering can you use M42 lenses
(with adapter) in BMCC?
I don’t know. If you can get an EF adaptor I imagine they would work.
jb
I am using an m42 adapter on my 550D. You can find it on eBay for around 12 Euro. Works very good. Since the BMCC is made for Canon lenses it should work too.
I cannot get over the incredible Dynamic range this camera Has! Despite it being a small sensor, the DOF is definitely Shallow enough for me. It really is on a whole new level compared to any DSLR. I’m dying to try this camera with a great lighting set up indoors and looks like I won’t have to do any bounce lighting outdoors! You wouldn’t happen to be posting this video on youtube would you? I’d be interested in seeing how well the image quality stands up to youtube’s horrible compression
Right, isn’t it awesome! Either way, the compression on youtube (or any compression for that matter) won’t affect the dynamic range, only the resolution. Like any camera footage though, you can sometimes get banding.
This camera should be explained “For indoor use only”.
The crop factor serious issue was exposed by this footage.
What are you saying?
I heard a word on the grapevine, September is now a more likely release date.
Hi John,
I’ve seen Puberty Blues clips showing up on youtube. Could you tell me which scenes it was used on which intercut with Alexa footage? I would also like to find out whether you used 3.5k Raw from the Alexas or pro res.
There aren’t any BMD shots in the first episode as far as I’m aware.
We shot ProRes with the Alexa. i don’t know many who would want to shoot RAW with the Alexa. ProRes gives you the DR, and a lot less cost and hasstle with expensive external recorders with fragile BNC connections !
Alexa RAW isn’t very suited to fast turnaround TV.
jb
By IT i mean the BMD Cinema Camera. By the way, do you have any idea what “tweaks” are being made on the camera
They are constantly adjusting the camera’s software. Right now I think the imaging part is pretty much done. Most of the work is on the features of the camera itself.
jb
You’re such a tease, JB! 🙂
No, seriously, thanks for everything. Cheers!
Thank you John, for posting this.
I do not know why, but till 03:03 it’s completely video.
Ok, from 03:03 – cinema.
🙂
I think I agree with “dns” . This particular sample feels more video in a way that can not be totally explained. It seems strange because all the previous samples posted by John Brawley have an amazing film quality.
I agree with you, not just till 03:30min but all the video length have that video look. I think it’s because this one is 25fps and the shutter angles (speeds) used reduced the motion blur that we saw in those 3 first samples, but probably John can answer to this better than me…
John could you tell us your opinion on this?
Thanks!
I’d like to further point out that this particular sample does not have the robust cinematic look of the previous excellent samples. Taking into consideration “xavier’s” comment, 25fps and shutter angles could probably be the case. Plus maybe a different kind of color adjustment at post. What impresses about this camera as far as the John Brawley samples that we’ve seen is an overall filmic look which is by far better than any dslr out there. But here I think we are somewhat disappointed. It would also be interesting to have an analytical comparison of Blackmagic with the 3 times more expensive and not 2.5k ikonoskop camera which also uses the DNG and Raw files approach through a CCD sensor and has also arguably one of the most impressive cinematic looks right now alongside Blackmagic. If John Brawely has any opinion about all this we would like to hear.
Antonios I think you’re in a minority when you say you’re disappointed about the quality of the camera. I honestly can only see a camera shooting with NO LIGHTING in very high contrast Australian sunshine and doing a pretty amazing job. I’m trying to discern what you mean when you say it looks like “video”.
jb
Hi John,
I think what makes it look like “video” is the just the motion.
could you tell us what shutter angles did you use?
I guess some people are more motion sensitive than others.. I really notice a difference between the first ones shot at 24fps (172.8º shutter ) and this one and all I’d like to know is your opinion on this..is this the cause?
Everything else looks amazing to me.
thanks!
Dear John I am not dissapointed with the camera. All I said was that in this particular sample my eyes sensed a quality that had not the same filmic impact for me as all the excellent previous ones that you posted. Perhaps that had to do with how I perceived light contrast and color palette which made me feel that the particular video had a 20% or 30% “dslr” aesthetic. Maybe it had to do with motion as a whole. This was not the case simply from my own subjective point of view on all the samples posted by you before that. That the blackmagic camera does an amazing job is pretty evident from what I have witnessed so far.
Thanks for posting
Thanks for your tests John, I am definitely getting this camera, I think the FOV, for those worried about the crop factor and cannon lenses could be overcome by shooting with adapters such as the Panasonic AG-LA7200 Anamorphic, as seed in this test video shot with a RED Epic https://vimeo.com/37354801 and FOV comparism in this video https://vimeo.com/11274770
Is it possible for you to test it on the BMC please?
I don’t have access to one, but it would work fine.
I did something simialr a few years ago with the Si2K
Click to access Celestial_Review.pdf
jb
What do you think about using the BMCC on a glidecam HD-2000 (no vest)? Might be quite heavy.
I don’t have any glidecam experience. The camera is pretty heavy, even just by itself with a lens. Most are surprised at it’s heft when they pick it up for the first time.
jb
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You graded it well so to show us that dynamic range. It looks great, I can’t wait to try it.
Could not find your email on your website 😉 Love your stuff! 😀
You shot cp.2’s on a BMCC, did you use the “FotodioX Pro Lens Mount Adapter Arri PL to Canon EF” adapter?
I am shooting my thesis this quarter on the Black Magic Cinema Camera 4K. I’m wanting to use these lenses as my school has them readily available! But I know I need the adapter. Wondering which adapter worked well for you! Thanks!