This is way better than most "reviews". It's fantastic to see actual professional use case scenarios rather than just reading specifications off a page. RUclips really needs more of the former.
Thank you Tested from doing videos like this. So many shows shrink away from covering this kind of topic because they think their audience doesn't care. But we do!
i dont get it. You have to rig it up like other cinema cams like a RED f.e. A RED, which doesnt have a screen, mic, handle... isn´t good as a main camera too? The BMMCC is for professional use, which is very good for shoulder rigging, gimbals....everything you want. And the possibility of shooting 60fps in RAW in this price range is outstanding. One of the most flexible (affordable) systems out there.
I know this is super late, but I totally agree with you. Essentially all you need is a monitor and a lens and you have a pro level production camera that's small/light enough to literally mount to anything, can be used with very affordable c-mount glass, durable, easy to use with a gimbal, very fast rolling shutter, easy to travel with, etc. Just trying to decide between this and the Zcam M4
That's funny, just this morning I was researching this camera. Been a fan of Black Magic since they came out but never pulled the trigger and got one. I think I might hold off until their smaller cameras gain 4K and perhaps higher FPS. Not that I would need 120fps all the time but it's nice to have.
I agree with other comments this guy is sharp when it comes to explaining. I feel a little bit a hesitation in the voice but this is good. Keep it up. Gave me every single information I wanted to know about this camera in less than 10 minutes.
Being a guy with large hands(people can put my wedding band on their thumb) I understand what it's like to have problems with buttons. Pencil with an eraser. Helps a bunch.
That record button is like 10x the size of the video record button on like a Sony a6300...you almost need that SIM card tool that comes with iPhones to hit record...or just remap the button...
That looks like a really good solution for drone footage where you need raw footage. I hadn't head of it before this video but it really does look cool.
As a fan of this channel I was shocked when I saw the footage from Budapest. Hungary is so small I would have never thought Tested will ever visit my city. Thanks for making awesome videos and keep up with the good content. I hope there will be more on this channel about the tour to Budapest. It would be cool to hear what you think about the city.
liked the bit "you cannot operate buttons (at all) with gloves when filming" - but plug-in the cable and it connects to other external controller devices for film crew to operate
Good and informative video! Nice to see some behind the scenes stuff! I think a lot of us are interested in the filmmaking process, more videos like this would be appreciated!
Pocket and Micro are used mostly as an A-CAM when talking about upcoming and/or indie film makers. That argument "it's not just meant to be an a-cam because it's small" Is weird. This is way better A-cam than some GH4 or even Sony A7S. You rig it as much as you want and you can use it in shoulder, drone and especially gimbal use! This cams color science pars with Arri Mini and RED. Beat that. Hands down the best cam for gimbal use because of the weight and the expansion port.
Those micro cameras are really nice. I have used the Micro Studio version of it and it works really nicely. We use it in a church environment for static wide shots. For us having features like sdi output and remote control make it really convient to use. The lack of a screen has been a positive for us, in some cases if it had a screen it would present a distraction for the audience but without it is a lot more inconspicuous.
good project to 3d Print and adapter to make buttons easy to hit. like the fancy controller add-ons so you don't have to let go of a button to hit another
Yeah man, we've all been in that situation trying to navigate camera menus in the Arctic with gloves. It's always been a pain. I'm sure everyone can relate.
Personally I think it would be a good idea to document all the experiments and show those to the rest of us. Failures are as important as successes if not more so in many cases. Being able to watch someone else fail helps us understand what works and what doesn't. For that reason I would say, document the whole thing no matter what you do with it. That would be useful information...
Can't wait to see what you cook up for that expansion port. I"ve read of using arduino to do the functions (I think?) Looks like cool tech that is open to explore. Best wishes for the new year :)
For the button problem, 3D print a clip-on attachment that gives you a button assembly that's usable and simply pushes on to the buttons on the camera (a simple clip-on button extender)
Great information! I looked at this cam when they first announced it as a potential replacement for Gopros in situations like you mentioned. If it had WiFi and an app, it would be in my kit now. Maybe in the next rev. Meanwhile, I still need a cam like that.
This is pretty cool! I've been thinking about upgrading my specialty angle cam (panasonic GF5, it really, REALLY needs an upgrade) to something like this. Good info.
Great review Joey! Loved the idea of this camera for my drone footage with it's promised global shutter and s-bus remote control. Unfortunately the removal of a global shutter completely killed the whole point of using it on a drone and the "jello effect" that a conventional line by line reading sensor would produce, which you aluded to. Hopefully BMD can bring an update to it at some point and make it an awesome drone camera...
Blackmagic was initially supposed to implement Global Shutter into this camera. But they didn't for some reasons. I was really disappointed with that and didn't purchase the camera. Hope they come up with a successor that can live up to expectations this time.
The sensor readout is so fast on this it's pretty pointless to lose the dynamic range for global shutter. Been using it for years and haven't had to deal with jello.
I use this camera as my main camera, if you rig it up with the right lenses a monitor and custom remote it will kick the ass of almost any camera out there in its price range. It's a serious bit of kit, not for anyone who's not willing to learn a shit load about colour grading, raw file processing and also willing to learn how to use a fully manual video camera. Quick tip, an ND filter plus an IR/UV filter is essential.
Is it worth it to spend several hundred on a monitor or should I just use a USB host cable and pair it with my phone? I do this currently with my DSLR. Going to be purchasing one of these hopefully.
you don't have to spend several hundred on a monitor, there are plenty of cheap ones out there. but i would recommend it as you get the ability to apply custom grades to your footage so you can get an idea of how the final image will look once graded.
I noticed you're not using a UV/IR cut filter which really sucks with this camera. There is some serious IR issues if you don't use an IR cut. I really like the HOYA UV/IR filter. It brings the image back to normal so you don't get those terrible reds and browns.
now in 2023, if one like to get started small, no huge studio, but run and gun and set up something at home... is this micro camera set up still the best cinema style to go with? and the batteries you mentioned, can one use them somehow with the OG pocket camera as well? or what is the best battery pack solution for the OG pocket camera?
I've seen remotes wired up off the multi-pin connector. That connector sucks with the break out cable supplied, but you could solder up whatever you like for single use cables. nonsense about it not being a main camera, I have mine on an ergocine rig (looks like an aaton) no issues and the closest practical application of digital super-16 since the Ikonoskop DII.
Hi I'm trying to get into video production a bit more and I was wondering which camera could I buy that is not that expensive and give good results apart from this one??? Would much appreciate your recommendations!! Thanks !! Great video
Nice review, I'd definitely buy this camera if I really needed raw video for a good price (it would be just too awesome if it could also record 4K or UHD internally, though...). For now, I'm still happy with my GH4, which in good hands it's as good as some high-end cameras...
Have you played with the 4K version yet? I just got it, and while I agree with you that it may not be a great 'A' camera, I may try it as such. Its so much smaller than my Ursa. ;) Nice to see that FlapJack Studio LED light in there! :D
Hello! I got a lot of requests for where to buy Butyl at (that sticky good we used to attach the cameras). Here's the product I bought from amazon, but they also sell it at Expendable stores and film tools. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0155KELRW/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
How are you shooting your timelapses? Are you triggering it to take a still say every 5 seconds? Or are you just having it record video then speeding it up in post?
have you experience any issues with sd dropping frames? im using sandisk extreme pro 128gb and lately they drop frames randomly wonder if its the camera or the sd card.
Nice presentation thank you. I believe that the main usage of this camera isn't for a human behind but more, as you briefly indicated, for drones or robots. (This is why there is no screen at the back) The horror of the provided cables for switches / PWM input is that the GND wires are * RED*!!! Beware of this otherwise you may look for a very long time why your PWM signals aren't doing anything :-) The four so called "Analog" signal inputs" Have a double function: - They are like a switch input until the on board computer detect a PWM signal. Then it is fully compatible with standard RC receivers. - If you want to map more than four functions at any one time then you can map these to a serial common remote packets called S-Bus. Up to 15 functions can be mapped that way. The menu is really intuitive and you shouldn't have any problem with the function mapping. - Through the DB15 connector, you can power the camera as a 12V input exists. This will let you use the camera without the battery. This is very good for drone usage as it diminishes the flying weight. A regulated 5V output from the camera could be use to power the associated radio receiver as an example. - Thank you to the non obtrusive little switches, they can't be pushed by accident while flying or by some robot moving part. The HDMI output is directly compatible with many long range video transmitter RAK and others. If you want to test your composite video either PAL or NTSC video transmitter, there is a composite video output on the DB15! Great! Only concern was the slowness of the auto focus function. I made a custom gimbal for this camera with a four third short lens to fly under a drone. Henri
Why autofocus? I use the Laowa 7.5mm F2.0 non-fisheye manual lens and focus it at infinity. Even at fully open aperture anyting over 1 meter is sharp. This solves also the problem with S16 sensor crop. As for SBus controller I use the second prototype of "Inquisition", but it's strength are not manual lenses.
Hey what is the way to spell the stuff you guys used to mount the Micro on the dash? For about a year i was trying to find the video with this stuff and I've finally re-found it but can't work out the spelling to try to find it online!
7 years later, and I'm still using this camera. Still love it!
This is way better than most "reviews". It's fantastic to see actual professional use case scenarios rather than just reading specifications off a page. RUclips really needs more of the former.
I wanna see more of Joey! he's fantastic when it comes to video/photo production explanation!
I agree, Joey needs to get his own section on Camera & Photography gear and related stuff
I agree too.
Ditto
I love it when Joey gets to do these videos. Thanks Joey!
Agreed
Thank you Tested from doing videos like this. So many shows shrink away from covering this kind of topic because they think their audience doesn't care. But we do!
Why doesn't Joey get to do more of these? He's great at explaining these things and he's engaging too.
Joey needs to do more videos he is amazing at making these reviews
i dont get it. You have to rig it up like other cinema cams like a RED f.e. A RED, which doesnt have a screen, mic, handle... isn´t good as a main camera too? The BMMCC is for professional use, which is very good for shoulder rigging, gimbals....everything you want. And the possibility of shooting 60fps in RAW in this price range is outstanding. One of the most flexible (affordable) systems out there.
I know this is super late, but I totally agree with you. Essentially all you need is a monitor and a lens and you have a pro level production camera that's small/light enough to literally mount to anything, can be used with very affordable c-mount glass, durable, easy to use with a gimbal, very fast rolling shutter, easy to travel with, etc. Just trying to decide between this and the Zcam M4
I prefer this kind of episode to many of the recent Tested stuff. Keep this shit coming
That's funny, just this morning I was researching this camera. Been a fan of Black Magic since they came out but never pulled the trigger and got one. I think I might hold off until their smaller cameras gain 4K and perhaps higher FPS. Not that I would need 120fps all the time but it's nice to have.
Hold Fast there is a 4k model, you do need an external recorder for that...
its a studio cam though, not comparable to the cinema one at all
their new 2018 Pocket Cinema Camera sounds like the perfect option for you
Thank you for NOT having a music bed underneath the talking. Videos are so much more enjoyable this way.
I would absolutely love it if you did more reviews like this. This is easily one of the best reviews for camera gear I've seen in a while.
Could you do a video on Davinci Resolve?
Guess not...
Its so cool to listen to all of this when your learning it yourself. Especially when you understand everything he said.
So the conclusion I take from this is that all the magic really comes from Joey :)
Great review! We need more of Joey on this channel, he's got some cool/useful insight. Thanks Tested!
Some nice shots there, and interesting peaks at future Tested videos.
I agree with other comments this guy is sharp when it comes to explaining. I feel a little bit a hesitation in the voice but this is good. Keep it up. Gave me every single information I wanted to know about this camera in less than 10 minutes.
Joey is AWESOME in front of the camera (behind too). He is an asset to Tested, and should be having more airtime!
Being a guy with large hands(people can put my wedding band on their thumb) I understand what it's like to have problems with buttons. Pencil with an eraser. Helps a bunch.
I recently bought Sony RX100 V and you should see me try to use that thing with my gigantor hands lol!I feel your pain.
That record button is like 10x the size of the video record button on like a Sony a6300...you almost need that SIM card tool that comes with iPhones to hit record...or just remap the button...
I had the RX100V and sold it for that very reason. Too fiddly.
That looks like a really good solution for drone footage where you need raw footage. I hadn't head of it before this video but it really does look cool.
Fantastic review! Thanks, Joey!
As a fan of this channel I was shocked when I saw the footage from Budapest. Hungary is so small I would have never thought Tested will ever visit my city. Thanks for making awesome videos and keep up with the good content. I hope there will be more on this channel about the tour to Budapest. It would be cool to hear what you think about the city.
liked the bit "you cannot operate buttons (at all) with gloves when filming" - but plug-in the cable and it connects to other external controller devices for film crew to operate
you're even better than Philip Bloom in reviewing cine cams
Good and informative video! Nice to see some behind the scenes stuff! I think a lot of us are interested in the filmmaking process, more videos like this would be appreciated!
Pocket and Micro are used mostly as an A-CAM when talking about upcoming and/or indie film makers. That argument "it's not just meant to be an a-cam because it's small" Is weird. This is way better A-cam than some GH4 or even Sony A7S. You rig it as much as you want and you can use it in shoulder, drone and especially gimbal use! This cams color science pars with Arri Mini and RED. Beat that. Hands down the best cam for gimbal use because of the weight and the expansion port.
Those micro cameras are really nice. I have used the Micro Studio version of it and it works really nicely. We use it in a church environment for static wide shots. For us having features like sdi output and remote control make it really convient to use. The lack of a screen has been a positive for us, in some cases if it had a screen it would present a distraction for the audience but without it is a lot more inconspicuous.
Great video! Love hearing and learning about camera gear.
good project to 3d Print and adapter to make buttons easy to hit. like the fancy controller add-ons so you don't have to let go of a button to hit another
Nice informative review. Thanks!
one of my favourite videos ever
Really good info, thanks. Love that you showed your post workflow as well.
I found this a very useful review on deciding to purchase this camera. Thank you
Yeah man, we've all been in that situation trying to navigate camera menus in the Arctic with gloves. It's always been a pain. I'm sure everyone can relate.
Personally I think it would be a good idea to document all the experiments and show those to the rest of us. Failures are as important as successes if not more so in many cases. Being able to watch someone else fail helps us understand what works and what doesn't. For that reason I would say, document the whole thing no matter what you do with it. That would be useful information...
this camera looks perfect for in car shots specifically the top-gear driver talking shots.
Yep.
Now that's given me an idea...
Great Job Joey!
What is the sticky clay you used to mount the camera to the dashboard? Bugle?
I really enjoyed this video, informative and well paced. Its great to hear practical reviews of gear in real situations. thanks so much, great video
thx a lot for the review , i can now make up my mind to finally buy one
Thank you for the BTS Joey. I really appreciate these videos as someone getting into film making and learning the ropes. Love your work!
very clear and infomative for noobs like me who are interested in learning a bit of the gear!!
More of these behind the scenes videos on camera gear for us video/photo geeks!
Great video, great review.
Could glue raised bits to those flat buttons.
You should do more of these "camera tech guy" reviews! Or just like: "tips and tricks of the trade" stuff.
Great video
Great review! Lots of good info!
Can't wait to see what you cook up for that expansion port. I"ve read of using arduino to do the functions (I think?) Looks like cool tech that is open to explore. Best wishes for the new year :)
This is awesome! Thank you for sharing a peek behind the scenes. :D
1:54 BUDAPEST yeah!!! I came from Hungary. :)
Bergen én is.
Ki nem ?
@tested tip for the buttons in the cold sick like little plastic gems on the buttons or goggle eyes makes it much easier to press in the cold
For the button problem, 3D print a clip-on attachment that gives you a button assembly that's usable and simply pushes on to the buttons on the camera (a simple clip-on button extender)
Good fair review! Thanks.
Great video! You're an amazing host :D
Great information! I looked at this cam when they first announced it as a potential replacement for Gopros in situations like you mentioned. If it had WiFi and an app, it would be in my kit now. Maybe in the next rev. Meanwhile, I still need a cam like that.
love this type of video plz do more!
This is pretty cool! I've been thinking about upgrading my specialty angle cam (panasonic GF5, it really, REALLY needs an upgrade) to something like this. Good info.
Blobs of Sugru on the buttons?
Spotted :P
Great review Joey!
Loved the idea of this camera for my drone footage with it's promised global shutter and s-bus remote control. Unfortunately the removal of a global shutter completely killed the whole point of using it on a drone and the "jello effect" that a conventional line by line reading sensor would produce, which you aluded to.
Hopefully BMD can bring an update to it at some point and make it an awesome drone camera...
Cool!!! You were on the same trip as Ben Brown and Tim.
Blackmagic was initially supposed to implement Global Shutter into this camera. But they didn't for some reasons.
I was really disappointed with that and didn't purchase the camera.
Hope they come up with a successor that can live up to expectations this time.
The sensor readout is so fast on this it's pretty pointless to lose the dynamic range for global shutter. Been using it for years and haven't had to deal with jello.
Enjoyed the camera, and just sold it to someone who I believe will enjoy the camera as well.
I use this camera as my main camera, if you rig it up with the right lenses a monitor and custom remote it will kick the ass of almost any camera out there in its price range. It's a serious bit of kit, not for anyone who's not willing to learn a shit load about colour grading, raw file processing and also willing to learn how to use a fully manual video camera. Quick tip, an ND filter plus an IR/UV filter is essential.
Is it worth it to spend several hundred on a monitor or should I just use a USB host cable and pair it with my phone? I do this currently with my DSLR. Going to be purchasing one of these hopefully.
you don't have to spend several hundred on a monitor, there are plenty of cheap ones out there. but i would recommend it as you get the ability to apply custom grades to your footage so you can get an idea of how the final image will look once graded.
I noticed you're not using a UV/IR cut filter which really sucks with this camera. There is some serious IR issues if you don't use an IR cut. I really like the HOYA UV/IR filter. It brings the image back to normal so you don't get those terrible reds and browns.
Cool camera
Man you guys where here in Budapest, and I totally missed it. I would have love to talk with you...
now in 2023, if one like to get started small, no huge studio, but run and gun and set up something at home... is this micro camera set up still the best cinema style to go with? and the batteries you mentioned, can one use them somehow with the OG pocket camera as well? or what is the best battery pack solution for the OG pocket camera?
I've seen remotes wired up off the multi-pin connector. That connector sucks with the break out cable supplied, but you could solder up whatever you like for single use cables. nonsense about it not being a main camera, I have mine on an ergocine rig (looks like an aaton) no issues and the closest practical application of digital super-16 since the Ikonoskop DII.
hey adam i watched the edc video and you said you wanted to get a new light idk uf you got one but i would reccomend the outback ripper
did u guys went to Hungary? ,awesome.where can i see that footage ?
Kicsit meglepődtem Budapesten!
Hi love this camera but my concern is the autofocus, since there is no control for it how is it working out for you? thanks
What is the stuff he uses to stuck the cameras to the dashboards?
Very nice run-down, I no longer feel like I need to put my spare cash in an envelope till I can afford one. Good show.
Hi Joey! Would you please attach us some of your raw frames or scenes of Budapest or something. I like to try my LUTs with it. That would be awesome!
Hi I'm trying to get into video production a bit more and I was wondering which camera could I buy that is not that expensive and give good results apart from this one??? Would much appreciate your recommendations!! Thanks !! Great video
Would this be a good option for an overhead rig paired with the atem mini?
So with this is best to used a lens with a build in electronic stabilization ? as you said the lumix lens.. Still the way to go ? thanks
Nice review, I'd definitely buy this camera if I really needed raw video for a good price (it would be just too awesome if it could also record 4K or UHD internally, though...). For now, I'm still happy with my GH4, which in good hands it's as good as some high-end cameras...
The first tourist who said Budapest right. congrats
What's the battery powered HD monitor you are using? Any recommendations on getting one?
This camera could easily be used for narrative a-cam work.
Have you played with the 4K version yet? I just got it, and while I agree with you that it may not be a great 'A' camera, I may try it as such. Its so much smaller than my Ursa. ;)
Nice to see that FlapJack Studio LED light in there! :D
Hello! I got a lot of requests for where to buy Butyl at (that sticky good we used to attach the cameras). Here's the product I bought from amazon, but they also sell it at Expendable stores and film tools.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0155KELRW/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Stick little tabs into the buttons. Things that look like those slow release stickers people paste into their Fuji cameras.
oh man . Can I have the picture at 4:38? looks so good.
Hi. Do you think this camera could be used to monitor and record plays? It would be on practically all day for 6 days a week.
Sugru on the buttons would help for gloved use.
How are you shooting your timelapses? Are you triggering it to take a still say every 5 seconds? Or are you just having it record video then speeding it up in post?
I'm also interested in how the timelapse was done on it
I wanna see a new version of this with the Pocket 4K sensor, better battery option and an option to put the EV finder
Would you guys be able to test the Z E1 and compare it to the BMMCC?
have you experience any issues with sd dropping frames?
im using sandisk extreme pro 128gb and lately they drop frames randomly wonder if its the camera or the sd card.
sick vid
Nice presentation thank you. I believe that the main usage of this camera isn't for a human behind but more, as you briefly indicated, for drones or robots. (This is why there is no screen at the back)
The horror of the provided cables for switches / PWM input is that the GND wires are * RED*!!! Beware of this otherwise you may look for a very long time why your PWM signals aren't doing anything :-)
The four so called "Analog" signal inputs" Have a double function:
- They are like a switch input until the on board computer detect a PWM signal. Then it is fully compatible with standard RC receivers.
- If you want to map more than four functions at any one time then you can map these to a serial common remote packets called S-Bus. Up to 15 functions can be mapped that way. The menu is really intuitive and you shouldn't have any problem with the function mapping.
- Through the DB15 connector, you can power the camera as a 12V input exists. This will let you use the camera without the battery. This is very good for drone usage as it diminishes the flying weight. A regulated 5V output from the camera could be use to power the associated radio receiver as an example.
- Thank you to the non obtrusive little switches, they can't be pushed by accident while flying or by some robot moving part.
The HDMI output is directly compatible with many long range video transmitter RAK and others.
If you want to test your composite video either PAL or NTSC video transmitter, there is a composite video output on the DB15! Great!
Only concern was the slowness of the auto focus function.
I made a custom gimbal for this camera with a four third short lens to fly under a drone.
Henri
Why autofocus? I use the Laowa 7.5mm F2.0 non-fisheye manual lens and focus it at infinity. Even at fully open aperture anyting over 1 meter is sharp. This solves also the problem with S16 sensor crop. As for SBus controller I use the second prototype of "Inquisition", but it's strength are not manual lenses.
Is this a better version of the pocket cinema camera or are there any significant differences?
Hey what is the way to spell the stuff you guys used to mount the Micro on the dash? For about a year i was trying to find the video with this stuff and I've finally re-found it but can't work out the spelling to try to find it online!
na brah i need a monitor baked into my camera
Freakin awesome video