Video review of the BlackMagic Cinema Camera

Ethics statement: BlackMagic supplied me with a camera for testing and evaluation purposes. I have not been paid for this and will never be paid by a manufacturer to review a product. This was all done on my own time for the readers of my blog, and it took A LOT of time. If you do decide after watching this to purchase the camera, doing so through my affiliates makes these reviews possible as I can’t work when making these! Please read more on my ethics statement here.

I am currently sitting in a hotel room in Amsterdam for IBC finishing the edit of the BlackMagic Cinema Camera. It has been a mammoth task, making sure I cover as much as I can. I haven’t reviewed Resolve as I am still so new to it, but it seems incredible considering it comes free — although the lite version does most of what you need and that is free for all to download on the BlackMagic site.

Without a doubt I have missed a few things. It’s the nature of the beast. Also, much of what I cover will change with firmware updates. Also remember that this is just my opinion, so please take it as such!

The review is a whopping 45 minutes long. Sorry it’s so long but there’s so much to cover, and to be honest, if you’re thinking of spending $3,000 on a camera, 45 minutes is not much of an investment. But PLEASE do not purchase one based on my review alone. Check out Vincent LaForet’s review here and many others.

Remember that this is just a camera. It’s just another tool for us to use. Is it the best tool for you? Only you can decide, but obviously it’s not the best camera in the world. How could it be for such a low price? But nonetheless it is incredibly impressive. I, for one, will continue to use my C300 for the bulk of my work as the workflow is way faster, the image super sharp, and the dynamic range just a stop less than this camera. It isn’t raw, though, or ProRes HQ, but as most of my work is documentary work, the C300 is by far the best choice for me. Yes, for me. It is an expensive camera and way out of many people’s price range. This camera brings huge quality to the lower end of the market, something that can only be a good thing. The big boys will see this, see the incredible features it has to offer, and they’ll HAVE to respond.

THE GOOD

• Price…it’s a bargain!
• Comes with Resolve and UltraScopes
• Image is very filmic
• 13-stop dynamic range
• Raw and ProRes both terrific
• Feels solid
• Micro four thirds mount makes more sense
• Image responds super well to sharpening in post if desired. Image itself is nice and filmic but I added +17 in premiere to footage in review to bring out the detail

THE BAD

• Canon lens mount not ideal for this size sensor
• Micro four thirds mount is passive so no iris control
• Bad rolling shutter issues. Not as bad as DSLRs but worse than FS100/ C300
• Terrible ergonomics
• Needs a rig
• Screen too reflective
• Cinema DNG eats up a lot of SSD space
• No XLRs, ¼-inch jacks
• No Phantom Power
• No meters on screen
• No exposure aids other than zebras
• Low light good but not great
• No IS support currently
• No F-Stop display on screen
• No HDMI
• Pink highlights in ProRes currently

KIT USED ON BLACKMAGIC CAMERA

• 24mm Samyang Cine F1.4
• 35mm Zeiss ZF F1.4
• Canon 70-200mm F4
• Sigma 8-16mm F4.5
• Tokina 11-16 F2.8
• Heliopan Variable ND filter
• Miller DS20
• Miller Compass 20
• Kessler Bloom Black Signature Pocket Dolly

KIT USED ON BTS C300

• 24-105 Canon F4 IS
• 17-55 Canon F2.8
• Sanken COS11
• Sony UWP wireless
• Miller Compass 20
• PROS AND CONS

Although the cons list is longer, it’s mostly niggles. The pro list, on the other hand, is shorter but contains massive pluses. I hope you watched the review — it covers all this so much better and in way more detail!