Black Magic BlackMagic

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blackmagic-studio-camerablackmagic-ursa-camera

As BlackMagic Design announced several new products this year at NAB2014 (as seen above), one question was - Will they continue to support fixes/bugs for previous cameras? A recent response from the Blackmagic Design Forum points to yes. A few notes included

1. New debayering for shooting directly to ProRes or DNxHD on the Blackmagic Cinema Camera EF and MFT
2. Improved MFT lens support on the Pocket Cinema Camera
3. Compressed RAW support on the Production Camera 4K
4. Autofocus support for EF lenses on Blackmagic Cinema Camera EF and Production Camera 4K

There are a few other improvements with hints to audio level metering and histogram displays among other comments about some requests that may not be possible to fix over at the Blackmagic Design Forum (Found Here).

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I just wanted to make this video to clear a few things up for those who don't know how to power up the (BMPCC). Any 12V battery will work, in fact they say any 12V-20V battery will fine to power and charge up the BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera.

Just two little pieces you can pick up, requires no soldering, and you're pretty much ready to go to connect your BMPCC to most common 12V batteries. Just to make sure you have the correct polarity (positive in / negative out), here's the cable i'm using below.

cheesycam blackmagic pocket cinema battery cable
find-price-button BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera DC Cable

And to simplify things even more, here's a barrel tip adapter used for most common DC battery outputs with clear icons representing Negative / Positive, and requires no soldering.
5.5 2.5 DC Male Plug Tip
find-price-button 5.5x2.5 DC Barrel Tip

Here's a link to those inexpensive 12V CCTV batteries as well.
12V-CCTV-Battery
find-price-button 12V Super battery

These little iPhone clips run under $2 Dollars. Handy for a few things.
iPhone Clip Clamp
find-price-button iPhone SmartPhone Tripod Clips

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find-price-button Varavon BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Cage with 15mm Rails HDMI Clamp

Varavon has just released a new BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Cage w/ 15mm Rails. It's got all the features you'd need in a rig, including top handle and 15mm rail system. The red knobs seen at the front of the cage are used to 'clamp' cables in place from slipping out, such as the HDMI cable.

Cable Lock BMPCC Varavon Cage HDMI
find-price-button Varavon BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Cage with 15mm Rails HDMI Clamp

One unique option that I haven't seen with other #BMPCC Cages is the direct use of an LCD View Finder. In this image Varavon shows to what appears to be their Multifinder Uni Low Angle ViewFinder (though I can't be sure) attached directly to the BMPCC Cage. This ViewFinder will crop about 2mm on each side of your screen. You can already find the Varavon BMPCC Cage available via eBay (click here)

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find-price-button Varavon BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Cage with 15mm Rails HDMI Clamp

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BlackMagic 4K Cinematic Camera Cinema Production

Want some 4K footage from the (not yet released) BlackMagic Design Production 4K Camera? There's information about the camera's status, but they've uploaded almost 10GB of footage for you to download and color grade. Head on over to this link where Grant Petty has an update: https://forum.blackmagicdesign.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=16615

BlackMagic 4K Footage

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Here's a side by side video test showing samples from a Panasonic GH3 with and without the new Lens Turbo Focal Reducer. We used a newer Rokinon 85mm T/1.5 Cine Lens [Nikon Mount] + and old Nikon 50mm Pancake. With the Lens Turbo adapter we were able to achieve a wider field of view and an increase in exposure.

Obviously YouTube has added compression to the video, but if you want to be a pixel peeper, you can download a better version of this edited video from my Vimeo Channel (here).

I think the image quality achieved from this (Speedbooster alternative) adapter delivered decent results for the price. The Metabones Speedbooster will run about $489 dollars (here), versus this Lens Turbo which can now be found under $139 US (here).

Of course we're just using a consumer grade Rokinon Cine Lens, and an old $50 dollar lens from eBay. There's no doubt this adapter won't match up to the quality of the Metabones products. Anyone using serious glass worth thousands of dollars might as well pony up the extra cash for the Metabones MFT M43 Speedbooster (found here).

Metabones Speed Booster MFT M43 Nikon Adapter
find-price-button Metabones SpeedBooster Nikon to M43 MFT

If you're a casual video shooter looking to get a wider field of view and increased light through your common glass, I think you'll be happy with the Lens Turbo. I'll probably go out and take a bunch of high resolution still images on the next outing, but for now let's hear a few comments about these first video test results. What did you guys think so far? [Comment]

For more info, you can find the Lens Turbo MFT Focal Reducer adapter available now via eBay (click here).

Mitakon_AI_m43_MFT-Nikon_Focal_reducer_speed_booster
find-price-button Lens Turbo Focal Reducer Nikon to MFT Micro Four Thirds Adapter

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I've had this Mitakon Lens Turbo MFT Adapter for a almost a week and I am just getting ready to publish a video showing some examples from this. Recently I noticed an increase of questions and the amount 'buzz' picking up around the Internet, so I wanted to quickly provide some additional important information. THIS ADAPTER WILL NOT WORK ON THE #BMPCC BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera. It simply will not fit or attach to the camera.

If you're not familiar with this adapter, it's similar to the Metabones Speed Booster (found here) (but less than half the price). Always a concern on smaller MFT cameras is the cropped sensor. The Lens Turbo adapter offers a wider field of view on these smaller sensor cameras and also increases your Aperture by 1 F-Stop. Your lenses are now wider and faster!

Metabones Speed Booster MFT M43 Nikon Adapter
find-price-button Metabones SpeedBooster Nikon to M43 MFT

Right now the Lens Turbo MFT / M43 adapter fits Nikon (F, G, Ai, Ai-s, E) manual lenses and should work perfectly on your Panasonic GH3 or BlackMagic Cinema Camera MFT mount (not Pocket Cinema). How well does it actually perform? Give me a few days, and you'll see a video with a variety of examples.

For more info, you can find the Lens Turbo MFT Focal Reducer adapter available now via eBay (click here).

Mitakon_AI_m43_MFT-Nikon_Focal_reducer_speed_booster
find-price-button Lens Turbo Focal Reducer Nikon to MFT Micro Four Thirds Adapter

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When it comes to the #BMPCC, there's a few accessories you may want to add-on, and so a solid cage is a good starting point to carry these extras. Adding on a pair of 15mm rails will get you even further when it comes to mounting video accessories. I've shared a few BMPCC cages on this blog, but here's an actual look at the parts and assembly of the new Tilta BMPCC Cage [BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera Cage].

Tilta is well known for their build quality and finish in products, typically targeting high end camera models. This new Titla BMPCC Cage is no exception. Optionally the Tilta Cage can be purchased with a Top Handle and a set of Rails. The rails are mounted through a quick release system under the main cage, and you still have full access to all ports, battery, and sdxc card slot. An HDMI Lock is included to keep your cable in place and to prevent damage to your camera. [Note: using this lock can block access to your DC input]

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find-price-button Tilta BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera BMPCC Cage

The only things I've found to be of small concern is the low profile Top Handle that gets in the way of my RedRock Micro Live Lens adapter. I'm unable to attach or remove the RRM adapter when the Tilta Top handle is mounted. The silver-ish finish on the rails look great, but one pass and they are easily scratched up. This doesn't affect any functionality of course. Overall a solid product for mounting accessories to your BMPCC.


Tilta-Rig-Black-Magic-Pocket-Cinema
find-price-button Tilta BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera BMPCC Cage

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Tilta Matte Box Rig Cage BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Follow Focus
Tilta BMPCC Cage Shown with optional Tilta accessories

Now more options to rig up your BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Cameras. The new Tilta BMPCC Cage which was announced earlier this year is available. If you're lucky you can find the cage only for around $250 US, or the complete kit which includes the Top Handle + 15mm Rail Clamp which may run you a bit over $400 US (found here).

Tilta-Rig-Black-Magic-Pocket-Cinema
find-price-button Tilta BMPCC Cage Top Handle 15mm Rail Clamp

The Pocket Cinema Camera now offers amazing RAW image capture, but I do think to get the most out of it, you'll need to add-on a battery pack, and a good EVF (LCD) at the least. If you're trying to capture audio to the camera, that's an entirely different story, but this all boils down to using some type of rig to mount these items. The Tilta BMPCC Cage is just one other option to offer dozens of mounting points for your accessories including two cold shoes at the front of the Top Handle.

Tilta-BlackMagic-Pocket-Cinema
find-price-button Tilta BMPCC Cage Top Handle 15mm Rail Clamp

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Thanks to Rob for pointing out another one of those hidden Canon lens deals. This time it's for the Canon 10-22mm F/3.5-4.5 USM Lens. Keep in mind this is an EF-S mount for APS-C Canon cameras like the Canon 7D, 60D, T4i/T5i Rebel, etc.

It can also be used if you're rocking the BlackMagic Cinema Camera EF mount, or to get a wider view with cameras like the Pocket Cinema Camera (3X crop) & Panasonic GH3 with a smart adapter like the Redrock Micro LiveLens MFT Active Lens Mount.

Not the widest, nor does it have a constant fixed aperture, but it's a very sharp lens. Typically with these wide lenses, I'm always stopping down to F/5.6 anyways for Stabilizer use. Here's a 3 year old uncut BTS example of this Canon 10-22mm lens at work on a 60D with a Glidecam HD4000.

Normal MSRP puts this lens at $649 minus -$50 instant rebate, but as you proceed to the checkout (you must proceed to checkout to see price change) it drops down to just $529 (found here).

Canon10-22mm
find-price-button Canon EF-S Wide Angle 10-22mm F/3.5-4.5 USM Lens

FYI, there's also a checkout discount for the Canon 85mm F/1.8 Prime USM Lens. This lens will work on both APS-C and Full Frame Canon cameras. Following the checkout shows the price dropping it down to just $334.99 (found here)

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find-price-buttonCanon 85mm F/1.8 USM Prime Lens.

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