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With each, you get — you guessed
it — different amounts of dynamic
range. Film offers the most dynamic
range and video the least.
To verify Blackmagic’s claim of 13
stops of dynamic range, we used the
DSC Labs Xyla 21 chart. The chart of-
fers a stop of light less at each incre-
ment with the first being just below an
IRE of 100. The number of light bars
that the camera can see corresponds
to its dynamic range. In film mode, we
saw 16 stops of light. However, once
a REC709 LUT was applied, only 13
are visible. That means there is at least
some information there. If you wanted
to retain some details in the shadows,
you likely could, but it could be noisy.
Blackmagic is being a bit conserva-
tive with 13 stops, but we applaud
that. It’s better than claiming more
than the camera actually has.Bonus:
Built-in LUT preview
When shooting in film dynamic
range, you are able to preview with
a LUT applied. This can be a LUT al-
ready in the camera or one you load
yourself. That means you can make
your own custom LUT, shoot with it
as your LUT preview, and then use it
in post-production. Additionally, the
camera has the option to record theLUT to the clip.
That means your
custom LUT can
be baked into the
video file itself.Is the roll-
ing shutter
bad?
The answer to
that question
depends on
what resolution
you are shoot-
ing in. In 6K,
be careful of
fast pans; there
is a significant
amount of rolling
shutter effect. It’s
not the worst we
have seen, but it
would need to be
considered when planning out your
camera movement.
The effect of the rolling shutter is
similar when shooting at 2.8K. On the
other hand, when shooting ProRes,
the rolling shutter effect is nothing to
worry about.It has autofocus... kind of
For filmmakers, most autofocus sys-
tems aren’t good enough to be useful.
The Pocket Cin-
ema Camera 6K is
no different. It has
only contrast AF.
Moreover, it’s slow
and it only works
before you hit
record, not after-
ward. That means
no continuous AF
while shooting.
However, because
the AF system is
never going to be
used during cap-
ture, it’s a good fo-
cus assist tool. You
can use it before
you start recording
to get close to thefocal point you want. From there, you
can adjust it the rest of the way manu-
ally. So, the AF is usable, just not while
you shoot.Dual native ISO doesn’t
make it great in low-light
Dual native ISO means that it has two
different ISOs that offer a minimal
amount of noise. The two native ISOs
are at ISO 400 and ISO 3200. But how
does this translate to the camera’s per-
formance? While doing an ISO ramp
staring at ISO 100 and going up to ISO
25600, we found that noise begins at
ISO 800 and is acceptable up to ISO- At that point, the noise begins
to have color shift and is much more
noticeable.
The noise is not much different
between resolution options and fol-
lows the same trend in 6K RAW and
4K ProRes. Most mirrorless cameras
currently on the market are clean up
to ISO 6400. ISO 800 is a bit earlier
than most to introduce noise, but it’s
not horrible.
The bottom line is that the
BMPCC6K’s dual native ISO feature
doesn’t make it an exceptional camera
in low-light.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K
REVIEWMultiple connectivity optionsEF lens mount390 R02 BlackMagic PCC 6K.indd 8 9/24/19 2:08 PMVIDEOMAKER >>> NOVEMBER 2019 9
Chris Monlux is Videomaker’s Multimedia
Editor.focal point you want. From there, you
can adjust it the rest of the way manu-
ally. So, the AF is usable, just not while
you shoot.Dual native ISO doesn’t
make it great in low-light
Dual native ISO means that it has two
different ISOs that offer a minimal
amount of noise. The two native ISOs
are at ISO 400 and ISO 3200. But how
does this translate to the camera’s per-
formance? While doing an ISO ramp
staring at ISO 100 and going up to ISO
25600, we found that noise begins at
ISO 800 and is acceptable up to ISO- At that point, the noise begins
to have color shift and is much more
noticeable.
The noise is not much different
between resolution options and fol-
lows the same trend in 6K RAW and
4K ProRes. Most mirrorless cameras
currently on the market are clean up
to ISO 6400. ISO 800 is a bit earlier
than most to introduce noise, but it’s
not horrible.
The bottom line is that the
BMPCC6K’s dual native ISO feature
doesn’t make it an exceptional camera
in low-light.
The battery life is
so, so bad
The battery life for this camera is no
better than the BMPCC4K — which
was really bad. We are lucky and
have six EP-L6 batteries available
because we needed every one. We
saw battery life ranging from 35
to 45 minutes per battery. They do
sell a battery grip, but it will set you
back another $245. It uses a differ-
ent battery — Sony L-series — and
only extends the battery life to 2.
hours. With the same EP-L6 battery
used in the Canon EOS-R, you get2.5 hours of battery life — the same
as with the added battery grip. With
the grip, this big camera becomes
even bigger.
This is this cameras biggest dis-
qualifier. Our six batteries would get
us only 4.5 hours at the most. At a
cost of around $45 each, that’s an
additional $270 cost to operate this
camera. If there is an upside to the
low battery life, it’s that the camera
does not suffer from overheating.
The camera will only be down for
the time it takes you to replace the
battery. Additionally, it’s not likely
your media will last longer than 30
minutes when shooting in 6K RAW,
anyway — each minute captured
produces 29 GB of data.Other cameras
to consider
Overall, we think the Blackmagic
Pocket Cinema Camera 4K is a
better deal than the 6K version —
unless you absolutely need 6K.
Overall, you will pay less for the
camera and lenses because micro
four-thirds lenses are cheaper on
average compared to EF lenses. Atjust $1,295 for the BMPCC4K, the
difference in cost and the afford-
ability of the lenses will allow for all
of the accessories you need for the
Pocket Cinema Camera line. Get a
lens, batteries and media all for less
than just the 6K body alone.
If you are looking for more fea-
tures, longer battery life and some
stills capabilities, the Panasonic
LUMIX GH5s is a great place to look.
Again, with the smaller sensor and
mount, the lenses will be cheaper. It
doesn’t shoot RAW, but it does cap-
ture 10-bit 4K internally. At $2,000,
you’ll also save some money over
the BMPCC6K.
Last up is the mirrorless Panasonic
LUMIX S1H, the only other camera
that shoots 6K that’s even remotely in
the ballpark cost-wise. At $4000, you
get camera with a larger full-frame
sensor designed for video first. Addi-
tionally, the S1H can output 5.9K RAW
over HDMI.Bringing it all together
Blackmagic Design put a ton of value
into this camera. It has wonderful
image quality and 6K RAW for just
$2,495 — that’s crazy. However, it
comes with some big hurdles to jump
to be a strong, usable camera.
Stock up on batteries, media and
storage because you will need a ton of
each. The EF mount gives you a ton
of lens options, but they will be more
expensive than if you went with a
smaller sensor size.
The biggest question is whether
or not the pros outweigh the cons
for your specific shooting style. We
liked the camera, and if you are in
need of its unique set of features,
there isn’t a better option out there.
If you’re not, however, you might be
able to save a few bucks by looking
elsewhere.Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K
REVIEWSTOCK UP ON BATTER-
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