The Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera was released in 2012. At the rate that cameras are being announced these days, that’s a century ago in the consumer/prosumer world. The camera was released with very little fanfare as it didn’t have a monitor and was marketed as a great companion to drones, head cams, dash cams, sport cams, etc. Some people rigged it up, but for the most part it wasn’t exactly the most popular camera at the time. Though I keep speaking in past tense, this camera is still available to buy today - though with the Pocket 4k and 6k on the market - it’s very unlikely anybody is buying them.
This guide is meant to be a fun way to explore a hidden gem, not to cause a spec war, fanboy war, or any kind of mean spirited debate. It is just an opinion of one person, but something that I have been thinking about doing for awhile. The Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera shares the same sensor as it’s older cousin, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera. A camera that truly revolutionized the filmmaking world, by giving filmmakers that didn’t have the cash to buy expensive cinema gear a camera that had an amazing cinematic and filmic quality to it. Something that wasn’t found in DSLRs at the time with not only the film look, but also specs. The camera could record internal RAW at a price point that was and still is unheard of.
But the camera suffered from many issues. The screen was garbage, there was a lot FPN issues, and most notably the battery life was straight up horrible. The Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera shares the same sensor as the original pocket. Its’ a sensor created by Fairchild Imaging, with a sensor called the CIS1910F. Fairchild are a company based out of San Jose, CA. They have created several sensors for Blackmagic, but I believe the new sensors of the Pocket 4k/6k are now Sony sensors. The Blackmagic at first glance seems like a stripped down original Blackmagic pocket. The thing is, it actually cleaned up quite a bit inside the hood. The micro received a new more modern processor, allowing it to clean up some FPN issues and improved rolling shutter. Though not a low light beast, it handles things generally better all the way around compared to the Pocket.
Here is where we get to the good stuff. The micro cinema camera on paper and at first glance seems like a bit of a letdown. No monitor? No cold shoe? No handle? Canon Batteries? But, thats because of how Blackmagic marketed it. They didn’t market it like how Red or Zcam do it, which is a modular camera with a build your own adventure way to build it. They didn't even really offer accessories for it. But that is how it needs to be looked at. You get a brain and you need to add accessories, there is no way around it. I am going to use some overused/misused terminology here to explain how the footage looks and what makes it special. In a current era where modern sensors show every single pore and are mostly made by Sony (with insane modern feats) - there is an organic look about the early Blackmagic cameras (BMMCC, BMPCC, BMCC) that is special and has a very film like look to it, which is what Blackmagic set out to achieve and emulate. This is going back to Fairchild and what they were able to achieve. Yeah, I know, you want to argue its lighting and lenses and actual cinematography skills that achieves that. You are right. But there are still more tangible attributes besides that which can affect the way a video looks. Color science, DR, a soft look, and motion cadence are 4 keys to getting that look. If you can nail all of those, you get a rather easy filmic/cinematic look out the box. And the Blackmagic micro has all of those and is really the last Blackmagic camera to ever use one of those organic sensors that Fairchild brewed up. It’s also the last and only Blackmagic camera that you are able to buy today that has one of those most special sensors every created for its cheap price and accessibility.
It is a hidden gem and footage from the camera are often confused for cameras way out of its league. It’s a look that modern mirrorless cameras don’t often have, at least not without heavy film grain, pro mist filters, vintage glass, added motion blur, etc. What makes this camera special is not on the spec sheet, because 1080p isn’t going to making you excited. It’s not on the paper that will make you go “wow”. It’s simply with the footage. You can throw all the specs you want. You need a cage and an external monitor. There is no way around this. If you don’t purchase or have those, there is no point exploring further. Remember, like I briefly mentioned above - don’t think drone cam or sports cam - think modular RAW capable cinema cam. Smallrig and 8sinn both make cages for it, I have the smallrig and don’t see why you would need anything else. If you only shoot RAW with this camera (which is what I do) - then you can basically set your settings and forget them. There is no need to go into any menus, other than to possibly reformat your memory card. If you shoot pro-res and you want to constantly change settings (ISO, WB, etc) then you will need to either get used to the buttons or buy a second hand “One Little Remote”. For battery, you can use canon batteries for about an hour/hour half before it dies. A monitor most people already have. And if you shoot RAW, which is kind of what makes this camera special and what I recommend using, then you don’t need to menu dive or you can simply use the one little remote. And if you use NPF batteries you now have a cinema camera that doesn’t require v-mount batteries and can shoot RAW video for about 4 hours. All in an insanely small package with amazing footage.
I think thats what gets lost with this camera is that people complain about having to rig it up - but a lot of the add ons are either pretty cheap or you already have. The NPF bridge is around 30 bucks. Cage from smallrig is around $80. The monitor you prob already have. If there is one legit complaint, its that newer sandisks memory cards do not work with this camera. 1. 2. 3. 4. Though that sucks, good news is that if you have a sandisk pre 2018, it should work. Also there are non sandisk cards that do work. It is still something that you should be aware of. There is a dedicated speedbooster for this camera in Nikon or Canon variant. Its called Nikon G to BMPCC or Canon EF to BMPCC. There is a “T” version that has minor improvements, especially to the felt material inside. There are other speedboosters for micro four thirds that will work as well. Viltrox speedboosters also work.
Let us now address the elephant in the room. This camera does not shoot 4k. If you want a camera that shoots 4k, this is not it, simple as that. But, if you are a person that cares more about the image quality than the resolution, you won’t be disappointed. But lets say you really do want 4k, well, there is another hidden gem that takes this camera one step further. Inside Davinci Resolve is a feature called “superscale” which upscales footage beautifully. And scaled micro cinema footage to UHD/4K looks fantastic. Also even if you need 4k for certain projects, this camera should still be in your arsenal. It’s cheap enough where you can have it along side something like a pocket 4k/6k. I highly recommend using an IR Cut filter with this camera as there is some IR pollution that can affect your image if you dont use one. You can find some for as cheap as 20-30 bucks. There are also some moire filters, like the RAWLITE OLPF, that does IR CUT and reduces moire at the same time. You can still buy these new today. But you can score amazing kits on ebay, craigslist, etc. You can often find one with a one little remote, cage, and even memory cards for under $700. Some will even include a monitor.
I made this post because I am a junky of sorts. I buy all the new cameras, fall into the hype traps, and have severe GAS. Every camera I have used lately has left me with a “meh” feeling. Except the micro. Specs can be great, some have amazing autofucus or great color. Some have shit color and shit bitrates. Some are great but the lens system and adapting to it are a pain. And some are plain beautiful but are really expensive. The micro has a rare balance of amazing filmic quality, a lens mount that most of us on here are well aware of at this point, fantastic battery life of around 4 hours with NPF batteries, compact size, legit RAW (not BRAW) to internal SD cards instead of expensive cfast or having an SSD hanging from your camera and its cheap. Ridiculously cheap if you buy used. It also has that old blackmagic special look so many of us fell in love with back in the day and in my opinion is lacking today. It is a hidden treasure in the filmmaking world that is still available new at many retailers. I created this to share and possibly open eyes to what is an amazing camera this is and probably the last of its breed.
As we enter the resolution wars with sharper, high res videos, we will slowly be leaving behind that soft organic look. If you like shooting older cameras with vintage glass to get that "look" then you can think of this camera the same way. Dramatically improve the production value of your work by upgrading to digital film! Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera is better than a simple video camera because it has professional features allowing you to create the same "look" as Hollywood feature films. The combination of high dynamic range, great low light performance and Blackmagic RAW gives you feature film images with precise skin tones and gorgeous organic colors. You get advanced features such as 4K, 6K G2 or 6K Pro models, large 5" LCD for easy focus, SD card and CFast media, external USB-C media disk recording, EF or MFT lens mounts and more!
Pocket Cinema Camera has the professional features you need for feature film, television programming and documentaries, however now these same features can be used to revolutionize other types of work such as blog videos, YouTube content and more. You get the same features found on expensive digital film cameras, allowing capture of deeper colors, higher image detail and a wider dynamic range between the brightest highlights and deepest shadows. It's the reason why feature films look so amazing and now you can get the same high end production values for any kind of work. The elegant design of the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera packs an incredible number of high end digital film features into a miniaturized, handheld design.
Made from lightweight carbon fiber polycarbonate composite, the camera features a multifunction handgrip with all controls for recording, ISO, WB and shutter angle right at your fingertips. Because it's an advanced digital film camera, the sensor is designed to reduce thermal noise allowing cleaner shadows and higher ISO. Plus the large 5 inch LCD makes it possible to get perfect focus at 4K and 6K resolutions. The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K features a 4/3 image sensor with 4096 x 2160 resolution and an MFT lens mount, allowing you to capture wide dynamic range, Hollywood quality, digital film images in the palm of your hand!
Featuring a larger 6144 x 3456 Super 35 sensor and EF lens mount, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 lets you use EF photographic lenses to create cinematic images with shallower depth of field. The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro includes more pro features such as built in 2, 4 and 6 stop motorized ND filters with selectable ND, stop reduction or fraction settings shown on the display. The multifunction handgrip features an ergonomic design that puts important functions such as ISO, WB and shutter buttons at your fingertips. There’s even a scroll wheel under your index finger for making quick iris adjustments! Additional controls go beyond those found on a DSLR, which means you don’t have to go hunting through menus on a tiny screen to find a command!
The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera features easy to reach recording and still buttons that are placed exactly where you expect, including user assignable function keys allowing buttons for high frame rate, focus zoom, false color and more. The front and top of the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera features record start/stop and still photo buttons along with dedicated controls for iris, ISO, white balance and shutter speed. The native sensor resolution and frame rate options vary by model, with up to 6K capture on the higher models and support for multiple resolutions and frame rates up to 60 fps in full resolution or higher frame rates using windowed modes. The on screen HUD rotates to accommodate vertical shooting, and frame guides help keep shots in frame across aspect ratios.
Recording works in 10-bit ProRes file formats up to 4K, while the 4K model can record 12‑bit ProRes RAW. All models record 12-bit Blackmagic RAW in formats up to 6K. The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera includes built in CFast and SD UHS-II card recorders, and a USB-C expansion port for recording direct to an external media disk. You can use regular SD cards for HD or higher performance UHS-II and CFast cards for native 4K or 6K when using Blackmagic RAW. The ProRes and Blackmagic RAW files work with all video software. Blackmagic RAW is a revolutionary new format designed to capture and preserve the quality of the sensor data from your camera.
Blackmagic RAW eliminates this problem and gives you stunning images with incredible detail and color throughout the production pipeline from camera to edit, color and mastering. It also saves camera settings as metadata so you can set ISO, white balance and exposure in camera or override them later while editing, all without any loss of quality! Blackmagic RAW files are also small and fast to use making them easy to work with. Setting the color temperature tells the camera how to interpret white and other colors in an image. Adjusting contrast, or the tonal range of an image, can make different parts of the image stand out. Changing the ISO adjusts the camera’s sensitivity to light. Properly exposed shots require the right combination of ISO, aperture and shutter speed. Adjusting tint is another way you can affect the overall color balance of an image. Saturation is the strength or purity of a color. More saturated colors are pure and less saturated colors have a percentage of gray in proportion to their hue.
In order for your images to look good, you need to make sure that it’s not too bright (overexposed) or too dark (underexposed). The large LCD touchscreen displays critical information on the heads up display, or HUD, as well as access to camera setup menus. The HUD lets you see and adjust settings such as the frame rate, iris, timecode, shutter angle, white balance, ISO, audio levels and more with a single tap. You can show or hide the HUD by simply swiping up or down. Adjust settings such as white balance simply by touching the WB indicator, or change the audio levels by touching the audio meters. Everything is interactive, so you can tap any item and instantly change settings without searching through confusing menus!
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera features a large, bright 5 inch touchscreen that makes it easy for you to frame shots and accurately focus. That means you don’t have to carry around an external monitor! On screen overlays show status and record parameters, histogram, focus peaking indicators, levels, frame guides and more. You can quickly apply 3D LUTs for monitoring shots with the desired color and look. The LCD monitor on the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 and Pro models is a more advanced display that can be tilted up and down so it’s easy to monitor your shot from any position.
With the advanced Blackmagic OS, you get an intuitive and user friendly camera operating system based on the latest technology. Blackmagic OS is a true modern operating system where all camera features run independently for smoother control, plus the camera powers on virtually instantly. It features the same controls and menus as other Blackmagic Design cameras so you can move between cameras on set easily. The interface uses simple tap and swipe gestures to adjust settings, add metadata and view recording status. Featuring the same generation 5 color science as the high end URSA Mini Pro 12K, the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro delivers an even greater advancement in image quality with stunning, accurate skin tones and faithful color in every shot. You get a new dynamic 12-bit gamma curve designed to capture more color data in the highlights and shadows, for better looking images. The color science also handles some of the complex Blackmagic RAW image processing, so color and dynamic range data from the sensor is preserved via metadata which you can use in post production.
The Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 and 6K Pro supports an optional viewfinder to make outdoors and handheld shooting accurate and easy! You get an integrated high quality 1280 x 960 color OLED display with built in proximity sensor, 4 element glass diopter for incredible accuracy with a wide -4 to +4 focus adjustment. A built in digital focus chart ensures you get perfect viewfinder focus setup. You can also view critical status information such as frame guides. The Pocket Cinema Camera Pro EVF connects quickly to the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 and 6K Pro via a single connector.
Though small and portable, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera features a wide range of connections for audio, monitoring, power and more. The camera includes a full size HDMI connector for monitoring with support for HDR and clean 10-bit output. There’s also a mini XLR connection with 48 volt phantom power for attaching professional microphones, a 3.5 mm video camera style microphone input, headphone connection and a professional locking DC power connector! With professional, high fidelity audio recording built in you'll never have to carry around a separate sound recorder again!
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Cameras feature a mini XLR input with 48 volts of phantom power for connecting professional microphones such as lapel mics and booms. The 6K Pro model features 2 mini XLR connections, allowing you to record 2 separate audio tracks using 2 mics, without an external mixer. The four built in mics have an extremely low noise floor and are shock and wind resistant, capturing great sound in any location. Digital film cameras shoot logarithmic colorspace to preserve the dynamic range, which is great for later post production, however when these files are viewed on a monitor they can look flat and washed out. 3D LUTs solve this problem because they allow you to apply a "look" to the monitor so you get an idea of how the finished images will look when editing. LUTs can be applied temporarily for monitoring only, or they can be recorded into the Blackmagic RAW files for use in post production.
The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera features an innovative and high speed USB-C Expansion Port that operates at up to 5 Gb/s. USB-C is available on most new computers and even provides power. That means you can connect external accessories such as flash drives and SSDs for significantly longer recording times. A high speed external disk allows shooting 6K in the highest constant quality 12-bit Blackmagic RAW in the Q0 setting or at high frame rates.
Professional cameras include professional features and you also get a built in timecode generator, allowing shooting with more than one camera while keeping perfect sync! Simply plug in an external timecode generator such as ...
The Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera is a miniaturized Super 16mm professional digital film camera that is designed to be operated remotely and capture the action anywhere. A revolutionary built in expansion port has PWM and S.Bus inputs so you can use model airplane remote controls to operate the camera wirelessly. Imagine being able to adjust focus, iris and zoom wirelessly. The Micro Cinema Camera is a true digital film camera that features a built in RAW and ProRes SD card recorder, 13 stops of dynamic range and global shutter. Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4K G2 is the perfect solution for placing cameras on set when you don't have space for regular sized cameras! It includes the popular MFT lens mount, very low light 4K image sensor and cinematic color science! So it's small, but has the features of a full sized studio camera!
Every Blackmagic Cinema Camera Explained
It includes 12G-SDI for HD and Ultra HD operation up to 2160p60. It's also possible to control the built in color corrector and lens using the SDI and HDMI connections. It can even record Blackmagic RAW to USB disks! The small size of the Micro Studio Camera makes it virtually invisible, so you can place it just about anywhere on set. You can have more camera angles than ever before for your live production to create a more interesting program. Its professional broadcast connections make it perfect for any kind of work such as television production, broadcast news, sports, education, conference centers and churches! It's now easy to hide lots of cameras on stage for the most incredible shots!
While Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera is designed for live production, it can also be used with editing software. Large broadcasters use expensive studio cameras that are extremely large, so they’re not very flexible. The distinctive Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera has all the benefits of a large studio camera in a tiny rugged body you can put virtually anywhere! It features a super tough magnesium alloy core in a body that’s not much larger than the lens mount itself! You can use affordable, high performance MFT lenses or add adapters to work with broadcast lenses. The camera is designed for live production so its HDMI and SDI uses the same camera control protocol as ATEM switchers.
In advanced cameras, ISO is a measurement of the image sensor’s sensitivity to light. This means the higher the ISO the more gain can be added so it’s possible to shoot in natural light, or even at night! The Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera features gain from -12dB (100 ISO) up to +36dB (25,600 ISO) so it's optimized to reduce grain and noise in images, while maintaining the full dynamic range of the sensor. The primary native ISO is 400, which is ideal for use under studio lighting. Then the secondary high base ISO of 3200 is perfect when shooting in dimly lit environments. The optional zoom and focus demands can be added when you want to rig the Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4K as a bigger custom studio camera.
The only problem I find with the Blackmagic Micro Studio 4K G2 is the small size and design of the buttons. Some of that is me and what and how I shot my video. Without using a connected Blackmagic ATEM switcher, the Blackmagic Micro Studio 4K G2 is a little bit more than clunky to use. The Micro 4/3 sized sensor is a bit odd this far into the digital cinema camera revolution, but Blackmagic keeps using it to maintain compact form and affordable MFT lenses that can be controlled by switchers. The RAW color and image from the Blackmagic Micro Studio 4K G2 look good with depth for grading and LUTs. The optional zoom/focus demands enhance lens control when rigged as a bigger studio camera.
Overall, the Micro Studio 4K G2 is a good camera with a good image and great connectivity to other Blackmagic Live Production equipment. The raw recording capabilities are a bonus, and the remote color control via ATEM switcher aligns the Blackmagic Micro Studio 4K G2 into a place that fits very well in the Blackmagic ecosystem.
- Modular RAW capable cinema camera mindset
- Flexible cage and monitor ecosystem
- Remote control and color management within Blackmagic ecosystem
- Affordable backups and accessories
tags: #blackmagic #design #micro #cinema #camera