Blackmagic Design today debuted its new Pocket Cinema Camera 6K, a variation on the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K that swaps out that model’s micro-four-thirds lens mount with an EF mount.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K
Debuting the new camera in a live-streamed demo today, Blackmagic CEO Grant Petty said that its specs are very similar to the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K. The main difference is that the 6K camera has a larger sensor to accommodate the larger EF form factor as well as a corresponding increase in resolution.
Specifically, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K has a 23.10mm x 12.99mm sensor with a resolution of 6144 x 3456.
It lists for $2,495, and Blackmagic says it’s available now.
Specs for the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K (left) vs the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K.
Blackmagic Design
Petty noted that the larger Super 35 format sensor lends itself to shallower depth of field, allowing users to dial in lush bokeh effects, and also gives editors more room to recompose shots in post for output at HD or UHD resolutions without compromising quality.
The Pocket Cinema Camera 6K will shoot 6144 x 3456 16:9 at up to 50fps; 6144 x 2560 2.4:1 and 5744 x 3024 17:9 can both be captured at up to 60fps. Higher frame rates of up to 120fps can be captured with the sensor windowed to 2.8K 17:9, and 6:5 anamorphic is supported via a 3.7K 60fps shooting mode.
6K recording will require the use of Blackmagic Raw; Apple ProRes can be used for formats up to 4K.
Both cameras have the same 13 stops of dynamic range, max ISO of 25,600, five-inch LCD and color science.
Petty noted that shipments of the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K had been affected by long lead times on certain “critical components” needed for that model, but made no mention of constraints on manufacture of the 6K model. “We are shipping in quantity on the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K,” a Blackmagic spokesperson tells StudioDaily.
Blackmagic Camera Update 6.6
Petty also offered up a preview of the upcoming v6.6 firmware update for Blackmagic cameras, which he said should arrive in September or October of this year.
Among the new features are a host of newly supported languages (English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, German, French, Russian, Italian, Portuguese, and Turkish will all be available), support for gimbal-control of functions including start, stop and focus, and a few new formats in the 4K camera model, including a 4K 2.4:1 mode, a Super 16 crop, and a 4:3 anamorphic mode with 2x desqueeze preview.
The new firmware will also include a level, so you can check and see whether your camera is perfectly aligned on top of its tripod.
