The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro is not a camera for everyone, but it is the one that practically everyone wishes they had. Because it offers a series of features that make it a true marvel for productions where the highest possible image quality is sought. And not only for being able to capture content at 6K resolution, its greatest virtue is undoubtedly its color science.
The BMPCC 6K Pro is a camera that is very familiar at first if you have some experience with the other cameras of the manufacturer or, at least, have seen something before. And it is that physically it is almost the same 6K that already existed, although with some details that change as a result of improvements made by the manufacturer, but let’s go by parts.
The Pocket 6K Pro (yes, during the analysis we are going to call it in several ways, although it is normal to refer to it as Pocket 6K Pro) is a proposal of generous dimensions . And that at the beginning does not have either the grip or the visor options that can be purchased for this generation and of which I will tell you later.
Despite the volume, it is a camera that is not heavy to use nor is it uncomfortable, but it is far from the experience offered by other cameras that you are possibly more used to seeing as a video camera among YouTubers and other content creators. But it is also true that this is not the typical Sony, Canon or Panasonic mirrorless to name a few brands, this is a professional video camera in a body more similar to that of a photo camera.
However, leaving this aside, at the keypad level there is little to tell . The layout is very similar to previous models and very easy to use. It is true that there will be those who think that it lacks programmable buttons, because it only has three for functions that we want to have more accessible, but believe it or not. In addition, the operating system is so easy to control via its touch screen that once tested you would wish that everything Sony, Panasonic, Canon, Fuji, etc… offer was like this when recording video.
For the rest, the camera is very well built and although it may seem little resistant at first, it is not. The quality of the material has already proven to be up to par and they are products to use in all types of filming.
And before finalizing, some details about the design that we will explain in greater depth later:
- The grip is bulkier because the battery that the camera now uses has been changed
- The screen is tilted and is one of the big changes that most affects the user experience
- The lens area stands out because there is an integrated ND filter system inside
- In the upper area you can now place a viewer
Okay, this is all about the Pocket 6K Pro in terms of design, a product that not only lives up to its build, but also in terms of specs and options.
The possibilities of the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro
The Pocket 6K Pro is a cinematographic camera. That means that it is a device capable of offering quality worthy of Hollywood as they say on their website. And it is so, because it is not only a question of resolution (it is capable of recording at 6K) but also of color and here Blackmagic shows that they have a brutal science of color.
In any case, these would be the keys at the level of the possibilities offered by this camera:
- Video recording at a maximum resolution of 6K thanks to the Super 35mm sensor (6144 × 3456 pixels)
- Up to 60 fps at 6K resolution and up to 120 fps at 1080P
- Native Dual ISO system (values between 400 and 3200)
- Integrated neutral density filters (2, 4 and 6 stops)
- Tilted LCD HDR screen
- Two mini XLR audio inputs
- 13-stop dynamic range
- BRAW (12Bits) and ProRes (10Bits) format support
On the Blackmagic website you can find in great detail the rest of the technical specifications of this camera. So let me focus on what I think are the aspects that make this camera so special and recommended if you are looking for a truly professional tool, capable of giving you those results that you have in mind. And in the end, why you might not end up buying it. Decision that I already advance that will not be based on the price, because there it has no rival either.
Built-in ND filters
If you have recorded outdoors and at hours where the sun beats down, you will know that the ND or Neutral Density filters are essential. Because if you also want to use large apertures or control the amount of light that reaches the sensor or you will get a burnt image.
These filters are normally placed on the lens itself, but except for a variable model, the truth is that the ones that offer the best quality are those that offer a certain fixed number of steps.
So here Blackmagic decided to incorporate three ND filters of 2, 4 and 6 stops so that you do not have to go around changing anything on the lens or lenses you use during recording. A detail that completely changes the experience.
Because making use of these types of filters is something that normally only the largest and largest film cameras do. So yeah, this is one of the great improvements to this new 6K Pro.
Tilting LCD screen
Would a folding screen have been better? Well, surely yes, but due to its size (5 inches) it would also have been somewhat complex to ensure a robust system. Even so, the fact that the screen of the Pocket 6K Pro can be tilted is already a step forward when it comes to recording from different angles that were previously somewhat uncomfortable and for which you either resorted to an external monitor or you did not have either. idea what you were framing.
In addition, the HDR LCD screen looks great even outdoors thanks to its 1,500 Nits of brightness . One of the best screens that I have tested in a camera or directly the best by combination of image quality, brightness, tactile response and size. With that I am not saying that screens such as those integrated in the Panasonic S1H or Sony A1 are not good, on the contrary, only that working with this is a delight.
Greater autonomy
The use of the NP-F570 battery already improves the autonomy of the camera when recording outdoors, but if you want to extend it even more without having to carry a RIG where you carry a V-Mount battery for example, then the ideal solution. is to acquire the new grip that for 129 euros allows you to use two more batteries.
In total you would have three batteries that would give longer recording time and the possibility of changing the two of the hot grip as the camera would remain recording while they are changed. Although if you prefer it also includes its 12V adapter that you can connect when you record in a studio or have a power outlet at hand.
Blackmagic Color Science and its BRAW
The look of Blackmagic cameras has always had that special point that differentiates them from the rest of the options on the market. In addition, now with the arrival of the BRAW format that is capable of offering a much more 12-bit color depth, because the control that will be had over the image in DaVinci Resolve will be spectacular. And we must remember that this is the application used by many professionals, producers and film studios for the grading of their projects.
Also, the optimization of the form when working with Resolve is incredible. The only or great drawback is that it requires storage units that are fast enough and with enough capacity to be able to capture all the material and then work with it without mess.
Who is the Blackmagic Pocket 6K Pro for
The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro is an impressive camera , I have no doubt about that and I think that anyone who is dedicated to creating video content would want to have it. Even so, it is a camera that I think few would buy because it is also a very particular proposal.
And it is that although the science of color of Blackmagic falls in love as soon as you start working with the material, its cameras have a series of “absences” that distance them from many users: focus and stabilization system.
Like virtually all, if not all, film cameras, the focus system is completely manual. It is true that you can perform a first focus by pressing a button on the back, but if the object or subject moves you will have to use the focus ring on the lens to keep it in focus. This adds a complexity when using it and moves away from what content creators are looking for even with a certain level already.
On the other hand, there is the stabilization of the sensor that is non-existent. Here you either use a gimbal or resort to a stabilized lens to be able to record well with a handheld camera. Of course, if you do not go with a stabilizer like those of DJI for example, or you record with an angle lens or trying to find support using a tripod, monopod or sticking the camera as much as possible to your body to gain stability.
If you don’t, although some shots with some movement can create very cinematic and creative, the truth is that it will be torture compared to how well stabilization systems of cameras like the Panasonic S1H work.
So, these two aspects are the only ones that will really make many consider this camera or not. Because otherwise, although size can also be important, as a video camera it is a real delight and it is not an expensive camera at all. What’s more, for the 2400 euros it costs, it seems like a gift if you take into account the image quality it offers.
