Blackmagic Design today announced a new full-frame Pocket Cinema Camera 6K cinema camera. The camera features all-new internal hardware with the original Pocket Cinema body design. Many will be excited by the introduction of Blackmagic Design's first full-frame sensor. Additionally, it is the first time the company has used an L mount.
The new full-frame 6K sensor has a dynamic range of 13 stops and native dual ISO sensitivity that goes up to 25,600. Use CFexpress cards. This new model features a 24 x 36mm 6K sensor, enabling large format cinema camera image quality in a lightweight, portable body. The L mount is compatible with a wide range of new and vintage lenses, providing a greater variety of creative options.
FEATURES OF THE BLACKMAGIC CINEMA CAMERA 6K
- 36 x 24mm full-frame 6K sensor with a native resolution of 6048 x 4032.
- Open format 3:2, full-height anamorphic 6:5 and Super 35 recording modes for creating cinematic content.
- L mount for a wide range of photography and film lenses.
- Record in full resolution at 36 fps or 120 fps with cropping.
- Extremely fast recording to CFexpress cards.
- 1500 nits adjustable HDR LCD screen.
- Optional: Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera Pro EVF.
- Larger NP-F570 battery, optional: Blackmagic Pocket Camera Battery Pro Grip.
The Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K features a full-frame sensor with a native resolution of 6048 x 4032. This is almost three times larger than a Super 35 sensor. You can use anamorphic lenses without cropping. You can record up to 36 fps at full sensor resolution or 120 fps with crop.
Using the entire sensor area gives you a single 3:2 widescreen image that allows you to reframe in post-production. The large sensor also allows users to work in true anamorphic 6:5 without cropping, making widescreen cinematic images more detailed and higher resolution than before. You can record using the classic Super 35 size window on the sensor to create a “close-up” shot that blends seamlessly with open format shots.
Resolutions
The Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K can record in all standard resolutions and frame rates, from HD to DCI 4K and 6K. You can even take 24.6 megapixel still photos. The Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K will record up to 36 fps at 6048 x 4032 in widescreen 3:2 or 60 fps at 6048 x 2520 in 2.4:1 and 60 fps at 4096 x 2160 in 4K DCI. For higher frame rates, users can crop the sensor and record up to 100fps at 2112 x 1184 in Super 16. You can work in true 6:5 anamorphic at much higher resolutions than other cameras that use anamorphic lenses in 4.8K. at 24 fps at 4838 x 4032 and record at 120 fps in 1080HD.
- 6048 x 4032 (3:2 Open Format) up to 36 fps.
- 4838 x 4032 (Anamorphic 6:5) up to 36 fps.
- 6048 x 3200 (6K DCI 17:9) up to 48 fps.
- 6048 x 2520 (6K 2.4:1) up to 60 fps.
- 4096 x 3072 (Super 35 4:3) up to 50 fps.
- 4096 x 2160 (4K DCI 17:9) up to 60 fps.
- 2112 x 1184 (Super 16 16:9) up to 100 fps.
- 1920 x 1080 (1080 HD 16:9) up to 120 fps.
The maximum sensor speed depends on the selected resolution and codec. Frame rates of 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94 and 60 fps are supported. Playback frame rates of 60 fps in 6K 2.4:1 and 4K DCI 17:9, 100 fps in Super 16 16:9, and 120 fps in 1080HD are also supported.
Recording Formats
Blackmagic RAW 3:1, 5:1, 8:1, 12:1, Q0, Q1, Q3 and Q5 at 6048 x 4032, 4838 x 4032, 6048 x 3200, 6048 x 2520, 4096 x 3072, 4096 x 2160, 2112 x 1184 and 1920 x 1080
Supports optional metadata recording in portrait mode for all resolutions in Blackmagic RAW and H.264 Proxies.
Screen Features
The camera has a large 5-inch HDR touchscreen and 1500 nits of brightness. On-screen overlays show recording status and parameters, histogram, focus highlights indicators, levels, framing guides, and more. You can quickly apply 3D LUTs to monitor shots in the desired color and look. The LCD monitor can be tilted up to 180 degrees up and up to 47 degrees down, making it easy to monitor your shot from virtually any position. This is a big improvement, as the original version was not easy to use outdoors.
CFexpress Type B cards and USB-C expansion port
The Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K now uses CFexpress cards for recording and a USB-C expansion port for recording directly to external SSD drives. CFexpress cards are more durable and faster, making them perfect for recording 12-bit Blackmagic RAW files at full resolution. This is also a great update.
If you like the design of the Pocket Camera, the new version appears to be a significant update; Plus, if you're doing an upgrade, all your accessories will work since the body is the same. It's nice to see a full-frame sensor from Blackmagic Design, as that's been missing from their camera lineup. All in all, I think it will be a popular camera.
Availability and price
The Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K is available now for $$2,595, excluding local taxes and duties, through Blackmagic Design resellers worldwide.
