Blackmagic Design adds Micro Four-Thirds mount option to its Blackmagic Cinema Camera

At the IBC conference in Amsterdam, Blackmagic Design announced the Blackmagic Cinema Camera MFT with a Micro Four-Thirds lens mount. Unlike the EF mount in the original model that supports lenses with auto-focus and auto-iris, the MFT's lens mount is "passive," meaning that Micro Four-Thirds lenses must be used in manual mode. That's the drawback, but the advantage is that the new model can use PL mount (and other) adapters, opening the camera to a much wider range of lenses. The new MFT model will be priced the same as the original BCC: $2,995 (U.S.). Blackmagic Design will work with customers and dealers who've ordered the original model but would prefer to substitute the MFT model.

The lack of automatic controls may not be all that big a deal: Canon's C300 doesn't support auto-focus or auto-iris, but that doesn't seem to have hurt its sales. In addition, as I've written before, the BCC isn't a "run & gun" camera. The trade-off of automatic controls for support of PL mount adapters will probably be fine for the BCC's target audience.

According to Blackmagic Design, it's slowing down production while it "sorts out" manufacturing and firmware issues related to the new model, which it expects to start delivering in December. If you have an order in for the original BCC and you'd prefer the new MFT model, I'd suggest that you contact your dealer today and let them know.

Blackmagic's Cinema Camera: Not the volkskamera you were looking for

(Updated, September 9, 2012) After several months of delays, Blackmagic Design is starting to get production versions of its Cinema Camera into reviewers' hands. Over the last two weeks, Vincent Laforet, Frank Glencairn and Philip Bloom have tested the BCC "right from the box," and they all have very definite impressions. I strongly suggest that you visit all three cinematographers' blogs to read their complete evaluations and see their footage and stills. Here's a summary of what they found:

Laforet wrote that the dynamic range of the BCC's sensor was almost identical to that of Canon's EOS 1DX, at a much lower price. However, the BCC sensor's size (slightly smaller than Micro Four-Thirds) and EF mount mean that the same lens used on a Canon DSLR will have a magnification factor of around 2.3X on the BCC. That means that you need much wider lenses in order to get the same framing using the BCC, and it puts more emphasis on the quality of the lens. In addition to being small, the BCC's sensor is comparatively slow--its maximum ISO rating is only 800 1600, but its maximum usable ISO is 800. That means that in low light situations, other cameras are likely to provide images with much less noise.

Laforet also noted that the BCC's form-factor makes it useless as a handheld camera--the optional handle offered by Blackmagic is more for show than for utility. To use the BCC, you'll need rails and a tripod or some sort of mounting rig. He wrote that the BCC could have been a great handheld camera with slightly different ergonomics and a built-in ND filter.

Laforet's findings were confirmed by Glencairn's test. He did a side-by-side test of the BCC with a Sony FS100 at ISO 800, and he found that the BCC's image was more "filmic" than the Sony. He much preferred the BCC's image, but wrote that the FS100 wins hands down at faster ISO speeds. Output from the BCC in Cinema DNG RAW mode was superb--sharp, with plenty of contrast. However, Glencairn's tests show that regardless of whether the BCC is used in ProRes 422 or RAW mode, its output HAS to be graded in order to be usable. That in part explains why Blackmagic provides a free copy of DaVinci Resolve with every BCC. Going back to Laforet, he makes the same point, and notes that the BCC's grading pipeline is not for the squeamish. RED users will be very familiar with the process, but BCC users don't have the equivalent of a RED Rocket card to speed up the conversion process.

Update, September 9th, 2012: Yesterday, cinematographer Philip Bloom posted an extensive video review of the BCC. Most of his conclusions echo those of the other two reviewers, but he added some additional points, including the following:

• After in-house and field tests, he found that the BCC's battery life is less than two hours, even when the camera is on standby. That wouldn't be a problem, except that the BCC's battery is non-removable. Therefore, you have to use an external battery--but there's no easy way to mount an external battery, unless you use a rig.
• In addition to having phono plugs instead of XLR connectors for its audio inputs, the BCC has no way to provide phantom power, which limits the microphones that can be used with the camera.
• The LCD screen is much too reflective to be useful as a viewfinder, especially outside.
• He believes that the new version of the camera with a Micro Four-Thirds mount is a much better choice, even with the limitation that lenses have to be used in fully manual mode. The new version allows a far wider range of lenses to be used (with adaptors), and dramatically decreases the cropping problem caused by the small size of the BCC's sensor.

So, according to these two three cinematographers, the BCC is a great camera for the money, but it requires a couple thousand dollars' worth of add-ons in order to be usable, as well as high-quality (read: expensive) lenses in order to get the best possible images. It's got a wide exposure range but a limited ISO range. It outputs great images in RAW mode, but the output has to be color-corrected in order to be usable.

The BCC is most definitely not a "run & gun" camera--it doesn't have the necessary ergonomics. It's not really a "beginner's" cinema camera, since grading is essential in order to get the best quality output. It's not the camera that you want to use if you don't know what kind of lighting you'll have to work with. It's not even as inexpensive as it first appears, because of the external gear necessary to make it useful (rig, external battery, external viewfinder/monitor and ND filter.)

If you can live with the BCC's limitations, it's still a great camera for the money--but it's not the camera that's going to "democratize" cinema production.

Canon's EOS C100: The new entry point into Canon's cinema cameras

IBC is fast approaching, and in anticipation of the show, Canon just announced the EOS C100 Cinema Camera, its new entry-level model. According to Digital Photography Review, the C100 is approximately 15% smaller than the C300, but it has the same basic design. It has a Super 35mm 8.3 Megapixel sensor, and the camera supports any lens with an EF mount, including Canon's Cinema lenses. Unlike the C300 and C500, both of which use Canon's 50Mbps 4:2:2 video codec, the C100 is strictly AVCHD-based, with a 24Mbps 4:2:0 codec. It has two SD card slots and can record to both cards simultaneously for automatic backup, or in relay mode to permit one card to be replaced while the camcorder records on the other card. The C100 records in 1080p at 24/25/30 fps, and 1080i at 50/60 fps. ISO sensitivity is from 300 to 20,000.

With the C100, Canon has included many of the automatic features that were left out of the C300: One-shot auto focus, auto iris and auto white balance. Continuous auto focus and iris adjustment when used with Canon's EF stepper motor lenses (STM) will be added with a firmware update next year. The C100 has built-in ND filters and dual XLR audio inputs. Video output is via a lockable HDMI connector. Expected list price when the C100 ships in November is $7.999 (U.S.).

The camera that the C100 will most likely be compared with is Sony's FS700, which has the same $7,999 list price without lens, and overall, very similar specifications. The FS700 uses AVCHD, but unlike the C100, it offers the 2.0 version that supports 28Mbps recording and 1080p at 50/60 fps. It also has full HD slow motion to 240 fps, and up to 960fps at lower resolution, while Philip Bloom notes that the specifications for the C100 don't say anything about slow motion support. The FS700 also has a 3G HD-SDI output, while the C100 is limited to HDMI out. On the downside, the FS700 uses Sony's E-mount, which has fewer available lenses than Canon's EF mount. In addition, it uses the "Lego bricks" design of the FS100, which seems to be about equally loved and hated by cinematographers.

My suspicion is that this could turn into the video equivalent of Canon vs. Nikon still cameras, with camps of users who simply prefer the video from one manufacturer over the other. In any event, the C100 is likely to be a very popular camera with users and a very important camera for Canon.

Canon's EOS M: Strong competitor in the mirrorless market, but perhaps not for video

Digital Photography Review has one of the first analyses of the new EOS M, Canon's first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. It has an APS-C-sized 18MP sensor and a new EF-M mount for which two lenses will be available at release: An 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM zoom, and a 22mm f/2 STM pancake lens. In the U.S., the only configuration available will be a kit with the EOS M and 22mm lens for $799. (The 18-55mm lens will be sold separately for $299.) An adapter will be available for conventional EF and EF-S lenses. No flash comes with the EOS M, although a separate Canon flash can be purchased.

According to DP Review, the EOS M is designed as a step-up camera for point & shoot users who want DSLR capabilities without DSLR complexity. To that end, the EOS M's exposure mode dial has only three settings, and most of the camera's controls are available through a touchscreen menu--on a 3" 1.040M display that doesn't pivot. The EOS M doesn't have a viewfinder. Maximum shutter speed is 1/4000 second, and maximum ISO is 12,800 (25,600 with boost.) The camera can shoot 4.3 fps in continuous shooting, or 3 fps with autofocus tracking.

The EOS M has some nice video features: 1080p at 24, 25 or 30 fps for a maximum of 29 min. 59 sec. per clip, with continuous autofocus in movie mode with subject tracking. Recording can be done in full auto, full manual or anything in between. It also has built-in stereo microphones, stereo inputs and adjustable level controls. The EOS M's biggest limitations (at least on paper) are that 60 fps is limited to 1280 x 720 and 640 x 480, and the rear display is both fixed and the camera's primary control surface, making a separate video viewfinder required for professional videography.

The EOS M is a strong competitor in the mirrorless market, but videographers for whom size isn't the first consideration should probably spend a bit more for the Canon Rebel T4i/650D in order to get its more flexible display, physical controls and adapter-free support for EF and EF-S lenses.