Newbie with a few questions

I'm not tech savvy at all. So please bare with.

I have the BMCC. I bought it off eBay.

[*]I downloaded the BlackMagic camera update 3.4

It says to run uninstall first. So I guess I did that??

I then reinstalled 3.4. And opened Blackmagic Camera setup. And it says my camera is up to date at 2.1

Is this correct? Should my firmware be 3.4?


[*]And although my camera seems to be recognized by Camera Setup.... It doesn't show as a device. I have it connected with a usb. Do I need to format the hard drive or something so that it shows up? It doesn't show up on disc utility either.

[*]And the USB Software Key that comes with the camera doesn't register at all. It has DaVinci Resolve, and its not showing up.

My iMac is a year old and is fairly capable.

[*]Do I need to download any other software or firmware?

1. The USB on the camera is only for updating the firmware, the Mac is not going to see it as a device, only the BM firmware updater utility will see it. As to th firmware update, ver. 2.1 is the latest update for the BMCC. Ver 3.4 is:

3.3 is the most current update for the URSA Mini.
3.4 addresses the Production Camera 4k.
4.0 firmware will be the updated layout/features you've seen from the announcement at NAB.

It gets confusing with all the different firmware versions. If you read the firmware release header note, it will tell you which camera it is for. That said, the update has all previous versions included in it, so,the updater sorted out the update you needed.

You will need to get a SSD, see the BM recommended approved SSD list for the camera in the BM Support page. The SanDisk Extreme Pros are the best to get.

You need to download Resolve from thrmBM support page, the USB Key (Dongle) should be plugged in when you request the download, and will need to be in place to run the program. It is a "key" only and does not contain the software, but without it you can not run the full version of Resolve Studio 12.x

Do a search on the BMCC and yiu can read the earlier,posts,about it and general cinematography issues.
If yiu have not used a professional type Cine camera before, you are in for an adventure. Read all you can, ask questions and learn...

Good luck and welcome to the group.

Right on.
Thanks for the info.
I read through the manual pretty thoroughly... and was still lost on a few things.

It seems like the support page, after picking the specific device (In my case the BMCC).... just opens the downloads for all cameras. Would be nice if it just lead to the downloads for just that device. Lots of weeding.

Yes, BM is keeping their site fairly universal, if yiu select a specific camera, it goes to the general support page and puts all the camera firmware at the top of the list is order with the newest first. All you need to do is scroll down to find the latest update for your specific camera.

The manual is also a little vague in some details and expects a basic level of experience with digital Cine cameras. Hope you get it all sorted out. It is not as hard as it might seem at first. The camera is laid out fairly logically, and the menus are fairly straightforward. The hardest but for new users, is you need to select a specific color balance for camera white balance. I use a IPhone app to use the phone as a basic color meter to get a ballpark setring when I am shooting ProRes, and a white card or color checker chart in the scene for a few seconds, to use in post to aid final color balance.

Yiu can also use an external monitor with a Waveform Monitor and Cector Scope built in to nail exposure and color balance, if yiu need to be more accurate. The camera has a nice bit of latitude, and is somewhat fire giving in this regard. Unlike using a Sony or Panasonic Pro camera, where you need to nail both exposure and co,or balance to start with, to get best results.

This offers a nice way to fine tune your color balance if shooting ProRes, and if shooting raw, just select 3500 for indoor, 55-6500 for outdoors for metadata reference (does not change the actual color balance in the raw file), and you do the actual co,or balance in post on Resolve. Using Resolve to process the raw file is much easier than it sounds.

The best way to learn, is to get out and start shooting with the camera around your home, or outside, and enlist family members to use as models. This will give you some experience with the camera, and you can try out different settings, etc...
Cheers