- Posts: 11
- Joined: Thu Mar 23, 2023 1:41 pm
- Real Name: Matteo Granziera
Reasonable request as an option for the shooter, but not sure it’s going to happen on the BMPCC4K and other Pocket cameras. The niche that Blackmagic Design has carved out is to offer a low cost “cinema camera.” BRAW, CinemaDNG, and usually ProRes 10/12 bit colour are the current tools of choice in providing lossless or visually lossless codecs produce each intra-frame that contains all the data. It can be amazing the beauty you can draw out of those codecs.
The compressed h.264/h.265 codecs can be high quality on their own but often make a lot of compromises to reduce their bitrate. It’s more likely to say you’re losing quality and the ability to create that beauty you now enjoy. Still good but… some tradeoff. I shoot lossless or visually lossless raw depending upon the demands on my recording devices.
I no longer permanently retain that huge amount of data, but I have it through the edit and amendment cycle. Of course I’m ultimately generating h.264/h.265 files for my clients and that’s good enough for acceptable output and their efficient consumption.
Ultimately the best codecs are the codecs that work best for your needs. Years ago I shot on camcorders for mostly personal family use and was very disappointed with what I could accomplish in post. When BMD introduced their new BMCC 2.5K camera in 2012, it was a sign the democratization of cinema cameras was coming where a small studio or individual was going to have the tools to fulfill their vision. I had followed all the hype from RED for years, but the costs of the products significantly exceeded their mission statement. When the UM4.6K was shown in 2015, it brought a tear to my eyes that I could begin the journey I’m still taking today. The road is paved with 12bit colour.