Fri Apr 30, 2021 7:16 pm
First let me say that I have been a fan for a long time and I own an Ursa and a pair of BMPCC 4k's. I love the look of the BMD cameras, and I have always felt you go out of your way to pack all you can into something the average film maker can actually afford.
What you are doing right: Gen 5 color is as good as anything out there and combined with BRAW, I prefer your cameras over Alexas and Reds regardless of the project budget. Sony and Panasonic footage just seems thin...
Internal ND's are genius and necessary - and since I like to film with pro mist or moment diffusion, no more issues with stacking filters.
The new clipping indicators on the exposure guide are fantastic - I filmed a straight into the sun sunset last night with zero clipping - that extra confidence is wonderful.
Where I think you need to improve and where to go next:
I only have a few thoughts for you as a film maker and as story teller, and as someone who wants to see BlackMagic Design thrive into the next several decades - and I think you need to garner a bit more share in the professional market to do it. Here's how:
1. In body stabilization is not really necessary on a cinema camera - would it be nice, sure, but not a big focus for me. I like my handheld stuff to be organic and since IBIS fights with my movement, it never quite looks or feels right. When I want steady, I will go for gimbals or sticks.
2. Please do not get on the 8k bandwagon just for marketing specs. 6k is an absolute sweet spot. Skyfall was filmed in 2k and projected on 40 foot wide screens and all I could think of in the theater was how absolutely freaking awesome Deakins is - it never even occurred to me to question the resolution.
3. Do concentrate on dual gain circuits and extending the dynamic range of the sensors - while I will likely never actually experience full 6k sitting in front of my studio monitor far enough back to see the whole image, I will absolutely see increased dynamic range and HDR.
4. You left a critical thing out of your menus - and ironically, it is already in the Android software. In the software, I can set a beginning and end point for focus stops and choose a transition speed in seconds to rack focus. The only downside is I need to attach clamps and a phone to my camera when running as a one man band. Sony auto focus is great (their colors are still not great), but auto focus simply cannot read my mind. Being able to have a built in focus puller would be absolutely fantastic - upper left corner of the screen, add a focus icon. When tapped, the screen displays three buttons on the left hand side and an exit bottom right corner. One button sets near focus by long holding, one sets far focus by long holding and the middle button brings up a half second to ten second menu to choose how long focus transitions last. Being able to do that inside the camera body for run and gun filming means BMD can simply ignore pleas for auto focus. I have filmed on Sony's and Fuji's and I far and away prefer using the app to control the lenses on my BMPCC4k's. It is literally like having a focus puller with me wherever I go. Don't be whingy, this is the absolute best way to give us film makers what we really need - and everything is already inside the camera, just give us the menu icon and buttons!
5. And the form factor.... I actually like the form factor most of the time, but.... it is time for you to get on the box cinema camera bandwagon and give us an updated 6k with built in ND's micro cinema camera. I know, I know, the Ursas.... but here is the thing - I prefer the pockets most of the time because they are smaller, lighter and just so darned easy to move with. I love my Ursa as well, but it requires a lot of heavy gear to really shine, bigger batteries, tripods, gimbals.... Red is getting small, Alexa is getting small - if you want to compete past 2021, keep the pocket form factor as one option, but give us everything in the BMPCC 6k Pro minus the screen in a small box form that we can rig as we need to and fly on gimbals easily. Then upgrade your monitors to control that camera with the same menu system it already has. We can then rig a hundred ways, monitor in different locations, put the camera on a gimbal and mount the monitor and controls to a handle or hand them off to the DP while an operator does the gimbal... it opens a world of possibilities. Will it hurt Ursa sales? Maybe, but consider this, Red, Sony, Canon and Panasonic have all realized that a lot of mid-range film makers will choose a small DSLR box over their bigger and more expensive options, and they have all offered smaller boxes with various degrees of crippling to keep from undermining their camera lines. BMD has a huge opportunity here to offer the absolute best cinema camera in two form factors that would work for any production. And don't worry about cost - I would gladly pay the same $2495 for the box camera as I will be doing this week for the 6k Pro - and I absolutely would buy both to suit all the different ways I film. This is not a "change your shape" request, it is a give us two awesome ways to work with your fantastic cameras request.
6. The final request has to do with your live production gear - I also happen to run a university television and live broadcast department. My origins go back to 1992 when I worked for ABC news and sports, and I have filmed for Fox on crews for football and basketball. We are currently upgrading our studios and I really, really want to like the Constellations and new mini switchers, but there are two fatal flaws, and I truly believe both could easily be fixed.
What is keeping BlackMagic from getting more traction in the broadcast world? Glad you asked:
First, color correction. Yes, you have amazing color correction for your cameras, but you simply do not offer a camcorder, and for our productions, that means we are Sony and Panasonic - do not be so protective of your lines that you miss the opportunity here - offer a software based color correction as well as the hardware based one you have now. The simple truth is that we are going to use GoPros and camcorders because BMD does not offer these. vMix and just about every other software based switcher offers fairly good color correction - give us the option in the switcher control panel to either use the amazing hardware controlled color correction or switch a channel to "software only" color control.
No joke: If the Constellations offered software color correction for my non-BMD cameras, even if it was fairly basic compared to what the hardware based version does, I would be looking at six Constellations over the next two years instead of considering vMix as our primary switcher.
The second thing is IP video. The simple truth is that until you have hardware converters that can take in NDI and SRT sources, vMIx and other software are going to win. I still prefer SDI or fiber, but the simple truth is esports comes over IP from Twitch, my campus is connected end to end with networking but I can only run SDI in short, limited spaces. I really want to deploy a small army of ATEM Minis and Constellations, but the fatal flaw is no IP in or out. The ATEM minis now have a box that allows point to point, give that to Constellatios as well. And having SDI and fiber sources on a Constellation while bringing in IP sources in vMIx is like trying to play guitar and piano in the same song - all my sources need to be on one control panel. Add converters or software that allows virtual inputs to come in to the Constellations, along with non-BMD color control and I think you find a much, much larger market for these products.
Bang for buck, nobody beats BlackMagic. Period. But until I can bring in virtual sources alongside my traditional feeds and until I can do basic color correction on all my sources, BMD and other, I simply cannot commit fully to BMD. vMix can do all of this in software, and Magewell makes NDI to SDI converters - it seems to me that there must be a way to add this into the Constellations and mini ATEM switchers as well.
What you are doing right: Gen 5 color is as good as anything out there and combined with BRAW, I prefer your cameras over Alexas and Reds regardless of the project budget. Sony and Panasonic footage just seems thin...
Internal ND's are genius and necessary - and since I like to film with pro mist or moment diffusion, no more issues with stacking filters.
The new clipping indicators on the exposure guide are fantastic - I filmed a straight into the sun sunset last night with zero clipping - that extra confidence is wonderful.
Where I think you need to improve and where to go next:
I only have a few thoughts for you as a film maker and as story teller, and as someone who wants to see BlackMagic Design thrive into the next several decades - and I think you need to garner a bit more share in the professional market to do it. Here's how:
1. In body stabilization is not really necessary on a cinema camera - would it be nice, sure, but not a big focus for me. I like my handheld stuff to be organic and since IBIS fights with my movement, it never quite looks or feels right. When I want steady, I will go for gimbals or sticks.
2. Please do not get on the 8k bandwagon just for marketing specs. 6k is an absolute sweet spot. Skyfall was filmed in 2k and projected on 40 foot wide screens and all I could think of in the theater was how absolutely freaking awesome Deakins is - it never even occurred to me to question the resolution.
3. Do concentrate on dual gain circuits and extending the dynamic range of the sensors - while I will likely never actually experience full 6k sitting in front of my studio monitor far enough back to see the whole image, I will absolutely see increased dynamic range and HDR.
4. You left a critical thing out of your menus - and ironically, it is already in the Android software. In the software, I can set a beginning and end point for focus stops and choose a transition speed in seconds to rack focus. The only downside is I need to attach clamps and a phone to my camera when running as a one man band. Sony auto focus is great (their colors are still not great), but auto focus simply cannot read my mind. Being able to have a built in focus puller would be absolutely fantastic - upper left corner of the screen, add a focus icon. When tapped, the screen displays three buttons on the left hand side and an exit bottom right corner. One button sets near focus by long holding, one sets far focus by long holding and the middle button brings up a half second to ten second menu to choose how long focus transitions last. Being able to do that inside the camera body for run and gun filming means BMD can simply ignore pleas for auto focus. I have filmed on Sony's and Fuji's and I far and away prefer using the app to control the lenses on my BMPCC4k's. It is literally like having a focus puller with me wherever I go. Don't be whingy, this is the absolute best way to give us film makers what we really need - and everything is already inside the camera, just give us the menu icon and buttons!
5. And the form factor.... I actually like the form factor most of the time, but.... it is time for you to get on the box cinema camera bandwagon and give us an updated 6k with built in ND's micro cinema camera. I know, I know, the Ursas.... but here is the thing - I prefer the pockets most of the time because they are smaller, lighter and just so darned easy to move with. I love my Ursa as well, but it requires a lot of heavy gear to really shine, bigger batteries, tripods, gimbals.... Red is getting small, Alexa is getting small - if you want to compete past 2021, keep the pocket form factor as one option, but give us everything in the BMPCC 6k Pro minus the screen in a small box form that we can rig as we need to and fly on gimbals easily. Then upgrade your monitors to control that camera with the same menu system it already has. We can then rig a hundred ways, monitor in different locations, put the camera on a gimbal and mount the monitor and controls to a handle or hand them off to the DP while an operator does the gimbal... it opens a world of possibilities. Will it hurt Ursa sales? Maybe, but consider this, Red, Sony, Canon and Panasonic have all realized that a lot of mid-range film makers will choose a small DSLR box over their bigger and more expensive options, and they have all offered smaller boxes with various degrees of crippling to keep from undermining their camera lines. BMD has a huge opportunity here to offer the absolute best cinema camera in two form factors that would work for any production. And don't worry about cost - I would gladly pay the same $2495 for the box camera as I will be doing this week for the 6k Pro - and I absolutely would buy both to suit all the different ways I film. This is not a "change your shape" request, it is a give us two awesome ways to work with your fantastic cameras request.
6. The final request has to do with your live production gear - I also happen to run a university television and live broadcast department. My origins go back to 1992 when I worked for ABC news and sports, and I have filmed for Fox on crews for football and basketball. We are currently upgrading our studios and I really, really want to like the Constellations and new mini switchers, but there are two fatal flaws, and I truly believe both could easily be fixed.
What is keeping BlackMagic from getting more traction in the broadcast world? Glad you asked:
First, color correction. Yes, you have amazing color correction for your cameras, but you simply do not offer a camcorder, and for our productions, that means we are Sony and Panasonic - do not be so protective of your lines that you miss the opportunity here - offer a software based color correction as well as the hardware based one you have now. The simple truth is that we are going to use GoPros and camcorders because BMD does not offer these. vMix and just about every other software based switcher offers fairly good color correction - give us the option in the switcher control panel to either use the amazing hardware controlled color correction or switch a channel to "software only" color control.
No joke: If the Constellations offered software color correction for my non-BMD cameras, even if it was fairly basic compared to what the hardware based version does, I would be looking at six Constellations over the next two years instead of considering vMix as our primary switcher.
The second thing is IP video. The simple truth is that until you have hardware converters that can take in NDI and SRT sources, vMIx and other software are going to win. I still prefer SDI or fiber, but the simple truth is esports comes over IP from Twitch, my campus is connected end to end with networking but I can only run SDI in short, limited spaces. I really want to deploy a small army of ATEM Minis and Constellations, but the fatal flaw is no IP in or out. The ATEM minis now have a box that allows point to point, give that to Constellatios as well. And having SDI and fiber sources on a Constellation while bringing in IP sources in vMIx is like trying to play guitar and piano in the same song - all my sources need to be on one control panel. Add converters or software that allows virtual inputs to come in to the Constellations, along with non-BMD color control and I think you find a much, much larger market for these products.
Bang for buck, nobody beats BlackMagic. Period. But until I can bring in virtual sources alongside my traditional feeds and until I can do basic color correction on all my sources, BMD and other, I simply cannot commit fully to BMD. vMix can do all of this in software, and Magewell makes NDI to SDI converters - it seems to me that there must be a way to add this into the Constellations and mini ATEM switchers as well.
H. Robert Petersen, BriteFire Films - videoguy16x9@gmail.com