Feature Request: h.264/h.265 codecs

Blackmagic camera's are by far my favorite, but not all my clients can handle the large file sizes that come with BRaw or Prores recording.
It we be great if we had a 10bit h.264 or h.265 codec option for those projects where file size is more important than pure image quality. Even if it's capped at 4k. That way we can keep using Blackmagic cameras and not have to switch to a different system.
My Cinema Camera 6k has h.264 proxies so I assume it's possible. Having that versatility for long recordings or just clients that don't want the Raw would be amazing!

Cheers!

Your request is important if you are hired to simply record video and handover your media after the shoot. But if you are applying editing, colour grading, effects, and so on in post (such as DaVinci Resolve), then you can deliver very small videos using h.265 for 4K and h.264 for HD as appropriate.

Proxy recordings might be an option but the quality of a proxy may not be suitable for a client. Proxy is not intended to be a deliverable; it’s just a stand-in to speed up editing until you can apply the edits to the higher quality but larger BRAW files.

I understand the request for native H.264 or H.265 recording in Blackmagic cameras. It’s a valid concern. That said, I’ve adopted a workflow that works well for me: I shoot in BRAW and convert to H.265 files for client delivery. Is it ideal? Not entirely. But it comes with significant benefits.

One of the additional DIT services I offer is color matching multiple cameras before generating the final H.265 files. Shooting RAW helps tremendously with this because color temperature and tint aren’t baked in. Matching cameras or shots becomes much easier. That level of flexibility is a major advantage when working with mixed camera setups.

I completely understand that clients don’t love the large file sizes. For example, on a recent shoot, my URSA Cine 12K recorded in 4K Q5 at 25fps and generated around 700 GB of footage. The Pocket 6K Pro, recording in 6K Q5 at 25fps, produced around 300 GB. Both were framed to deliver roughly the same depth of field: the UC12K on a 50mm at T2.1, and the P6KPro on a 65mm at T2.8. Yet the UC12K’s wider frame and higher detail level produced nearly double the data. So it’s not just about resolution; it’s the detail and image quality that make the difference.

Afterward, I generated UHD 4:2:2 H.265 files that were about 175 GB per camera, which is significantly more manageable. I kept compression settings close to what you’d get from a Sony A7IV shooting UHD Intra XAVC. Clients appreciate that kind of deliverable: small enough to handle easily, but still visually strong.

Still, when comparing image quality between the Blackmagic cameras and something like a Sony A7 series, the difference is stark. Blackmagic’s image quality is simply superior in color, gradation, and flexibility.

I remember when I first got the original BMCC 2.5K. Shooting HD ProRes 422 HQ on a 240 GB SSD gave me about 2.5 hours of footage. A Canon 5D or 7D would give around 1.5 hours on a 32 GB card using H.264. But the difference in image quality was immediately obvious. Some colleagues complained about ProRes file sizes. They were really shocked when I told them CinemaDNG (2400x1350) would only get 30 minutes on that same SSD. But again, the image justified it.

At the end of the day, these are cinema cameras, not camcorders. They should be treated like film cameras. Time equals money. Once you reframe your approach to media management that way, everything starts to make more sense. The workflow may demand more up front, but the results are worth it.

I totally agree, the Raw files are night and day better. But for those times when I don't have the option to correct and convert the footage, having a smaller file option would be great so I can keep using my Blackmagic cameras for those gigs and not have to switch to a mirrorless camera.
And while they are cinema cameras, Blackmagic also has a big emphases on broadcast features, so I have to imagine a lot of people would benefit from smaller files when recording long events.

I totally agree, the Raw files are night and day better. But for those times when I don't have the option to correct and convert the footage, having a smaller file option would be great so I can keep using my Blackmagic cameras for those gigs and not have to switch to a mirrorless camera.


And while they are cinema cameras, Blackmagic also has a big emphases on broadcast features, so I have to imagine a lot of people would benefit from smaller files when recording long events.

You just need to use a video assist. The cameras lack the hardware to do H.264/H2.65