BMCC Firmware Update Request: Markers/Frame Guides

I would like to put in a request to have markers or frame guides added to the camera. They are very important when you're shooting broadcast TV because they tell you where the 4:3 center cut safe frame is. Or if you want to shoot anamorphic, where your lines are. These are a top priority for everyone out there. This camera is not a professional camera until it has that. We cannot shoot broadcast stuff with this camera unless we have a $1,000+ SDI-3G monitor connected to it that has markers on it. You would literally save us all $1,000 for a monitor by just adding it to a firmware update.

Otherwise we have to use cheap cut outs to put over our camera LCD to estimate where the lines are. I would buy another camera just if you added this one firmware update alone because you'd save me money on monitors, that I could then put back into buying more cameras.

I just spent $1,300 on a SDI-3G monitor and I had to return it because it had dead pixels on it and was defective. It's been a really frustrating day of having to call to get it returned, repacking everything, returning it, all because the BMCC programmers don't want to add markers/frame guides in an update. The main reason I bought the external monitor was because of the marker/frame guides. I HAVE to have this to shoot broadcast TV footage. If you want to see your cameras used in more professional use, broadcast use, please add these markers/frame guides in camera. I shoot commercials that air on TV and your camera by itself is not enough.

We also need built in bars to be generated by the camera so we can calibrate an external monitor. I went into the camera settings and saw no way to pull up the bars to calibrate an external monitor. I find it hard to believe that it's not in there somewhere. You would think a color correction software company would understand the importance of having that in there.

I would like to put in a request to have markers or frame guides added to the camera. They are very important when you're shooting broadcast TV because they tell you where the 4:3 center cut safe frame is. Or if you want to shoot anamorphic, where your lines are. These are a top priority for everyone out there. This camera is not a professional camera until it has that. We cannot shoot broadcast stuff with this camera unless we have a $1,000+ SDI-3G monitor connected to it that has markers on it. You would literally save us all $1,000 for a monitor by just adding it to a firmware update.

Otherwise we have to use cheap cut outs to put over our camera LCD to estimate where the lines are. I would buy another camera just if you added this one firmware update alone because you'd save me money on monitors, that I could then put back into buying more cameras.

I just spent $1,300 on a SDI-3G monitor and I had to return it because it had dead pixels on it and was defective. It's been a really frustrating day of having to call to get it returned, repacking everything, returning it, all because the BMCC programmers don't want to add markers/frame guides in an update. The main reason I bought the external monitor was because of the marker/frame guides. I HAVE to have this to shoot broadcast TV footage. If you want to see your cameras used in more professional use, broadcast use, please add these markers/frame guides in camera. I shoot commercials that air on TV and your camera by itself is not enough.

We also need built in bars to be generated by the camera so we can calibrate an external monitor. I went into the camera settings and saw no way to pull up the bars to calibrate an external monitor. I find it hard to believe that it's not in there somewhere. You would think a color correction software company would understand the importance of having that in there.

Truly this is unbeleavable. You made a decision knowing what camera's limitations are. You would think a professional in video business would research the equipment before making purchasing decisions. While a agree that it would be nice to have the features you have mentioned your tone is very inappropriate.

I don't know where to point the camera.

What?

After shooting 1,000's of hours of broadcast tv footage myself and now managing multiple film crews who shoot 1000's of hours of footage for broadcast tv, I've never used or seen used 4:3 center cut safe frame guides.

ever.

I would like to put in a request to have markers or frame guides added to the camera. They are very important when you're shooting broadcast TV because they tell you where the 4:3 center cut safe frame is. Or if you want to shoot anamorphic, where your lines are. These are a top priority for everyone out there. This camera is not a professional camera until it has that. We cannot shoot broadcast stuff with this camera unless we have a $1,000+ SDI-3G monitor connected to it that has markers on it. You would literally save us all $1,000 for a monitor by just adding it to a firmware update.

Otherwise we have to use cheap cut outs to put over our camera LCD to estimate where the lines are. I would buy another camera just if you added this one firmware update alone because you'd save me money on monitors, that I could then put back into buying more cameras.

I just spent $1,300 on a SDI-3G monitor and I had to return it because it had dead pixels on it and was defective. It's been a really frustrating day of having to call to get it returned, repacking everything, returning it, all because the BMCC programmers don't want to add markers/frame guides in an update. The main reason I bought the external monitor was because of the marker/frame guides. I HAVE to have this to shoot broadcast TV footage. If you want to see your cameras used in more professional use, broadcast use, please add these markers/frame guides in camera. I shoot commercials that air on TV and your camera by itself is not enough.

We also need built in bars to be generated by the camera so we can calibrate an external monitor. I went into the camera settings and saw no way to pull up the bars to calibrate an external monitor. I find it hard to believe that it's not in there somewhere. You would think a color correction software company would understand the importance of having that in there.

So you spent $1300 for a monitor and had to return it, but now what? Are you getting a replacement? If you need those features, get another monitor because the BMCC doesn't have them. If you need them built in, you might want to purchase another camera, as this camera doesn't have them built in. With a now $2000 price tag, there are features and even things some may consider "basic" features that are just not included and may never be included. That's the tradeoff of getting a $2000 camera.

If you need those features, get an external monitor that has them. The TV Logic seems like the best bet, as it has everything that is "missing" - from audio meters to waveform and crop guides.