Is it worth to upgrade from BMPCC OG to BMPCC 4k ?

Hello what do you guys think?

Is it worth to upgrade from a BMPCC OG to a BMPCC 4K ?

100% yes. Even just for BRAW alone it would be worth it.

EDIT — Also for a screen that you can actually see for focus and composition, plus false color that will help you nail exposure consistently. This thread will likely end up containing plenty of nostalgia for the original BMPCC. And that's fine, but it comes down to which camera facilitates capturing and delivering better shots. Without a doubt that is the newer pocket.

The best way I would answer the question would be :

Would you sell your own VW Beetle to buy new VW Golf.

VW Golf 8 gen has all bells and whistles, central locking, aircon, multi point fuel injection, 2 turbos, more power
it is more fuel efficient, faster, more practical, modern.

However, VW Beetle is really simple car that is very reliable, old, value has increased and are worth twice as more then new Golf, they are behind in many areas technologically and can not be purchased new.

However, they drive and have vintage feel, have its own unique style, it was revolutionary car that sold all over the World in millions .

" The Beetle earned its reputation from a winning marriage of reliable engineering and smile-provoking style that made it so iconic. It had a social effect like no vehicle before it. Carrying its own mythology, people wrote books about it and issued magazines featuring it. It even became a movie star".

… Is it worth to upgrade from a BMPCC OG to a BMPCC 4K ?

It is worth it to add a BMPCC4K and it is s worth it to retain your BMPCC as long as it is operational.

If you think of the BMPCC4K as an Apple M1 laptop and the BMPCC as an Apple 1, you know the BMPCC4K is far more capable and flexible, but in another generation, an operational BMPCC could be worth far more in terms of value, sentimental value and market value.

Thanks for your reply

I have my BMPCC OG + Speedbooster for 3 years now. I bought for it a tilta cage + RAWlite OLPF (got it cheap for 100€). I have a smallhd focus 5. I am using a Sigma 17-50mm + Smallrig Follow Focus and also a dummy battery + Powerbank. I have 3x 512gb SanDisk

So I Boule up the bmpcc og nicely. I am missing something like a touchscreen like for adjusting color temperature in prores. Cinema DNG it is really painful to store, all the small pictures takes a while to back them up. Other thing is the lowlight capability. BMPCC 4K has dual iso so I guess much better in low light.

For the start I could use the speedbooster from the bmpcc og with little crop.

I am looking to get budget friendly lenses like the Meike T or SLR Magic
The Cropfactor from the OG is 2,88 so it is much more difficult to get the right lenses would be something like 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 16/17, 25mm
With the bmpcc 4k there are more possibilities with the 2x Cropfactor.

Also I like braw and the possibility to edit it with Autokroma in Premiere Pro which I use the most from the NLEs

I am shooting shorts, documentaries, fictional films, on set ...

You have a good appreciation of the differences with the two cameras with the possible exception of the Metabones SpeedBooster. The SpeedBooster for the BMPCC has a small image circle that will not cover the larger sensor of the BMPCC4K. You would need to purchase a SpeedBooster for BMPCC4K to continue to use your existing lenses that are not mFT mounts. An alternative would be purchasing new lenses with mFT mounts such as SLR Magic MicroPrimes.

Ah I thought I could use the og speedbooster on the 4k with a crop like 2,5k not full 4k resolution.

Are the SLR Magic MicroPrimes more recommended then the Meike T series or Nokton Mft?

Other advantage is 4k so I can crop in in post or stabilize the image.

I would like to work handheld for the bmpcc I have the sigma 17-50 2.8F and a neck belt and it gives me really good moves. I guess the same would be possible with the bmpcc 4k also. I do not like so much the plastic build, but that makes the camera lighter I guess. I like the handle from the 4k.

I would buy 2TB Samsung T5 now on the blackfriday deals and look in near future for a bmpcc 4k.
Battery I would like the canon with 40-45min battery power. It is often a pain to plug a powerbank or Sony battery. I like it simple and fast.

Currently I am trying out the new iPhone Pro 13 with Prores and I like the workflow you have 1 devices can make pictures and videos and edit them. 3 Cameras build in and just concentrate on movie making, to tell stories.

Which lenses would you recommend to start?

when it comes to replacing the bmpcc with bmpcc4k, i would never do that. either both or just the original bmpcc. The image of the original bmpcc is special, you can do a lot with it and it just looks beautiful.

Unless you have a collection of native M43 lenses you want to keep I'd miss the 4k and go BMPCC 6k. Better colour, better usable DR and way less moiré.

when it comes to replacing the bmpcc with bmpcc4k, i would never do that. either both or just the original bmpcc. The image of the original bmpcc is special, you can do a lot with it and it just looks beautiful.

Because of this I bought back then the bmpcc og. It is only a think of workflow, if something has to be done in 1 day the 4k could be maybe better?

I would like to know more about the color science difference. Like the OG has bigger pixels and has a filmic look to it, you could also get something similar with plugins? The 4K imagine looks super crisps and also makes a look more digital looking. People who are filming still with film and not digital could better declare what they see in the OG vs 4k/6k. I love cinematography and get a film look less people going.

BMPCC6K makes the files bigger and the camera is heavier? I small and good equipment.
I have only 1 m43 lens left the sir magic 12mm and searching for good lenses but do not which ones maybe the noktons 10.5m, 17mm, 25mm, 42.5mm or Meike, Zeiss Distagon, SLR Magic. Maybe I will in the future rent better lenses and have no need to get a set of lenses.

If I am thinking more and more my decision from the past was right to get the OG. I am still a "beginner" not a Roger Deakins and have to learn first all the things like lighting, set-design, camera-movements, composition ... Will take several more years to make my first feature film. So I want to learn and for me it makes less difference with a slower workflow (imagine what people who shoot on film say )

The OG makes you think about lighting more, but then the overall equipment is heavier. There are lights like the Falcon Eyes which are light, but can not bring all for a shot lighting, camera, tripod, lenses ..

Currently I am applying for film school and working on 2 short films. A documentary and a 3 min short and the topic is "A Sunday on the Moon". Do you guys have thought on that?

I will film everything with the iPhone Pro 13 it is easier and for an application movie it is enough. Often less is more and professionell shorts I guess have less chances. Then they will ask why are you applying if everything looks already pro. It is about the idea/story they want to see something from my personality me as a filmmaker.

Ah I thought I could use the og speedbooster on the 4k with a crop like 2,5k not full 4k resolution…

Other advantage is 4k so I can crop in in post or stabilize the image.

You might get away with your Metabones SpeedBooster for BMPCC if you shot with the 2.6K crop, but that crop limits you somewhat in your ability to stabilize or reframe shots in post. You could try it and it the edges are good, that’s an option, but eventually you may want the Metabones SpeedBooster for BMPCC4K due to the added flexibility of shooting 4K and 4K 2.4:1 and UHD.

I would like to work handheld…

A couple of wide angle lenses may be best to begin your set. You can always add lenses as you find other focal lengths necessary but handheld with a telephoto lens would be difficult to manage.

I would buy 2TB Samsung T5 now on the blackfriday deals and look in near future for a bmpcc 4k.

Check the BMD Support webpage list carefully and only buy SSDs that are on the list of SSDs approved for the BMPCC4K.

Battery I would like the canon with 40-45min battery power...

Buy two or three batteries.

Which lenses would you recommend to start?

I’d choose the SLR Magic MicroPrimes but you are also considering other good lenses. Your budget may be the best guide as you should buy the lenses you are comfortable with and best suited to your shooting aspirations. The MicroPrimes are not razor sharp by design but produce a good image.

There’s another thread here about shooting with the iPhone 13. Read it. You could shoot with an iPhone but I wouldn’t recommend it as your only camera that you bring to Film school. The BMD cameras like the BMPCC4K shoot 12bit BRAW and 10bit ProRes 422 HQ. When shooting BRAW, I’d recommend Q0 or Q1 quality although you have other good options if you need to use them.

I looked at the SLR Magic MicroPrimes the 12mm is 2.8F and could be a problem with the OG.
SLR Magic MicroPrimes > Noktons? I saw the whole set of the 4 lenses with cinemod for 2000€ used.

The question for me is really if the bmpcc4k gives me really an advantage when I have already a full set the bmpcc OG+SmallHD Focus+RAWlite OLPF+Tilta Cage

I guess I will buy the bmpcc4k for testing and see if it is worth it. In the end it is just a tool and I should work more on ideas, screenplays and shot more shorts. Often I see in myself I am to technical thinking and often looking to get better gear which is not needed

The question for me is really if the bmpcc4k gives me really an advantage when I have already a full set the bmpcc OG+SmallHD Focus+RAWlite OLPF+Tilta Cage

I think you've already answered your own question earlier in the thread when you wrote:

Cinema DNG it is really painful to store, all the small pictures takes a while to back them up. Other thing is the lowlight capability. BMPCC 4K has dual iso so I guess much better in low light.

BRAW is massively more efficient than cDNG — and there is color management built into the SDK, so you can use any custom LUT you like and load it as display metadata.
Also, yes the BMPCC 4K can capture images in lower light. The range from 1250 ISO to 3200 ISO is clean and usable, which is not the case on the original BMPCC.

Sony sensors are cheaper, efficient and practical and deliver great results.
There has been similar shift and change with medium format digital camera, big names like Phase One, Fuji and even Hassy employed Sony CMOS sensors.

There were huge benefits and technology caught up with old CCD sensors.
However, there was "something special with them" something in highlights and true 16 bit tonal range where CMOS delivered 14 bit and better shadows and low light.

CCD DB was never practical, poor low light and difficult to focus , buggy, no live previews, poor LCD screen...

However, there are many professional photographers and so much debate of image and tonal rendition of DALSA CCD sensors.

Others tried to match in post , etc.

Something to be said about new tech taking over old. (CCD chips were lot more expensive to make)

In both instances sensors were replaced in favour of Sony chips, due to cost and convenience.

IMX 461100MP Sony sensor, which Hasselblad utilizes and adapts for its flagships.
https://ymcinema.com/2021/08/12/hasselb ... mat-magic/

CMOS have taken over, some photographers still swear by old CCD DB and not letting go.

I personally love the image from old CCD Dalsa chip, tonal range and ability to push 16bit image , highlight dr was insane and image just felt organic.

Image taken with Phase One P40+ ,Schneider Kreuznach 80mm f2.8 AF LS lens
[code]Isabel by darko5757, on Flickr/code]

At the end of the day, it comes down to your own preference as an artist.
Which brush you are choosing for your painting.

I keep thinking I want an OG BMPCC..., That analogy of the OG being an older VW Bug in an earlier post is great and put everything in perspective for me. Once you start using BRAW its hard to deal with another codec. IF they made the OG with only Braw it would fly off the shelves for sure, but I heard the Fairchild sensor ( is that what its called) is not available now which is the reason to get the OG in the first place. The only reason to me. !

Old cars are great if you have lots of time and or money but can be a pain if you are unlucky. If I collected cameras like many others do I would definitely pick one of those OG cameras up.

If you are shooting a lot and earning money, the P4K will give you less hassles in the long term.