Bmpcc 4k 7.9 firmware problem

Hello: I installed firmware 7.9 in my 4k camera almost a month ago and all the menus worked fine. Today when I turned it on after a week, I could not change the date, codec, or anything on the first line of each page. I could not choose the external mic either. I installed firmware 7.9.1 hoping it might fix the problem but it didn't. I cannot create and save any new preset or cannot do most of the things that involve the first lines on every page on the menu. I need help to fix it. I tried to downgrade the firmware but the camera utility would not let me.

Did you try to reset the camera via the camera Settings menu? If that fails…

I’d try to reinstall the Camera Setup app. When you download a fresh version of the firmware from the BMD Support webpage, unzip it and open it. There will be an icon to erase the Camera Setup app and you want to do that.

When you have reinstalled the Camera Setup app, make sure it includes the latest Blackmagic raw version and if not download and install that. I also make sure I have the latest Desktop Video app installed as well. Then you can proceed.

Start the Camera Setup app,
connect the camera to AC power or ensure the battery is fully charged,
connect the camera to the computer via a reliable working USB-C data cable.

Hopefully the camera will appear in the Camera Setup app and let you update the firmware.

Did you try to reset the camera via the camera Settings menu? If that fails…

I’d try to reinstall the Camera Setup app. When you download a fresh version of the firmware from the BMD Support webpage, unzip it and open it. There will be an icon to erase the Camera Setup app and you want to do that.

When you have reinstalled the Camera Setup app, make sure it includes the latest Blackmagic raw version and if not download and install that. I also make sure I have the latest Desktop Video app installed as well. Then you can proceed.

Start the Camera Setup app,
connect the camera to AC power or ensure the battery is fully charged,
connect the camera to the computer via a reliable working USB-C data cable.

Hopefully the camera will appear in the Camera Setup app and let you update the firmware.

Hi Rick -- instead of starting a new thread I searched the forums and found this post. I have a BMPCC6k that has been doing a few odd things lately. A few (couple or three, can't remember) the camera has frozen and won't turn off with the switch, so I had to remove the battery to force it to shut off and then it was ok again. Just now it was dropping recordings and a few moments after changing the aperture the screen went black then came back on. It's not old but is well out of warranty -- purchased new, June 2021. I'm on Camera software 8.1 if I recall correctly.....

I ran a search to see how/if I can re-install the firmware. I'm a little confused by the above. When you say " "there will be an icon to erase the Camera Setup app" are you referring to something in-camera or on the Mac? I'll be looking into this before doing anything dumb. I monitor humidity levels and keep things very safe inside. There really shouldn't be any issue with the body and I live with unnecessary but elevated levels of anxiety about BMD dropping the ball on me should something ever require service (for money).

BMD support --- are you still looking out for bmpcc6k cameras? (at a charge, of course). I'm used to tube guitar amps that are still running 65 years later. I figure a camera should last at least 1/8th as long if not much longer.

…I ran a search to see how/if I can re-install the firmware. I'm a little confused by the above. When you say " "there will be an icon to erase the Camera Setup app" are you referring to something in-camera or on the Mac? I'll be looking into this before doing anything…

Apologies if that wasn’t clear. I’ll go through the steps in a little more detail. The firmware version I run with is 8.1. You could even download a later version as that won’t hurt anything.

1) From the Mac web browser, select the BMD Support page; scroll down the left column to a camera update; select that and download the camera update .dmg file to the Mac.

2) open the .dmg file and it will open a window with some icons; open the bottom right icon to Uninstall the Camera Setup program on your Mac. This erased all related files on your Mac so the new version will be clean.

3) after running the Uninstall, then open the Install Camera Setup on the bottom left; this will install a new version of the Camera Setup in your Applications folder.

4) if you run programs from the Dock, you’ll need to drag the Camera Setup icon to the Dock or simply proceed on the map to execute the Camera Setup program from the Applications folder.

5) turn On your camera and connect your camera via USB-C to your Mac.

6) the running Camera Setup program on the Mac will recognize your camera and you select the button to proceed with the update.

This action to Uninstall the current Camera Setup using the provided icon after opening the .dmg is a step that shouldn’t be skipped although nothing forced you to do that—it’s just a good practice to follow each time.

BMD support --- are you still looking out for bmpcc6k cameras? (at a charge, of course). I'm used to tube guitar amps that are still running 65 years later. I figure a camera should last at least 1/8th as long if not much longer.

My first camera is 60 years old this summer and it is still fine. A shame the world of electronics and chips means everything we buy is a ticking time bomb. As a teenager, my brother rescued a Ford Model A from a farmer’s field and restored it so it was running well for many decades. Voyager 2 is still functioning more than 50 years after launch and it’s a 64KB memory system! Today enormously complex cars and expensive appliances die less than a decade old because a chip can no longer be replaced… well at least the chip in the Jaguar lasted twenty years.

Vendors warn you not to expect longevity from anything nowadays. Even camera manufacturers don’t expect you to enjoy many years of service. Sad when some die so young, while others may have a relatively long life. My UM4.6K is 8 years old in a few weeks and going strong, but I know one day it won’t. All the best to you.

…I ran a search to see how/if I can re-install the firmware. I'm a little confused by the above. When you say " "there will be an icon to erase the Camera Setup app" are you referring to something in-camera or on the Mac? I'll be looking into this before doing anything…

Apologies if that wasn’t clear. I’ll go through the steps in a little more detail. The firmware version I run with is 8.1. You could even download a later version as that won’t hurt anything.

Many thanks, Rick, for the helpful and detailed reply! That makes sense now. I can't remember but *think* that when I went to 8.1 it was the first software update I'd done since the cameras shipped new. Still, that makes sense and gives me plenty to go on now. I'll make sure to uninstall the previous version on my Mac before re-installing onto the camera. I appreciate your reply a lot!