POCKET VS 4K = What is better for short films and commercial

Hi,

This is my first post, sorry if someone already talked about this.

I have a little debate... I mostly need this camera for short-films and low budged commercials.
I have rig, matte-box, 4x4 nd filters, sdi monitor, and battery pack
All my lenses are all for canon EF:
1-24-105mm f4 lens
1-70-200mm f2.8 lens
1-17-55mm f2.8 lens
1-24mm f1.4 lens
1-50mm f1.4 lens
1-85mm f1.4 lens

I am tired of canon dslrs and want to upgrade for better dynamic range and the apple pro res codec


should I buy the pocket camera and buy metabone for nikon with 18-35mm sigma and hopefully wait for the metabone speedbooster for ef to be released?


or

should I take advantage of the reduction in price and get the 4k camera?




will the 4k put me above others in terms of getting jobs (I know it has to do more with portfolio), I mean is it atractive?


sorry for any misspellings or misuse of words my english is very bad
thanks
Domini Alcantara
DominiAlcantara.com

I own a BMCC and BMPCC. I also have a BMPC4K on order. They are all different and offer different pros and cons.

Based on your lens collection I would say the BMPC4K would be the better investment.

Pros:
You get Super35mm FOV, better use of your lens
No rolling shutter
SDI out
More robust inputs (power, audio)
Better media options (480GB SSD vs 64GB SD)
A mount that works with you lens

Cons:
More expensive
Bigger

Those are just a few.

Regardless of real pros and cons, with "K"s being so important with so many producers for little or no reason I would assume the 4K will garner more work. Why a web video would need a 4K camera, I don't know, but I routinely wind up shooting things on Epics which really could've, and perhaps should've been done on something as simple as an EX1.

That said-- at the price points for these cameras, getting a 4K and getting one or two jobs with it will finance your pocket camera. There will probably be a few used ones as 4K starts shipping.

Get the 4K,

Jules

thanks for quick response to all.
I have a good short film for portfolio to be shot mid March,
do you guys think I have a good chance of getting the camera before then? or blackmagic always falls behind on this stuff?

Consider your workflow...do you have the capacities to deal with 4K ?
Do you need the extra power ? (I am shooting short fashion films for websites, and HD is still the gold standard here, many clients could not even handle bigger files etc. at present time.)

Consider your budget - you will need more money in the beginning, to get a kit ready for shooting:
high end SSDs (although the price/value level is better in SSDs than in high end SDs), a reasonable external power solution, most probably a cage of some kind.

I was in the same situation (having a fully equipped 5DmIII Kit with several nice L lenses) but nevertheless decided to go the "pocket way" with the metabones adapter and the Sigma 18-35 for Nikon. I do not have any Nikon bodies, but the lens re-sale values are ok.

Plus, consider the extras, which the Metabones Speedbooster for BMPCC will add: focal reduction, f-stop improvement.

If you do not need much more, I would go with the BMPCC kit - it is a unique solution with the Booster and the Sigma and still very managable, even for stealth filming or holidays

a reasonable external power solution, most probably a rig of some kind etc.

I have a rig and power pack.

I do understand that we are not ready for 4k yet but at the same time I clearly remember how when nobody was ready for HD, the guy with HD camera (even though he delivers SD) was the one getting more jobs. And again my focus is on my work and aesthetics, but when talking about a investment I like to think about this details.

I own a BMCC and BMPCC. I also have a BMPC4K on order. They are all different and offer different pros and cons.

Based on your lens collection I would say the BMPC4K would be the better investment.

Pros:
You get Super35mm FOV, better use of your lens
No rolling shutter
SDI out
More robust inputs (power, audio)
Better media options (480GB SSD vs 64GB SD)
A mount that works with you lens

Cons:
More expensive
Bigger

Those are just a few.

I agree with Adam 100%.

But in the end, only you (Domini) can decide what makes the most sense for your situation.

Concerning BMPC-4K availability: At this point, it's anyone's guess. You might wait for months, or get lucky and get one in days. Since the cam has only just started shipping, it's more likely to be the former. Unknowable. Check with both small & large dealers. Don't pay a non-refundable deposit. Good luck!

-

I guess we still live in either/or world. Considering that when my Sony EX1 was new it was close to $7K you can get both Pocket and 4K and have money left for lenses.

It may depend on your shooting circumstances as Pocket wins when small is critical.
Lenses are the big investment though. If you had Nikon, the Pocket Metabones combo would give you better low light. Since you have EF, the Pocket would require an adaptor (and waiting for Metabones EF version) or buying Nikon glass, the 4K might be a more effective option for you at the moment if the small Pocket size isn't critical.

I have a good short film for portfolio to be shot mid March,
do you guys think I have a good chance of getting the camera before then? or blackmagic always falls behind on this stuff?

Do have a standing preorder? Otherwise i don't think it will be easy to get the 4k during the next weeks... When you want to start shooting in "mid March", i guess you'd need at least a week preparation to get the hang with that new camera, especially if you have not shot the 2k5 modell before.

Do have a standing preorder?

I placed the pre-order on the Feb 10th so I assume I am kinda far on the list.

I shot with the pocket and made few test, everything went smooth, hopefully if I wait for the 4k is not that hard to understand.

The feeling I am getting is that both this cameras are two separate different tools, both can do a job, but in different ways.

I personally wouldn't use the pocket for short films as I think better options are available with the BMCC or BMPC4K

Both the latter come with a full copy of Resolve. You're going to do a lot of grading with these cameras and the full copy of Resolve has NR, plus an unrestricted number of nodes. Unless you have alternative software for grading.


Jules

I personally wouldn't use the pocket for short films as I think better options are available with the BMCC or BMPC4K

Both the latter come with a full copy of Resolve. You're going to do a lot of grading with these cameras and the full copy of Resolve has NR, plus an unrestricted number of nodes. Unless you have alternative software for grading.


Jules

Do have a standing preorder?

I placed the pre-order on the Feb 10th so I assume I am kinda far on the list.

I shot with the pocket and made few test, everything went smooth, hopefully if I wait for the 4k is not that hard to understand.

The feeling I am getting is that both this cameras are two separate different tools, both can do a job, but in different ways.

Keep an eye out for small dealers online. Email a few of them and ask about the waiting list. I pre-ordered the Pocket Cam a day after it was announced, at B&H, but the week that orders started shipping I canceled my preorder and went through http://www.ggvideo.com. They had no one on their waiting list with 2 or 3 sitting in stock.

I own a BMCC and BMPCC. I also have a BMPC4K on order.

Damn Adam you a boss! Would love to get my hands on that 4K but it's not practical for me right now.