p.1 #1 · Blackmagic announced 6k full-frame cinema camera with L-mount
Today, Blackmagic Design introduced the Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K, featuring upgraded internal components, a full-frame 6K sensor, a dynamic range of 13 stops, an L-Mount lens mount, and dual native ISO capabilities up to 25,600 for exceptional low-light performance. It records footage onto CFexpress cards. This new model boasts a spacious 24 x 36mm 6K sensor, providing cinema-quality images in a compact and lightweight body.
The Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K also uses an L-Mount, which is compatible with a wide selection of both modern and vintage lenses, giving filmmakers a broader range of creative options.
You can purchase the Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K right away from Blackmagic Design resellers worldwide for $2,595.
p.1 #4 · Blackmagic announced 6k full-frame cinema camera with L-mount
johnvanr wrote:
Is it me, or is BM constantly changing the mount on its cameras?
Not really. For their Pocket line, they started with MFT (and the Pocket 4K is still MFT) and then added EF for the Pocket 6K. The Ursa line has always had several mount options: PL, EF, Nikon.
They went with L mount because they want to provide indie cinematographers with a mount for which many good lenses are available plus lenses with other mounts can be easily adapted to L mount. Sony doesn't allow others to use e-mount on cameras so L-mount was the only good choice if they wanted to release a full-frame cinema camera.
I'm excited about this one (though wary of rolling shutter), because it means I can use all my lenses, from Canon and Leica rangefinder lenses to my Super-16 PL mount Angénieux cinema zoom (the camera has a built-in Super-16 crop). It has much better low-light capability than my existing Blackmagic cameras, and the image quality looks amazing. Blackmagic raw is easy to work with.
I couldn't tell from the specs whether it has gyros or not for handheld stabilization, which some of the other Blackmagic cinema cameras do; if so this looks like something I will save up for and buy next year.
p.1 #6 · Blackmagic announced 6k full-frame cinema camera with L-mount
MAubrey wrote:
I'm guessing that it's CDAF since they don't explicitly say PDAF.
I'm not even sure it's continuous autofocus; they've never had that on any of their other cameras. They have "push to focus" and you can also focus-by-wire remotely, but if this camera has continuous autofocus that's a new major step for Blackmagic.
p.1 #7 · Blackmagic announced 6k full-frame cinema camera with L-mount
bjhurley wrote:
I'm not even sure it's continuous autofocus; they've never had that on any of their other cameras. They have "push to focus" and you can also focus-by-wire remotely, but if this camera has continuous autofocus that's a new major step for Blackmagic.
Right. On their website in "tech specs" it just says "Auto focus available using compatible lenses."
p.1 #10 · Blackmagic announced 6k full-frame cinema camera with L-mount
open gate... interesting. I love BMD. I guess both my pocket cinema 4K's have just dropped in value. L mount is cool. I'd love to mess with one of these.
p.1 #11 · Blackmagic announced 6k full-frame cinema camera with L-mount
MAubrey wrote:
Right. On their website in "tech specs" it just says "Auto focus available using compatible lenses."
One of the beta testers (cinematographer John Brawley) confirmed that it's not continuous autofocus, but you can tap anywhere o the screen to focus. It just doesn't track as the subject moves so it's of limited value...good for interviews or shooting non-moving objects, or shifting focus between two actors, that sort of thing. This is how it works with other BMD cameras, so not surprising. These are cinema cameras after all: in cinema everything is rehearsed and there are no surprises; autofocus is a liability rather than an asset. You want total manual control over focus, using a dedicated focus puller.
It doesn't appear to have gyros, which is a disappointment but not a major one; it just cuts out the possibility of handheld use without a gimbal or steadicam or other stabilization device. You could do it with a lens that has OIS, but OIS tends to result in jerky footage if you try to pan with it, as the stabilization keeps trying to correct for the movement.
The low-light capabilities, image quality, flexibility for grading in post, and the fact that it can take all my lenses (M-mount, LTM mount, Minolta SR mount, Nikon mount, and PL mount for cinema lenses including Super 16 lenses) make this a really attractive option for me, and the price is low enough that getting two for an A and B cam isn't out of the question.
p.1 #15 · Blackmagic announced 6k full-frame cinema camera with L-mount
bjhurley wrote:
Actually it turns out to have gyro stabilization after all, which pretty much seals the deal for me. Now I just have to save up for it. :-)
I don't know. Maybe if it had a couple more tally lights.
p.1 #16 · Blackmagic announced 6k full-frame cinema camera with L-mount
freaklikeme wrote:
For the money, it looks fantastic.
Agreed! I shot my first-ever video with a Sony a few weeks ago, and while the images were nice the codec was not and I pretty much had to get everything right in-camera. I'm used to shooting compressed CDNG raw in my Blackmagic Micro Cinema Cameras where I have lots of latitude for grading in post, plus I'm also used to cinema camera settings (shutter angle, etc.). I don't have any EF-mount lenses so the BMPCC 6K wasn't an option for me and I wanted a more flexible mount. I was starting to consider the Sigma fp and then Blackmagic came out with this new 6K camera with L-mount.
