HDSLR V BlackMagic Pocket cam.

T

TheExecutive

New member
Hi I am new to film making with digital slrs and have been holding back buying one for film making as I am confused.
Can anyone tell me if this blackmagic pocket cam is better than a dslr for making films?
thanks.
 
It's better in some ways (great DR, better codec even if it doesn't have RAW yet), it's worse in others (tiny sensor, batteries last too little, IQ issues that are still being solved).
 
The pocket cam beats most, if not all DSLRs in terms of image quality due to it's 10 bit, 422 prores recording format and its high dynamic range. Most DSLRs shoot at only 420, 8 bit H264. The pocket cam will generate huge file sizes compared to a DSLR and you'll need expensive cards and lots of batteries to make it useful in the field.

Pocket cam's super 16 sensor size is smaller than most DSLRs but that certainly doesn't make it tiny. It just means your image will appear more 'cropped' so it'll be trickier to get wider angles than with a DSLR.

The pocket cam is really a bare bones tool. You can't delete clips in camera, you cant format your SD card in camera and there is very little in-camera processing going on. Most DSLRs automatically apply sharpening, noise reduction, contrast, saturation etc.

My opinion is that the pocket cam is a great tool for professionals who know what they're doing. I'd still definitely recommend it if you're just starting out; just be prepared for steeper learning curve and trickier workflow. Don't let the low price and the 'pocket' gimmick make you think it's an easy to use consumer product.
 
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