Black Magic 4K Price The Black Magic 4K camera is a popular choice among filmmakers and photographers due to its advanced features and affordable price point. This camera is known for its ability to capture high-quality video and images, making it a go-to option for professionals and enthusiasts alike. In terms of pricing, the Black Magic 4K camera offers great value for money. Compared to other cameras in its class, it is relatively inexpensive, making it more accessible for those on a budget. The exact price of the Black Magic 4K camera can vary depending on the retailer and any additional accessories or lenses included in the package. It's important to note that while the Black Magic 4K camera is affordable, it does not compromise on quality.
There is currently a budget speed booster on the market for £150, but as noted in my review for PremiumBeat.com, it doesn’t have the best quality, and therefore you would need to acquire the Metabones EF to Micro Four Thirds at £575
As a side note, we re not going to go wild and look at kitting the camera up as if it were a RED on a feature film, but just more practical in the field. A cage will not only better protect the camera, but it also allows for you to mount various accessories, as the top mount on the Pocket 4k should only be used for light fixtures such as a small light like the Amaran or a RodeVideo Mic.
It's important to note that while the Black Magic 4K camera is affordable, it does not compromise on quality. It boasts a 4K resolution, ensuring sharp and detailed footage with vibrant colors. The camera also offers a wide dynamic range, allowing for better exposure and contrast in challenging lighting conditions.
How Much Does It Cost To Get The Blackmagic Pocket 4K Operational?
The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4k has steadily been making its way into the hands of eager users, but like buying a professional cinema camera, you quickly realize that the brain was only the first of many purchases. The Pocket 4k is only a modest £1,150 and there’s no wrong in using the camera straight from the box, that’s all I used in my test video, however, it’s not very practical.
In the video below, you can find all the accessories and tools that you will need to get the camera ready to film. As a side note, we’re not going to go wild and look at kitting the camera up as if it were a RED on a feature film, but just more practical in the field. So, you can handle the camera more comfortable, film for longer, and so forth.
The OpticsThe Pocket 4k, unlike photography cameras but like a typical cinema camera, doesn’t ship with a lens in the box. If this is your first purchase, you’re going to need to buy a lens. The Lumix 12-35mm F2.8 has become a favorite due to the native Micro Four Thirds mount, the favorable aperture size, because of built in-lens stabilization.
You can pick this up for £650.
If you’re transitioning from another camera and already have your lenses, but they are EF lenses, you’ll need a mount adapter.
There is currently a budget speed booster on the market for £150, but as noted in my review for PremiumBeat.com, it doesn’t have the best quality, and therefore you would need to acquire the Metabones EF to Micro Four Thirds at £575
Memory
If shooting at 4k 5:1 RAW, the media will be captured at roughly a size of 100mbs a second, which reels in just under a GB every 10 seconds. Not only are you going need to a dependable card that can write the data, but one that can house the sheer quantity of GBs. Depending on the size, say 256gb, you can acquire a CFast 2.0 card for around £280. However, many dislike the price point of Cfast cards when SSds are cheaper and house my storage.
The Samsung 500gb has become a favorite among Pocket 4k users, and it retails at just £89, but of course, you will require rigging fixtures to mount it to the camera. We’ll cover that in a moment.
Rigging
A camera cage for £80. A cage will not only better protect the camera, but it also allows for you to mount various accessories, as the top mount on the Pocket 4k should only be used for light fixtures such as a small light like the Amaran or a RodeVideo Mic.
Additionally, the camera will become harder to grip with the cage, so we need to add handles, but this is a requirement regardless, as it allows for easy pickup and a better point of contact when handheld shooting
- Top handle £30
- Side handle £15
If you opted for the SSD memory, you’d also need an SSD mount which comes in at £25.00
I also want to recommend the Matte Brotech screen protector as since I applied it to the camera, I don’t think I’ve had to wipe off a single fingerprint. That comes in at £5.
Power
The battery life on the Pocket 4k isn’t great, but thankfully the LP-E6 isn’t an expensive power resource. I would say you need at least 4, that means you need to acquire another three at £54 each. Alternatively, you could purchase x4 third party batteries for just £42. However, there is a recorded drop in recording length and overall battery life. Alternatively, you could also look at using a v-mount battery which will provide longer recording length. Two of these would cost around £300. However, you will then need a V-mount adapter from WoodenCamera at £220, and of course, we need to revert to our rigging section to add an extra £200s worth of rails and clamps so you can assemble your v-mount.
So by opting for a v-mount setup may set you back an extra £700.
These are the core components that you’re going to need to get the camera rolling. Of course, this doesn’t even consider the likes of an ND filter, an actual shoulder rig setup, or a gimbal. In fact, with that. The pocket 4k doesn’t sit flush on the Ronin-M. You have to pull the camera back in the mount, and if you have a small lens, the balance will be entirely off resulting in need of purchasing a counterweight system which cost me an extra £175. Likewise, if you’re shooting for five days at 500gbs a day, you’re going to need an excessive amount of offline storage. With the camera and the cheapest options available, the ballpark total would be around £2250, which is near enough double. Following the more efficient but expensive route, you would be nearing £2900.
So when we compare these numbers to something even like the Ursa Mini G2, I know they have different specs different tool and all that, we can still see that kitting out the pocket 4k is relatively cheaper than even a primary entry point of a pro cinema camera. I think it would be fair to say that to get the camera fully functional you would double the cost of the camera. But remember you can always pick these items up off the resale market for a lot cheaper.
- Lumix 12-35mm
- Viltrox EF-M43 II
- Metabones EF-M43
- Transcend 256GB CFast 2.0
- Samsung 500gb SSD
- SSD Mount
- Smallrig BMPCC4k Cage
- Smallrig Side Handle
- Smallrig Top Handle
- LP-E6 Official
- LP-E6 Third Party
- V-Mount Battery
- V-Mount Adapter
- Screen Protector.
- Accessories
- Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K
- Tips
If you’re not sold on 6K, go for the Pocket Camera 4K — it’s a lot cheaper, but similarly powerful in terms of dynamic range.
In addition to its video capabilities, the Black Magic 4K camera also excels in still photography. It features a high-resolution sensor and advanced image processing, resulting in stunning photos with excellent clarity and sharpness. When purchasing the Black Magic 4K camera, it's essential to consider the additional costs of accessories such as lenses, memory cards, and batteries. These additional expenses should be factored into the overall budget to ensure a comprehensive setup. Overall, the Black Magic 4K camera offers an excellent price-to-performance ratio, making it an attractive option for both professionals and hobbyists. Its affordability, combined with its advanced features and capabilities, make it a worthy investment for anyone looking to capture high-quality video and images..
Reviews for "Choosing the Right Camera: Factors to Consider Beyond the Black Magic 4K Price"
1. John - 2/5 - I was really disappointed with the Black magic 4k price. It was way too expensive for what it had to offer. The image quality was decent, but nothing extraordinary. The colors looked a bit washed out and the dynamic range was not as impressive as I expected. Additionally, I found the camera to be quite complicated to use, with a confusing menu system and limited customization options. Overall, I think there are much better options out there for the price.
2. Sarah - 1/5 - I regret purchasing the Black magic 4k price. It was a total waste of money. The camera constantly overheated during use, which resulted in frequent shutdowns and disrupted my workflow. The battery life was also incredibly poor, barely lasting me through a short shoot. Moreover, the autofocus was extremely unreliable, often struggling to track moving subjects effectively. I expected much more from a camera in this price range and would not recommend it to anyone.
3. Mike - 2/5 - The Black magic 4k price did not live up to my expectations. While the image quality was good, the camera had some major flaws that made it frustrating to use. The design of the camera was bulky and not very ergonomic, making it uncomfortable to hold for long periods of time. The built-in microphone was also of poor quality, with a lot of background noise and low sensitivity. Additionally, the camera lacked important features like in-body stabilization and a vari-angle touchscreen, which are commonly found in other cameras in this price range. Overall, I feel like I paid too much for what I got.