Blackmagic is launching a new “Pro” version of its Pocket Cinema Camera 6K, which seems to fix many of the pain points we found in the original. It adds a brighter, tiltable screen (and an optional electronic viewfinder accessory), a larger battery and integrated ND. The camera is fitting into the Blackmagic line above the normal 6K, reaching $ 2,495, about $ 500 more than the non-Pro version.
While the new features still don’t make the camera ideal for consumers, they will bring some improvements in the quality of life for filmmakers and video producers on a limited budget – especially that tilting screen. I’ve used a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera before, and it’s a dream mounted on a tripod at eye level, but an ergonomic nightmare when you’re trying to get a photo by hand or at a high or low angle. Being able to tilt the screen up or down will help make the camera easier to use and can even eliminate the need for an external monitor, depending on your shooting style.
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In our review, we also found that the original Pocket Cinema 6K screen was difficult to see outdoors, but the Pro has two different solutions for this. One is that the screen now works at 1,500 nits, which is as bright or brighter than most dedicated SmallHD camera monitors, and should help the monitor’s visibility in bright sunlight. The second is an optional $ 500 OLED electronic viewfinder, which uses a dedicated (but apparently proprietary) connector instead of occupying the camera’s only HDMI port as an EVF Zacuto would.
To power it all, it uses a larger battery than the original, but Blackmagic only cites an hour of shooting time with the screen at 50 percent brightness (although this is an improvement over the estimated 45 minutes of the original) .
More exciting, especially for those who shoot a lot outdoors, are the integrated ND filters. The camera has four built-in filters that reduce light by two, four and six points for when the sun is shining a little too bright. Sure, I would love to see an electronically variable ND filter like on Sony cameras, which provides continuous range instead of discreet stops, but at this price I can understand why Blackmagic did not follow this path.
Add an extra mini-XLR connector for a total of two, and the Pro is a great upgrade for the original Pocket 6K. It also makes the camera more competitive with the Canon C100 Mark II, which has a similar Super-35 sensor, integrated EF and ND mount. Cameras can appeal to different types of snipers, but I know that I’ve cross-shopped Canon and Blackmagic offerings before, especially when I’m not sure what kind of projects I want to work on.
If, like me, you were discouraged by some of the asterisks and warnings from the original version, the Pro version may be worth another look – especially since all the extra features come at a relatively low price.