Blackmagic has updated its focus system via firmware for its other BMPCC cameras, the 4K, 6k, and 6K Pro. The update is now available for all owners of these cameras. However, these cameras only support single point autofocus, so they won’t follow or continually focus. Sony mirrorless cameras have a great autofocus system, but there is no in-body image stabilization or autofocus tracking.
Adding continuous auto focus to the Pocket 4K would require additional hardware and may double the camera’s cost. For $2K, you can get a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 which is an advanced technology handheld 6K digital film camera with a 6144 x 3456 Super 35 high resolution HDR sensor, dual native ISO, EF lens mount, and direct recording.
The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 4K doesn’t have the autofocus system found in most cameras today, but it does have an easy-to-use autofocus button. The screen tilts but does not swivel around. On the back of the camera, there is an auto exposure button but isn’t particularly accurate.
The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro is a purpose-built 6K camera that shoots Raw footage and offers great value. The Canon EF lens mount remains a good choice, providing access to a huge range of glass and supporting autofocus lenses. However, the camera lacks continuous auto focus and can only be programmed using one of three buttons on the top.
The BMPCC does have autofocus, but it’s more old-school DSLR than modern video camera autofocus. It can use contrast, auto focus using compatible lenses, and Iris Control.
📹 $12 AutoFocus For Blackmagic Cameras Using Your iPhone!
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📹 What Blackmagic Doesn’t Seem to Understand (Pyxis 6k + 12k)
Blackmagic doesn’t get it. Pyxis 6k and URSA Cine 12k. Why are they calling these LARGE FORMAT? They are just full frame.
Pretty cool. 🙂 Hope the app gets a little update to allow for slower and more natural pulls, and perhaps an option to not instantly snap to what whatever is covered by the dot so people could cross the frame. And a wider coverage area and the ability to place it wherever to allow for the dot to stray a bit, and for off centre composition. Also, I’m guessing this rules out using zoom lenses? And if the phone shifts, you’d need to recalibrate it? (Can the App store calibration data for different lenses and between lens changes and uses?) I guess needing to position it next to the lens means no Matt boxes either. With the setup, perhaps a cage and something to securely attach the phone to the centre just above the lens and as far forward as it can go. (Something custom without joints, but maybe telescopic to allow for different lens sizes). The phone could then be completely centered (for balance) and the LiDAR would be in approximately the same position it is here (except top mounted). Or if preferred, just slightly to one side instead of all the way, with the LiDAR perfectly centred over the lens. If done correctly, the setup should be repeatable too, meaning no calibration each time?
Nice discovery! I love it. Seems like it would be easy to implement an ease in/out function, unless its some stepper motor limitation. though I CAN do it by hand with the usual Blackmagic camera app and get that soft ease. ive been using the iPhone LIDAR for visual effects needs for a while now. Scanning rooms to create models for reference and dynamics simulations. I can tell you, the awesome next step for this would be to merge the LIDAR metadata into the BRAW (sort of how Blackmagic is doing with the gyro for stabilization) and use the LIDAR to pull focus on anything, as well as aperture in post. I know, thats crazy but that would be amazing. sort of how the light field cameras work. oh I can only dream.
Interesting concept but it doesn’t work well. I dont know if it’s the app or the iphone 13 pro max lidar but measured distances are wildly inconsistent, at least for me. Ill point at something 6 meters away then to something about 1 meter away then back to 6. Sometimes the 6 meter distance measures at 6, sometimes 1.5, other times any number in between. Would love to try the rs3 lidar to see if it’s the phone (which I suspect is the issue) but not sure it’s worth the money if it can’t be 100% reliable…or really even if it is.
I am a cheap skate but I’ve been wanting autofocus on my Blackmagic 6K for a long time. I’ve spent $12.99 on much less useful things. lmao. I did exactly what you said, downloaded the free version, tested it out with my lens, I was beyond tripped out seeing my BM6K autofocusing, and just bought it. I haven’t done any calibrations yet but the mere fact that the connection was made and the lens was moving around as I moved my phone was enough for me to actually try to calibrate it. Thanks for being so vigorous at this problem!
I mean as cool as this is…I really really suggest that people who go out a buy cine cameras just need to suck it up and pull focus manually. Yes is more effort and can be more expensive to do so but ultimately what you buy these camera bodies for is for more control over your image. I think the industry has gotten people to believe that “easy” is more convenient when in reality you really shouldn’t cut corners where you don’t have to. If you want auto focus there are plenty of good bodies out there (Canon R5C, C70 Sony FX3, FX6 etc.). These kind of solutions are nice to discover but out in the field can’t be trusted fully.
Its absolutely upsetting how they couldn’t even do a basic contrast based AF for a supposedly professional camera. Yes I am not a pro, but I tried it today the first time and I have no idea who in the world will sign up for that struggle of having to focus his article ALL THE F TIME manually like that. ITs just some sort of sad joke to me. No battery charge included even, damn.. Thanks God they put all the buttons into the box at least…
Michael, thanks! Hey did you have any issues getting this to work? Currently trying to use the app on my iPhone 13 Pro Max with my BMPCC 6k Pro and it does nothing beyond seeming to connect via Bluetooth to the camera. Manual focus doesn’t even work. And yes, tried two electronic lenses with AF, one Canon, one Sigma. 🧐
Hello Michael, hello YT, please help me understand better: In scenario, when you have your “electronic” Canon 18-135mm lens on your BMPCC 6K Pro and original DJI Lidar modul + RS3 Pro, you are still able to connect system without follow focus? Or we need always that follow focus modul as “end part” ? I am asking because my favorite setup it that specific lens with BMPCC 6K Pro. Thanx for explanation.
Saw the thumbnail/title and had to check this out – you know me, I suffer from Unrealistic Minimalism…. What if you get an accessory for the hotshoe area that allows you to shift the phone so that the lidar area is pararell with the lens, THEN tilt the lidar down slightly so that it’s viewing pretty much with the lens is? Maybe you’ve tried it and it doesn’t work. But if something like that could work… DUUUUUUDE!
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I have a Canon EOS R8 mounted to the side of my Blackmagic so it captures whats on the side screen then I use the cannon flippy screen to see what the Blackmagic is showing. 😎 But I’m just a youtube scrub what do I know. My mom will flip when she finds out I signed her name on a second mortgage to buy them both.
Your a7siii does not have 15 stops of dynamic range. cineD test it to 12.4 when at a signal to noise ratio of 2. The Pyxis will get the same score of the bmcc6k which was 11.6 stops dynamic range at a (snr) of 2. Not much of a difference with the benefit of the footage being shot in raw codec. Also for perspective the little bmpcc og you love has 11.2 stops (snr of 2)of dynamic range and it’s a 10 year old camera. We have not gained that much more DR in cameras in the last decade except for Arri at a real 15.3.
In regard to Large Format that took me back as well when I first heard a director call the FX3 Large Format. After some research, as well as many in interviews for films seem to have always called anything larger than Super 35 a “Large Format” camera. Medium format is a photography term if I am not mistaken and so is Full-frame and APS-c. These terms came about when us youtubers and commercial photographers started using mirrorless bodies that became capable of creating cinematic or technically “on-par” article content to larger professional cameras! Loved the article though! So to my understanding the film industry have always called full-frame large format and eventually if the sensor gets so big that they start calling it based on the equivalent field of view of the film celluloid, for example, the ARRI ALEXA 65.
Regardless of their marketing, if you use this form factor for youtube, you shouldn’t have purchased it to begin with. It’s form factor is made to be rigged, if you’re willing to purchase this form factor but don’t already own a mountain of other accessories including an external monitor. This is clearly not the product for you. It doesn’t matter if Black magic, nikon or sony are all using the same sensors, what matters is the encoding philosophy behind them, the amount of post processing employed by Sony to overhype a sensor’s performance is absurd and dishonest, denoising and over sharpening to shit. What I respect about black magics encoding practices is they don’t sugar coat a sensor’s performance, and they understand the colour science of subtractive mediums given their background in film scanning technology as does Arri.
I didn’t make past the 3rd minute of the article. Anyway: dude Large Format means anything larger than super35, in article terms. Full frame mostly is a word for photography. What is 25 grand? The Cine 12k is 10k less than that. If you need autofocus or IBIS because you can’t focus manually or have no way of stabilizing the image, or if the monitor is your problem, you don’t need BM, get a Sony and go to shoot your YouTube articles with it. It’s true. There are already plenty good cameras for what, you don’t actually need a new one. Blackmagic aims to something else. I am really happy for these exciting new cameras, and looking forward to have one in my hands. I was tired of unriggable oversized dslr style form factor.
First of all, youtubers don’t need this camera. Second of all, if you’re really so bothered that the Pyxis isn’t built for selfies, and for some reason you also don’t own a field monitor or an SDI cable, then just tape a damn mirror to the side of the Pyxis at a 45 degree angle. Problem solved. Now stop crying. (I bet some dork is already working on a 3d printed fold-out mirror holder for the Pyxis as I write this)
My favorite camera I’ve ever owned was the BMPCC 4K. Braw is butter to edit with and delivers whatever image I want. But my real job is to make content and it’s just impractical to live without autofocus. IBIS would be nice to have too. I cannot wait for the day when I can dump Sony again for Black Magic, but it’s not today.
Im sorry, but get outta the house and test these cams your talking about please. 13-15 stops dont mean shit, the quality of the dynamic range matters more than the amount of range. Shit your screens don’t even show more than 9-11 stops – just expose your shots correctly, no issues 😉 Also the Pixis cam is cheap enough – Just spend 250 on a FeelWorld monitor or 400 on a used Atamos for a monitor and recorder, damn get a 2$ mirror even will take care of your issue lol – never worry about screens on any camera again, maybe ??? Ok, not sure why I commented, probably because so many people are influenced by these YouTube articles, I hate seeing so much misinformation.
FullFrame on your Alpha is called like that because traditionaly Stillscameras had a 35mm filmroll horizontaly. in traditional article you got a simmilar filmstock but Vertically. sooo: the “width” of 35mm moviefilmstock is the “higth” of 35mm StillsFilmstock…. Super35 is considert “fullframe” in cinematerms. (1,6 crop of stills 35mm Fullframe) anything bigger is largeformat in article.
The 1912 comment @8:26 killed me hahaha. Unpopular opinion given the comments, but I’d enjoy the flexibility of using an external monitor over a flip out one. I’ve used Ursas hand held and it doesn’t cut it. A top mounted monitor is king for most situations, A flip out screen is impractical for shoulder mount, hence why there are EVFs. For me, a flip out screen has been a menu screen a majority of the time. The Pyxis is meant to be rigged out in the same fashion as a Red Komodo has accessories and for it fitting that form factor at half the cost, I’m happy they have done it, though like you mentioned, the 120 frame rate cap is pretty wild when others can do 240
Your AS7 certainly does not do 15 stops of dynamic range lmao. I love when people mindlessly believe a number the manufacturer made up to sell a camera. Look up an actual lab dynamic range test (cine D is a good resource for this) and you’d see that the A7S 3 has 12.4 stops compared to the full frame 6K’s 12.9.
yeahhh… I’m tired of people bitching about anything and everything. We lit in the best time to get a camera. Like you can’t get a bad one even if you try. Any of the known brands, they’re making solid cameras. Also… bruh who would use an Arri o any cinema camera for youtube? That’s just such a needless overkill
Kasey, I think the only solution is to crowd source. You have a large enough base. You need engineering students and lead mentors that can do the PCB, electronics, bill of materials, software and chassis fabrication then hook up with a turnkey manufacturer which may also offer engineering services. Something to think about. Apple started in a garage with none of the services and technology available today. Build your dream tool, the camera.
Your A7SIII has 13 stops of Dynamic Range according to third party IMATESTS by CINED… like pretty much every camera out. The fliping screen may be cool, but defeats the object of a cube cam. The expectation is a viewfinder or screen will be attatched, which may seem dumb but they actually offer more than the likes of RED and Z-CAM and other box style cine cams.
‘Why can’t they make a simple youtubers camera with a flippy screen?’ My answer is because any pro or semi-pro user uses a separate monitor, not one built into a camera. Personally, I would rather use a separate monitor. A ‘flippy screen’ is another point of failure that is not field repairable, whereas a separate monitor can just be swapped out or used on another device. One solution would be if Blackmagic did a (discount) bundle that included a decent monitor that worked well with the camera but did not require a cage or other hardware and a spaghetti wiring system. If, for example, it used USB-C the monitor could be powered and driven by a single (small) link cable.
BlackMagic is part of the L-Mount Alliance now. They can’t just make 100% of everything they want now. They have to slice and dice features now to “share” the market with the brotherhood members. They each agree to compete with each other…but not “over-compete” with each other. They each share and play together now. Get it? 😉
They’re cool cameras…but ya…definitely not for me. Just waiting for a small compact camera with built in NDs and 4k120 without crop. Until something like that happens I won’t be buying or interested in another camera. IBIS could also use some improvements. Actual usability improvements are way better than something like resolution bumps. Panasonic S5IIX though is the best deal on the market right now (it’s basically what the a7iii was back in the day.) Really good price with specs that punch higher.
naw you’re wrong Bruh, you just gotta upgrade! Upgrade is the way! Updgrade is the life! I know youtubers who would never lie… I think they swear blood oaths! Who are selling their Red Komodos for the Lackmagic pyxis pxyis pricksis? ANyway The BOX! why? Because new, Bruh.. it’s new! New means views! so upgrade is the path. If I had an Alexa LF… I’d sell it for the Prycksis! No CDNG.. no fairchiled… just stop complaining. I know the Pocket is the best camera ever but who needs the best? It’s not about the best. it’s about Upgrade. Dude you know nothing about Lackmagic cameras. lol. Great article man.
The Pyxis is a box camera, not an all-in-one box handycam for weekend warriors on family vacation. Blackmagic will have an external camera control monitor soon. All REDs and all ARRIs have 7″ control monitors on top. ARRI has their own camera control monitor the CCM-1 7″ LCD screen. RED has their own DSMC2 and DSMC3 7″ LCD screens. The Pyxis is a production set camera not a freak’in amateur handycam with a little flip-out screen. It’s not targeted toward YouTube Teletubbies.
i don’t understand the hate, you can easily power your pyxis and a monitor with a v-mount. Most people use an external monitor anyway, why bother to make one as blackmagic which want to keep cost down? maybe marketing as a “Youtube” camera is not that right, but not having a flippy screen is not a big thing imo. no Internal NDs? no IBIS? way more important than a flippy screen.
Blackmagic definitely think like camera operators rather than like talent wanting to work in front of the camera. And as someone who works behind the camera all the time, the side screen will work fine for me, given the way I rig. But by the end of the year it will be interesting to see what happens once third party equipment makers start building self-powered screens to run off the front USB-C port, eliminating the weight and inconvenience of additional batteries or power cables. I don’t think you can find screens of the right size or with a robust enough housing for reliable on-set use at the moment, but in theory you can run a lightweight laptop companion screen off that port and have a 15″ monitor for around $150.00. Then the bloggers can really see themselves while filming! Anyway, I expect we will see some 5″ and 7″ camera monitors running off USB-C very soon to take advantage of the new port. And then who cares about a flippy screen? You can mount the monitor in any configuration you find convenient.
Mirrors. Blackmagic is so advanced that the whole point of a monitor glued to the side is to provide another opportunity for filmmakers to get creative. Just use some mirrors to see the monitor. Or better yet, turn the camera 90 degrees so you can see the screen and use mirrors to direct your image to the lens. The possibilities are endless. Thank you Blackmagic Cameras. And all this from the company that gave us the BMPCC OG From cutting edge to cutting wrists
to be honest, all i really want for a new camera is a 9mp 8 x 10″ sensor with global shutter ( with ALL side illumination to achieve 21+ stops of dynamic rage ) guage the range ! i have AI working on writing a book report about a story of the man who will someday invent this camera, ( the Nosy B4 UC DeeZ ). * each lens has a speed booster and is actually a lens of 16 x 20″ boosted down to 8 x 10 Large format. full frame equivielent lens equivialent to 42mm F0.18 ( zero D) please support my Taint Starter ! the amazing Nosy B4 UC Deez will be available for pre- order on july 4th 2103!
You know what annoys me? The lack of global shutter in most modern article cameras. We somehow “moved on” from article cameras that actually faithfully record movement (like CCD cameras). (Except the Blackmagic Production Camera 4k, a CMOS global shutter camera which sucks and is awesome. It’s an Ursa/Ursa Mini 4k squished into a smaller box really.)
i go back all the way to the wax rolled out on paper and stuck onto news papers with stanley knives, and we used black and white dot cameras for photos. The golden rule was. Youve got to have black dots in the white and white dots in the black down to the smallest level. Its this, that gives it, punch and detail no matter how low the output rez is.
BM’s primary target market is not YouTubers. They may be 3rd or 4th down the list, so technically, the marketing on their site isn’t false. They’re targeting low budget filmmakers. If you want a flip screen, get a different camera, or just rig it out, which is what anyone who buys this camera will do anyway and is expected so by BM. Hence, why their PRIMARY target is obviously not you. At the end of the day, a camera is a tool that should serve your purpose. If you’re a YouTuber and this doesn’t work for you, look into something else. It does and will work for some YouTubers who make different types of content. Assuming YouTubers are all like you and shoot how you shoot is a bit naive, to say the least.
If you want a “Flippy screen” just go for the URSA line. They aren’t that much larger. It’s basically a config screen to dial in the settings. If they had put a rotatable screen on there it would pretty much had to something similar to the URSAs screen. And they’re quite bulky screens. So they probably rather made the camera smaller and opted for a fixed screen, since box cameras are usually either for confined spaces or gimbal work where you don’t need a screen on the camera directly or you want to build a rig where you probably want a external screen anyway. The URSAs can be used as a “box” camera but are much better suited for documentary work were you would want a all in one box. And most people I know basically use the URSA screen the same as the PYXIS screen. Just for settings. Since they mostly use viewfinders. I think the far greater problem for the PYXIS as a youtuber camera is the (probably) lack of continuous autofocus. I’m really hyped that they finally made a box style camera after waiting almost 9 years for it.
I don’t know it’s pretty clear to me that blackmagic is trying to be viewed as a cinema camera manufacturer, not a boosted dslr or article camera brand. So the logical thing to do is to build a box that has all the controls and basic motoring on the left side of the camera, where the DP or operator is standing on a movie set . Right side is for the viewfinder is traditionally. But hey, what do i know ?
The issue I have with this camera is how they describe it as being limitless in terms of configurability. If I wanted to attach a handle on the side with the screen I can’t. If I wanted to put a full cage on this I couldn’t without it obstructing the side screen and buttons. I prefer using my own external monitor on top of the camera. There’s no HDMI port on it.
I don’t see a problem with this camera. Those tiny flip out screens usually suck. Plus it’s 6K, LF and dual iso for 3 grand. The shape makes it easier to compactly rig. If anything they should have made the screen smaller and put it on the right side. If you want to see yourself all the time then use the app. It’s not hard
I think the design is way too bloated because of the screen. It’s way too big for having essentially the guts of a BMPCC 6k. They should have ditched the inbuild screen to make it way smaller and shipped it with a stripped down article Assist that could navigate the menus when connected (could use that front USB-C port). With all the box camera options out there now that are much more compact, with autofocus, I’m not sure the slight color science and codec advantage is enough to overlook the poor ergonomics. If I were doing gimbal work, I would take a Panasonic Lumix BS1H and a article assist any day over the Pyxis, and I would still get my Blackmagic Raw, and that camera has been out for several years now. Maybe for shoulder rigging the pyxis would be good, but I feel like they really missed the ball on this one. Their new Cine 12K however, now that is indeed ground breaking and incredible
This is the only article or record of a human claiming to want bm to make their cameras in more of a photo hybrid form factor. They have lost their butts by not doing box cameras sooner. BM doesn’t make hybrid cameras. I could see them making a creator camera one day though. Kia could get into making scooters too. I’m being sarcastic but I bet both eventually will.
I’ll buy the NEXT incarnation of the Pyxis 6k ….there’s nothing wrong with this one. It just needed the 12G BM 7″ Monitor like most Cube camera expandable brains meed them which you can record on for different Codecs, so cool…IBIS and internal NDs these should be doable in the next version…I disagree with this review I think it’ll be a fab camera kitted out right, and following the BM workflow…BRAW is so good, and as I say h264 or other formats recorded to a recorder/Monitor means you can just hand that off to client etc., ALL cameras have their Foibles and come on £2.9k cost…I’m sure it will do well..