Blackmagic Design Announces Blackmagic Camera Update 6.9

Blackmagic Design today announced new software update for its popular Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and 6K models that include powerful studio camera features. Now customers can connect to an ATEM Mini switcher and get control of the camera parameters, lens and tally light. ATEM Mini can control up to 4 cameras via the HDMI video connection and ensure all cameras are perfectly matched for a professional live studio workflow. Now the same Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera can work as a digital film camera and a studio camera!

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(Photo: Blackmagic Design)

Blackmagic Camera Update 6.9 is available for download now from the Blackmagic Design web site.

Video and control is via the HDMI connection, which is available as soon as customers plug the cameras in. The record light becomes a tally light so customers can see which camera is on air. The ATEM Software Control camera page has a camera control unit (CCU) style interface for adjusting and matching their cameras. Move the CCU control vertically for iris and left to right to adjust black level. It's the same as a broadcast CCU. There are also controls for color tint to balance the camera as well as focus, gain and shutter speed. Customers can even ISO record Blackmagic RAW in the camera for editing later.

The elegant design of the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera packs an incredible number of high end digital film features into a miniaturized, handheld design. Made from lightweight carbon fiber polycarbonate composite, the camera features a multifunction handgrip with all controls for recording, ISO, WB and shutter angle right at their fingertips. Because it's an advanced digital film camera, the sensor is designed to reduce thermal noise allowing cleaner shadows and higher ISO. Plus the large 5 inch LCD makes it possible to get perfect focus at 4K and 6K resolutions.

The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K model features a 4/3 image sensor with 4096 x 2160 resolution and an MFT lens mount, allowing customers to capture wide dynamic range and Hollywood quality, digital film images in the palm of their hand. The MFT mount lets customers use super compact, lightweight and affordable lenses so customers can take the camera anywhere, even locations that are too hostile for larger cameras.

Featuring a larger 6144 x 3456 Super 35 sensor and EF lens mount, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K model lets customers use larger EF photographic lenses to create cinematic images with shallower depth of field, allowing creative defocussed backgrounds and gorgeous bokeh effects. This means that customers can shoot in 6K and then in post production zoom and re-frame to allow wide shots and close ups to be created, all from a single camera and without losing image quality.

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Cameras have an incredible 13 stops of dynamic range which means they preserve more detail in the lightest and darkest areas of an image than simple video cameras can. This allows customers to set exposure for an indoor scene and still retain the details of bright outdoor light coming through a window.

The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera features dual gain ISO up to 25,600, which means both the 4K and 6K models are optimized to minimize grain or noise in images, while maintaining the full dynamic range of the sensor. The native ISO of 400 is ideal for scenes with on-set lighting. The dual gain is changed automatically so it's easy to capture great images when customers don’t have time to set up lights.

Blackmagic RAW is a revolutionary new format designed to capture and preserve the quality of the sensor data from their camera. Video formats such as H.264 are highly compressed, plus add noise and artifacts, causing original sensor detail to be lost forever. Blackmagic RAW eliminates this problem and gives customers stunning images with incredible detail and color throughout the production pipeline from camera to edit, color and mastering. It also saves camera settings as metadata so customers can set ISO, white balance and exposure in camera or override them later while editing, all without any loss of quality. Blackmagic RAW files are also small and fast to use making them easy to work with.

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera features a large, bright 5 inch touchscreen that makes it easy for customers to frame shots and accurately focus. The touchscreen displays critical information while users are shooting, menus for setting up the camera and intuitive touch to focus controls. On screen overlays show status, a histogram, focus and peaking indicators, levels, frame guides, playback controls and more.

With the advanced Blackmagic OS, customers get an intuitive and user friendly camera operating system based on the latest technology. The interface uses simple tap and swipe gestures to adjust settings, add metadata and view recording status. Customers also get full control over advanced camera features such as on screen focus and exposure tools, 3D LUTs, HDR, metadata entry, timecode, Blackmagic RAW settings and more.

The new ATEM Mini makes it easy to create professional multi camera productions for live streaming to YouTube and innovative business presentations using Skype. Simply connect a Pocket Cinema Camera to ATEM Mini for dramatically better quality images. Plus connect a computer for PowerPoint slides or gaming consoles. There's even a DVE that allows picture in picture effects plus lots of video effects and transitions. All ATEM Mini models have USB that works like a webcam so customers can use any streaming software while the ATEM Mini Pro model adds live streaming via Ethernet and recording to USB disks. ATEM Mini also has advanced broadcast features for high end work.

"This is a very exciting software update because it allows the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Cameras to become even more useful as they can now be used for both digital film production or live production for streaming," said Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. "We've seen a lot of customers use the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Cameras with ATEM Mini for live streaming because of their fantastic images, great low light capability and very creative looks when using 3D LUTS. Now customers will get new studio camera remote control plus a powerful built in DaVinci color corrector, so there's even more creative options for live production!"

Blackmagic Camera Update 6.9 Features

• Works as a studio camera when connected to ATEM Mini.
• Designed from carbon fiber polycarbonate composite.
• Wide 13 stops of dynamic range for film looks.
• Up to 25600 ISO for incredible low light performance.
• Features incredible quality Blackmagic RAW recording.
• Built in 5" touchscreen allows accurate focus when shooting 6K.
• Blackmagic OS as used in URSA Mini and URSA Broadcast cameras.
• Supports remote tally, lens and color corrector with ATEM Mini.

Availability and Price

Blackmagic Camera Update 6.9 is available now for download from the Blackmagic Design website.

Press Photography

Product photos of Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, as well as all other Blackmagic Design products, are available at https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/images.

About Blackmagic Design

Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company’s Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984.

Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com.

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