4K BM “pocket” camera for weddings

[Steve Burkett]

I was intrigued by the Nikon. I prefer Nikon to Canon anyway and Sony has never grabbed me. It still has some limitations but it's worth getting interested over if fullframe mirrorless is something you're after. For me, the news of the Panasonic fullframe is more exciting. I shall be interested if the end of September announcement rumour turns out to be true.

I'm still interested in the BM Pocket 4K. I would like to experiment with RAW and performing professional colour grading. It'll be more a hobby camera until I feel comfortable to use it on Promo videos. It's marketed as a cinema camera. Not really run n gun material at all. A camera you need to spend time with to get great shots and Weddings are alas not so forgiving.

[Nigel Barker]

The new Canon FF mirrorless camera just got announced. It looks like a good stills camera but less interesting for video with heavily cropped 4K. In fact it's pretty much like a cut down mirrorless 5D4 at 2/3 of the price. On the plus side it does have C-LOG & 4-2-2 10-bit HDMI out & an APS-C crop mode like Nikon FX/DX. There is also a nifty drop-In filter mount adapter with a variable neutral density filter.

There are currently only four new EOS-RF lenses announced but the 28-70mm F/2L sounds interesting. EF & EF-S lenses can be used via an adaptor but not EOS-M which has got to make you think that line may not have long to live.

https://www.canon.co.uk/cameras/eos-r/specifications/

[Steve Burkett]

I see the new Canon has the video clip limit of 29 mins. When will this silly limitation be allowed to die.

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Steve Burkett

I see the new Canon has the video clip limit of 29 mins. When will this silly limitation be allowed to die.

When the EU stop charging 4.9% duty on camcorders I suppose. 95% of users buying a camera like the new Canon are only interested in still photos & presumably the camera manufacturers feel they would be at a disadvantage if the price was slightly higher than a competitors camera. I guess Panasonic thought that there was no competition for the GH5 so that doesn't have the limit but it is slightly more expensive than it would be with the limit.

[Cary Knoop]

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

When the EU stop charging 4.9% duty on camcorders I suppose.

It's so silly, duties are designed to protect the domestic market. Think of all those domestic video camera manufacturers like....eh..., well, I suppose the whopping 4% duty will discourage consumers from buying a Japanese camera and instead go for an ARRI. :)

[Steve Burkett]

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

When the EU stop charging 4.9% duty on camcorders I suppose. 95% of users buying a camera like the new Canon are only interested in still photos & presumably the camera manufacturers feel they would be at a disadvantage if the price was slightly higher than a competitors camera. I guess Panasonic thought that there was no competition for the GH5 so that doesn't have the limit but it is slightly more expensive than it would be with the limit.

Aside from the fact the clip limit isn't limited to EU, theres the small matter that Canon charges more for their gear anyway; makes me thing there not that worried about extra costs. I don't think they care. Or at least they don't take video in such cameras at all seriously. A gimmick or just lip service that caters for a minority of users. The Nikon trumps the Canon in key features for video. I'll be very interested in Panasonic's announcement on the 25th. Also to see what Sony brings through next. Even Fuji have another camera in the works I believe. There's talk of 10 bit and 50p 4K. Canons a dead duck.

[David Peterson]

Originally Posted by Steve Burkett

My GH cameras have timecode, and I don't see the BMPCC4K camera as a good multicam option in say something like a Wedding Ceremony. More indie movies, documentaries, promo videos and music videos.

The GH5 doesn't, the Panasonic GH5S does!

Leaked: the specs of the Panasonic GH5S, & *FINALLY* we get the first stills camera with timecode I/O! – David Peterson

Although it kinda disappointed me with a bit of a flawed implementation :-/

The BMPCC4K should be better!

And got my fingers crossed timecode will work better on the new Nikon Z6/Z7 as well.

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

I don't think that timecode is all that important for small scale event shooters when PluralEyes makes syncing multicam footage so easy nowadays.

The BM 4K pocket camera does look interesting especially for the price but the newly announced Nikon Z6 is going to be far more useful for shooting weddings.

Lots of times when Plural Eyes might fail:
Windy days.
Wide shots.
Shots through windows.
Far off tele shots.

[Steve Burkett]

Originally Posted by David Peterson

The GH5 doesn't, the Panasonic GH5S does!

My mistake. I was confusing with the timecode feature in the GH5 rather than timecode inpit/output. Not a feature I have used or even looked into. Obviously as I've only 1 camera with it. Still won't help me with the 4K BM. I won't be using it for multicam. I have my own system for syncing and works well even when filming Ceremonies outdoors.

[Noa Put]

If I use 4 camera's at a ceremony I just let them run for an hour and sync manually in post, takes less then 5 minutes. I don't think weddingshooters worry about timecode. It looks like BM wanted to please as many groups as possible with this camera but I believe they are wrong about vloggers as that was one of their talking points when the camera was announced, this is not a vlogging camera and it takes more then a extra record button on the front front to make it one.

[Ron Evans]

Timecode I/O is important if one is using lots of other equipment but if the cameras are all GH5 or GH5S they can use the app to set all their internal timecode the same. Since even the GH5S relies on the stability of its internal clock set with the cellular clock time is just as good with out continuous jam sync. So all GH5's can be set this way. Ihave both my GH5 and GH5S with the same time.

[Steve Burkett]

I see Fuji have stepped up with 10 bit 4K 60p. Albeit 4:2:0. First Nikon, then Canon, now Fuji and soon Panasonic's assuming it is what the rumours say it is. Have we ever had such a large group of announcements over mirrorless cameras in such a small space of time before?

And we still yet to see the BMP4K in the stores. In fact it may well be beaten to shops by the cameras only recently announced. Not sure if that's a good thing really. We are getting footage but it's thunder is stolen by these new cameras. That said, I'm not cancelling my order. It's cheap for what it is and a bargain with the software. Be nice if I got it in time for my Birthday in October. But I'm not holding my breath. :)

[David Peterson]

With how affordable the Atomos Ninja V is, then the competition is heating up for the BMPCC4K with all these new cameras from Fuji and Nikon offering 10bit external as well

[Ron Evans]

I am waiting for the Atomos Ninja V so that I can record from my GH5 and GH5S UHD 60P 10bit.

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Steve Burkett

I see Fuji have stepped up with 10 bit 4K 60p. Albeit 4:2:0. First Nikon, then Canon, now Fuji and soon Panasonic's assuming it is what the rumours say it is. Have we ever had such a large group of announcements over mirrorless cameras in such a small space of time before?

The Fuji X-T3 is APS-C not FF.

[Steve Burkett]

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

The Fuji X-T3 is APS-C not FF.

I know. I was more talking about the large number of mirrorless announcements in recent weeks. Besides Canon isn't technically fullframe either if you're shooting 4K. :)