4K

The Blackmagic Production Camera 4K promises incredible performance for very little money. No other camcorder offers Ultra HD video resolution, Super 35 size sensor with global shutter (that eliminates rolling shutter issues), 12 stops of dynamic range and professional recording formats for less than $3,000.

Budget-conscious filmmakers, documentarians and commercial producers that are looking for a quality imaging tool owe it to themselves to check out the Blackmagic Production Camera 4K. It uses the same unique and robust body design as the Blackmagic Cinema Camera that is 6.5 inches wide and 5.2 inches tall and weighs 3.8 pounds. Unlike most traditional camcorder bodies, it is somewhat awkward to handhold for long shots and most shooters will quickly find that at least a basic cage or shoulder mount is a must for nearly all shots not on a tripod. But don't forget, the word "Production," does imply a professional tool in which a steady mount is considered standard. 

Quality Control

There are 10 buttons to control the main functions that include iris, focus peaking, record (on front and back), stop, play, clip navigation (2), menu and power. The user must access all remaining functions through touch screen menus.

The left side hosts the majority of the connections. There is a 2.5mm LANC for basic remote camera control, a 1/8-inch stereo headphone jack, two balanced 1/4-inch audio inputs that accept either mic or line levels, a 6G-SDI 10-bit 4:2:2 BNC output, a Thunderbolt port for HD video and audio capture and a 12V-30V power connection to recharge the internal non-removable battery.

TheBlackmagic Production Camera 4Krecords to removable 2.5-inch SSDs. The port is on the right side along with the USB 2.0 mini-B connection. If you have large fingers you may find it difficult to remove the SSD as there isn't much room to grasp the card.

The 5-inch LCD touchscreen is 800x480 resolution, that is plenty sharp but it is highly reflective, making it difficult to see many outdoor shots. The included black rubber screen hood easily snaps into place and does help a little. If you really want to see your exterior shots you may find you have to add an extension onto this hood or use the focusing cloth trick from the old view camera days. This usually ends up being any shirt, jacket or towel lying around.

The Blackmagic Production Camera 4K has three 1/4-inch mounting holes on the top and one on the bottom with a locator pin for added security. There is also a fan and venting perforations on the bottom that can be partially covered by your mounting method.

The Blackmagic Production Camera 4K has an EF and ZE compatible lens mount that is capable of controlling the electronic iris on many Canon lenses. In fact, we found that two of our favorite lenses that do not work on the Blackmagic Cinema Camera, the EF 17-40mm f/4L USM and the EF 85mm f/1.2L USM, worked perfectly on the Blackmagic Production Camera 4K and both camcorders had the most current firmware update. The 85mm is a particularly tricky one as even the focus ring requires power. So there appears to be something more than just firmware going on that allows the Blackmagic Production Camera 4K to work with a greater variety of lenses.