Black Magic Production 4k Camera Team Beverly Boy Review
Unlike DSLR models that are so popular, this camera aims at deleting any of the rolling shutter issues that some users have become accustomed running in to. The Black Magic 4K camera is a unique looking entry into the market with a lot of promising capabilities. Without further adieu, let’s check it out.
Features
With the addition of global shutter (GS), many of the problems facing DSLR cameras rolling shutter issues are gone. In fact, they are virtually non-existent. GS allows for the image to be created all at once, instead of individuals pixels forming horizontally one line at a time. Issues like a wobbly picture when panning the camera quickly during recording are gone. Instead now even if you are panning you will receive a crisp image that does not tend to bend and wobble. The camera itself is engineered from machined metal, which does add quite a bit of weight to the body. The mounting options are currently PL and EF. If you are going a bit more crazy with the lens options you may end up needing an adaptor to make the change. There is an array of port options on the side that are covered by a rubber that feels durable. There is a headphone jack and two lines of audio able to be introduced as well. The other side features an aluminum-capped SSD bay for your media. The SSD intake offers limited storage, so investing in additional cards may be necessary if you are wishing to capture large amounts of footage at one time. The rear of the camera hosts a touchscreen display, that is quite shiny and feels fragile. It will show fingerprints badly, which may be of concern to those wishing to proof the footage or photo. It comes with a rubber roof mount for the touchscreen to protect it, and it goes on nice and snug. The onboard battery will run you about an hour of record time as well.
Specs
The sensor is a Super 35mm, with a horizontal cropping factor of about 1.7. The maximum resolution that can be achieved by the camera is 3840 x 2160p. The CDR is at 12 stops and the recording quality is Compressed CinemaDNG RAW and Apple ProRes 422 (HQ). There are currently no hdmi connectors but there is one thunderbolt connector. The LANC inputs are 2.5mm LANC for Rec Start/Stop, Iris Control and Focus. There is also a bit of included software, being DaVinci Resolve, Media Express software, and DiskSpeed Test. There are two given channels of audio, as we had discussed in the features section of this article.
Performance
The camera was excellent in favorable light conditions. Even when there was any movement in subjects introduced into the FOV the picture is clean and stable. You never notice any choppiness with the recording either. However, under low light conditions the camera suffered, most likely due to low ISO output at about 800. When it comes to sudden changes in light you can really see this global shutter work its magic. You are either going to get the flash as it occurs in real time, which looks gorgeous, or absolutely no flash at all, which is still acceptable. It is a bit heavy, so make sure you have a comfortable mount if you are carrying it, or a lightweight setup if it will be stationary. A small not is the amount of glare on the screen. I was having to shove my face into the provided rubber protector in order to see the darn thing. If it is a big issue, just throw a jacket over your head. It may look silly, but it will get the job done without having to buy an extra monitor.
Conclusion
As a brand that sees worldwide recognition and offers a great warranty, this may be one of the most affordable options for the buyer. The Black Magic 4K Production offers many features for such a small device, and with the addition of a global shutter, it is a super hard deal to pass up. Just make sure you can acquire a few more SSD cards for more memory and have enough light to bring out the quality in your material.
