The BlackMagic Cinema Camera has been field tested by Rick Young both in Australia and the UK. This is a strange looking camera very different in it’s concept but at a price that you can’t argue with.

Rick “I was in Australia when I got my hands on the Blackmagic Cinema Camera. Footage in this report was filmed in Australia and then later in the UK. Id never worked with RAW, the last time I shot film was in 1992, and suddenly, in my hands, was something like a big DSLR capable of turning out images at 2.5K recorded to SSD as 12-bit RAW, not only that I could use all my existing Canon EF lenses and I could shoot ProRes if I chose.

Initial tests were amazing and difficult. Amazing… the quality and detail which I captured, difficult …because I had no idea how to use DaVinci Resolve, I had recorded over 30 minutes of RAW footage and couldnt do anything with it. I looked at Resolve with no clue what to do.

I opened the manual and starting reading. I read info. online and searched for video tutorials… I got there. A few hours later and I was able to bring footage in and out of the system, do basic correction, and output.

The images were the most film-like images I have worked with since I worked with film. I realise thats a big statement, though let me qualify it by saying Ive been shooting and working with video since 1989. My experiences with video gear go back to the 1980s in days of 4:3, one inch C-format and Betacam before SP or DigiBeta even existed. Ive used a lot cameras and a lot of formats and the video look has persisted.

Given that the camera works native with Canon EF lenses means some of the best glass on the planet can be used. Not only can you use Canon lenses, Nikon lenses can also be used: via adapters. With adapter attached Nikon lenses can be mounted onto the Canon EF lens mount on the Blackmagic Cinema Camera.

The world of camera technology is red hot right now. With 4K cameras announced by Sony, price drops from RED, Canon D500 shooting 4K, Alexa at the high-end… and the Blackmagic Cinema Camera slips in at an unimaginable price-point and delivers in terms of image quality and resolution. Having shot with the camera now for several months I would say this camera is definitely a capable shooting machine and not something which has been overhyped.

The Blackmagic Cinema Camera is now slowly coming to market. It is shipping in limited quantities. Soon these cameras will be everywhere and the world of digital filmmaking will be changed forever.

The BlackMagic Cinema Camera represents fantastic value for money, their attention to quality control has meant a major hold up in production till the sensor is free from problems which is a major plus in BlackMagics honesty rather than punting the end users with faulty goods. Everything I have seen and read about this camera earns it a 6 star rating.