Blackmagicdesign Cameras, Blackmagic Cameras Installation And Operation Manual
Installation and Operation Manual
Blackmagic Cameras
English
Mac OS X
Windows
September 2014
™
™
Welcome
Thank you for purchasing your Blackmagic Camera!
We have worked hard to produce three cameras that have
been designed from the ground up to fit any kind of workflow.
Our new Pocket Cinema Camera is a Super 16 digital film
camera with 13 stops of dynamic range that is small enough
to take anywhere. The Cinema Camera records uncompressed
CinemaDNG RAW files for pristine images and our new
Production Camera 4K is a Super 35 Ultra HD 4K camera
with a global shutter and 6G-SDI output.
Our cameras are designed to produce files that are "flat",
which means they preserve the wide dynamic range from the
sensor, as well as standard file formats that work with all video
software. This allows you to make creative decisions by using
the included DaVinci color correction software!
We think this means you get a cinema style shooting
experience where you capture and preserve more of the
image so you have as many creative options as possible.
We have also included large screens on our cameras for
easy focus and metadata entry. We hope you connect to our
cameras in creative ways and produce some amazing looking
images! We are extremely excited to see what creative work
you produce!
Grant Petty
CEO Blackmagic Design
Contents
Blackmagic Cameras
4 Getting Started
Introducing Blackmagic Cameras 4
Attaching a Lens 6
Turning Your Camera On 7
Inserting an SD Card 8
Inserting an SSD 8
Recording 9
Playing Back Clips 10
11 About SSDs and SD Cards
Choosing a Fast SSD 11
Choosing a Fast SD Card 12
Preparing Media for Recording 12
Checking Disk Speed 14
15 Connections
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 15
Blackmagic Cinema Camera and Production Camera 4K 16
17 Settings
Dashboard 17
Camera Settings 17
Audio Settings 19
Recording Settings 20
File Naming Convention 22
Display settings 23
On Screen Metering 24
Adjusting Settings 25
Status Strip 26
27 Entering Metadata
What is the Slate? 27
28 Camera Video Output
Waveform Monitoring using Thunderbolt 28
Using Blackmagic UltraScope 29
Monitoring using SDI 32
33 Post Production Workflow
Working with Files from SSDs 33
Working with Files from SD Cards 33
Editing your Clips 34
Using Final Cut Pro X 35
Using Avid Media Composer 36
Using Adobe Premiere Pro CC 36
Using Autodesk Smoke 2013 37
38 Blackmagic Camera Utility
39 Attaching Accessories
41 Help
43 Warranty
4
OK
MENU
IRIS FOCUS
OK
MENU
IRIS FOCUS
Getting Started
Getting Started
1 2
4
Introducing Blackmagic Cameras
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera Features
1. RECORD BUTTON
Press this button to record clips to your SD card. See page 10.
2. TRANSPORT CONTROL
3
5
6
7
8
9
Use these buttons to play, skip or shuttle clips. See page 11.
3. LENS MOUNT
Micro Four Thirds lens mount for a wide selection of lenses. See page 7.
4. BATTERY TERMINAL
Open the battery door via the release button to:
Insert and remove the rechargeable Lithium Ion battery. See page 8.
Insert a SDHC or SDXC card for recording. See page 9.
Access the USB Mini-B port for software configuration and updates. See page 39.
5. LANC REMOTE
The 2.5mm stereo jack for L ANC remote control supports record start and stop, iris control, and manual focus.
See page 16.
6. HEADPHONES
3.5 mm stereo headphone jack connection. See page 16.
7. AUDIO IN
3.5mm stereo jack for mic or line level audio. See pages 16 and 20.
IRIS FOCUS
MENU
10 11
OK
8. HDMI OUT
Micro HDMI port for monitoring or outputting video to a switcher. See page 16.
9. P O W E R
0.7mm 12 – 20V power input for power and battery charging. See page 16.
10. LCD
Watch the LCD while recording or playing back a clip. See page 27.
11. CONTROL BUTTONS
Use these buttons for power, menu navigation, iris control, focus peaking, auto focus, LCD zoom and
additional on screen displays. Use the up and down buttons for opening and closing the on screen displays
and the left and right buttons to manually nudge the iris open and closed on the lens by a small amount.
5
Getting Started
1
2 4
1 5 6 7
3
8
9
10
11
12
13
Blackmagic Cinema Camera and Production Camera 4K Features
1. RECORD BUTTON
Record clips to your SSD. See page 10.
2. IRIS BUTTON
The Iris button activates electronic iris control on the Cinema Camera and Production Camera 4K EF
models. Adjust the aperture of your lens by pressing the forward and reverse skip/shuttle playback
buttons. See page 26.
3. TOUCHSCREEN LCD
Watch the LCD monitor while recording or playing back a clip, or when using the menu. Use the touchscreen
to activate additional on screen displays while shooting. See pages 11, 24, 25 and 28.
4. FOCUS BUTTON
Press the Focus button for focus peaking on the LCD. See page 26.
5. TRANSPORT CONTROLS
Press these buttons to stop, skip/shuttle, or play your clips. See page 11.
6. MENU BUTTON
Access the menu on the LCD and open the dashboard on Production Camera 4K. See pages 13 and 18.
7. POWER BUTTON
Press the power button to turn on the Blackmagic Cinema Camera. Press and hold the button to turn
the camera off. See page 8.
8. LANC REMOTE
The 2.5mm stereo jack for L ANC remote control supports record start and stop, and iris and focus control
on EF mount models. See page 17.
9. HEADPHONES
3.5 mm stereo headphone jack connection. See page 17.
10. AUDIO IN
2 x 1/4 inch balanced TRS phono jacks for mic or line level audio. See pages 17 and 20.
11. SDI OUT
SDI output for connecting to a switcher or to DaVinci Resolve via capture device for live grading. See
pages 17 and 33.
12. THUNDERBOLT CONNECTION
Blackmagic Cinema Camera outputs 10-bit uncompressed 1080p HD. Production Camera 4K also outputs
compressed Ultra HD 4K. Use the Thunderbolt connection for HD UltraScope waveform monitoring and
streaming video to a Thunderbolt compatible computer. See pages 17 and 29.
13. P OWER
12 – 30V power input for power supply and battery charging. See pages 8 and 17.
6
SSD
Getting Started
HDMI
12V
Attaching and removing a lens on Pocket Cinema Camera.
Attaching and removing an EF lens on Cinema Camera
and Production Camera 4K.
Attaching a Lens
Getting started with your Blackmagic Camera is as simple as attaching a lens and turning the camera on.
To remove the protective dust cap from the EF lens mount, hold down the locking button and rotate the
cap counterclockwise until it is released. For the PL mount, rotate the PL locking ring counterclockwise.
HDMI
12V
We recommend always turning off your Blackmagic camera prior to attaching or removing a lens.
To attach an EF mount lens:
Step 1. Align the dot on your lens with the dot on the camera mount. Many lenses have a visual
indicator, for example a blue, red or white dot.
Step 2. Twist the lens clockwise until it locks into place.
Step 3. To remove the lens, hold down the locking button, rotate the lens counterclockwise until its
dot or indicator reaches the 12 o’clock position, and gently remove.
To attach a PL mount lens:
Step 1. Open your camera's PL locking ring by rotating it counterclockwise until it stops.
Step 2. Align one of the lens' four flange notches with the locating pin on the camera mount. Be sure
to align the lens for easy viewing of the lens marks.
Step 3. Tighten the camera's PL locking ring by rotating it clockwise.
Step 4. To remove the lens, rotate the locking ring counterclockwise until it stops, then gently remove
the lens.
When no lens is attached to the camera, the sensor is exposed to dust and other debris so you'll want
SSD
Attaching and removing a PL lens on Cinema Camera PL
and Production Camera 4K PL.
SSD
to keep the dust cap on whenever possible.
7
Getting Started
Inser ting the battery into Pocket Cinema Camera.
Turning Your Camera On
Pocket Cinema Camera
Before you can operate Pocket Cinema Camera, you need to insert the battery.
Step 1. On the under side of the camera, push the door release towards the lens to access the
battery terminal.
Step 2. With the gold contacts facing into the terminal and the white arrow facing the lens, hook the
lip of the battery under the orange tab and insert the battery until you feel it press into place.
Push the orange tab to release the battery.
Step 3. Close the door to the battery terminal and slide the door release to the right to lock it.
Step 4. Press the power button on the bottom right of the back panel. The status strip will appear
along the top of the LCD.
Step 5. Press and hold the power button to switch off the camera.
Congratulations! You are now ready to insert an SD card and start recording!
Cinema Camera & Production Camera 4K
Cinema Camera and Production Camera 4K models have internal batteries that can be charged using
the supplied power adapter. The camera can be charged and operated while connected via external
power and will switch between power sources without any interruption.
Use the supplied power adapter to charge the internal
battery and power the camera.
Press and hold the power button to turn the camera on or off.
You can also charge the camera via a powered USB connection, however it takes longer to charge so
we recommend using the power adapter when possible.
Step 1. Press the power button below the touchscreen. The status strip will appear along the top of
the LCD.
Step 2. Press and hold the power button to switch off the camera.
Congratulations! You are now ready to insert an SSD and start recording!
8
Getting Started
Inser ting an SD card into the Pocket Cinema Camera.
Inserting an SD Card
You can insert an SDXC or SDHC card into Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera:
Step 1. On the under side of the camera, push the door release towards the lens to access the
battery terminal.
Step 2. With the gold contacts on the SD card facing towards the lens, insert the SD card until you
feel it lock into place. Push on the SD card to release it.
Step 3. Close the door to the battery terminal and slide the door release to the right to lock it.
Step 4. Power on the camera. The status strip will display a moving dot while the camera checks the
SD card and then it will say READY.
The supplied SD card is for software installation only and not suitable for video recording. You'll find a
list of recommended SD cards on page 13.
Inserting an SSD
You can insert a 2.5" 9.5 mm SSD formatted in either the HFS+ or exFAT file systems into Cinema Camera
and Production Camera 4K:
Step 1. Open the SSD door on the right hand side of the camera.
Inser ting an SSD into the Cinema Camera and the Production
Camera 4K.
Step 2. With the gold SATA contacts facing towards the camera door, insert the SSD until you feel it
press into place. Close the SSD door.
Step 3. Power on the camera. The status strip will display a moving dot while the camera checks the
SSD and then it will say READY.
You'll find a list of recommended SSDs on page 12.
9
Getting Started
Recording
Press the REC button on your camera to begin recording immediately. Press REC again to stop recording.
Choosing the Recording Format
Blackmagic cameras record to several different formats, depending on which model you are using.
You may decide to experiment to see which format best suits your workflow.
Press the REC button on the top of Pocket Cinema Camera.
Press the REC button on the front face
or
on the transport control on the back of Cinema Camera and
Produc tion Camera 4K.
Blackmagic Pocket
Cinema Camera
Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)
Apple ProRes 422 Apple ProRes 422 Apple ProRes 422
Apple ProRes 422 LT Apple ProRes 422 LT Apple ProRes 422 LT
Apple ProRes 422 Proxy Apple ProRes 422 Proxy Apple ProRes 422 Proxy
Lossless compressed
CinemaDNG RAW
You can choose from 4 different Apple ProRes formats. This lets you fit more video on your SSD or SD
card. ProRes 422 (HQ) provides the highest quality video with the lowest compression. Alternatively,
ProRes 422 Proxy gives you far more recording time with greater compression.
To select your desired video format:
Step 1. Press the MENU button. On Production Camera 4K, select Settings from the dashboard.
Step 2. Select the RECORDING menu and use the selection arrows to set the desired recording format.
Step 3. Press the MENU button to exit.
Your camera is now ready to record in the video format you have selected. The current recording format
is shown on the LCD status strip.
Blackmagic Cinema Camera Blackmagic Production
Camera 4K
CinemaDNG RAW 2.5K Lossless compressed
CinemaDNG RAW
Avid DNxHD
10
Getting Started
Blackmagic Cameras Supported Video Formats
To immediately view your recorded clip on a Blackmagic
Camera simply press the Play button on the transport controls.
Blackmagic Pocket
Cinema Camera
1920 x 1080p23.98 2400 x 1350 12-bit 2.5K RAW 4000 x 2160 12-bit RAW
1920 x 1080p24 1920 x 1080p23.98 3840 x 2160p23.98
1920 x 1080p25 1920 x 1080p24 3840 x 2160p24
1920 x 1080p29.97 1920 x 1080p25 3840 x 2160p25
1920 x 1080p30 1920 x 1080p29.97 3840 x 2160p29.97
Blackmagic Cinema Camera Blackmagic Production
Camera 4K
1920 x 1080p30 3840 x 2160p30
1920 x 1080i50 (output) 1920 x 1080p23.98
1920 x 1080i59.94 (output) 1920 x 1080p24
1920 x 1080p25
1920 x 1080p29.97
1920 x 1080p30
1920 x 1080i50 (output)
1920 x 1080i59.94 (output)
Playing Back Clips
Once you have recorded your video, you can use the transport control buttons to play back your video
on the LCD.
Press the play button once for instant playback and you'll see your video on the LCD and on any display
connected to the HDMI or SDI output. Hold down the forward or reverse buttons to fast forward or
reverse through the clip. Playback will finish when the end of the current clip is reached.
The controls of your camera work just like a CD player, so pressing the forward button will skip to the
start of the next clip. Press the reverse button once to go to the start of the current clip or press twice
to skip back to the start of the previous clip.
About SSDs and SD Cards
11
About SSDs and SD Cards
Intel 335 Series 240GB SSD
Sandisk Extreme 480GB SSD
Choosing a Fast SSD
When working with high data rate video it's important to carefully check the SSD you would like to use.
This is because some SSDs can have up to 50% lower write speed than the manufacturer’s claimed speed,
so even though the disk specifications claim an SSD is fast enough to handle video, in reality the disk is
not fast enough for real time video recording.
The following SSDs are recommended for 4K RAW and ProRes captures:
Sandisk Extreme Pro 240GB
(SDSSDXPS-240G-G25)
Sandisk Extreme Pro 480GB
(SDSSDXPS-480G-G25)
The following SSDs are recommended for 2.5K RAW CinemaDNG capture or compressed video capture:
Intel 335 Series 240GB SSD
Intel 520 Series 240GB SSD
Intel 520 Series 480GB SSD
Intel 530 Series 180GB SSD
Intel 530 Series 240GB SSD
Kingston 240 GB HyperX 3K
Kingston 480 GB HyperX 3K
Kingston 240 GB SSDNow KC300
Kingston 480 GB SSDNow KC300
Sandisk Extreme 240GB
Sandisk Extreme 480GB
PNY 240GB Prevail SSD (firmware 5.0.2)
OWC 120GB Mercury Extreme Pro 6G
(Firmware Rev 5.0.7)
Sandisk Extreme Pro 960GB
(SDSSDXPS-960G-G25)
OWC 240GB Mercury Extreme Pro 6G
(Firmware Rev 5.0.6)
OWC 480GB Mercury Extreme Pro 6G
(Firmware Rev 5.0.6)
Digistor 128GB SSD Professional Video
Extreme (pre-formatted ExFat)
Digistor 240GB SSD Professional Video
Series (pre-formatted ExFat)
Digistor 480GB SSD Professional Video
Series (pre-formatted ExFat)
Angelbird 240GB AV Pro (Firmware 2.54)
ADATA XPG SX900 256GB
Kingston HyperX 240GB SSD
In addition to the above, these SSDs work ONLY for compressed video capture:
Crucial 256GB M4 (firmware 000F)
OCZ Agility 3 240GB
If your SSD is dropping frames, try a different SSD or use a compressed HD recording format such as
ProRes or DNxHD for lower data rates. Check the Blackmagic Design website for the latest information.
Sandisk Extreme 120GB
12
About SSDs and SD Cards
Choosing a Fast SD Card
It's important to use SDHC and SDXC cards with Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera. These cards are
rated for fast data speeds and support larger storage sizes.
Recommended SDHC and SDXC cards include:
Delkin Devices 16GB Elite SDHC UHS-I Sandisk 64GB Extreme SDXC UHS-I Sandisk 16GB Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-I
Delkin Devices 32GB Elite SDHC UHS-I Sandisk 128GB Extreme SDXC UHS-I Sandisk 64GB Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-I
Please check the tech notes on the Blackmagic Design website for the latest information.
On Production Camera 4K, tap the Format Disk icon on the
camera dashboard to format your SSD.
Choose from HFS+ or exFAT formats.
Confirm your selection by tapping the 'Yes, format my disk'
icon to continue, or 'Cancel' to cancel the format.
Preparing Media for Recording
SSDs used by Cinema Camera and Production Camera 4K, and SD cards used by Pocket Cinema Camera
must be formatted as either HFS+ or exFAT. These disk formats allow long clips to be recorded as single
files. You can format SD cards and SSDs via a Mac or PC computer. SSDs can also be formatted using
the Format Disk feature on Production Camera 4K's dashboard menu.
HFS+ is also known as Mac OS Extended. It is the recommended format as it supports "journaling".
Data on journaled media is more recoverable and less likely to be corrupted. HFS+ is natively supported
by Mac OS X.
ExFAT is supported natively by Mac OS X and Windows without needing to purchase any additional
software. However, exFAT does not support journaling which means data is less protected against the
rare event your media card or SSD is corrupted.
To format your SSD using Production Camera 4K's dashboard Format Disk feature:
Step 1. Press the Menu button to open the touchscreen dashboard.
Step 2. Tap the Format Disk icon.
Step 3. Choose your format by tapping the HFS+ or exFAT icon.
Step 4. A warning will appear asking you to confirm the format. Tap "Yes, format my disk" to continue,
or 'Cancel;' to cancel the format.
Step 5. A progress bar shows you the progress of the format. 'Complete' will appear when the format
is done.
Step 6. Tap the Done icon to return to the dashboard.
13
About SSDs and SD Cards
Preparing SSDs and SD Cards on a Mac OS X computer
Use the Disk Utility application included with Mac OS X to format your SSD or SD card in the HFS+ or
exFAT formats. Remember to back up anything important from your media as all data will be lost when
it is formatted.
Step 1. Connect the SSD to your computer with an external dock or cable adapter and dismiss any
message offering to use your SSD for Time Machine backups. Plug an SD card into your
computer's SD card slot or via an SD card reader.
Step 2. Go to Applications/Utilities and launch Disk Utility.
Step 3. Click on the disk icon of your SSD or SD card and then click the Erase tab.
Step 4. Set the Format to "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" or "exFAT".
Use Disk Utility on Mac OS X to erase your SSD or SD card
in the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or exFAT format.
Use the Format dialog box feature in Windows
to format your SSD or SD card in the exFAT format.
Step 5. Type a Name for the new volume and then click Erase. Your SSD or SD card will quickly be
formatted and made ready for use.
Preparing SSDs on a Windows computer
The Format dialog box can format an SSD or SD card in the exFAT format on a Windows PC. Remember
to back up anything important from your media as all data will be lost when it is formatted.
Step 1. Connect the SSD or SD card to your computer.
Step 2. Open the Start Menu or Start Screen and choose Computer. Right-click on your SSD or SD card.
Step 3. From the contextual menu, choose Format.
Step 4. Set the file system to "exFAT" and the allocation unit size to 128 kilobytes.
Step 5. Type a volume label, select "Quick Format" and click "Start".
Step 6. Your SSD or SD card will quickly be formatted and made ready for use.
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