It’s a surprise Christmas gift for filmmakers!  Blackmagic Design today announced a new lower price for Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K of US$995.

The new low price on the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K makes it even easier to shoot with Hollywood digital film quality or to set up a high quality broadcast studio with ATEM Mini. Featuring a 4/3 image sensor with 4096 x 2160 resolution and an MFT lens mount, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K allows customers to capture wide dynamic range, Hollywood quality, digital film images. Plus it’s the perfect studio camera with tally when combined with ATEM Mini.

Here is some more information to help you decide if this is the camera for you… or the filmmaker you love:

The elegant design of the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera packs an incredible number of high end digital film features into a miniaturized, handheld design. Made from lightweight carbon fiber polycarbonate composite, the camera features a multifunction handgrip with all controls for recording, ISO, WB and shutter angle right at customers’ fingertips. Because it’s an advanced digital film camera, the sensor is designed to reduce thermal noise allowing cleaner shadows and higher ISO. Plus the large 5 inch LCD makes it possible to get perfect focus at 4K resolutions.

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera also works as a studio camera for live production when used with ATEM Mini. Video and control is via the HDMI connection, which is available as soon as customers plug the cameras in. The record light becomes a tally light so customers can see which camera is on air. The ATEM Software Control camera page has a camera control unit (CCU) style interface for adjusting and matching their cameras. Move the CCU control vertically for iris and left to right to adjust black level. It’s the same as a broadcast CCU. There are also controls for color tint to balance camera as well as focus, gain and shutter speed. Customers can even ISO record Blackmagic RAW in the camera for editing later.

With the advanced Blackmagic OS, customers get an intuitive and user friendly camera operating system based on the latest technology. The interface uses simple tap and swipe gestures to adjust settings, add metadata and view recording status. Customers also get full control over advanced camera features such as on screen focus and exposure tools, 3D LUTs, HDR, metadata entry, timecode, Blackmagic RAW settings and more.

Whether users are shooting in bright sunlight or in almost no light at all, the 13 stops of dynamic range with dual native ISO up to 25,600 provide stunning low noise images in all lighting conditions. Customers can shoot up to 60 fps or 120 fps windowed. An amazing sensor combined with Blackmagic color science means customers get the same imaging technology as the most expensive digital film cameras.

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera features a large, bright 5 inch touchscreen that makes it easy for customers to frame shots and accurately focus. On screen overlays show status and record parameters, histogram, focus peaking indicators, levels, frame guides and more.

Featuring the same generation 5 color science as the high end Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K, the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K delivers an even greater advancement in image quality with stunning, accurate skin tones and faithful color in every shot. Customers get a dynamic 12-bit gamma curve designed to capture more color data in the highlights and shadows, for better looking images. The color science also handles some of the complex Blackmagic RAW image processing, so color and dynamic range data from the sensor is preserved via metadata which customers can adjust in post production.

All Pocket Cinema Camera models include a full version of DaVinci Resolve Studio, which is the same software used in Hollywood for creating high end feature films, episodic television shows, commercials and more. DaVinci Resolve features the new cut page with intelligent editing tools and innovative new features designed to help customers quickly find the footage customers want, edit it together and output it fast. In addition to the new cut page, customers also get DaVinci’s legendary professional editing, advanced color correction, audio post and visual effects tools, all in a single software application.

“The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K has been popular with customers as both a digital film camera and also a studio camera when used with ATEM Mini switchers. It has wide dynamic range for digital film and DaVinci Resolve color science, but it also has a color corrector built in, tally and remote control for live production,” said Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. “We have been working hard on our manufacturing processes and have lowered the cost of production even further, so we can now pass that on to people through a lower price. It’s quite exciting because we have a fantastic solution to bring digital film quality to everyone!”

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K Features

• Designed from carbon fiber polycarbonate composite.
• Full size 4/3 sized sensor with native 4096 x 2160 resolution sensor.
• Works as a studio camera when connected to ATEM Mini.
• Compatible with extremely high quality Micro Four Thirds lenses.
• Super wide 13 stops of dynamic range for capturing high end feature film look.
• Up to 25,600 ISO for incredible low light performance.
• Multi function grip for quick access to recording start/stop, ISO, shutter, aperture, white balance, power and more.
• USB-C expansion port for recording directly to an external SSD or flash disk.
• Standard open file formats compatible with popular software.
• Features full size HDMI output for monitoring with camera status graphic overlay.
• Professional mini XLR inputs with 48 volt phantom power.
• 3.5mm audio jack, headphone jack, and locking DC 12 volt power connection.
• Built in 5” LCD touchscreen allows accurate focus when shooting 4K.
• LCD supports on screen overlays including status, histogram and focus peaking.
• Records 4K images at up to 60 fps and windowed HD at up to 120 fps.
• 3D LUTs can be applied for both monitoring and recording.
• Blackmagic OS as used in URSA Mini and URSA Broadcast cameras.
• Includes Blackmagic Generation 5 Color Science.
• Supports remote camera control via Bluetooth.
• Includes full DaVinci Resolve Studio for post production.

As noted at the start of this news piece, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K is available immediately for US$995 from Blackmagic Design resellers worldwide. All prices exclude local duties and taxes.