I Love this Camera: Unboxing the Blackmagic Design Cinema 6K G2
Stock image from Blackmagic Design’s website of second generation of the Cinema 6K
I recently had the chance to get hands on with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 and I have one thing to say, “ I freakin’ love this camera.”
Full disclosure… they sent this to us (StreamSemester.com) to give us a chance to check it out and provide some thoughts. We do not get to keep it (sad face), but I can already tell this will be the fastest two weeks of my professional life.
Alright, now that the credibility requirements have been met, let’s talk about this beast.
I did an unboxing video about it, which lays out everything that came in the box, and can be viewed below. But if you like words on a page, you can just keep reading after the video.
The first thing I noticed when I took the camera out of the box is the weight. It is significantly heavier than the Pocket Cinema 4K, which is the only Pocket Cinema I had the chance to use before this. The feel is bulkier because it gives you more tools. It also takes a larger battery than the 4K leading to a longer battery life.
Upon opening the box, you are greeted by the Blackmagic Design camera strap, which feels like it is made well, but is something that I would probably never use. I was recently turned onto the Peak Design Leash Camera strap, which I have found to be very lightweight and easy to use, if you are looking for a good option. I bought it on Amazon, so do a quick search there to see what you can find.
The second thing I removed from the box was the power supply. I really like the fact that they give you a reliable way to power the camera, apart from the battery. That is a big difference from most of my experiences with DSLR or mirrorless cameras. And it is truly needed with a cinema camera, which chews through a battery in no time.
I will say that the NP-F550 battery that came with this camera is a big upgrade in life over the batteries from the 4K cameras that I have. It is also a good affordable option, so it won’t break the bank to pick up a few of these to have on your longer shoot days. It does come with a battery charger, which plugs into a USB-A port on a computer or charging brick.
Again, and I will come back to this often, this camera is much beefier than the Cinema 4Ks. I definitely understand the need for this, with the added XLR port and such, but even if this camera didn’t have a few extra features, I just like the extra weight. I don’t feel like I am working out by carrying this around, but I feel like I am actually holding something, which I think helps with stabilization when you are shooting a more run-n-gun style of video.
The articulating display is very nice. It only pulls out and then will pivot up and down to allow you to shoot from a higher or lower angle, but I think this is all it needs to do. You are not going to be using this camera for a vlog, so there is no need to pull it out and around to do a selfie-style shoot. I think this is a great decision by the folks at Blackmagic because it is only less way that the camera can break. It is a sturdy pull out and easily moves back into place when you are shutting things down.
For memory, you can use an SD card, a CFast card, or an external hard drive, which is connected via a USB-C cable. The Cfast and the hard drive have faster write speeds, but I have not had a problem with my SD cards, which are considerably cheaper. I would probably consider making the move to CFast or drives if I were doing this daily in a professional workflow, but given that my day-to-day is with high school students, I am going to stick with what I know and what is cheap.
Here is my test footage from my first shoot with the Pocket Cinema 6K G2. I just grabbed a few shots around my classroom. It was an early morning shoot, with very little light, but I am not unhappy with how it turned out.
My initial thoughts are that I already love this thing. I am looking forward to putting it through its paces and giving it an honest review, but in terms of my experience with cinema cameras in a classroom environment, I am already sold. It will be hard to beat the price point on this camera, and even more, the ease of use.
I will let you know what I think though.
Update: April 28, 2023 - Tom had a chance to talk with the folks from Blackmagic Design at NAB 2023 and he is impressed. Checkout his thoughts and be sure to give the podcast a listen.
Meet the Author, Josh Dempsey
Josh Dempsey is a video and film teacher at Marietta High School in Marietta, Georgia. With nearly 20 years of experience in the classroom, Josh is just as excited as his students to keep learning about the power and possibilities of this visual medium. He invites you to follow his students and their work online by following them on social media @bdn_marietta.
Josh loves traveling with his wife, Megan, and their two kids and more pets than should be allowed. If you want to follow their adventure and get some tips and tricks for RV travel and epic road trips, head over to their website at eastrollswest.com.
Adam, your resident IB film teacher, wants to help your students walk the talk. How understanding the Big 4 (mise-en-scene, editing, cinematography, and sound design) can transform student analysis and filmmaking.