One Key Change Makes Blackmagic's Latest Camera $500 Cheaper

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By Rahul Srinivas/June 24, 2022 4:13 pm EDT

If you have been yearning to get hold of the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, but were put off by its rather high asking price of $2500, here's some good news for you. Blackmagic Design, the company behind these much sought-after cameras, recently announced a newer, slightly more affordable version of the camera with a slightly different name and one single feature removed. The latest 6K camera from the company is called the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2, a device photographers can purchase for approximately $2,000.

A quick glance at the comparative spec sheets of the 6K Pro and the G2 reveals that the G2 variant is as capable a machine as the "Pro" model from 2021. They have near-identical hardware specs, and upon closer inspection, the only missing feature on the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 seems to be the built-in ND filters.

With the announcement of the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2, Blackmagic's portfolio of 6K capable pocket cameras has increased to three. However, the company seems to have silently removed references to the first generation 6K capable movie camera called the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K from its online properties, perhaps signaling that the product has reached the end of its lifecycle.

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The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 uses the same Super 35 sensor as its more expensive cousin and supports the same EF lens ecosystem. The large 5-inch articulating screen on the camera is a capacitive LCD that boasts a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. Like its closest relative, this camera offers end users a wide variety of shooting resolutions to choose from, ranging from 6K, 6K 2.4:1 5.7K, 4K DCI and standard 4K (Ultra HD).

A much-loved feature on the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro was the color science it borrowed from BlackMagic's more expensive URSA Mini Pro 12K camera. This helped the 6K Pro capture accurate skin tones and colors — a capability most filmmaking cameras this affordable lack. The camera also offered support for a 12-bit dynamic gamma curve which helps capture more details within the darker areas of the frame. With the G2 essentially being the same camera as the Pro version, users now have access to these capabilities at an even lower price point.

The optional OLED viewfinder attaches to the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 using a dedicated connector at the top of the camera. For those upgrading from the "original" Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K, the increased battery life offered by the bigger NP-F570 style, Sony battery will be a welcome change.