Best cinema camera below $1000 - Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera or Z-CAM E2C?

Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera (left) vs. Z-CAM E2C (right)

With the buzz around the recent releases of new Super 35 6K and Micro 4/3 4K cameras from Blackmagic Design and Z-CAM, the less expensive cameras in their product lines have gone relatively unnoticed.

But for filmmakers who can't afford a sub-$3000 6K camera such as the $2495 BMPCC 6K or the $2995 Z-CAM E2 S6 - or even a sub-$2000 4K camera such as the $1295 BMPCC4K or the $1995 Z-CAM E2 - a 10-bit or higher cinema camera below $1000 is a big deal.

Well, there are now two cameras in this price range that can shoot ProRes and/or RAW - the $995 Blackmagic Design Micro Cinema Camera and the new $799 Z-CAM E2C.

Each camera has advantages and disadvantages, so deciding which one to choose for your project will depend on which feature-set you need.

Here are the high level specs for the two cameras, with pros and cons:

Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera

• 1080/60p
• 12.48mm x 7.02mm (Super 16) sensor
• Canon LP-E6 battery
• 13 advertised stops of dynamic range (DR)
• CinemaDNG RAW and ProRes
• PWM & S-Bus external control
• USB 2.0 Mini B data connection
• 82.3mm x 66.0mm x 69.6mm (W x H x D)
• Weighs 300.5 grams

Pros: CinemaDNG RAW, 13 stops of DR, readily available.

Cons: Limited to 1080p resolution, small sensor with 3X crop factor, external monitor required, no wireless or streaming, listed at $995 (but starting to see discounts).

Z-Cam E2C

• 4K/30p and 1080/60p
• 17.56mm x 13.11mm (Micro 4/3) sensor
• Canon LP-E6 battery
• 11.5 advertised stops of DR with Z-Log2
• 10-bit h.265 (Z CAM is working on getting it ProRes certified)
• Wi-fi & Ethernet external control and streaming
• USB 3.0 data connection
• 91.2mm x 83.9mm x 89.1mm (W x H x D)
• Weighs 668 grams

Pros: 4K, larger sensor with ~2x crop factor, free iOS app for control and preview from iPhone, wireless control & streaming, $799 price.

Cons: DR with LOG no better than a hybrid still/video mirrorless camera, still a pre-order item as of this post, but starting to appear in the wild. (UPDATE: now widely available)

I didn't mention it as a pro or con - but the BMMCC is somewhat smaller and weighs half as much.

The headline differences between the two cameras, of course, are that the Z-CAM records to 4K, while the Blackmagic is limited to 1080p - and that the BMMCC records to RAW, while the E2C is limited to 10-bit h.265. (UPDATE: the E2C can now record ZRAW to inexpensive SSD drives such as the Samsung T5).

In my view, 4K 12-bit ZRAW from the E2C looks pretty darned good:

...but so does 1080p RAW from the BMMCC:

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So it really boils down to two questions - 1) which is most important to you - the E2C's 4K resolution or the Micro Cinema Camera's dynamic range? - and 2) how much camera can you afford?

I can't answer those questions for you - but I can say that the new Z-CAM E2C is a very impressive camera for the price - and low budget filmmakers never had it so good.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. This costs you nothing extra. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

First official videos from the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K

Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K - $1295

In the four months since the BMPCC 4K's introduction at NAB 2018, the biggest question surrounding this camera has been "will the image quality meet the high expectations set by the amazing specs?"

Over the past few days, filmmakers Mark Wyatt, John Brawley, Andreas Neumann, Peter Nearhos and Areia Creations and Sitipong Kongtong - have released several official and unofficial sample videos that go a long way towards answering that question.

'Mountain', 'Zoo',  'Bubble Gum' and 'Dreamcatcher' were shot in RAW, while the rest were shot in ProRes, so we get to see both codecs in action. 

Here are all of the samples released to date (please watch at 2160p and your monitor's highest resolution):

'Zoo', 'Bubble Gum' and 'Dreamcatcher' are downloadable from their Vimeo pages, and the official Blackmagic videos are downloadable directly from Blackmagic Design so you can test grade them yourself.

Some have observed that these images could have been produced with a GH5/GH5s or an A7 III. Perhaps so, it's hard to say with YouTube/Vimeo compression.

But the GH5, GH5s and A7 III all cost more than $1300 (in some cases, a lot more), so I'm sticking with my BMPCC 4K pre-order - and can't wait to get my hands on this camera.

If, after seeing these samples, you'd like to pre-order the camera from Adorama, please click here or on the images at the top and bottom of this post. 

It won't cost you anything extra, Adorama won't charge your card until the camera ships and it will help to keep these blog posts coming.

Thanks for supporting the Hybrid Camera Revolution!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. This costs you nothing extra. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

BMPCC 4K & BMPCC side-by-side! Hands-on & interview w Blackmagic Design President Dan May

With only a half day on the ground at NAB 2018, I was very fortunate to be able to schedule this on-camera interview with Blackmagic Design President Dan May right before I had to leave for the airport.

I brought my five year old BMPCC along to compare to the new camera because I wanted to hold both in my hands and compare them.  Sure, I could have gone to Camerasize, but I wanted to actually see the two cameras side-by-side to determine differences in grip, weight and balance and ergonomics.

Although the new BMPCC 4K is larger - it shares much of the original camera's DNA

Surprisingly, as different as these cameras look, there were some clear similarities between them:

First is the micro 4/3 lens mount.  Although the BMPCC 4K's sensor is larger, Blackmagic put the same lens mount on the camera - which will save upgraders a lot of money. 

Second, neither camera has a viewfinder and both have fixed LCDs.  This is common to all BM cameras - and to most higher end cinema cameras - but it is striking for a camera whose competitors all have viewfinders - and many of which have tilting or fully articulated LCDs. 

Third, both cameras have a 1/4"-20 socket where most consumer cameras have a hot shoe mount.  Again, this makes sense for a pure cinema camera that doesn't need an external flash.

But all of that is superficial - what is really important is on the inside. With the BMPCC 4K, Blackmagic appears to have fixed almost every one of the original camera's shortcomings.  By now, everyone has read the specs list - increased resolution and higher frame rates; longer battery life; improved audio with phantom power; a larger, brighter LCD; yada, yada.

What the spec sheet can't tell you is that this is an extremely well built camera.  The pre-production cameras at the show were heavier than the carbon fiber production model will be, but they were still solidly put together and felt like they could stand up to the rigors of operating in the field.

This is just a sense I got from handling the camera - we will have to see how tough it really is once can get our hands on the production model. 

If anything here has helped you to make a buying decision, please click on the links above or the display ads below or in the margins. It won't cost you anything extra, and will help to keep these posts coming.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. This costs you nothing extra. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Suiting up for NAB 2018 interviews!

Today, I'll be at the Atomos and Blackmagic booths to talk Ninja 5 and BMPCC 4K - also planning to tag up with Sony on the FS5 II and to stop by Apple (ProRes RAW) and see the latest from Canon, Panasonic, JVC and Fuji in person.

If there are any specific questions you want me to ask, please let me know soonest in the comments section below or over on reddit at /u/HybridCamRev - I'm leaving the show floor at 3pm to catch my flight home.

Is the new Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K a GH5s killer?

New $1295 Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K - pre-order at Adorama

With its full 4/3 sensor, dual native ISO up to 25,600, internal 12-bit losslessly compressed RAW & 10-bit ProRes recording up to full 4096x2160 DCI 4K/60p, dual card slots with CFast2.0, mini-XLR microphone input with phantom, 5" touch screen, recording to a simple external USB-C drive, free copy of DaVinci Resolve Studio and $1295 price, the new Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K (BMPCC 4K) introduced at NAB 2018 today is a formidable competitor for the sub-$2000 still/video hybrid cameras from Fuji, Panasonic and Sony.

Although Panasonic gives its customers 10-bit color space, Fuji and Sony cameras are limited to amateur 8-bit color - and none of them can record RAW.

Neither can these cameras record to a simple external drive (unless you buy an expensive recorder) - and they don't have XLR jacks with phantom power.

The BMPCC 4K is not a perfect camera - it lacks an articulated LCD and in-body stabilization, but with the $1000+ you'll save over the price of the GH5s, you can afford a $199 5"1080p external monitor and a $749 Zhiyun Crane 2 gimbal.

With this setup, you'll get a stabilized 4K/60p 12-bit RAW image with a max 25,600 ISO for less than the price of the 10-bit Panasonic.

Amazingly, this little camera conforms to Netflix standards for 4K production and to the Digital Cinema Initiative's Digital Cinema System Specification - so it is ideal for just about every shooter -all the way from vloggers to wedding videographers to independent filmmakers and broadcast media producers.

More to follow as soon as we have sample video!

You can pre-order the camera for September 2018 delivery from Adorama here.