Got to play with it today. Global shutter is nice. There's lag between the cam and the outboard monitor, but the 4K looks beautiful. It's still in alpha mode - a lot of features not yet working.

Won't get my money until it's a different mount system. Discussed MFT with them. They're thinking PL. Argued the universality of MFT and all it's adapters. We'll see what happens.

Asked how they got global shutter on it and yet still rolling shutter on BMCC and BMPCC...

"We sacrificed the DR"

How much?

"It's only got 12 stops."

I blinked: "It's really that simple? Then why not give users a choice - put both in all the cams, and then let user choose per shot/project whether they want the [full range and rolling Shutter] or [12 stops and Global]?

• I got a shrug in response.

So I figure it's possible, and maybe one day coming... Or not. hard to tell with these guys.

But I will say this. They seem genuinely interested in putting awesome cameras within reach of low budget shooters.

and our, well, mostly slightly uninformed technician, who makes decisions sadly, said: "we cant use it. global shutter produces trails"

This is why I don't entertain the "I have X-years of experience" argument and don't listen to anyone in the entertainment industry at all. It doesn't mean you're infallible or even good at your job. It just means "you've had a job". That's it. Especially in today's world of special-treatments, diversity quotas, nepotism, favoritism, bla bla bla... who the hell can you even trust to actually be "good" at their job anymore?

@fatpig Quote: I suggested to buy this cam for film university today, and our, well, mostly slightly uninformed technician, who makes decisions sadly, said: "we cant use it. global shutter produces trails"

Trails were produced by cameras with tube sensors when panning through a light source. If you look at some 80's music videos with video footage (concert footage) you can see it. Or any live sporting event from the 70s-early 80's. By the 90's CCD technology replaced the tubes and voila, no more trails. I haven't seen them since in a camera. He's must be an old timer (and maybe a bit lazy too?) :-)

@hank and at what screen size we are you talking? Never in my life until now looking at big cinema screen did I see a pixel. Believe I have tried and was never bothered about 2k display. I remember when people where claiming how good Skyfall looked in 4k, to be told that it was done on the 2.7k Alexa.

Now I am sure that 4k will be better than 2k (except for human faces) but it will be only marginal. While ugly blown highlights in clouds and sky, with dark crush shadows on human faces etc will look bad from yesterdays 20 inch CRT TV to Big cinema screen.

I saw in a recent video interview with a BlackMagic rep (might be on here somewhere) that the dynamic range for this camera is 12 stops.

Give me everyday a 1080p 13-14 stop DR camera to any 10 stops 4K camera.

+1

They cannot delay too much, they almost ruined their reputation with original BMCC delay!

Anyway, I pledge for E-mount like many others: shortest flange and adapters for all lenses, from simple ones to electronic to boosters.

@Oedipax Yes I am less and less optimistic about this one. The pocket perhaps might have a better chance because it is based largely on the BMCC 1 technology. The second reason would be that the production 4k camera image quality does not hold up that much. From the sensor speculation, the 4k sensor in the production cam is only able to do 10-11 stop of DR natively. Blackmagic has put so much emphasis on the filmic dynamic range of the BMCC, that it would really look like a set back for them.

@Brian202020 ef-m isn t the way to go in my opinion.e-mount is phsyically superior which is good when useing serious super35 lenses.plus focal reducers will soon be availbe for all sensors smaller then FF with various mounting options.plus 4k raw sounds like u want too use this cam with all manual lenses most of the time anyway.

@hank @Vitaliy_Kiselev

If they eventually go EF-M you could add the upcoming rumored Canon "Speed Booster" like focal reducer with electronic contacts. You could have a full frame look from your EF lenses with tap to focus, image stabilization, and the "IRIS" button would work.

EOS-M rumor with Canon focal reducer: http://www.canonrumors.com/2013/07/the-next-eos-m-cameras-cr1/

hmmm why doesn t bm go for e-mount?

@igorek7, thank you for your feedback. The BMCC with MFT mount has an active sensor area of 15.81mm x 8.88mm, so the 4K Astro at 17.3mmx9.1mm seems within range. I am looking at some of the sample Astro footage in 1080p which looks rather detailed, however, YouTube compression is also an issue I must factor.

The 4K Astro has me confused. A 1.25 inch sensor, assuming horizontal results in 31.75mm. I am not sure how much of that is the effective sensor size? The BMPC 4K sensor is promoted to have an effective sensor size of 21.12mm x 11.88mm (Super 35). Which leads me to question, with micro four thirds mount (MFT) on the Astro, will the diameter of the MFT mount be wide enough to realise the effective sensor size when mounting a lens, such as using a MFT mount adapter to accept an S35 lens? If so, then perhaps a 4K BMPC with micro four thirds mount (MFT - M4/3) would be useful for those of us wanting use an adapter to mount lenses that can not be adapted from EF mount? I was under the impression that the MFT mount's diameter on a 4K BMPC would not realise the effective S35 sensor of the camera, which makes me question what is the deal with the Astro and why MFT mount? I am confused here. Anyone?