Blackmagicdesign Pocket Cinema Camera 6K User manual

Blackmagic
Cinema Camera 6K
September 2023
Installation and Operation Manual
Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K

Welcome
Thank you for purchasing your new Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K!
In 2012 we launched our original Blackmagic Cinema Camera for portable digital film making.
Since then we have listened to your wonderful feedback and have now built our new cinema
camera. Welcome to Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K!
Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K features a full height 6K sensor that is 3 times larger than
a Super 35 sensor with a 3:2 aspect ratio and large photosites. That means the pictures
look even more amazing, you get a larger image using full frame lenses and you get to use
anamorphic lenses without cropping. Plus your camera’s highly adaptable L-Mount lets you use
EF lenses, PL cine lenses and a lot more. It’s a true digital cinema camera for high end film!
Your new Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K has completely redesigned electronics but uses the
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera Pro platform so you can use the same battery extender
and viewfinder with all the same accessories.
Your camera records 2 simultaneous streams of video including full resolution Blackmagic
RAW plus small HD H.264 proxies so you can do cloud and remote work in DaVinci Resolve
and start editing immediately. The files are recorded on very small, super fast CFexpress cards
that are designed for film and video.
This instruction manual shows you how to get started with Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K.
Check the support page on our website at www.blackmagicdesign.com for the latest version
of this manual and for updates to your Blackmagic Cinema Camera’s internal software. When
downloading the software, be sure to register with your information so we can keep you
updated when new software is released.
We are continually working on new features and improvements, so we are keen to hear from you!
Grant Petty
CEO Blackmagic Design
English

Contents
Getting Started 5
Attaching a Lens 5
Powering your Camera 6
Powering Your Camera with the
Included Power Cable 6
Storage Media 7
CFexpress Cards 7
USB-C flash disks 9
Preparing Media for Recording 10
Preparing Media using your Camera 11
Preparing Media using a Mac 13
Preparing Media using Windows 13
Recording 14
Recording Clips 14
Blackmagic RAW 15
Recording to Blackmagic RAW 15
Maximum Sensor Frame Rates 18
Record Duration 18
Shooting using a Vertical Aspect Ratio 20
Playback 22
Camera Features 22
Camera Front 22
Right Side 23
Left Side 24
Top Panel 25
Camera Underside 27
Camera Rear 27
Touchscreen Controls 29
Touchscreen Features 29
Settings 52
Dashboard 52
Record Settings 52
File Naming Convention 58
Monitor Settings 58
Audio Settings 65
Setup Settings 68
Presets 79
3D LUTs 81
Entering Metadata 84
Slate 84
Gyro Stabilization 89
Camera Video Output 91
Using DaVinci Resolve 91
Project Manager 92
Editing with the Cut Page 92
Adding Clips to the Timeline 96
Trimming Clips on the Timeline 98
Audio Trim View 98
Adding Titles 99
Working with Blackmagic RAW Files 100
Color Correcting your Clips with
the Color Page 103
Adding a Power Window 107
Using Plugins 109
Mixing Your Audio 109
Adding VFX and Compositing on
the Fusion Page 114
Mastering Your Edit 122
Quick Export 122
The Deliver Page 123
Working with Third Party Software 124
Working with Files from CFexpress
Cards 124
Working with Files from
USB-C flash disks 124
Using Final Cut Pro 125
Using Avid Media Composer 126
Using Adobe Premiere Pro 127
Blackmagic Camera Setup 128
Using Blackmagic Camera Setup 129
Transferring Files over a Network 135
Using a Battery Grip 138
Developer Information 140
Camera Control REST API 140
Transport Control API 141
Timeline Control API 144
3Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K

Event Control API 145
System Control API 146
Media Control API 151
Preset Control API 153
Audio Control API 155
Lens Control API 160
Video Control API 162
Color Correction Control API 166
Blackmagic SDI Camera Control Protocol 171
Example Protocol Packets 180
Blackmagic Embedded Tally
Control Protocol 181
Help 183
Regulatory Notices 184
Safety Information 185
Warranty 186
4Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K

Getting Started
Getting started with your Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K is as simple as mounting a lens and
powering your camera.
Attaching a Lens
Your Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K uses L-mount lenses. To attach a lens to your camera,
begin by removing the protective dust cap. To remove the protective dust cap, hold down the
locking button and rotate the cap counterclockwise until it is released.
To attach a lens:
1 Align the dot on your lens with the dot on the camera mount. Many lenses have a visual
indicator, for example a blue, red or white dot.
2 Press the lens mount against the camera mount, and twist the lens clockwise until it clicks
into place.
3 To remove the lens, hold down the locking button, rotate the lens counterclockwise until its
dot indicator reaches the 7 o’clock position. Gently remove the lens from its mount.
NOTE When no lens is attached to the camera, the glass filter covering the
sensor is exposed to dust and other debris so you’ll want to keep the dust cap on
whenever possible.
“Which camera are
you using?” section
deleted
Caption deleted
5Getting Started

Powering your Camera
With a lens attached, you can now supply power to your camera. Blackmagic Cinema Camera
6K can be powered by inserting the supplied NP-F570 battery or by connecting the AC
power adapter.
To insert the battery:
1 On the underside of the camera, press the door release to open the battery door.
2 With the contacts facing the terminal, insert the battery until you feel it click into place
under the locking tab.
3 Close the door to the battery terminal and gently push until it clicks into place. To release
the battery, push the locking tab towards the front of the camera and the battery will eject.
To turn your camera on, move the power switch on the top of your camera to the ‘on’ position.
To turn your camera off, move the power switch to the ‘off’ position.
To turn your camera on, switch the power button to the ‘on’ position
TIP Two NP-F570 batteries can be used via the optional Blackmagic Pocket Camera
Battery Pro Grip accessory. For information about adding a battery grip to your Cinema
Camera 6K, refer to the ‘using a battery grip’ section in this manual.
Powering Your Camera with the Included Power Cable
The included 100-240 volt AC plug pack can be used to power your Blackmagic Cinema
Camera 6K and to charge the internal battery when your camera is powered off. Two additional
batteries in an optional Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera Battery Pro Grip will also charge
when attached.
The DC power cable locks to the camera so it cannot be accidentally disconnected.
To plug in external power:
1 Connect the AC to 12V DC adapter plug to your mains power socket.
2 Open the rubber protector on the left side of your camera and rotate the locking DC power
connector so that it lines up with the recess on the top of the 12VDC power input. Gently
push the connector into the input until it clicks.
3 To unplug the connector, pull the sheath away from the connector and remove the
connector from the input.
TIP box deleted
Change to body
copy style
6Getting Started

If you have both external and battery power connected, only external power is used. If you
remove external power while a charged battery is connected, your camera switches to battery
power without interruption.
Charging a hot battery immediately after use will reduce charging speed until the battery
cools below 45 ˚C or 113 ˚F. We recommend letting the battery cool down for 15 minutes
before charging.
Charging the Battery via USB
The battery inserted in your camera can be charged via USB when the camera is switched
off. This is convenient as you can use a portable power bank to charge the camera when not
in use. Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K supports support charging via standard 5V 10W USB
wall chargers. Chargers that support USB power delivery, or USB PD, can also be used. USB
PD chargers typically have a USB-C connection and up to 20V output, so can provide a faster
charge. Charging the internal battery via the 12V DC power input is supported when the camera
is switched on or off.
You are now ready to insert the storage media and start recording!
Storage Media
Your Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K uses CFexpress Type B cards to record video. You
can also connect high capacity USB-C flash disks via the USB-C expansion port for
increased recording times. Record duration times based on different storage media
capacities, frame rates and codec settings can be estimated using the data rate calculator at:
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagiccinemacamera/blackmagicraw#data-
rate-calculator
CFexpress Cards
CFexpress cards are capable of supporting very high data rates, so are perfect for recording 6K
and 4K video at high frame rates.
NOTE CFexpress Type B cards are generally high speed cards, though some cards
have slower write speeds compared to read speeds, and maximum data rates can
differ between models. For reliable recording with your chosen frame rates, use only
the cards recommended by Blackmagic Design.
7Storage Media

To insert a CFexpress card:
12
To access the CFexpress card slot, hold the camera
with the LCD facing you. Slide the door on the right
side towards you and then let it swing open.
The spring loaded door opens so you can access
the CFexpress card slot.
3 4
Insert the CFexpress card into the slot until you
feel it lock into place. The card should insert easily
without the need for excessive force. To remove a
CFexpress card, gently push the card in and then
release to eject it.
The storage information at the bottom of the LCD
touchscreen will show the name and record time
remaining of the detected CFexpress card.
8Storage Media

NOTE Before you can record clips, you will need to format the CFexpress card. You
can find information on how to format media in the next few sections of the manual.
Choosing a CFexpress Card
When working with high data rate video it’s important to carefully check the CFexpress card
that you would like to use. This is because CFexpress cards have different read and write
speeds. For the most up to date information on supported CFexpress Type B cards on
Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K, please refer to the Blackmagic Design support center at
www.blackmagicdesign.com/support.
USB-C flash disks
Your camera’s high speed USB-C expansion port lets you record video directly to USB-C flash
disks. These fast, high capacity drives allow you to record video for long periods, which can be
important when filming events with long durations.
Once you have finished recording you can connect the same drive directly to your computer for
editing and post production, without having to copy media across.
To connect to a USB-C flash disk:
1 Connect one end of a USB-C cable to your USB-C flash disk.
2 Open the rubber protector on the left side of the camera and connect the other end of the
cable to the USB-C port.
NOTE When a USB-C flash disk is connected to your camera, it occupies the second
storage slot in your camera’s operating system.
Choosing a fast USB-C flash disk
USB-C flash disks are designed to offer fast, affordable storage for a wide range of devices and
are readily available from a variety of consumer electronics outlets. It’s important to note that
film making is only one part of the USB-C flash disk market, so choosing the best drive is vital to
making sure you have enough speed to record 6K and 4K footage.
Paragraph above the
illustration deleted
“SD Cards” section
removed
Change to body
copy style
9Storage Media

Many USB-C flash disks are designed for home computing and aren’t fast enough to record
6K and 4K video.
For the most up to date list of recommended USB-C flash disks please go to
www.blackmagicdesign.com/support.
Important Notes About USB-C flash disk Speed
Some models of USB-C flash disk can’t save video data at the speed the manufacturer
claims. Thisis due to the disk using hidden data compression to attain higher write
speeds. This data compression can only save data at the manufacturer’s claimed speed
when storing data such as blank data or simple files. Video data includes video noise
and pixels which are more random so compression will not help, therefore revealing the
true speed of the disk.
Some USB-C flash disks can have as much as 50% less write speed than the
manufacturer’s claimed speed. So even though the disk specifications claim a USB-C
flash diskhas speeds fast enough to handle video, in reality the disk isn’t fast enough
for real time video capture.
Use Blackmagic Disk Speed Test to accurately measure whether your USB-C flash
disk will be able to handle high data rate video capture and playback. Blackmagic Disk
Speed Test uses data to simulate the storage of video so you get results similar to what
you’ll see when capturing video to a disk. During Blackmagic testing, we have found
newer, larger models of USB-C flash disk and larger capacity USB-C flash disks are
generally faster.
Blackmagic Disk Speed Test is available from the Mac app store. Windows and
Macversions are also included in Blackmagic Desktop Video, which you can download
from the ‘capture and playback’ section of the Blackmagic Design support center at
www.blackmagicdesign.com/support.
Preparing Media for Recording
You can format your CFexpress cards and USB-C flash disks using the ‘format’ feature on
your camera’s storage and formatting menu, or via a Mac or Windows computer. For best
performance, we recommend formatting storage media using your camera.
HFS+ is also known as OS X Extended and is the recommended format as it supports
‘journaling’. Data on journaled media is more likely to be recovered in the rare event that your
storage media becomes corrupted. HFS+ is natively supported by Mac. exFAT is supported
natively by Mac and Windows without needing any additional software, but does not
supportjournaling.
10Storage Media

Preparing Media using your Camera
1 Tap either storage indicator at the bottom of the LCD touchscreen to enter the storage
manager. Tap the ‘format’ button at the bottom of the screen.
The ‘format’ button allows you to select the media storage you want to prepare
for recording
2 On the ‘select media’ page, tap on the storage media that you want to format and confirm
your selection.
NOTE If your camera is connected to a drive hub, such as a Blackmagic MultiDock,
the drive list will display all the SSD drives available to your camera. To select the drive
you want to record to, tap the drive you want, then tap the ‘use drive’ button.
3 Tap ‘edit reel number’ if you would like to manually change the reel number. Use the
keypad to enter a new reel number and press ‘update’ to confirm your selection.
4 Choose OS X Extended or exFAT format and tap the format button.
Tap ‘edit reel number’ to manually edit the reel number
5 A confirmation screen will allow you to confirm the media to be formatted, the selected
format and the reel number. Confirm your selection by tapping the format button.
Tap‘cancel’ to cancel the format.
11Storage Media

Check that you have selected the correct media before formatting
6 Hold down the format button for three seconds to format your media.
7 The camera notifies you when the format is complete and your media is ready to use,
orif formatting has failed.
8 Tap ‘ok’ to return to the storage manager.
9 Tap ‘exit’ to leave the storage manager.
When formatting CFexpress cards or USB-C flash disks using your camera, the camera ID
that is generated from the slate and reel number are used to name the media. Your camera
automatically adjusts the reel numbers incrementally each time you format. Ifyou need to
manually enter a specific reel number, tap the ‘edit reel number’ and enter the number you want
to format the card as.
The storage manager on your camera indicates whether you are managing
CFexpress or USB-C flash disk media
Tap on ‘reset project data’ in the ‘project’ tab of the slate if you’re starting a new project and
want the numbering to reset back to 1. For more information about your camera’s slate, refer to
the ‘entering metadata’ section later in this manual.
TIP & NOTE boxes
deleted
12Storage Media

Preparing Media using a Mac
The Disk Utility application included with your Mac can format a drive in the HFS+ or exFAT
formats. Make sure you back up anything important from your disk as you will lose everything on
it when it is formatted.
1 Connect your disk to your computer with an external dock, USB hub, or cable adapter
and dismiss any message offering to use your drive for Time Machine backups.
2 On your computer, go to applications/utilities and launch Disk Utility.
3 Click on the disk icon of your
drive and then click the erase tab.
4 Set the format to Mac OS Extended
(Journaled) or exFAT.
5 Type a name for the new volume
and then click erase. Your media will
quickly be formatted and made ready
for recording.
Preparing Media using Windows
The ‘format’ dialog box can format your camera’s storage
media in the exFAT format on a Windows PC. Remember to
backup anything important from your media first as all data
will be lost when it is formatted.
1 Connect your camera’s storage media to your computer
using an external reader, USB-C cable or adapter.
2 Open the ‘start’ menu or ‘start’ screen and choose
‘computer’. Right click on your camera’s storage media.
3 From the contextual menu, choose ‘format’.
4 Set the file system to ‘exFAT’ and the allocation unit size
to 128 kilobytes.
Caption deleted
NOTE If clips are not recording correctly, check that your CFexpress card or USB-C
flash disk is on our list of recommended media for the codec and frame size you
are using. For lower data rates try lowering your frame rate or resolution. Check the
Blackmagic Design website for the latest information at www.blackmagicdesign.com
Partitioned media can be used with your Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K, though your
camera will only recognize the first partition of your media for recording and playback.
It’s worth noting that if you use the storage and formatting menu to format your media,
the entire drive including all partitions will be erased, not just the first partition that has
been used for recording and playback. For this reason we strongly recommend using
media with one partition only.
The second word
“NOTE” is removed
13Storage Media

Recording
Recording Clips
Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K features two record buttons. The primary record button is
located on the top of the handgrip for triggering with your index finger when holding the
handgrip of the camera with your right hand.
The second record button is located on the front of your camera to allow you to begin recording
while holding the camera with one hand in situations where you want to record yourself. The
button is located in an easy to reach position, ideal if you are recording yourself for video blogs.
Press one of the ‘record’ buttons on your camera to begin recording immediately. Press ‘record’
again to stop recording.
The ‘record’ button located on the
top panel of your camera
The ‘record’ button located on
the front of your camera
TIP Before you start recording, select the media you want to use by pressing and
holding the name of the CFexpress card or USB-C flash disk at the bottom of the
touchscreen. The storage indicator for the media you have selected turns blue to
indicate the camera is set to record to this media.
Choosing the Resolution and Sensor Area
Your Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K records Blackmagic RAW using either a constant quality
or constant bitrate setting. Sensor frame rate options will vary depending on the quality and
resolution you choose. For more information, refer to the ’maximum sensor frame rates’ section
later in this manual.
Recording Proxy Files
While recording Blackmagic RAW, proxy media files are also recorded to a ‘proxy’ folder on the
same CFexpress card or USB-C flash disk.
Proxy media files are compressed versions of your camera’s Blackmagic RAW files and are
recorded using the H.264 codec at 1920x1080 resolution. They are ideal for remote collaboration
workflows and make it easy to exchange media online. Proxy files recorded on Blackmagic
Cinema Camera 6K are automatically recognized by DaVinci Resolve and linked to the Blackmagic
RAW original media files, so you have the option to edit with proxy media straight away. For more
14Recording

information on how to use proxies in a DaVinci timeline, refer to ‘using proxy media’ in the ‘using
DaVinci Resolve’ section.
TIP Proxy media files are always recorded matching your camera’s project frame rate.
Blackmagic RAW
Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K supports the Blackmagic RAW file format. This format offers
superior image quality, wide dynamic range and a broad selection of compression ratios.
Blackmagic RAW features all the user benefits of RAW recording, but the files are very
fast because most of the processing is performed in the camera where it can be hardware
accelerated by the camera itself.
Blackmagic RAW also includes powerful metadata support so the software reading the files
knows your camera settings. If you like shooting in video gamma because you need to turn
around edits quickly and you don’t have time for color correction, then this metadata feature
means you can select video gamma, shoot in video gamma, and the file will display with video
gamma applied when you open it in software. However underneath, the file is actually film
gamma and the metadata in the file is what’s telling the software to apply the video gamma.
So what all this means is if you want to color grade your images at some point, then you have
allthat film dynamic range preserved in the file. You don’t have your images hard clipped in the
whites or the blacks, so you retain detail and you can color grade to make all your images look
cinematic. However, if you don’t have time for color grading, that’s fine because your images
will have the video gamma applied and look like normal video camera images. You are not
locked in on the shoot and you can change your mind later during post production.
Blackmagic RAW files are extremely fast and the codec is optimized for your computer’s
CPU and GPU. This means it has fast smooth playback and eliminates the need for hardware
decoder boards, which is important for laptop use. Software that reads Blackmagic RAW also
gets the advantage of processing via Apple Metal, Nvidia CUDA and OpenCL.
This means that Blackmagic RAW plays back at normal speed like a video file on most
computers, without needing to cache it first or lower the resolution.
It’s also worth mentioning that lens information is recorded in the metadata on a frame by frame
basis. For example, when using compatible lenses, any zoom or focus changes performed over
the length of a clip will be saved, frame by frame, to the metadata in the Blackmagic RAW file.
Recording to Blackmagic RAW
Blackmagic RAW works in 2 different ways. You have a choice to use either the constant bitrate
codec, or the constant quality codec.
The constant bitrate codec works in a similar way to most codecs. It tries to keep the data rate
at a consistent level and won’t let the data rate go too high. This means even if you are shooting
a complex image that might need a bit more data to store the image, a constant bitrate codec
will just compress the image harder to make sure the images fit within the space allocated.
This can be fine for video codecs, however when shooting Blackmagic RAW you really want to
ensure the quality is predictable. What would happen if the images you were shooting needed
more data, but the codec just compresses harder to make a specified data rate? It’s possible
you could lose quality, but not be sure it’s happening until you return from a shoot.
To solve this problem, Blackmagic RAW also has an alternative codec choice called constant
quality. This codec is technically called a variable bitrate codec, but what it’s really doing is
15Recording

allowing the size of the file to grow if your images need extra data. There is no upper limit on
the file size if you need to encode an image but maintain quality.
So Blackmagic RAW set to the constant quality setting will just let the file grow as big as
it needs to be to encode your images. It also means the files could be larger or smaller
depending on what you are shooting. I guess if you leave your lens cap on the lens, you won’t
waste space on your media!
It is also worth noting that the quality settings for Blackmagic RAW are not obscure names,
butare more meaningful as they are derived from what’s happening technically. So for example
when you have selected the constant bitrate codec, you will see quality settings of 3:1, 5:1,
8:1and 12:1. These are the ratios of the uncompressed RAW file size vs the file sizes you should
expect when shooting in Blackmagic RAW. 3:1 is better quality as the file is larger, while 12:1
is the smallest file size with the lowest quality. Many users of Blackmagic RAW find that 12:1
has been perfectly ok and they have not seen any quality limitations. However it’s best to
experiment and try various settings for yourself.
When using Blackmagic RAW in constant quality, the options are Q0, Q1, Q3 and Q5. Theseare
the compression parameters passed to the codec and they are setting how much compression
is applied in a more technical way. This setting is different because the codec operates
differently between constant bitrate vs constant quality. In this constant quality setting, you
really cannot tell what the file size ratio will become as it varies a lot based on what you
areshooting. So in this case the setting is different and the file will become the size needed
tostore your media.
Constant Bitrate Settings
The names for 3:1, 5:1, 8:1 and 12:1 represent the compression ratio. For example,
12:1compression produces a file size roughly 12 times smaller than uncompressed RAW.
Constant Quality Settings
Q0 and Q5 refer to different levels of quantization. Q5 has a greater level of quantization but
offers a greatly improved data rate. As mentioned above, the constant quality setting can result
in files that grow and shrink quite a lot, depending on what you are shooting. This also means
it’s possible to shoot something and see the file size increase to beyond what your media
card can keep up with. It could result in dropped frames. However the benefit is that you can
instantly see if this happens on a shoot and then investigate your settings vs quality.
Blackmagic RAW Player
The Blackmagic RAW player included in your Blackmagic camera’s software installer is a
streamlined application for reviewing clips. Simply double click on a Blackmagic RAW file to
open it, and you can quickly play and scroll through the file with its full resolution and bit depth.
When decoding frames, the CPU acceleration in the SDK library supports all main architectures,
and also supports GPU acceleration via Apple Metal, Nvidia CUDA and OpenCL. It also works
with the Blackmagic eGPU for extra performance. Blackmagic RAW player is available for Mac,
Windows and Linux.
Sidecar Files
Blackmagic RAW sidecar files let you override metadata in a file without overwriting embedded
metadata in the original file. This metadata includes the Blackmagic RAW settings as well as
information on iris, focus, focal length, while balance, tint, color space, project name, take
number and more. Metadata is encoded frame by frame over the duration of the clip, which is
important for lens data if the lens is adjusted during a shot. You can add or edit metadata in
sidecar files with DaVinci Resolve or even a text editor because it’s a human readable format.
16Recording

Sidecar files can be used to automatically add new Blackmagic RAW settings to a playback
simply by moving the sidecar file into the same folder as the corresponding Blackmagic
RAW file. If you move the sidecar file out of the folder and reopen the Blackmagic RAW file,
thechanged settings are not applied and you see the file as it was originally shot. Any software
that uses the Blackmagic RAW SDK can access these settings. Changes made are saved in the
sidecar file and can then be seen by Blackmagic RAW Player or any other software capable of
reading Blackmagic RAW files.
When shooting video gamma, the file stays in film gamma, and the metadata tells the
Blackmagic RAW processing to display using video gamma. Video gamma is great when you
don’t want to grade the image and want to deliver content quickly, however if you want to pull
up the black parts of the image, or pull down the white areas, all the detail is retained. You
never clip the video and all the detail is still there if you want to access it at any time.
Blackmagic RAW in DaVinci Resolve
Settings can be adjusted for each Blackmagic RAW file, and then saved as a new sidecar file
from the ‘Camera RAW’ tab in DaVinci Resolve for creative effect or optimized viewing. This also
means you can copy your media for another DaVinci Resolve artist and they will have access to
your modified gamma settings automatically on import. In addition to the other metadata your
camera files contain, DaVinci Resolve can read your selected dynamic range, so your clips will
automatically display in DaVinci Resolve with ‘film’, ‘extended video’ or ‘video’ dynamic range.
You can then customize these settings by adjusting the saturation, contrast and midpoint,
aswell as the highlight and shadow rolloff. Any adjustments can then be saved as a sidecar
file, sothe changes can be seen by anyone else working with the files in post. You can always
return to the original camera metadata at any time.
You can also export a single Blackmagic RAW frame from the ‘Camera RAW’ tab in
DaVinci Resolve, which contains all adjustments, metadata, full resolution and color information
so it is easy to share a single frame grab or reference file with others.
For more information on how to use Blackmagic RAW in DaVinci Resolve, see the
‘Using DaVinci Resolve’ chapter in this manual.
Blackmagic RAW Software Development Kit
The Blackmagic RAW Software Development Kit is an API developed by Blackmagic Design.
You can use the Blackmagic RAW SDK to write your own applications to use the Blackmagic
RAW format. This SDK library can be used by any developer to add support for reading, editing,
and saving Blackmagic RAW files. The Blackmagic RAW SDK includes all the generation 5 color
science so you can achieve organic cinematic images across any app that supports it. The
Blackmagic RAW SDK supports Mac, Windows and Linux, and is available as a free download
from the developer page of the Blackmagic website at www.blackmagicdesign.com/developer
17Recording

The following diagram illustrates the components of the Blackmagic RAW API:
Blackmagic RAW API
METAL
SSE
CUDA
AVX
Decoder
OPENCL
AVX2
.Braw
Reader
.Sidecar
Reader
Maximum Sensor Frame Rates
Resolution Codec Sensor Scan Max Frame Rate
6K Open Gate 3:2 6048 x 4032 Blackmagic RAW Full 36
6:5 Anamorphic 4838 x 4032 Blackmagic RAW Window 26
6K DCI 17:9 6048 x 3200 Blackmagic RAW Window 48
6K 2.4:1 6048 x 2520 Blackmagic RAW Window 60
4K DCI 17:9 4096 x 2160 Blackmagic RAW Window 60
Super 35mm 4:3 4096 x 3072 Blackmagic RAW Window 50
Super 16mm 16:9 2112 x 1184 Blackmagic RAW Window 100
1080 HD 1920 x 1080 Blackmagic RAW Window 120
Record Duration
The maximum recording time for your storage media can vary depending on the data capacity
of your CFexpress card or USB-C flash disk and the frame rate you choose. It should also
be noted that the recording duration can vary slightly between different manufacturers and
whether the storage media is formatted as exFAT or Mac OS Extended.
Simple scenes containing less detail tend to require less data than more dense compositions.
The values in these tables assume shots with a high complexity, which means you may get
slightly longer record times depending on the nature of your shoot.
TIP You can estimate record duration times based on different storage media
capacities, frame rates and codec settings using the data rate calculator at:
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagiccinemacamera/
blackmagicraw#data-rate-calculator
H4, table, and NOTE
above this section
deleted
Tables deleted:
6K, 6K 2:4:1, 5.7K 17:9, 4K DCI,
4K 2:4:1, ULTRA HD,
3.7K Anamorphic,
2.8K Anamorphic, 2.8K 17:9,
2.6K 16:9, and HD
18Recording

Constant quality settings for Q0 and Q5 will display varying record time remaining durations.
The estimated duration for Q0 is similar to constant bitrate 3:1, and Q5 will display a similar
duration to 12:1, however, as the estimated duration updates every 10 seconds while recording,
the best way to gauge how much recording time you have is to record for 20 seconds and
monitor the duration in the media area of the touchscreen display.
Choosing Frame Rates
Your camera is able to shoot video using many different frame rates and you may be
wondering which is the best one to use.
Generally, when selecting a sensor frame rate, there are some common items to
consider. For many years, there have been presentation standards for film and
television. These have set frame rates that differ between countries, but all share the
same purpose; to display an efficient number of frames every second that portrays
pleasing and convincing motion.
Cinema, for example, uses a standard 24 frames per second and while there have
been recent experiments with faster frame rates, 24 frames per second remains widely
accepted for international audiences.
Television frame rates have generally conformed to technical broadcast standards for
each country. For example, if you were making television content you would typically
record using 29.97 frames per second for North American distribution, and 25 frames
per second for Europe.
However, as technology has improved, today we have more choices and broadcast
standards are changing. It is now common for sporting events to be recorded and
broadcasted at higher frame rates. For example, some sporting events are recorded
and broadcasted at up to 59.94 frames per second in North America, and 50 frames per
second in Europe. This provides smoother motion on fast action and appears morelifelike.
Alternatively, streaming and online broadcasters normally use frame rates similar to
television, however there is more freedom to experiment due to user selectable viewing
formats, and being limited only to what the audience’s screens are capable ofdisplaying.
Generally, when choosing a frame rate for a project, let your delivery format guide your
choice. This means your clips will play back at the same speed the event happened in
real life. To achieve this, you will need to turn off the ‘off speed’ option on your camera.
If you are looking to create an interesting effect, for example slow motion, then you
can set the sensor frame rate to a higher setting. The higher the sensor frame rate
compared to the project frame rate, the slower the playback speed.
For more information on using off speed sensor frame rates to achieve creative effects,
refer to the ‘touchscreen controls’ section.
Trigger Record
Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K automatically sends a signal via the HDMI output that will
trigger recording when connected to equipment that supports the trigger record feature, such
as Blackmagic Video Assist.
This means that when you press record on your camera, your external recorder also starts
recording and stops when you stop recording on the camera. Your camera also outputs
timecode via HDMI, which means the clips recorded on your external recorder has the same
timecode as the clips recorded in your camera.
NOTE box deleted
19Recording

If your external recorder supports trigger recording, you will need to enable it via the recorder’s
settings menu.
Recording Motion Sensor Data
Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K automatically records gyro data from the internal motion sensor.
DaVinci Resolve can then use this data to stabilize clips. For more information refer to the ‘gyro
stabilization’ section in this manual.
Shooting using a Vertical Aspect Ratio
Your Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K supports vertical aspect ratios so you can craft cinematic
content for platforms like YouTube and TikTok with the color and dynamic range of digital film.
Simply rotate the camera to record in a vertical aspect ratio such as 9:16 and 4:5. The on screen
HUD rotates so critical information, such as frame rate, shutter angle and frame guides, are easy
to view. Pressing record locks all overlays for the duration of the shot so you can change angles
and the on screen information will remain in place.
Your camera tags vertical video in the clips’ metadata so it appears
correctly on your edit timeline
Locking Vertical and Horizontal
Locking the display to vertical or horizontal stops the on screen information from rotating
automatically. For example, when vertical is locked, your camera will maintain the vertical on
screen HUD even at extreme angles. Refer to the ‘vertical recording’ section under ‘record
settings’ for more information.
20Shooting using a Vertical Aspect Ratio