Blackmagicdesign Pocket Cinema User manual

Installation and Operation Manual
Blackmagic Cameras
Windows™
July 2013
Mac OS X™

Welcome
Welcome to Blackmagic Cameras
Thank you for purchasing your Blackmagic Camera!
We have worked hard to produce three cameras that have been
designed from the ground up to fit any kind of workflow. Our new
Pocket Cinema Camera is a Super 16 digital film camera with 13
stops of dynamic range that is small enough to take anywhere.
The Cinema Camera records uncompressed CinemaDNG RAW
files for pristine images and our new Production Camera 4K is a
Super 35 Ultra HD 4K camera with a global shutter and 6G-SDI
output.
Our cameras are designed to produce files that are "flat", which
means they preserve the wide dynamic range from the sensor,
as well as standard file formats that work with all video software.
This allows you to make creative decisions by using the included
DaVinci color correction software!
We think this means you get a cinema style shooting experience
where you capture and preserve more of the image so you have
as many creative options as possible. We have also included
large screens on our cameras for easy focus and metadata entry.
We hope you connect to our cameras in creative ways and
produce some amazing looking images! We are extremely
excited to see what creative work you produce!
Grant Petty
CEO Blackmagic Design

Contents
Blackmagic Cameras
27
31
36
37
39
41
26
4
11
14
15
17
Getting Started
Introducing Blackmagic Cameras 4
Attaching a Lens 6
Turning Your Camera On 6
Inserting a SD Card 8
Inserting a SSD 8
Recording 9
Blackmagic Cameras Supported Video Formats 10
Playing Back Clips 10
About SSDs
Choosing a Fast SSD 11
Preparing SSDs for Recording 12
About SD Cards
Choosing a Fast SD Card 14
Connections
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 15
Blackmagic Cinema Camera and Production Camera 4K 16
Settings
Camera Settings 17
Audio Settings 19
Recorder Settings 20
File Naming Convention 22
Display settings 23
Adjusting Settings 24
Status Strip 25
Entering Metadata
What is the Slate? 26
Camera Video Output
Waveform Monitoring using Thunderbolt 27
Using Blackmagic UltraScope 28
Monitoring using SDI 30
Post Production Workflow
Working with Files from SSDs 31
Working with Files from SD Cards 31
Editing your Clips 32
Using Final Cut Pro X 33
Using Avid Media Composer 34
Using Adobe Premiere Pro CC 34
Using Autodesk Smoke 2013 35
Blackmagic Camera Utility
Attaching Accessories
Help
Warranty

Getting Started
4
Introducing Blackmagic Cameras
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera Features
1. RECORD BUTTON
Press this button to record clips to your SD card. See page 9.
2. TRANSPORT CONTROL
Use these buttons to play, skip or shuttle clips. See page 10.
3. LENS MOUNT
Micro Four Thirds lens mount for a wide selection of lenses. See page 6.
4. BATTERY TERMINAL
Open the battery door via the release button to:
Insert and remove the rechargeable Lithium Ion battery. See page 6.
Insert a SDHC or SDXC card for recording. See page 8.
Access the USB Mini-B port for software configuration and updates. See page 39.
5. LANC REMOTE
The 2.5mm stereo jack for LANC remote control supports record start and stop, iris control, and manual focus. See page 15.
6. HEADPHONES
3.5 mm stereo headphone jack connection. See page 15.
7. AUDIO IN
3.5mm stereo jack for mic or line level audio. See pages 15 and 19.
8. HDMI OUT
Micro HDMI port for monitoring or outputting video to a switcher. See page 15.
9. POWER
0.7mm 12 – 20V DC input for power and battery charging. See page 15.
10. LCD
Watch the LCD while recording or playing back a clip. See page 25.
11. CONTROL BUTTONS
Use these buttons for power, menu navigation, iris control, focus peaking, auto focus and LCD zoom. See page 17.
Getting Started
OK
MENU
IRIS FOCUS
OK
MENU
IRIS FOCUS
OK
MENU
IRIS FOCUS
OK
MENU
IRIS FOCUS
4
10 11
1 2
3
5
6
7
8
9

Getting Started
5
Blackmagic Cinema Camera and Production Camera 4K Features
1. RECORD BUTTON
Record clips to your SSD. See page 9.
2. IRIS BUTTON
The Iris button activates electronic iris control on the EF Cinema Camera and the Production Camera 4K. Adjust the aperture
of your lens by pressing the forward and reverse skip/shuttle playback buttons. See page 10.
3. TOUCHSCREEN LCD
Watch the LCD monitor while recording or playing back a clip, or when using the menu. See page 26.
4. FOCUS BUTTON
Press the Focus button for focus peaking on the LCD. See page 24.
5. TRANSPORT CONTROLS
Press these buttons to stop, skip/shuttle, or play your clips. See page 10.
6. MENU BUTTON
Access the menu on the LCD. See page 17.
7. POWER BUTTON
Press the power button to turn on the Blackmagic Cinema camera. Press and hold the button to turn the camera off.
See page 7.
8. LANC REMOTE
The 2.5mm stereo jack for LANC remote control supports record start and stop, iris control and manual focus. See page 16.
9. HEADPHONES
3.5 mm stereo headphone jack connection. See page 16.
10. AUDIO IN
2 x 1/4 inch balanced TRS phono jacks for mic or line level audio. See pages 16 and 19.
11. SDI OUT
SDI output for connecting to a switcher or to DaVinci Resolve via capture device for live grading. See pages 16 and 33.
12. THUNDERBOLT CONNECTION
Use the Thunderbolt connection for UltraScope waveform monitoring and streaming HD video to a Thunderbolt compatible
computer. See pages 16 and 27.
13. POWER
12 – 30V DC input for power supply and battery charging. See pages 7 and 16.
1
2 4
1 5 6 7
8
10
11
12
13
9
3

Getting Started
6
Attaching a Lens
Getting started with your Blackmagic Camera is as simple as attaching a lens and turning the camera on.
To remove the protective dust cap from the lens mount, hold down the locking button and rotate the cap
counterclockwise until it is released. We recommended you always turn off your Blackmagic Camera prior
to attaching or removing a lens.
To attach a lens:
Step 1. Align the dot on your lens with the dot on the camera mount. Many lenses have either a blue, red
or white dot or some other indicator.
Step 2. Twist the lens cl o c k w i se until it lock s i n t o p l ace.
Step 3. To remove the lens, hold down the locking button, rotate the lens counterclockwise until its dot or
indicator reaches the 12 o’clock position and gently remove.
When no lens is attached to the camera, the sensor is exposed to dust and other debris so you'll want to
keep the dustcap on whenever possible.
Turning Your Camera On
Pocket Cinema Camera
Before you can operate Pocket Cinema Camera, you need to insert the battery.
Step 1. On the under side of the camera, push the door release towards the lens to access the battery
terminal.
Step 2. With the gold contacts facing into the terminal and the white arrow facing the lens, hook the
lip of the battery under the orange tab and insert the battery until you feel it press into place.
Push the orange tab to release the battery.
Step 3. Close the door to the battery terminal and slide the door release to the right to lock it.
Step 4. Press the power button on the bottom right of the back panel. The status strip will appear along
the bottom of the LCD.
Step 5. Press and hold the power button to switch off the camera.
Congratulations! You are now ready to insert an SD card and start recording!
Attaching and removing a lens on Cinema Camera and
Production Camera 4K
Inserting the battery into Pocket Cinema Camera
Attaching and removing a lens on Pocket Cinema Camera
HDMI
12V
HDMI
12V

Getting Started
7
Cinema Camera & Production Camera 4K
Cinema Camera and Production Camera 4K have internal batteries that can be charged using the supplied
DC adapter. The camera can be charged and operated while connected via DC power and will switch
between power sources without any interruption.
You can also charge the camera via a powered USB connection, however it takes longer to charge so we
recommend using the DC adapter when possible.
Step 1. Press the power button below the touchscreen. The status strip will appear along the bottom of
the LCD.
Step 2. Press and hold the power button to switch off the camera.
Congratulations! You are now ready to insert an SSD and start recording!
Press and hold the power button to turn the camera on or off.
Use the supplied DC adapter to charge the internal battery and
power the camera.

Getting Started
8
Inserting a SD Card
You can insert a SDXC or SDHC card into Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera:
Step 1. On the under side of the camera, push the door release towards the lens to access the battery
terminal.
Step 2. With the gold contacts on the SD card facing towards the lens, insert the SD card until you feel it
lock into place. Push on the SD card to release it.
Step 3. Close the door to the battery terminal and slide the door release to the right to lock it.
Step 4. Power on the camera. The status strip will display a moving dot while the camera checks the SD
card and then it will say READY.
The supplied SD card is for software installation only and not suitable for video recording. You'll find a list of
recommended SD cards on page 14.
Inserting a SSD
You can insert a 2.5" 9.5 mm SSD formatted in either the HFS+ or exFAT file systems into Cinema Camera
and Production Camera 4K:
Step 1. Open the SSD door on the right hand side of the camera.
Step 2. With the gold SATA contacts facing towards the camera door, insert the SSD until you feel it press
into place. Close the SSD door.
Step 3. Power on the camera. The status strip will display a moving dot while the camera checks the SSD
and then it will say READY.
You'll find a list of recommended SSDs on page 11.
Inserting a SSD into the Cinema Camera and the Production
Camera 4K
Inserting a SD card into the Pocket Cinema Camera

Getting Started
9
Recording
Press the REC button on your camera to begin recording immediately. Press REC again to stop recording.
Choosing the Recording Format
Blackmagic cameras record to several different formats, depending on which model you are using. You may
decide to experiment to see which format best suits your workflow.
On Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera you can choose to record to Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) or lossless
compressed CinemaDNG RAW video formats.
On Blackmagic Cinema Camera you can record in Apple ProRes 422 (HQ), CinemaDNG RAW 2.5K, or Avid
DNxHD video formats.
On Blackmagic Production Camera 4K you can record Ultra HD 4K in visually lossless compressed
CinemaDNG RAW or Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) video formats.
To select the des i red video for m a t :
Step 1. Press the MENU button.
Step 2. Select the REC menu and use the selection arrows to set the desired recording format.
Step 3. Press the MENU button to exit.
Your camera is now ready to record in the video format you have selected. The current recording format is
shown on the left of the status strip on the LCD.
Press the REC button on the front face
or
on the transport control on the back of Cinema Camera and
Production Camera 4K.
Press the REC button on the top of Pocket Cinema Camera
Blackmagic Pocket
Cinema Camera
Blackmagic Cinema Camera Blackmagic Production
Camera 4K
Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)
Lossless compressed
CinemaDNG RAW
CinemaDNG RAW 2.5K Visually lossless compressed
CinemaDNG RAW
Avid DNxHD

Getting Started
10
Blackmagic Cameras Supported Video Formats
Playing Back Clips
Once you have recorded your video, you can use the transport control buttons on the camera to play back
your video on the LCD.
Press the play button once for instant playback and you'll see your video on the LCD and on any display
connected to the HDMI or SDI output. Hold down the forward or reverse buttons to fast forward or reverse
through the clip. Playback will finish when the end of the current clip is reached.
The controls of your camera work just like a CD player, so pressing the forward button will skip to the start of
the next clip. Press the reverse button once to go to the start of the current clip or press twice to skip back
to the start of the previous clip.
To immediately view your recorded clip on a Blackmagic Camera
simply press the Play button on the transport controls.
Blackmagic Pocket
Cinema Camera
Blackmagic Cinema Camera Blackmagic Production
Camera 4K
1920 x 1080p23.98 1920 x 1080p23.98 3840 x 2160p23.98
1920 x 1080p24 1920 x 1080p24 3840x2160p24
1920 x 1080p25 1920 x 1080p25 3840 x 2160p25
1920 x 1080p29.97 1920 x 1080p29.97 3840 x 2160p29.97
1920 x 1080p30 1920 x 1080p30 3840 x 2160p30
1920 x 1080i50 output 1920 x 1080p23.98
1920 x 1080i59.94 output 1920 x 1080p24
1920 x 1080p25
1920 x 1080p29.97
1920 x 1080p30
1920 x 1080i50 output
1920 x 1080i59.94 output

About SSDs
11
Choosing a Fast SSD
When working with high data rate video it's important to carefully check the SSD you would like to use.
This is because some SSDs can have up to 50% lower write speed than the manufacturer’s claimed speed,
so even though the disk specifications claim an SSD is fast enough to handle video, in reality the disk is not
fast enough for real time video recording.
In our testing, we have found larger newer models of SSD and larger capacity SSDs are generally faster.
SSDs recommended for 2.5K CinemaDNG RAW and ProRes Ultra HD 4K video recording include:
Digistor – 128GB SSD Professional Video Extreme
Digistor – 240GB SSD Professional Video Series
Digistor – 480GB SSD Professional Video Series
Intel 335 Series 240GB SSD
Intel 520 Series 240GB SSD
Intel 520 Series 480GB SSD
Kingston 120GB SSDNow V+200
Kingston 240GB SSDNow V+200
Kingston HyperX 240GB
OCZ 240GB Deneva 2 (firmware 2.22)
OCZ 240GB Vertex 3
OCZ 480GB Vertex 3
OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G SSD
PNY 240GB Prevail SSD (firmware 5.0.2)
Sandisk Extreme 480GB.
Please check the tech notes on the Blackmagic Design website for the latest information.
If you find an SSD that isn’t fast enough for 2.5K CinemaDNG RAW or Ultra HD 4K, try a faster SSD or switch
to a compressed HD recording format such as ProRes or DNxHD. These recording formats have a lower
data rate and are easier for the SSD to handle.
Kingston HyperX 240GB SSD
Intel 335 Series 240GB SSD
About SSDs
Sandisk Extreme 480GB SSD

About SSDs
12
Preparing SSDs for Recording
SSDs used by Cinema Camera and Production Camera 4K must be formatted as either HFS+ or exFAT.
These disk formats allow long clips to be recorded in single files.
HFS+ is also known as Mac OS Extended. It is the recommended format as it supports "journaling". In the
event of a hardware or software malfunction, data on a journaled SSD is more quickly recovered and less
likely to be corrupted in the first place. HFS+ is natively supported by Mac OS X.
ExFAT is supported natively by Mac OS X and Windows without needing to purchase any additional
software. However exFAT does not support journaling which means data is more prone to corruption, and
less likely to be recovered in the event of a hardware or software malfunction.
Preparing SSDs on a Mac OS X computer
The Disk Utility application included with Mac OS X can format a drive in the HFS+ or exFAT formats. Make
sure you back up anything important from your SSD as you will lose everything on it when it is formatted.
Step 1. Connect the SSD to your computer with an external dock or cable adapter and dismiss any
message offering to use your SSD for Time Machine backups.
Step 2. Go to Applications/Utilities and launch Disk Utility.
Step 3. Click on the disk icon of your SSD and then click the Erase tab.
Step 4. Set the Format to "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" or "exFAT".
Step 5. Type a Name for the new volume and then click Erase. Your SSD will quickly be formatted and
made ready for use.
Preparing SSDs on a Windows computer
The Format dialog box can format a drive in the exFAT format on a Windows PC. Make sure you back up
anything important from your SSD as you will lose everything on it when it is formatted.
Step 1. Connect the SSD to your computer.
Step 2. Open the Start Menu or Start Screen and choose Computer. Right-click on your SSD.
Step 3. From the contextual menu, choose Format.
Step 4. Set the file system to "exFAT" and the allocation unit size to 128 kilobytes.
Step 5. Type a volume lab e l , s e l ect "Quick For m a t " a n d click "Start " .
Step 6. Your SSD will quickly be formatted and made ready for use.
Use Disk Utility on Mac OS X to erase your SSD in the
Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or exFAT format.
Use the Format dialog box feature in Windows to format your
SSD in the exFAT format.

About SSDs
13
Checking Disk Speed
Blackmagic Disk Speed Test is a fun to use application that measures the read and write performance of
storage media in video formats.
If you have ever wondered whether your hard drive is suitable for playback (“read”) of a particular video
format, you can use Disk Speed Test to find out the performance of your media drives with a single click of
the Start button! Disk Speed Test will even show you how many streams of video your storage is capable
of handling!
Disk Speed Test is included free in the Blackmagic Camera Software Utility supplied with your Blackmagic
Cinema Camera and Production Camera 4K. The Blackmagic Camera Software Utility can also be
downloaded from our website free of charge.
Use Disk Speed Test to find out the performance of your
media drives.
Disk Speed Test interface.

About SD Cards
14
Preparing SD Cards for Recording
SD cards used by Pocket Cinema Camera must be formatted as HFS+ or exFAT. These disk formats allow long
clips to be recorded in single files. ExFAT is supported by both Windows and Mac OS X computers.
Preparing SD Cards on a Mac OS X computer
The Disk Utility application included with Mac OS X can format your SD card in the HFS+ or exFAT format. Make
sure you back up anything important from your SD card as you will lose everything on it when it is formatted.
Step 1. Plug your SD card into your computer's SD card slot or SD card reader.
Step 2. Go to Applications/Utilities and launch Disk Utility.
Step 3. Click on the disk icon of your SD card and then click the Erase tab.
Step 4. Set the Format to "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" or "exFAT".
Step 5. Type a Name for the n e w v o l u me and then clic k E r a s e . Yo u r S D c a rd will quickly be formatte d a n d
made ready for use.
Preparing SD Cards on a Windows computer
The Format dialog box can format a drive in the exFAT format on a Windows PC.
Step 1. Plug your SD card into your computer's SD card slot or SD card reader.
Step 2. Open the Start Menu or Start Screen and choose Computer. Right-click on your SD card.
Step 3. From the contextual menu, choose Format.
Step 4. Set the file system to "exFAT" and the allocation unit size to 128 kilobytes.
Step 5. Type a volume lab e l , s e l ect "Quick For m a t " a n d click "Start " .
Step 6. Your SD card will quickly be formatted and made ready for use.
Choosing a Fast SD Card
It's important to use SDHC and SDXC cards with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera as these cards are
rated for fast data speeds and support larger storage sizes.
SDHC and SDXC cards recommended for lossless compressed CinemaDNG RAW and Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)
video recording include:
Please check the tech notes on the Blackmagic Design website for the latest information.
Sandisk 64GB Extreme
Sandisk 64GB Extreme Pro
Sandisk 128GB Extreme
About SD Cards

Connections
15
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera
LANC Remote Control
The remote port on your camera can be used to remotely control record starting and stopping,
iris adjustments and manual focus adjustments when using a compatible lens.
The port is a 2.5 mm stereo jack which uses the standard LANC protocol.
Headphones
Monitor your audio while recording or playing back clips by plugging your headphones into the 3.5mm
stereo headphones jack.
Audio In
The 3.5mm stereo audio connector accepts microphone or line level audio. It's important to select the
appropriate seting or your audio may sound too quiet or too loud. The camera will automatically switch to
line level if the audio is too loud for a sustained period.
HDMI Out
The micro HDMI port of your Pocket Cinema Camera outputs 10-bit 4:2:2 HD video at 1920 x 1080 while
recording. It can be used to output video to routers, monitors, capture devices, broadcast switchers and
other HDMI devices.
Power
Use the 0.7mm 12 – 20V DC input for connecting your power supply and to charge the battery.
USB
Use the USB port to connect your Blackmagic Pocket Camera to your computer and update the internal
software. The USB port can be found inside the battery compartment.
Connections
HDMI
12V

Connections
16
Blackmagic Cinema Camera and Production Camera 4K
LANC Remote Control
The remote port on your camera can be used to remotely control record starting and stopping,
iris adjustments and manual focus adjustments when using a compatible lens.
The port is a 2.5 mm stereo jack which uses the standard LANC protocol.
Headphones
Monitor your audio while recording or playing back clips by plugging your headphones into the 3.5mm
stereo headphones jack.
Audio In
The 1/4 inch TRS Phone audio connectors accept microphone or line level audio. It's important to select the
appropriate setting or your audio may sound too quiet or too loud. The camera will automatically switch to
line level if the audio is too loud for a sustained period.
SDI Out
Blackmagic Cinema Camera supports 3G-SDI so it can be used to output uncompressed 10-bit 4:2:2 video
to routers, monitors, SDI capture devices, broadcast switchers and any other SDI devices.
Production Camera 4K supports 6G-SDI, so it can be used to connect to any SDI monitor as well as 4K
switchers such as ATEM Production Studio 4K.
Thunderbolt
When connected to a Mac OS X or Windows computer with Thunderbolt technology, your Cinema
Camera or Production Camera 4K can be used as a powerful solution for waveform monitoring and color
correction. Regardless of which recording format you choose on the camera, the Thunderbolt port always
outputs HD1080p video in the uncompressed 10-bit format, which is compatible with a wide range of
popular video software.
Power
Use the 12 – 30V DC input for connecting your power supply and to charge the internal battery.
USB
Use the USB port to connect your Blackmagic Cinema Camera or Production Camera 4K to your computer
and update the internal software. Open the SSD door to access the USB port.

Settings
17
Camera Settings
To configure settings on your Blackmagic camera, press the MENU button.
Pocket Cinema Camera
Use the up and down buttons to highlight each settings menu. Press OK to enter a settings
menu. Use the left and right directional arrows to adjust values and the up and down arrows to
move between settings. Press Menu again to return to selecting between main settings pages.
Press Menu again to exit.
Cinema Camera & Production Camera 4K
Tap or slide the relevant arrows and icons on the touchscreen to change values or switch between
settings menus.
Camera ID
If you're using more than one Blackmagic Camera, it can be helpful to set a camera ID which will
be included with any metadata recorded with your clips. You can change the camera ID with the
onscreen keyboard. When you have finished entering a new camera ID, select the Enter button
to save the new camera ID or select Cancel to discard any changes.
Setting Date and Time
To set date and time on your Pocket Cinema Camera, select the + or - buttons to change the year,
month and day settings.
Time is set to 24 hour format on Blackmagic Cameras. To set the time, select the + and - keys to
make adjustments to the time. If you are traveling with your Blackmagic Camera, you will need to
manually change the date and time to local time zones.
If you have your Blackmagic Camera stored for a length of time, the clock may become inaccurate.
It is always a good idea to check the time and date prior to recording. If you connect the camera via
USB to your computer and run the Blackmagic Camera Utility, the camera time will also be synced
with your computer's time.
You can change the camera ID with the onscreen keyboard
The Camera Settings screen
Settings

Settings
18
ISO
ISO settings are helpful when you are shooting in a variety of light conditions. The optimum ISO
setting for the Pocket Cinema Camera and Cinema Camera is 800ASA. For Production Camera 4K
choose the lowest ISO for the available lighting conditions.
Depending on your situation, however, you may choose a lower or higher ISO setting. For example,
in low light conditions 1600ASA would be suitable but may introduce some visible noise. In bright
conditions 400ASA would be best to record richer colors.
Adjust the ISO settings using the arrow icons in the menu.
White Balance
Your Blackmagic Camera includes 6 white balance presets for a variety of color temperature
conditions. These are:
3200K for tungsten light
4500K for fluorescent light
5000K, 5600K, 6500K and 7500K for a variety of daylight conditions such as time of day
Adjust the White Balance settings using the arrow icons in the menu.
Shutter Angle
Shutter angle compliments the ISO setting by regulating the amount of light on the sensor.
360 degrees is considered wide open and will retain a significant amount of motion blur. This would
be best for low light conditions as it allows the maximum light onto the sensor. However, it is best
suited to low action sequences as motion blur will be obvious otherwise.
While 180 degrees is commonly regarded as a normal shutter angle, you may need to use a Shutter
Angle of 172.8 degrees to minimize flickering lights when shooting 24p in countries with 50 hertz
power supplies. You can use any shutter angle to shoot 24p in countries with 60 hertz power supplies
and most people will choose 180 degrees for a normal look.
Adjust the Shutter Angle settings using the arrow icons in the menu.
The Camera Settings screen

Settings
19
Audio Settings
To adjust audio i n p u t a n d audio monito r i n g s e ttings on your B l a c k m agic Camera, p ress the MENU
button and select the microphone icon to the left of the display.
Microphone Input
Microphone input adjusts the recording levels of the built in microphone. Move the audio slider left
or right to increase or decrease levels. Pocket Cinema Camera has an external stereo microphone
and Cinema Camera and Production Camera 4K have external mono microphones. The external
microphones record to audio channels 1 and 2 when no external audio source is connected.
Channel 1 and 2 Input Levels
External audio connectors accept audio at microphone level or line level. It's important to select Mic
or Line level audio as appropriate to avoid your external audio sounding almost inaudible or too hot
and distorted.
Set the external audio input levels by using the left and right arrows. To prevent damage, the camera
will automatically switch to line level input if the input levels are over the limit for a sustained period
of time.
Channel 1 Input Level
Move the audio slider icon left or right to increase or decrease levels for channel 1. The external
audio input overrides the built in microphone and is recorded to audio channel 1.
Channel 2 uses Channel 1 Input
Select On if you only have channel 1 input and want to record the same external audio to channels 1
and 2. You can leave this set to Off if you only want to record one channel of audio.
Channel 2 Input Level
Move the audio slider icon left or right to increase or decrease levels for channel 2. The external
audio input overrides the built in microphone and is recorded to audio channel 2.
Headphone and Speaker Volume
When headphones are connected, a headphone icon will be displayed. When no headphones are
detected, a speaker icon will be displayed. Headphones will always be active when recording or
playing back, however speakers will only work when playing back. Move the volume slider left or
right to increase or decrease audio monitoring levels.
The Audio Settings screen

Settings
20
Recorder Settings
The recorder settings are used to set the video format recorded to your SD card or SSD. Press the
MENU button and touch the REC icon to access the recorder settings menu.
Recording Format
Pocket Cinema Camera
Touch the left and right arrow buttons to switch between Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) or lossless
compressed CinemaDNG RAW recording formats.
Cinema Camera
Touch the arrow icons to switch between CinemaDNG RAW 2.5K, Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) or Avid
DNxHD recording formats.
Production Camera 4K
Touch the arrow ic ons to switch between HD or Ul t r a HD 4K A p p le ProRes 42 2 ( H Q) or v i s uall y
lossless compressed CinemaDNG RAW recording formats.
Dynamic Range
Blackmagic Cameras have two dynamic range settings:
Film
The film setting shoots video using a log curve and gives you 13 stops of dynamic range on
both Pocket Cinema Camera and Cinema Camera, or 12 stops on Production Camera 4K.
The Film dynamic range setting maximises the information in your video signal to help you get the
most out of color grading software, such as DaVinci Resolve. When recording in CinemaDNG RAW
formats, only the Film dynamic range setting will be available.
Video
The video setting uses the REC709 standard for high definition video. This lets you work faster by
recording directly to the compressed video formats your camera supports, which are compatible
with popular post production software.
Adjust the dynamic range settings using the arrow icons in the menu.
The Recorder Settings screen