Blackmagicdesign Pocket Cinema User manual

Installation and Operation Manual
Blackmagic
Design Compact
Cameras
November 2017

Welcome
Thank you for purchasing your Blackmagic Camera!
Our Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera is a Super 16 digital film camera with 13 stops
of dynamic range that is small enough to take anywhere. Blackmagic Micro Cinema
Camera takes the size and capability of the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera even
further. With an incredibly tiny chassis and a customizable expansion port complete
with a host of remote control options, now you can capture footage from practically any
angle and in tricky locations.
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
English

Contents
Blackmagic Design Compact Cameras
Getting Started 4
Attaching a Lens 4
Turning Your Camera On 5
Installing Media 6
Using an SD Card 6
About SD Cards 7
Choosing a Fast SD Card 7
Checking Disk Speed 11
Recording 11
Recording Clips 11
Trigger Record 12
Playback 13
Playing Back Clips 13
Camera Connections 14
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 14
Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera 15
Wiring Diagram for the
Blackmagic Micro Cinema
Camera Expansion Cable 17
Tally Light Indicators 18
Blackmagic Micro Cinema
Camera Tally Light 18
Menu Settings 19
Dashboard 19
Camera Settings 19
Auto Exposure 21
Audio Settings 22
Recording Settings 24
File Naming Convention 26
Display Settings 26
Remote Settings 30
On Screen Meters 32
Adjusting Settings 34
Status Strip 35
Entering Metadata 37
What is the Slate? 37
Using DaVinci Resolve 38
Importing your Clips 39
Working with RAW files 39
Editing your Clips 41
Trimming Clips 42
Mapping Keyboard Shortcuts 43
Adding Transitions 44
Adding Titles 45
Color Correcting your Clips 45
Using Scopes 46
Secondary Color Correction 48
Qualifying a Color 48
Adding a Power Window 49
Tracking a Window 50
Using Plugins 50
Mixing Your Audio 51
Mastering your Edit 56
Camera Video Output 57
Blackmagic Camera Setup Software 57
Post Production Workflow 58
Working with Files from SD Cards 58
Working with 3rd Party Software 59
Using Final Cut Pro X 59
Using Avid Media Composer 60
Using Adobe Premiere Pro CC 60
Using Autodesk Smoke 61
Attaching Accessories 62
Help 63
Warranty 64

Getting Started
Blackmagic Design compact cameras, such as Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera and
Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera, are small portable digital cinema cameras that record high
quality HD images on fast SD cards.
Your compact camera is capable of recording clips using professional codecs designed for post
production including ProRes and uncompressed CinemaDNG RAW.
Getting started is as simple as attaching a lens and powering your camera.
Attaching a Lens
Your Blackmagic compact camera uses micro four thirds lenses. These lenses are very popular
and affordable, and there is an enormous range to choose from.
To remove the protective dust cap from your camera’s lens mount, hold down the locking
button and rotate the cap counterclockwise until it is released. We recommend always turning
off your Blackmagic camera prior to attaching or removing a lens.
To attach an 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 red 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 or indicator reaches the 12 o’clock position, and gently remove.
Attaching and removing an MFT lens on Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera
and Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera
SD CARD
SD CARD
HDMI
12V
HDMI
12V
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.
44Getting Started

Turning Your Camera On
To turn your camera on, you’ll first need to supply power to your camera.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera and Micro Cinema Camera can be powered by plugging
the supplied power adapter into their power input. This also recharges the removable,
rechargeable batteries.
Inserting a Battery and Powering Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera
Your Pocket Cinema Camera uses an EN-EL20 battery. One is included with the camera, but if
you need additional batteries, they can be purchased from your Blackmagic Design reseller or
from most video or photography equipment stores.
1 On the under side of the camera, push the door release towards the lens to access the
battery terminal.
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.
3 Close the door to the battery terminal and slide the door release to the right to lock it.
4 Press the power button on the bottom right of the back panel. The status strip will
appear along the top of the LCD.
5 Press and hold the power button to switch off the camera.
Inserting the battery into Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera
TIP The Micro Cinema Camera powers up automatically when power is supplied via
anAC adapter using the expansion port. This means that if you have the camera
installed in a remote location or mounted in an awkward or inconvenient position to
access, you don’t have to manually turn the camera on because as long as it is
connected to an external power supply, it will always stay powered on.
55Getting Started

Inserting a Battery and Powering Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera
Your Micro Cinema Camera uses an LP-E6 or LP-E6N battery. One is included with the camera
but if you need additional batteries, they can be purchased from your Blackmagic Design
reseller or from any video or photography equipment store.
1 With the battery’s contacts facing the bottom of the camera, gently press the battery
against the battery slot, then slide it down until you feel it click and lock into place.
Press the battery release button on the top panel to remove the battery.
2 To switch on your camera, press the ‘power’ button located on the right panel of the
camera. To switch off, press and hold the ‘power’ button.
You are now ready to insert an SD card and start recording!
Installing Media
Your Blackmagic Camera uses readily available SD cards to record high quality HD video,
including high bit rate RAW CinemaDNG clips.
Using an SD Card
Your Blackmagic compact camera supports fast SDXC and SDHC cards. To insert an SD card
into your camera:
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera
On the underside of the camera, push the battery door release towards the lens. The SD card
slot is located next to the battery terminal. With the metal 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.
After inserting the SD card and powering your camera, the status strip will display a moving dot
while the camera checks the SD card and then it will say ‘ready’.
Inserting an SD card into the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera
NOTE SD cards are available in a range of speeds and capacities, not all ofwhich as
suitable for recording high bit rate video. To ensure reliable recording at your chosen
resolution and video quality, use only the recommended SD cards listed in the ‘about
SD cards’ section of this manual, or check the BlackmagicDesign website for the latest
information. www.blackmagicdesign.com
6Installing Media

Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera
With the SD card’s metal contacts facing away from the lens, point the SD card towards the SD
card slot and gently insert the card until you feel it lock into place. Push on the SD card to
release it. The front tally light on the Micro Cinema Camera will flash green three times while the
camera checks the SD card and will stay green when the card is 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 in the ‘about SD cards’ section.
Inserting an SD card into the Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera
About SD Cards
Choosing a Fast SD Card
It’s important to use SDHC and SDXC cards. These cards are rated for fast data speeds and
support larger storage sizes.
We have provided a table showing SD cards that have tested reliable for video recording and
playback. From a quick glance you can see which SD card is fast enough to handle a
chosen format.
Please check the tech notes at the Blackmagic Design support center for the latest information.
Brand SD Card Name/Type Storage Supported Formats
RAW ProRes
Delkin Devices
Elite SDHC UHS-I 32GB No Yes
Elite SDHC UHS-I 16GB No Yes
SanDisk
Extreme Pro. 95 MB/sec SDXC UHS-I 512GB Yes Yes
Extreme Pro. 95 MB/sec SDXC UHS-I 256GB Yes Yes
Extreme Pro. 95 MB/sec SDXC UHS-I 128GB Yes Yes
Extreme Pro. 95 MB/sec SDXC UHS-I 64GB Yes Yes
Extreme Pro. 95 MB/sec SDHC UHS-I 32GB Yes Yes
Extreme Plus. 80 MB/sec SDXC UHS-I 128GB Yes Yes
SD CARD
77About SD Cards

Brand SD Card Name/Type Storage Supported Formats
RAW ProRes
SanDisk
Extreme Plus. 80 MB/sec SDXC UHS-I 64GB No Yes
Extreme Plus. 80 MB/sec SDXC UHS-I 64GB No Yes
Extreme Plus. 80 MB/sec SDHC UHS-I 32GB No Yes
Extreme Plus. 80 MB/sec SDHC UHS-I 16GB No Yes
Extreme Plus. 80 MB/sec SDHC UHS-I 8GB No Yes
Extreme. 45 MB/sec SDXC UHS-I 128GB No Yes
Extreme. 45 MB/sec SDXC UHS-I 64GB No Yes
Extreme. 45 MB/sec SDHC UHS-I 32GB No Yes
Extreme. 45 MB/sec SDHC UHS-I 16GB No Yes
Extreme. 45 MB/sec SDHC UHS-I 8GB No Yes
Preparing Media for Recording
SD cards must be formatted as either HFS+ or exFAT. These disk formats allow long clips to be
recorded as single files and can be formatted using the ‘format disk’ feature on the camera’s
dashboard, or using the ‘settings menu’ on Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera. To see the
‘settings menu’ on Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera, plug an HDMI monitor into the HDMI port
or plug in a composite video display unit using the composite video out connector from the
expansion cable.
You can also format SD cards via a Mac or PC computer.
HFS+ is also known as Mac OS Extended. It is the recommended format as it supports
“journaling”. Data on journaled media is more recoverable and less likely to be corrupted. 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 less
protected against the rare event your media card is corrupted.
Select the ‘format disk’ or ‘format card’ icon on
the camera dashboard to format your SD card
TIP We recommend formatting SD cards in your Blackmagic camera for best results.
88About SD Cards

Choose from HFS+ or exFAT formats. Confirm your
selection by tapping the ‘yes, format my disk/card’
icon to continue, or ‘cancel’ to cancel the format
Preparing SD cards using your camera
1 Press the ‘menu’ button to open the dashboard, or to open the settings menu on
Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera.
2 Select the ‘format disk’ or ‘format card’ icon using the navigation and ‘ok’ buttons on
the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera. On Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera, press
the ‘right’ arrow button to navigate through the settings and press the ‘play’ button to
select ‘setup’>’card’.
3 Choose your format by selecting the HFS+ or exFAT icon.
4 A warning will appear asking you to confirm the format. Select ‘yes, format my disk/
card’ to continue, or ‘cancel’ to cancel the format.
5 A progress bar shows you the progress of the format. ‘Complete’ will appear when the
format is done. It is important not to remove SD cards while they are formatting.
6 Select the ‘done’ icon to return to the dashboard, or press the ‘menu’ button on
Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera to return to the main menu settings.
Preparing SD cards on a Mac OS X computer
Use the ‘disk utility’ application included with Mac OS X to format or initialize your SD card in the
HFS+ or exFAT formats. If your SD card already has files recorded on it, remember to back up
your media as all data will be lost when it is formatted.
1 Plug an SD card into your computer’s SD card slot or via an SD card reader.
2 Go to ‘applications/utilities’ and launch ‘disk utility’.
3 Click on the disk icon of your SD card and then click the ‘erase’ tab.
99About SD Cards

4 Set the format to ‘Mac OS extended ( journaled)’ or “exFAT”.
5 Type a ‘name’ for the new volume and then click ‘erase’. Your SD card will quickly be
formatted and made ready for use.
Use ‘disk utility’ on Mac OS X to erase your SD card
in the Mac OS extended ( journaled) or exFAT format
Use the ‘format’ dialog box feature in Windows
to format your SD card in the exFAT format
Preparing SD cards on a Windows computer
The ‘format’ dialog box can format an SD card in the exFAT format on a Windows PC.
Remember to back up anything important from your media as all data will be lost when it is
formatted.
1 Plug an SD card into your computer’s SD card slot or via an SD card reader.
2 Open the ‘start menu’ or ‘start screen’ and choose ‘computer’. Right-click on
your SD card.
1010About SD Cards

3 From the contextual menu, choose ‘format’.
4 Set the file system to ‘exFAT’ and the allocation unit size to 128 kilobytes.
5 Type a volume label, select ‘quick format’ and click ‘start’.
6 Your SD card will quickly be formatted and made ready for use.
Checking Disk Speed
Blackmagic Disk Speed Test is a fun application that measures the read and write performance
of storage media, then displays the results using video formats.
If you have ever wondered whether your hard drive is suitable for recording (“write”) or
playback (“read”) of a particular video format, you can use Disk Speed Test to find out. Test the
performance of your media 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 installed by the Desktop Video Software. It is also available as a free
download for Mac OS X from the Mac App Store.
Use Disk Speed Test to find out the
performanceof your media
Recording
Recording Clips
Press the ‘rec’ button on your camera to begin recording immediately. Press ‘rec’ again to stop
recording.
To record a clip, press the ‘rec’ button on the
top of Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera
OK
MENU
IRIS FOCUS
1111Recording

Choosing the Recording Format
Blackmagic compact cameras record lossless compressed CinemaDNG RAW, plus Apple
ProRes codecs including ProRes 422 HQ, ProRes 422, ProRes 422 LT and ProRes 422 Proxy.
ProRes codecs let you fit more video on your SD card. ProRes 422 HQ provides the highest
quality video with the lowest compression. Alternatively, ProRes 422 Proxy gives you far more
recording time with greater compression.
Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera also records RAW 3:1.
You may decide to experiment to see which format best suits your workflow.
To select your desired video format on Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera:
1 Press the ‘menu’ button.
2 Select the ‘camera’ settings menu.
3 Select ‘codec’ and press the ‘play’ button. Use the forward and backward arrows
toselect a codec.
4 Press play again to confirm selection.
To select your desired video format on Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera:
1 Press the ‘menu’ button to open the dashboard and select Settings.
2 Select the ‘recording’ menu and use the selection arrows to set the desired
recording format.
3 Press the ‘menu’ button twice to exit.
Your camera is now ready to record in the video format you have selected. On Blackmagic
Pocket Cinema Camera, the current recording format is shown on the LCD status strip.
Blackmagic Cameras Supported Video Formats
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera
1080p23.98 1080p23.98
1080p24 1080p24
1080p25 1080p25
1080p29.97 1080p29.97
1080p30 1080p30
–1080p50
–1080p59.94
–1080p60
Trigger Record
Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera 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.
1212Recording

This means that when you press record on your Micro Cinema Camera, your external recorder
will also start recording, then will stop recording when you stop recording on the camera.
Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera will also output timecode via HDMI, which means that the
clips recorded on your external recorder will have the same timecode as the clips recorded in
your camera.
You will need to set your recorder to enable HDMI trigger recording to make sure it responds to
the trigger signal from your camera. If your external recorder supports trigger recording, it can
usually be enabled via its settings menu.
Playback
Playing Back Clips
Once you have recorded your video, you can use the transport control buttons 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 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
OK
MENU
IRIS FOCUS
1313Playback

Camera Connections
Camera Connections
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera
LANC Remote Control
The remote port on your camera is 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 using the standard LANC protocol.
Headphones
Monitor 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 setting or your audio may sound too quiet or too loud. The camera
automatically switches to line level if the audio is too loud for a sustained period.
HDMI Out
The micro HDMI port outputs 10-bit uncompressed HD1080p video, even 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 power input for connecting your power supply and to charge
the battery.
USB
Use the USB port to connect your Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera to your computer and
update the internal software. The USB port can be found inside the battery compartment.
HDMI
12V
1414

Camera Connections
Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera
HDMI Out
The HDMI output supports 10-bit 4:2:2 1080p HD video with 2 channels of embedded audio.
This gives you the option to either send a clean video feed or insert overlays on the HDMI
output from the camera menu.
Expansion Port
The expansion port is a standard DB-HD15 connector which includes connections such as +12v
power, analog servo, BNC and RCA connectors. The DB-HD15 is actually quite an old fashioned
connector and it was chosen because its extremely easy to solder wires to it and the plugs are
very common so are easy to purchase. This means you don’t have to use the included breakout
cable as you can make up your own custom cables simply by soldering the wires you need to
the relevant pins on the DB-HD15 plug. If you look closely at the pins you can see the
pin numbers.
This makes it easy to look up the connector signal layout and connect the wires you need. You
can add a backshell to the DB-HD15 on custom cables or you can even put a little silicon
compound on the plug to keep it small when the camera is being used on a moving mount.
Analog Audio In
The 3.5mm stereo audio connector accepts both microphone and line level audio, selectable in
the camera menu. The microphone level audio is lower than the line level audio so if you are
connecting a microphone to the camera and have the line level selected, you will find that the
levels will be too low. You can also use the analog audio input for embedding timecode onto
your video clip by sending an SMPTE compliant LTC timecode in the left audio channel and
selecting the timecode option in the camera menu.
USB
Use the mini USB port to connect your Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera to your computer for
software updates. The USB port can be found on the bottom of the camera.
TIP For more information about the expansion port and expansion cable, refer to the
‘Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera Expansion Port and Expansion Cable’ section on
the following page.
1515

Camera Connections
The USB port is located on the bottom
of the Micro Cinema Camera
Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera Expansion Port and Expansion Cable
There are two ways to access the expansion port’s functions. You can use the expansion cable
that comes with your Micro Cinema Camera, or solder your own custom connectors.
Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera has a standard DB-HD15 serial connector and can be used
with the included expansion cable for the following control options:
Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera Expansion Cable
1 Power Input
The 12V power input connects via a DC jack and provides power to the Micro Cinema
Camera, as well as trickle charging any batteries attached. When mains power is
supplied, the camera will automatically turn on.
2 Reference Input
This allows multiple cameras to be genlocked to a blackburst or tri-level reference
signal. Genlocking cameras to an external reference signal helps to prevent
timing errors which may result in the picture jumping when switching between
different cameras.
On the Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera, the HDMI overlays will display ‘REF’ on
screen when a valid reference source is detected, and the camera is locked to it.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1616

Camera Connections
3 LANC
Connect wired LANC remote controllers to the 2.5mm jack for controlling functions
like recording start and stop, iris adjustment, and manual focus from a tripod arm when
using compatible lenses. On some compatible lenses, you can also remotely control
the zoom via LANC.
4 Composite Video Out
Standard definition composite video output via an RCA connector. You can connect
this output to any low cost composite display device or even a wireless composite
transmitter. The output can be selected to be either NTSC or PAL standard from the
camera’s menu.
5-8 Analog Servo Ch1 – Ch4
The four analog servo ports are connected with the Futaba J connectors to a
compatible receiver unit. This is used to wirelessly control your camera. Each PWM
analog input operates a single channel that can drive a feature such as lens focus,
iris and servo zooms. You can also connect a simple switch so that you can quickly
toggle the camera to start and stop recording. The camera will treat each of the analog
channel as a switch until it detects a PWM signal. Once a PWM signal is detected, it
will automatically latch on and respond to PWM signals. Power cycle the camera if you
want to use a switch to control the camera.
9S.Bus Digital Servo
By connecting to a compatible S.Bus receiver using the Futaba J cable, you have 18
S.Bus remote channels where features of the camera can be assigned to and remotely
controlled. These features can include focus, servo zoom, iris control and other such
features. For more information about mapping functions to S.Bus remote channels, see
the ‘Remote Settings’ section of this manual.
Wiring Diagram for the Blackmagic Micro
Cinema Camera Expansion Cable
PIN ASSIGNMENT
1
2
3
TIP
RING
TIP
RING
PIN
SLEEVE
TIP
RING
SLEEVE
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
P5
P4
P3
P2
P6
P7
P8
P9
P10
P1
1 Ground
2 S. Bus
3 Analog Servo Ch1
4 Ground
5 Reference Input
6 Power +12V in
7 Ground
8 Analog Servo Ch2
9 LANC Data
10 LANC Power
11 Ground
12 Analog Servo Ch3
13 Analog Servo Ch4
14 +5V 400mA Out
15 Composite Video Out
1
2
3
4
5
11
12
13
14
15
6
7
8
9
10
S. Bus
Analog Servo Ch1
Analog Servo Ch2
Analog Servo Ch3
Analog Servo Ch4
Composite Video Out
Reference Input
LANC Data
LANC Power
Power +12V in
5
GROUND
6
GROUND
9
10
GROUND
3
GROUND
8
GROUND
12
GROUND
13
GROUND
15
GROUND
2
GROUND
1717

When using Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera’s expansion port, you may only want to access
one or two functions. For example, you may want to use the composite video output feature
while simultaneously controlling the zoom function. It’s easy to make a connector that will give
you just these functions without the clutter of additional, unused connectors.
Use the following diagram when wiring the expansion cable included or use it as an example of
how you can wire up the connections on your own custom cable correctly. The full range of
available pins are listed under group P1, while subsets used for particular functions, as well as
their layout within the appropriate connectors, are shown in groups P2 through P10.
Tally Light Indicators
Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera Tally Light
Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera includes a tally light feature. The tally light indicates the
following camera scenarios to the camera operator:
White Power On
Red Recording
Green (flashes 3 times) SD card is being inserted and recognised
Green SD card is present in the camera / camera is playing back.
Red (flashing slowly) Card filling up
Red (flashing quickly) Dropped Frames
Red, Orange (alternating slowly) Battery low when recording
White, Orange (alternating slowly) Battery low when in standby
You can adjust the brightness of the tally light in Micro Cinema Camera’s settings. See the
‘camera settings’ section for more information.
The tally light is located at the top of
Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera’s lens
SD CARD
SD CARD
1818Tally Light Indicators

Menu Settings
Dashboard
The dashboard feature is opened by pressing the ‘menu’ button. From the dashboard you can
access the ‘settings’ menu and key features such as metadata, media formatting, activating
meters, frame guides and focus peaking. Press ‘menu’ again to exit the dashboard.
Press the ‘menu’ button to open the dashboard
To view menu settings on Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera, simply connect an external
monitor such as the Blackmagic Video Assist to the HDMI port or use the composite output
on the expansion cable to connect to a low cost composite display. Pressing the ‘menu’ button
brings you directly to the menu screen. You can also use the composite output on the
expansion cable to connect to a low cost composite display.
Camera Settings
To configure camera settings on your Blackmagic compact camera, press the ‘menu’ button
to open the dashboard, select the ‘settings’ icon, then select the camera icon to the left of
the settings menu. If you want to bypass the dashboard for direct access to the menu screen,
simply hold down the menu button. Pressing the ‘menu’ button in Micro Cinema Camera opens
the menu settings display.
The ‘camera’ settings screen lets you adjust key features such as ISO,
white balance, shutter angle, date, time and camera ID
19Menu Settings

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera
Press 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.
Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera
Press the left and right arrow buttons to navigate and change settings. Press the ‘play’ button to
highlight a setting and to confirm a change. Press the ‘menu’ button to return to the
menu screen.
Camera ID
If using more than one Blackmagic Camera, it’s helpful to set each camera’s ID which will be
included with any metadata recorded with your clips. Set the camera ID with the onscreen
keyboard. When you have finished entering a new camera ID, select ‘enter’ to save, or select
‘cancel’ to discard any changes.
Change the camera ID using the onscreen keyboard
If you’re using the Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera, you will find the ‘camera number’, ‘date’
and ‘time’ settings in the ‘setup’ menu.
Setting Date and Time
To set date and time on your Blackmagic 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 traveling with your Blackmagic Camera, remember to change
the date and time to local time zones.
TIP The camera ID becomes part of the filename in the recorded file. Therefore if you
would like to shorten the length of your filename, you may do so by shortening the
camera ID. For example to ‘BMPCC4’.
TIP If you have your Blackmagic compact camera stored for long periods, the time may
need to be reset. It is always a good idea to check the time and date prior to recording.
When connecting your camera to your computer via USB and launching Blackmagic
Camera Setup, your computer’s time is synced to your camera.
20Menu Settings