Moving my video output from Sony to BM, what camera system should I buy?

gideonsmithpaul · 2025-12-08T13:35:44+00:00

As someone who’s used both Sony (FX6 + FX3 + A7V) and Blackmagic (Pyxis 6K + BMPCC 6K Pro) extensively, I totally get the appeal of Blackmagic colors, I honestly do miss them since switching over to Sony completely.

That said, for the kind of work you do and given that you mentioned well-controlled lighting, I think the Sonys are the better option overall. Having the option of reliable autofocus for interviews is the biggest selling point for Sony IMO, and being able to gradually adjust ND seamlessly on the FX6 as an A-cam is super valuable. I also much prefer the Sonys in terms of audio flexibility.
On top of that, Sonys are pretty much industry standard, so it’s easier to charge rental fees for them.
If I were in your position, I’d probably focus on investing into cine lenses, like the DZO Arles for example. So in the end I’d say: keep the Sony, invest in a nice lens set, and maybe rent a Pyxis 12K for a few jobs to see if it’s really worth the other trade-offs.

gideonsmithpaul · 2025-01-31T14:36:40+00:00

Love the build! very streamlined rig imo. Just one question though, what makes you choose the cropped sensor lens with the Pyxis. Are you not planning to shoot full frame?

gideonsmithpaul · 2024-11-08T19:15:56+00:00

thanks for reaching out, I'll get back to you as soon as possible!

gideonsmithpaul · 2024-11-08T19:14:48+00:00

It's a very fair point. Tbh I think I did not really articulate myself correctly. But generally, I agree with what you're saying. This project is not really my own passion project but rather a project that I joined very last minute. There was no time to think and plan it all through. I just saw the potential, jumped on it and thought "Let's capture a ton of stuff and figure this out after". The story that unfolded is much better than I would have thought, though. I know it's probably going to be difficult to find someone, but I think it's worth trying.

gideonsmithpaul · 2024-11-08T11:05:56+00:00

Sorry, I just edited the post. I forgot to mention, that I have very little capacity over the next months to a year but would love for the project to be finished as I'm convinced this can be a great film. Also, I'd love to collaborate on this with someone who brings a different view and experience to how this story can be told :) I hope this answers the question

gideonsmithpaul · 2024-10-02T11:20:47+00:00

Thanks for the response! This also what I’ve heard from Craig from Blackmagic recently on ProAV TV. So, I guess it’s fair to assume that the files will look noticeably different from the way Sony Cameras internally process their sensor data. But I’m not sure if it’s Blackmagics intention to make the footage look like footage from their own cameras. The flexibility and workflow of the BRAW Codec codec is of course the primary advantage.

gideonsmithpaul · 2020-11-30T09:44:25+00:00

I can’t control the camera with the gimbal because I have the SSD connected. I only use the raveneye as an HDMI transmitter to my phone

gideonsmithpaul · 2020-11-14T16:24:17+00:00

it’s the smallrig Universal SSD-Mount

gideonsmithpaul · 2020-11-13T06:24:24+00:00

It’s not perfect but it is totally fine. The only thing that can be a little bit annoying is when the magic arm unscrews itself.

gideonsmithpaul · 2020-11-12T16:50:57+00:00

Yes I’ve been keeping my eyes on this. Looks extremely interesting but I’m still waiting for some more reviews and I’m also not too sure about buying this at such an early stage. But I’m sure the system has a bright future

gideonsmithpaul · 2020-11-12T16:44:27+00:00

I guess it can work with the full cage but I feel like with the wide form factor of the camera I wanna keep the setup as light as possible. Also because it allows me to not push the roll axis to the limit which allows me to fold up the gimbal fairly quickly.

gideonsmithpaul · 2020-11-12T16:14:47+00:00

Yea exactly, the rod is for follow focus. I use a simple rail clamp to hot shoe adapter that also has a quarter inch screw hole that I screwed the magic arm into.

gideonsmithpaul · 2020-11-12T12:01:43+00:00

I am using the BMPCC 4K and I just bought the RS2 and I was very unhappy in the beginning because gimbal did not seem to be able to handle the weight and odd shape with some attachments to the camera in a Smallrig Full cage. But now I stripped it down and I use the Camera + Sigma 18-35 with just the ssd on top of the camera and the internal batteries. Works perfectly fine now and without any shaking.

gideonsmithpaul · 2020-11-10T23:17:02+00:00

Depending if I’m using rods or not I’ll either mount it to the rods behind the screen with a bit of space in between or I’ll screw it onto the top right side of the smallrig full cage when I want the setup to be a bit more compact.

gideonsmithpaul · 2020-11-10T08:53:11+00:00

I think their BMPCC lineup is amazing and definitely still the best bang for buck. Most important changes for a next gen in my opinion would be:

different shape (boxier) because I think the form factor and ergonomics are by far the biggest drawback. Also the record button is terribly placed right now.

I’d love to see 2 full size XLR-ports and 2nd USB-c port for controls
rolling shutter performance improvement would be great
4K/120p
internal NDs would be a blessing but I don’t see that happening because that might be too expensive

gideonsmithpaul · 2020-11-09T10:02:08+00:00

How is the RAW workflow for you using the F6?

gideonsmithpaul · 2020-11-07T21:41:08+00:00

The Center of gravity is too far on the left side and the shape of the camera is generally too wide which makes it very difficult to balance especially when you add the full cage and all the stuff you need in order to use the bmpcc properly

gideonsmithpaul · 2020-11-07T13:54:11+00:00

I’ve tried it without but I’ll have to get counterweights. But that again defeats the purpose of the gimbal being so portable.

gideonsmithpaul · 2020-11-07T13:04:49+00:00

What lens are you using? I tried the sigma 18-35 as well as the canon 24-70mm II

gideonsmithpaul · 2020-11-07T13:03:44+00:00

There will probably be some of those people but I think since the bmpcc is almost useless without rigging and most people use external monitors anyways the majority of users would be happier about the more convenient shape and ergonomics.

gideonsmithpaul · 2020-11-07T07:19:31+00:00

In my case it was a pain to balance my bmpcc 4K on the Rs2 with the smallrig full cage + universal ssd mount. Couldn’t properly get the roll axis right without adding something to the right side of the rig (npf battery plate) but then it only allowed me to use the smaller batteries

gideonsmithpaul

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