A few days ago, we caught a glimpse of some more footage from the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, and it was quite excellent, to say the least. At that time we still
had no idea whether or not the camera was going to start shipping anytime soon,
and most of us believed that it probably wouldn’t. However, at Blackmagic’s LA
event earlier today, the company announced that the Pocket Cinema Camera would
begin to ship within 3-4 days in limited quantities and that the 4K Production
Camera still needed more work before it begins to ship.
Here’s the tweet from Ogy Stoilov at MRP Films which confirms the news from the event:
[Update]: Although the above tweet says that the 4K camera should be shipping by September, a source at Blackmagic Design has just informed us that the work on the camera should be completed within 2-3 weeks, and that it should be shipping sometime in August.
While I’m sure that some of you are absolutely thrilled about this development, it doesn’t seem likely that most folks will receive their pre-ordered camera for at least another couple of weeks or so. If previous shipping procedures are anything to go by, the “small quantities” of Pocket Cameras will be distributed somewhat evenly to resellers around the world, then they will slowly begin to trickle out into the film community from there.
Of course, the camera that many of us are waiting for, the Blackmagic Production Camera 4K, will not meet its estimated shipping date (not a big surprise considering we have yet to see any footage). We don’t know the exact reason for the delay, but since it’s another brand new sensor, it has to be properly calibrated to get the most out of it, and that’s probably the part that isn’t finished yet (since the camera was physically working at NAB 2013).
With that said, getting the Pocket Camera shipped this close to the projected shipping date, even if the quantities are limited, is a victory for Blackmagic Design, especially considering the ordeal with the original BMCC. I, for one, think that it’s a sign that Blackmagic is finally working out the kinks in its production model and gearing up to meet the massive demand for these cameras.
What do you guys think? Are you excited to see the BMPCC make its way into the wild? Is the fact that Blackmagic is closer to meeting their projected shipping dates a good sign for their future as a camera production company? Let us know in the comments!