The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera (BMPCC) is a small form factor 4K camera that’s packed with features offered at a very competitive price.
It offers an interchangeable lens, 4K recording @ 30fps, and low light capability. It also supports workflows for other cameras via HDMI, SDI, and composite inputs.
The camera has been quickly gaining popularity among independent filmmakers and YouTube content creators. The LCD screen is small which makes shooting more challenging. To solve this issue you could consider the best monitor for BMPCC 4K camera.
So if you want to get a 4K monitor for your BMPCC 4K camera then continue to read this article. We have filtered out some of the best monitors available in the market but before going forward to the main topic we will have a short description of BMPCC.
When it comes to filmmaking, it is crucial for you to make sure that every shot that you take would come out gracious and impressive. One of the most vital aspects of any BMPCC 4k video shoot is the monitoring
What is the point if you get really good shots in the room but when you expose your work especially if it is uploaded on the internet, a lot of viewers still leave comments questioning your skills as a filmmaker? That’s why a fantastic external monitor is extremely important.
But what’s the best one? In this article, I will be listing down some of the best monitors used by filmmakers that are both cheap and of great quality.
List of Top External On-Camera Monitors for BMPCC 4K
Ultrabright, Touchscreen control external on-camera monitor for bmpcc 4K or 6K. One wouldn’t be pointless, if you have a good articulating arm that you can easily adjust depending on the angle you are shooting.
| No | Our Review | Detail | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
|||||||
|
2 |
|||||||
|
3 |
|||||||
|
4 |
|||||||
|
5 |
|||||||
|
6 |
|||||||
|
7 |
|||||||
|
8 |
|||||||
About BMPCC – You Must Know
These cameras are just on another level or we can say that these cameras give a new meaning to creativity and the power of being able to customize. First of all, these cameras are very small in size as compared to other available options in the market and secondly, they are also very affordable as far as price is concerned. On the other hand, it has amazing built quality with a chassis made from magnesium alloy and rubber grips on different locations.
You will also come across an LCD screen on the backside of this camera which is pretty decent as far as brightness and sharpness are concerned. Similarly, many kinds of lenses can easily be attached to it and you can get your desired result out of it.
At a glance, it seems like a good choice for you but wait and stop. This camera is not made for everyone. You can get a video from this camera just like any other but it records in RAW film format. That’s why you probably will feel a bit lost and kind of devastated with the results. The RAW footage you will get from it will look like a normal black and white video but to be able to customize and get a better result as compared to other high-end cameras is hidden inside this RAW footage.
In post-production you have a lot of wiggle room, you can easily play with colors, the dynamic range and to be honest, it depends on your imagination what you can achieve with this camera. Another thing that you have to keep in mind is that you won’t get any kind of image stabilization and 120 or 240 fps with this camera. So as a result of this you kind of has to buy many accessories with this camera to get the best shot.
Now let us move towards our main topic. We have collected some of the best available monitors in the market.
1. LILLIPUT A11 4K External On Monitor Camera
Another popular choice by the filmmaking industry is the LILLIPUT A11
The 10.1-inch LCD screen is a vibrant and bright display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200. The installed display has a very wide range of color spectrum and the viewing angles are also pretty good. On the other hand, the brightness of this panel is 320 CD/M which simply means that it is easily visible even in bright daylight and the contrast value of this display is 1000:1.
The software installed in this monitor is very user friendly and easy to use, some of the features that you will get with the monitor are HLG, Luma waveform, histogram, guides, zebra, check field, grid lines, audiometer, x-rite color calibration system, image stretched horizontal control, false color, touchscreen, backlight control, color temperature control, peaking, crosshair control, camera control, RGB depth waveform, display flip, OSD flip, underscan, and Aspect. Similarly, the port selection is also very interesting just like the features available. With this monitor you will get an SDI in port, an SDI out port, a VGA port, a micro USB port, an HDMI out port, an HDMI in port, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a 75 mm VESA, and a DC power input port.
The dimensions of this monitor are 25 x 157 x 252 mm and it is also very light that’s why carrying it around is very easy and when you put it on some kind of gimbal or tripod it won’t make a difference. When you bring this monitor you will find the following things in the box, an f970 plate, a sunshade, a shoe mount, a mount plate bracket, an HDMI A to C cable, an HDMI micro cable, a 12-volt DC adapter, a manual and the monitor itself.
This BMPCC 4K monitor has an F series battery plate in which you can put any F series battery from Sony and the average battery timing you will get from it is around 4 hours.
Check out our review for powerful laptops for running bots.
2. Atomos Shinobi 5-inch HDMI 4K Monitor
Next on our list is a monitor from ATOMOS.
The display installed in this monitor is a 5 inch LED screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. This monitor is suitable for vloggers and photographers. The display of this monitor is glare-free and the viewing angles are just fantastic. On the other hand, it also has a brightness of 1000 nits which will help you to use this display even in bright daylight sun. The pixel density is 427 which helps the monitor to produce clear and crisp images.
Another amazing feature about the display of this monitor is that it has a wide range of the color spectrum, so producing real-life images into a problem for it. The dimensions of this product are 5.94 x 1.24 x 3.6 inches and it only weighs 7 ounces. The port selection of this monitor is not that great but it is not made for some kind of professional use. You will get an HDMI input, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and a port for charging, unfortunately, you do not have an option for output ports.
If you want to need output ports, then you get another model of this monitor which has output ports but is more expensive. The software installed on this monitor is also not great, you do not have any features that other monitors in our list provide. Though we have to admire that the rubber coating on the sides of the monitor is pretty good and protects it from any damage. In the box, you will come across the monitor itself and a full-size micro HDMI cable. This BMPCC monitor supports the input signal up to 4k.
The average battery life of this monitor is about 4 hours but unfortunately, the battery and charger are not included in the package. You have to buy that separately. Many F and Q series batteries from Sony are compatible with it.
3. PortKeys BM5 On Camera Monitor
This monitor is a product of the BM company and it belongs to their small size monitor series.
The screen installed in this monitor is a 5.2 inch LED panel that has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. Another amazing thing about this display is that it is also a touch screen, so onscreen navigation is very easy. This 4K monitor is a great pick for BMPCC enthusiasts.
On the other hand, this panel supports 2000 nits of brightness, as a result of this, it is visible even in bright daylight. The build quality is also pretty impressive. The outer shell of this monitor is made from aluminum which gives some an industrial feel, because of the aluminum body it is not even that heavy, weighing only 340 grams. Dimensions of this monitor are 137 x 84 x 34 mm.
Another impressive feature about this monitor is its built-in software, with the help of this software you can easily control all the features available in your camera. When you buy this monitor, you will find some basic accessories like two charging cables, the monitor, a screen protector, and a carrying case. As far as the port selection is concerned you will find enough ports to fulfill your daily needs, this monitor has an HDMI port, a headphone jack, and SDI in and out port.
There are two options via which you can power this monitor. The first one is that you can buy a battery that can power this monitor. A 4900 MAH battery will last for around four hours. The second option available is to power it directly from a DC power source. The voltage required to power it is 8 to 24 volts but you have to keep in mind that while powering it directly from a DC power outlet you will need a dummy battery.
4. Portkeys P6 4K Camera Monitor
Port keys P6 4k is another popular option by professionals.
This monitor comes with a 5.5 inch LED screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. On the other hand, this monitor is extremely color accurate and it comes with great viewing angles of 160H 160v. The brightness of this display is also pretty good with about 500 nits. Besides that, it has a very stylish and sleek design, the outer shell is made from ABS plastic which makes it scratch-proof. The dimensions of this monitor are 142 x 78 x 16.5 mm and it only weighs 130 grams.
The port selection is also sufficient enough for a normal user, it has an HDMI in port, an HDMI out port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB type A and a charging port. The built-in software has a lot of different functions like guides, DSLR scaling, zebra, histogram, OSD flip, Audio Meters, underscan, Tint, Aspect, Zooming, Contrast, Backlight, Sharpness, Color Temperature, Display, Brightness, Chroma Battery, Voltage Checking, Basic Parameters, and many more things.
Similarly, you will get a p6 monitor, sunshade, 504 stands, HDMI cable, HDMI to Micro cable, User Manual, and safety box in the package of this monitor. This 4K monitor brings amazing specifications for using it as an external on-camera monitor for BMPCC.
This monitor supports the following batteries, Sony F960, F750, F550, F970, and Canon LP-E6. The battery life of this may vary according to the attached battery but you can get an average of 4 to 5 hours of battery life. The input voltage required for this monitor is DC 7.4 to 24 and the power consumption is about 6 watts.
5. PortKeys LH5H Camera Monitor
LH5H is a good choice for an external monitor.
This product has a 5.2 inch LED panel with a resolution of 1920 by 1080. Another amazing thing about this device is that it has pretty good viewing angles of 178H / 178V and a brightness of 1700 nits. The chassis of this monitor is made from ABS plastic which gives it a stylish and sleek look. Similarly, it only weighs 170 grams and the dimensions of this monitor are 139.8 x 79.8 x 26 mm. a tempered glass is also installed in this monitor so that scratches may not affect it easily.
The built-in software has all the basic functionalities that every high-end external monitor has. Some of the features it has are 3D LUT, HLG, Luma waveform, histogram, guides, zebra, check field, grid lines, audiometer, x-rite color calibration system, image stretched horizontal control, false color, touchscreen, backlight control, color temperature control, peaking, crosshair control, camera control, RGB depth waveform, display flip, OSD flip, underscan, Aspect, Chroma, contrast control and zooming ability. In the package, you will receive a USB disk, power cable, carrying case, camera control cable, and the monitor itself.
Finally looking into the available ports. You will have all the necessary ports available, it has an HDMI input, an HDMI output, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a camera control port, a USB Type-A port, and a charging port. This 4K high brightness touchscreen external camera monitor has a wide community of BMPCC.
Many batteries are compatible with this monitor as a result this the battery life depends on the battery you are using but if consider an average then it will provide you around four to five hours of battery life.
6. ANDYCINE C7 Field Camera Monitor
Next on our list is the C7 field camera monitor from ANDYCINE.
It has a 7 inch IPS panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a high contrast of 1200:1. This panel has a glare-free coating on it and it is also very bright with 2200 nits of brightness which makes it easily visible in daylight. This monitor has a pixel density of 440 and some amazing viewing angles of 85/85 (L/R) and 85/85 (U/D). In contrast to all these good numbers, the body of this monitor is made from some kind of cheap plastic.
As far as the weight of this monitor is concerned it weighs around 200 grams and other dimensions are also just like other monitors. Moving towards the port selection, it has an HDMI input, an HDMI output, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an SD card input.
The software installed in this monitor is also very good and it has all the features that any other contemporary monitor has. Some of the features it has are 3D LUT, HLG, Luma waveform, histogram, guides, zebra, check field, grid lines, audiometer, x-rite color calibration system, image stretched horizontal control, false color, touchscreen, backlight control, color temperature control, peaking, crosshair control, camera control, RGB depth waveform, display flip, OSD flip, underscan, Aspect, and accurate color reproduction.
Finally, let’s have a look at what we will find in the box, an HDMI to mini HDMI cable, an HDMI to micro HDMI cable, a tilt arm, carrying case, battery charger, a battery, manual, and a warranty card. This 4K monitor has an amazing list of accessories for BMPCC.
You get two battery slots on the backside of the monitor so you can a lot of battery life. on the other hand, you can also charge your camera’s battery with it. Most of the F and Q series batteries by Sony are compatible with this monitor.
Check out our buyer’s guide for the best monitors for ultimate gaming.
7. VILTROX DC-90HD 4K HDMI Monitor
DC-90HD is a 4k monitor from VILTROX which is preferred by BMPCC professionals.
This device has an 8.9 inch 4k LCD panel with a resolution of 1920 by 1080. The installed panel has some extravagant viewing angles and it is also very bright so while working on a bright day you won’t face any issues. On the other hand, it only weighs 820 grams and the dimensions of this device are 225 x 115.5 x 21.5 mm. moving towards the port selection on this monitor, to be honest, the pot selection is not great. It has a micro USB port, an AV input port, and a port for charging.
Though the port selection is not great this monitor falls in the budget category so it kind of can is justified. The software installed in this monitor can do some tremendous stuff like guides, zebra, check field, grid lines, audiometer, x-rite color calibration system, image stretched horizontal control, false color, touchscreen, backlight control, color temperature control, peaking, crosshair control, and camera controls.
If you bought this monitor then you will get an F550 battery, a sunshade, a type A to type C HDMI cable, a micro HDMI cable, a cloth bag, and a hot shoe mount.
This monitor has a space for a battery and even the package you will get a battery that is 2200 MAh in capacity and you can easily get more than 4 hours of battery life. but you can also get another battery for this monitor, some of the compatible batteries are F550, F570, F750, F770, F960, and F970. The power adapter you will need to charge your battery should have a DC voltage of 8 to 18, remember that a power adapter is not included in the box.
Check out our buyer’s guide for the best monitors for iPads.
Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera (BMPCC): Why it's an excellent option for Filmmakers?
Small and compact
The black magic pocket cinema camera (BMPCC) is a small and compact digital video camera especially designed for shooting on the go. It has a design similar to doblar hybrid.
Performance for professionals
Recently Blackmagic Design has updated the sensor to the incredible 2.5K one. No really, it’s incredible. This sensor is 47% bigger than the original BMPCC sensor and leaves professionals more than pleased with the results.
High-end capabilities
One of the common reasons why most of the filmmakers or video makers are opting for Black Magic Pocket Cinema camera is its capability too which is used for capturing high-quality images and smoothness. Both are some of the things that every filmmaker seeks from their cameras. In fact, these cameras have gained popularity in no time thanks to its high-quality features that are being offered.
In budget pick
An unwritten rule of filmmaking is that you must have a big budget and an expensive camera to make quality videos. Those days are long gone. The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera (BMPCC) combines low cost with high-end features. Its design and capabilities are matched by only a few other options on the market at this price. With the BMPCC, filmmakers no longer need to spend thousands of dollars on a basic DSLR camera, spending hundreds more to get it right.
Why use an External Monitor for BMPCC 4K Camera?
When the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera (BMPCC 4K) first hit the market, the biggest complaint from a lot of people was the on-camera monitor. And for good reason – it was hard to see in bright daylight conditions. Being external, that monitor would also be touch-capable, which is pretty cool since you won’t have to connect your phone or tablet via wifi/bluetooth every time you want to adjust exposure/focus etc.
It is not too big, not too heavy, great resolution, touch screen. If you are in the niche market of making a lot of outdoor vlogging videos or filming on the beach, this could be the photography accessory too.
Frequently Answer Questions(FAQs)
Q. Which is the best monitor for BMPCC 4K cameras?
The monitor that has been chosen by our experts for BMPCC4K is VILTROX DC-90HD. The features that makes it best are 8.9 inch full HD camera that has high resolution of 1920 x 1200 that produces high brightness, excellent image quality, great visual experience you will have and many others features it has that makes it best.
Q. Do buying BMPCC 4K Cameras worth it?
Yes as it has 12-bit raw image files that store 68 billion different shades of Colour which is perfect for TV,films,commercial videos and many others etc. You will have incredible low light performance by BMPCC 4K as it has dual native upto ISO upto 25,600.function buttons,record button and all control buttons have also good size grip. It also has an incredible 5-inch multi touch display at the back that makes it more worth it.
Q. What is the basic difference between BMPCC 4K and BMPCC 6K cameras?
Both cameras BMPCC 4K and BMPCC 6K are powerful. BMPCC 4K has M4/3 lens mount and BMPCC 6K has EF lens mount. The price difference besides these cameras is 1k as BMPCC 4K is $1,295 and BMPCC 6K is $2,495.
Conclusion
All the above-mentioned monitors are some of the best in the market. To be honest it depends on your needs to decide which one is better for you. The list mentioned above contains 4K and 6K monitors from every budget category for BMPCC. On the other hand, different monitors are for different people. We have selected monitors for filmmakers, vloggers, photographers, and sports cameras.
Check out the best laptops for music production.