Comparison Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K vs Blackmagic Cinema Camera MFT

The type of primary media used by the camera to store captured video/photo.

— Flash (memory card). One of the most popular types of storages in modern electronics, it is widely used in camcorders of all types (see above). The flash technology itself is notable for its high speed, economical power consumption, reliability and shock resistance (due to the absence of moving parts), as well as the small size and weight of storages with their high capacity. At the same time, such memory is quite expensive. Therefore, camcorders most often use removable flash media in the form of memory cards of various types (see “Memory card support”): this allows the user to choose the best option in terms of price/capacity ratio. Another advantage of plug-in modules is the ability to read data from a memory card on another device — for example, a laptop; this greatly simplifies the exchange of footage. And when the card is full, it is enough to replace it with another one — and you can continue shooting. Note that some cameras also have built-in flash-memory blocks (see "Built-in memory"), but the ability to work with cards is usually provided even in such cases.

— HDD. Built-in hard disk drive — similar to those used for computers. Of course, the size and weight of such discs in camcorders is noticeably smaller, however, all the main features are the same. So, in terms of 1 GB of volume, they are much cheap...er than flash modules (see above), so they are well suited for creating devices with large volumes of internal memory. On the other hand, HDDs are noticeably heavier, they are sensitive to shocks and drops, they work a little slower, and they consume more energy — after all, during operation, the disk must rotate at a constant speed. In addition, such drives are built-in by definition and have all the corresponding disadvantages — in particular, when the memory is full, you will either have to sacrifice some materials or look for an opportunity to copy them somewhere. To compensate for this shortcoming, many "disk" cameras also provide slots for memory cards; but the HDD is still considered the main carrier .

— SSD. SSD solid state drives are similar to the memory cards described above in their main specifications: they are compact, reliable, resistant to shocks and drops, and have high speed. At the same time, the built-in storages usually works faster than a removable card, and its volume can be comparable to the HDD (see above). The main disadvantage of this option is the high price. In addition, all SSDs have a limit on the number of rewriting cycles, and when the resource is running out, the drive may become unwritable. On the other hand, this number can even now amount to tens of thousands of cycles, various tricks are used to increase the service life, and the technology is constantly being improved — there are promising designs in which this drawback has been completely eliminated.

— DVD. The DVD optical discs used in camcorders are smaller than standard discs — a full-size drive would simply not fit into a compact camera. The volume of such media is also reduced, for a conventional single-layer disc it is 1.4 GB. However, mini-DVDs can be read without problems in almost all DVD drives, which is one of the main advantages of such media: you can immediately view a disc from a camera on a computer or even a household DVD player. Also empty DVD are relatively inexpensive. On the other hand, they seriously lose to memory cards in terms of volume and dimensions, and an accidental scratch on the surface can make such a disc unreadable. In addition, most sold blank DVDs are for one time use, while rewritable ones are rarer and more expensive. As a result of all this, this media format is considered obsolete today and is gradually being replaced by more advanced technologies.

— MiniDV (cassette). MiniDV cassettes work on the principle of recording information in digital format on magnetic tape. On the one hand, such media are more bulky than memory cards, and besides, they require the use of complex tape transport mechanisms, which affects the dimensions, price, and power consumption of the cameras themselves. Also working with recorded materials is more difficult — because of the need to rewind the tape to access each individual fragment. At the same time, the recording format provides both good video quality and some advanced features — in particular, it is convenient when rewriting to film. As a result of all this, miniDV cassettes are practically not found among amateur cameras (see "Features"), but they are quite popular in professional models.

The physical size of the camcorder sensor. It is usually measured diagonally and is indicated in fractions of an inch — for example, 1/3 "or 1/2.33" (the second option is larger, respectively). In addition, sensors of a “photographic” format can be installed in video cameras, in which case the corresponding designation is used — for example, APS-C.

The larger the sensor, the higher the image quality it can provide (all else being equal). This is due to the fact that on larger sensors, each individual pixel is larger, more light falls on it, which increases sensitivity and reduces noise; this is especially important for shooting in low light. For amateur purposes, small sensors are quite enough, but in professional cameras (see "Features") this parameter is at least 1/3". The exception, however, are models with several sensors (see "Number of sensors") in them each individual sensor is quite small, and high quality is ensured by image processing features.

The number of light sensitive pixels directly involved in the construction of the image. These are the dots on which the “image” projected by the lens onto the matrix falls. In addition to them, there are also service pixels that are not illuminated during camera operation — they provide auxiliary information necessary for processing the resulting image. Also, when calculating effective megapixels, the reserve area required for electronic stabilization is usually not taken into account (see "Image Stabilization").

The value of the number of effective pixels for different modes of operation of the camcorder will also be different. For example, when recording video, many cameras use multiple pixels to build a single dot on the image; this is due to the fact that the sensor resolutions significantly exceed those required for video shooting (for example, the Full HD standard technically corresponds to only 2.07 megapixels). As a result, the image quality depends more on the sensor size (see above) than on the resolution. And among sensors of the same size, high resolution allows user to get better colour rendering and higher clarity (however, not always — a lot also depends on the peculiarities of image processing). If we are talking about photography, then more megapixels means a higher resolution of the resulting image, but the quality of such a picture can be relatively low due to the increased noise level and low sensitivity of each individual pixel.

An image stabilization method provided in the design of a video camera. The stabilization function itself is designed to compensate for small camera shakes so that they are not noticeable in the image. This is especially true when shooting handheld, and in fact most modern models are designed specifically for such usage. According to the method of work, there are such options:

— Optical. A special mechanism with a system of gyroscopes and movable lenses, installed directly in the lens, is responsible for the operation of such stabilization systems. It introduces a correction for all tremors, vibrations, etc., and the “picture” falls on the already stabilized sensor. Optical systems are considered the most advanced and efficient, because. their work allows you to use the entire area of the sensor, fully exploit its capabilities and provide good image quality. Among the shortcomings, it is worth noting the increase in the cost and weight of the cameras, as well as a slight decrease in the reliability of the optics. At the same time, these moments are most often not critical, and stabilizers of this type can be used even in simple and inexpensive models.

— Electronic. Electronic stabilization is carried out due to the fact that not the entire area of the sensor, but only some of it, is involved in the formation of an image for a frame. Simply put, the camera electronics "takes into account" a certain area of the sensor and...transfers the image from it into the frame; and at small displacements, this "area of attention" is also displaced, due to which the visible image remains motionless. The advantages of electronic systems are simplicity of design, lightness, compactness and high reliability; they can be used with even the simplest lenses installed in pocket cameras (see “Features”). Their main disadvantage is the need to reserve a part of the sensor, which reduces the size and resolution of the actually involved area and adversely affects the image quality.

— Optical / electronic. In such systems, both the methods described above are used — both the mechanism in the lens and the reserve on the sensor. This provides extremely high vibration compensation efficiency — the image remains stable even in such conditions in which any single method would be useless. On the other hand, the disadvantages of both options also remain relevant, and the cost of cameras with this feature is quite high.

The maximum video resolution that the camera can capture. Resolution is the size of an image in points (pixels); usually it is written in two numbers, which correspond to the number of pixels horizontally and vertically.

The more pixels in the image — the clearer it is, the better you can see small details on it, however, the size of the video files increases accordingly. In addition, it is worth considering that in order to fully view the footage, you will need a screen of the appropriate resolution — otherwise all the advantages of the image will be negated. And this parameter also significantly affects the price of the device.

The smallest maximum resolution found in modern camcorders is about 720x480; the quality of such a "picture" can be compared with analogue television broadcasting. Resolution 1280x720 corresponds to the HD standard, it can be found among inexpensive TVs and monitors, and 1920x1080 (Full HD) is the most popular option among mid-range and top-class video devices. The maximum resolution used in modern consumer electronics (including camcorders) is 4K, 4096x2160; it is typical for the most advanced devices.

The vast majority of cameras are able to work not only with the maximum resolution, but also with several “more modest” options — for those cases where small file volumes are more important than high resolution.

The highest frame rate provided by the camera when shooting video. The minimum frequency for normal viewing is the classic 24 fps used in cinema. At the same time, most modern video cameras are capable of providing up to 50 – 60 fps, and even higher frequencies can be used for the slow motion effect.

In fact, this indicator is important primarily when shooting dynamic scenes. The higher the frame rate, the smoother the fast motion will look in the frame, the less jerky it will be and the more pleasant the overall impression of the image will be. The reverse side of this is an increase in the size of recorded files (all other things being equal). Therefore, the frame rate can be made adjustable so that the operator can choose the best option for a particular situation.

Video file formats that the camera can use to store recorded footage. If you want to view these materials using a separate device (player, media centre, etc.), you should make sure that this player supports the appropriate formats, otherwise conversion may be necessary.

The data transfer speed provided by the camera when recording video. This parameter is also called bitrate (i.e., the number of bits per unit of time). For any file format used for recording, the general rule is that the higher the bitrate, the better the image quality (especially for formats that use lossy compression). On the other hand, high speed have appropriate requirements for the capabilities of the memory cards used — for more details, see "Memory card support"; and it increases the size of the file accordingly. Therefore, many modern camcorders are able to work with different bitrates; this allows you to choose the best option depending on what is more important for you at the moment — maximum quality or the ability to work with a slow card.

At the same time, we note that in terms of quality, this parameter is important mainly for professional video shooting. If you need a camera for amateur purposes, there is no need to look for the maximum bitrate: after all, such models (and memory cards for them) cost accordingly.

The format in which the camera records sound during video recording. Typically, this section indicates the number of channels and the sound system used, the file format, or the characteristics of the audio stream, such as "2ch Dolby Digital (AC-3)" or "PCM, 16bit 48kHz, 2ch". In order not to go into technical details, we note that two channels are the minimum required for surround sound (stereo), and advanced models can work with multi-channel sound like 5.1. As for other specifications, you should pay attention to them when choosing a professional device (see "Features") — in amateur and especially pocket cameras, the sound format does not play a special role. Specific features of various formats are described in special sources.