The dream camera from Blackmagic Design is finally here… sort of.

If you own the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Cameras 4K or 6K then you probably have a love and hate relationship with these cameras just as I do. Why? Because while the cameras deliver amazing image quality, along with great user interface and codec options, they are also not designed to work like a real cinema camera. The hybrid still camera body design is one thing, but the fact that you have to rig them out with a cage and rails etc so that then you can attach a proper battery solution like the one I showed in my older post HERE. Also the monitor that doesn’t allow different positions is very limiting when working in any position other than directly behind the camera at eye level. While the monitor quality it self is amazing and the touch menu is one of the best in the industry, it is such a shame that Blackmagic has not yet updated it to a flippable and tilting design. That means I have always needed to attach an extra monitor. This of course results in the camera being bulky and kinda awkward to use and definitely not like the name suggests, a pocket or a proper cinema camera. So while we all wait for Blackmagic Design to update their cameras, one filmmaker from New Zealand by the name Ollie, has designed an innovating mod that addresses the issues I mentioned.

Ollie’s mod moves the original camera’s monitor to the top of the camera and adds a tilting mount to it. Also in place of where the original monitor there is now a V-Mount Battery plate. His mod is up for a pre order now on kickstarter HERE for NZ$500 or $314 USD.

So is this mod worth it and easy to install? I can’t say myself since I have not tried it. I am also not affiliated with the creator of this mod in any way and can’t personally vouch if he will deliver this mod on time and up to the promised specs.

I do see two negatives however. First is the position of the touchscreen display. With the monitor moved to the top it means that my full camera cage will not fit anymore. There is a video I found where the filmmakers who have tried this, say that a partial cage will still fit on the camera with this mod applied. Another issue with this mod is that the power terminals inside the camera have to be rewired to connect to the V-Mount battery plate and because of that the 12 volt power plug on the side of the camera no longer works. So if you like to power your Blackmagic pocket cinema cameras using that 12volt power connection then you will no longer be able to do that.

The video below shows the mod in action.