Shooting Weddings with a Blackmagic Cinema Camera?

Wedding cinematography has come a long way in only the past few years. The DSLR camera market has been rapidly evolving, with Sony and Panasonic and even Fuji providing market disruption every few months. Most wedding cinematographers still value Canon for it's superior color science. Sony and Panasonic win its users over by offering professional features that were previously unavailable at the prosumer price point.

To this day, most wedding filmmakers have not considered Blackmagic Cinema Cameras as a viable option for shooting weddings. The reasons are simple and very much valid; cinema cameras are not designed with the run and gun wedding shooter in mind. For me personally, the risk-reward proposition is one that is hard to pass up. Overcome the inhibiting obstacles of shooting with a cinema camera, and make out with a truly cinematic wedding film that stands out. Here are some reasons why I will be shooting future weddings with a Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera.

1.) Ergonomics
For me, the Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera with it's tiny form factor and lightweight body is ideal for rigging. The Micro does not come with a built in monitor, but pairing  it with a SmallHD 500 series monitor makes perfect sense. Honestly, the SmallHD experience makes it difficult to go back to the built in EVFs on Canons and Sonys. I'd take the tiny Micro with a gorgeous 5 inch monitor, any day over a traditional DSLR. The external monitor can also swivel, tilt or be re-positioned unlike a built in rear monitor. Both the monitor and camera are powered off Canon LP-E6 batteries that are inexpensive, long-lasting and lightweight. Pack a whole fleet of those bad-boys and you won't have use for rods or an external brick battery.

You can also check out this interesting battery solution.

2.) Dynamic Range and Flexibility
For run and gun shooting, where you won't necessarily have time to light a scene, and where you will deal with daylight exteriors as well as poorly lit interiors, dynamic range and flexibility of codec are king. The Micro claims 13 stops of DR, and a 12 bit raw codec. The combination of those two are unbeatable in any sub $10k camera. In most controlled situations I can shoot in Prores HQ, when I need the extra dynamic range and flexibility I can shoot in RAW 3:1 compressed and still keep file sizes manageable. I'd rather stock up on more SD storage space then deal with highly compressed footage in post. Properly exposing skin tones in bright exteriors without blowing out the sky is sure to have your wedding film stand out from the pack.

The Micro is not a low-light specialist but it can really hold it's own in under-lit receptions. I would stay away from relying on exposing with ISOs in dark environments. Always better to bring a few LEDs with you for receptions, even if you were shooting with an A7Sii. Flexibility of codec also really helps with things like color matching and grading in post.

3.) Color Science
Blackmagic definitely shines in the color science department. As a caveat, the BMMCC will need an IR-Cut filter to keep the magenta color cast kept at bay. With this necessary filter, colors are truly vibrant and accurate. More importantly, skin tones are rendered pleasantly.  Color science is the primary reason I no longer use Sony or Panasonic cameras. I find that Blackmagic cameras can go toe to toe with the punchy look of RED Cinema Cameras, or even the organic feel of ARRI cameras. Of course Canon still offers the best color science, which is great for the wedding filmmaker that needs to churn through weddings with minimal grading. I much prefer doing less weddings, and having fun adding a look.

4.) Convenience
Convenience is not a word normally associated with Blackmagic cameras. Convenience and ease of use truly matters in the frenetic pace of a wedding when you absolutely need to capture the magical moment that will suddenly materialize without warning. The Micro improves on the Pocket Cinema Camera, but the menu system is difficult to navigate with the smaller front facing buttons. As I stated earlier, inconvenience is probably the main reason most wedding filmmakers shy away from the Blackmagic universe.

However, the Micro offers one key advantage, which is the expansion port. Currently, there are not many solution on the market, but look for 3rd party manufacturers who will take full advantage of the expansion port. For instance, a handle for controlling start/stop, ISO, and White Balance. A product such as this, really can change the way we think about Blackmagic cameras.

You can back this Kickstarter project that is certainly on the right track. Here is another seller, hopefully competition will lower prices.

If I had to measure a wedding film by a single frame, most of my favorite frames have been shot on a Blackmagic camera. I experimented with using a GH4, a Sony A6300, a Canon C100, but with the release of the Micro, I will be going back to uncharted territory. Hopefully, in this next wedding season I can capture some some stunning footage to truly prove my point.

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