Blackmagic Design caught many experts by surprise with their announcement of the PYXIS 6K box-style camera right before NAB 2024. Nino took the chance to visit the company’s booth and interview Craig Heffernan, Technical Sales Director at Blackmagic Design, to find out more about this new release.
The new Blackmagic Design PYXIS 6K box-style camera is causing a lot of stir within the community judging by the reactions and comments. Some people are very happy that Blackmagic Design listened to their customers and finally delivered a camera in this form factor, while others are complaining about some missing features. Let’s see what the fuss is about!
Blackmagic Design PYXIS box-style camera – Full-frame sensor with 13 stops of dynamic range
This sensor is 36 x 24mm and, according to Blackmagic Design, offers a dynamic range of 13 stops. Make sure to take a look at our lab test of the Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K to find out whether we found this to be accurate. The resolution is 6048×4032 and the camera has dual native ISO (ISO 400/3200) with a range extending up to ISO 25,600 for good low-light performance. The full area of the sensor can be used with a 3:2 Open Gate mode, allowing for the repositioning of shots in post-production or use with anamorphic lenses.
New EVF
The new EVF that was announced alongside the URSA Cine 12K also fits on this box-style model. The viewfinder features a 1920 x 1080 color OLED display and customizable soft-touch buttons. It connects to the camera via USB-C and will be compatible with other cameras. At the moment there is no bundle deal for the PYXIS 6K, so the EVF has to be bought separately for $1,695. This price also includes the mounting system to connect the EVF to either the PYXIS or the URSA Cine 12K. Make sure to stay tuned to CineD for a dedicated interview on this accessory.
3 available lens mount options, but no internal NDs
The camera comes in three models allowing customers to choose between L-Mount, EF, or PL lenses. These mounts cannot be changed, so think carefully about which option you want to go for. However, L-mount is probably the safest and most flexible option, as there already are quite a few EF and PL to L-mount adapters on the market. As a side note, the PL mount version is slightly more expensive than the other two. According to Craig, Blackmagic Design decided against internal NDs to keep the form factor small.
Recording options
The Blackmagic PYXIS features two built-in CFexpress card recorders, and a USB-C expansion port for recording directly to external flash media disks or an SSD. The two CFexpress recorders allow for hot-swapping cards for uniterrupted recording.
Connectors and hardware
The back of the camera features 2 SDI connections (12G-SDI for 4K) and an Ethernet port which allows for Blackmagic Cloud workflows. The right hand side of the camera features additional mounting options with an interchangeable cheese plate option for about $50 more. There is another USB-C port on this side also, which can be used for external SSD recording.
Shooting modes
The Blackmagic PYXIS can shoot in all standard resolutions and frame rates from HD up to DCI 4K and even 6K. Users can even shoot stills at 24.6MP. The camera can shoot up to 36fps at 6048×4032 3:2 Open Gate or 60fps at 6048×2520 2.4:1 as well as 60fps at 4096×2160 4K DCI. For higher frame rates, you can window in on the sensor and shoot up to 100fps at 2112×1184 Super 16.
List of features
Here’s a summary of the main features of the camera:
• 36x24mm full-frame 6K 6048×4032 sensor.
• Open Gate 3:2, full height 6:5 anamorphic and Super 35 for creating cinematic content.
• Choice of models with L-Mount, PL or locking EF lens mounts.
• Records full resolution up to 36 fps or 120 fps windowed.
• Built-in 4″ HDR 1500 nit LCD screen.
• Records Blackmagic RAW and H.264 proxies.
• Extremely fast dual CFexpress card recording.
• Ethernet or mobile data for mobile remote streaming.
• Optional Blackmagic URSA Cine EVF.
• Features 12G-SDI for monitoring with status overlay.
• Professional mini XLR input with 48V phantom power.
• Complete streaming solution for YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and more.
• High capacity BP-U series batteries.
Pricing and availability
The camera will be available in June and starts at $2,995, with the PL-Mount model being priced a little higher at $3,195.
Make sure you don’t miss the other camera announcements from Blackmagic Design – namely the URSA Cine 12K Full-Frame and the (teased) URSA Cine 17K with a 65mm sensor.
Have you long been waiting for a box-style camera from Blackmagic Design? Are there any missing features that you would have liked to see? Let us know in the comments below!
