Digital Bolex vs Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera. What happens now?

Digital Bolex

This year's NAB show has proved to be an interesting one for Digital Bolex, and perhaps not in a way that they would have wanted. With Blackmagic announcing (out of the blue!) their Pocket Cinema Camera - essentially at 16mm digital cinema camera - the "digital 16mm" space is now alive with competition

So where does this leave Digital Bolex?

It's too early to say, with the little Kickstarter-fuelled camera not yet in production, but our feeling is that there is enough (well, a lot, actually) to differentiate the two cameras.

Different culture

For a start, they have a vastly different culture around them. They have completely different form factors. The Bolex has a global shutter, uses 16mm lenses, and is more expensive. It has a very "film-industry" shape, whereas the Blackmagic device is as unconventional as you can get for a cinema camera, looking more like a compact still shooter, and using Micro Four Thirds lenses - although we held the camera yesterday and we can tell you that it feels very solid and professional indeed.

We hope there is space for both devices. We like them both very much. We'll be looking at both in detail as soon as possible.

Here's a video interview with Digital Bolex Founder Joe Rubinstein, made by Darren Abate of NewCineCentral.