In this article, you will learn about the main differences between two cameras that are very popular with video shooters, the Sony a7S III and the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro. Check out the article to decide which of these video workhorses is right for you.
Let’s start with the size and build quality if you’re looking for a full-frame 4K camera that shoots up to 120 frames per second with a smaller, lighter body. You will be impressed by the compactness of the Sony a7S III. It weighs just 1.35 pounds and is only 5.07 inches wide, 3.81 inches high, and 2.74 inches deep.
The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro has a 6K super 35mm sensor with a crop factor of 1.55x compared to full frame lenses. This means that a 50mm primary lens would look more like a 77.5mm field of view. The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro is also bigger and heavier, weighing 2.73 pounds and measuring 7.08 wide, 4.41 inches high, and 4.84 inches deep. It is definitely not designed for the small pockets of your skinny jeans.
Size aside, let’s take a look at some of the features of each camera. The Sony a7S III has a very reliable continuous autofocus and eyepiece when shooting 4K video. The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro only has touch for autofocus on supported lenses and no continuous autofocus.
The Sony a7S III also has built-in five-axis sensor-shift image stabilization that the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro lacks. Not to mention that the Sony camera also handles roller shutters better and has a folding LCD screen.
For some video shooters, functionality is more important than image quality, and if image quality is your primary consideration, then I would give the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera Pro 6K a slight edge. It’s hard to beat the ability to record 6K Blackmagic RAW internally.
Now I know some people will disagree with me so I have provided sample videos in the video above from the two 4K cameras taken with the same lenses. The lenses I used were the Zeiss 50mm F1.4 ZE for Canon EF mount and the Zeiss 35mm F1.4 ZE, both of which are full frame lenses.
In order to use the same lenses on the Sony a7S III, I used the Sigma MC 11 Canon EF to Sony E-mount adapter and manually focused each lens. I also used B + N ND filters on both lenses instead of using the built-in ND filters on the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro.
In conclusion, the two cameras are capable of shooting very high quality videos, although they are aimed at different users. If you need continuous eye autofocus and built-in image stabilization with a flip-up screen, the Sony a7S III may be the best choice for you.
If you consider yourself more of a filmmaker and have no problem not having continuous autofocus and image stabilization built in, then the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro may be more suited to your style.
As I mentioned before, I would say the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro has a slightly better image quality, and I found myself wanting to buy more EF mount lenses.
Watch the video above and let me know in the comments section which camera you prefer.