While elaborating on a new report related to global shortages of components, Blackmagic Design CEO – Grant Petty stated that the company is being aggressively increasing its investments in new products, working on multiple new technologies. Is a new camera on the horizon?
Blackmagic Design – One of Australia’s best high-tech companies
Blackmagic Design is defined as one of Australia’s most cutting-edge and successful smart manufacturing companies. This special company has implemented a clever working culture led by CEO and founder Grant Petty. With 1,500 employees and $576M in revenue, Blackmagic’s goal is to conquer the filmmaking and TV industry with its products, by making them affordable. Yes, affordability is the name of the game, but not before quality. The company is at the main sight of Australian economists, which have reported on a financial document related to the global shortage of components.
Supply issues
According to AV Magazine and The Australian, the document which was filed in the last few days, and indicates on global shortages of components, says that this situation had prevented Blackmagic Design from filling “a large number” of back orders during periods of its 2021 and 2022 financial years. “They had also forced the company to turn to the grey market for components when traditional suppliers could not deliver on time” the newspapers claimed. Hence, a high level of back orders made the company switch to more expensive air freight rather than shipping in containers, and costs had also risen as the company built up its parts inventory. However, Blackmagic has not applied these elevated costs on its consumers but preferred to absorb the costs by the company. And that’s something to admire.
Grant Petty:” We aggressively increased our investment in new products”
AV Magazine emphasizes that the main advantage of Blackmagic Design is the differentiation from other technology companies in that it had always been self-funded and had never used investment capital, giving it enormous creative freedom. “The company, which manufactures its products in-house, had also ‘dramatically increased’ factory capacity to handle a growth in sales, plus surges in production caused by the unreliable supply of parts,” says AV Magazine and The Australian. Moreover, Petty added that Blackmagic Design had aggressively increased its investment in new products, working on multiple new technologies, during the last financial year. One more interesting view added by AV Magazine is that Blackmagic Design builds its products based on demand, most of its inventory is in parts, rather than finished products. This means the stock is somewhat protected from obsolescence because these components can be used in new product models and in expanded product ranges. Higher stock levels and longer ordering lead times were also an advantage as inflationary pressures started to rise, as the price of parts was locked in. This is called obsolescence obsolete in manufacturing.
What’s in the oven?
There’s s high chance that Blackmagic is baking something new. Many filmmakers are expecting a boxy-designed camera with a full-frame sensor. However, in the last announcements, the company has been focusing on broadcast solutions. Nevertheless, it’s time for something new. As explained, the company’s R&D has the privilege of fast maneuvering, designing new inventions quickly, and significantly reducing the time-to-market. We’d guess that a new full-frame boxy camera is on the horizon, or, at least, a large sensor version of the URSA/Pocket cinema cameras. What do you think?
Product List
Here’re the products mentioned in the article, and the links to purchase them from authorized dealers.
- Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro 12K Camera
- Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Cameras
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Blackmagic should partner up with Atomos and make a new camera with their Sapphire 8k sensor.
Funny
Absolutely, 2 Aussie companies working together. I’d buy it for sure.
With the Z full frame box camera gaining acceptance,
I can see Black Magic competing in this domain.
I would like to see the pocket camera issues addressed
With grip and battery life as well as an 8k option.
I would love to see a full frame Pro version rather
Than the current size frame/sensor employed in its line.
Supply issues need to be addressed if they are going to compete with the Z camera but with their name and reputation for quality I can see more adoption of a box
Camera but the question begs will they still be considered niche market or a real competitor.
“However, Blackmagic has not applied these elevated costs on its consumers but preferred to absorb the costs by the company. And that’s something to admire.”
Say what now? Correct me if I’m wrong, but BM did a press release about price increases due to supply chain issues and how those costs are absolutely getting passed on to customers.
https://www.slashcam.com/news/single/Blackmagic-raises-its-prices—and-lowers-some-17374.html
But that was announced in August 2022. Blackmagic absorbed the costs for the entire 2021 and over half of 2022.
Completely moot point my friend. They have, in fact, applied those elevated costs on to there consumers and issued a statement about it. So that very much renders the article’s quote, and it’s implications of merit, false. If they said, “hey once the shortage is over and things go back to normal, we’ll lower our prices again” that would be a different story. But they won’t and one wouldn’t expect them to because it’s a convenient excuse to raise prices and make more money. No need to spin it or reach to make them sound like a hero.
It isn’t a disingenuous claim – they have made products that have consistently been at hyper-competitive price points – especially for products not made in China. Having to raise their prices in order to keep the business model viable is acceptable especially when the price of their constituent components has leaped up for the foreseeable future. They continue to make products that take advantage of lower-cost alternatives and economy of scale (plug an SSD in for RAW recording? Yes please!) as well as technically fungible options (one XLR mini and one mini jack for audio in on a non pro product? Yes please!) and many other consumer first decisions.
Sorry Drew, but that still doesn’t make the quoted incorrect statement any less false and as a result misleading. Further more, the reason the prices and features are what they are isn’t to “empower creators” or because “BM really gets us…”. It is to sell cameras plain and simple. They are trying to carve out a place in a crowded market. I own a bm cam, it’s a great little camera but there isn’t some virtuous reason behind any of it and more importantly the article is incorrect. So any positives you can count are great but just a deflection, because this is by definition, a “disingenuous claim”.
Truly amazing technology at an affordable price.
If I had one wish it would be for all new Blackmagic cameras to have interchangeable lens mounts so Canon, Nikon, and Sony lenses could be used with all new camera models.
The ATEM Mini and Resolve Studio provide so much value. Sony would be a killer mount if they ever go full frame.
Brilliant company. We purchased a full outside broadcast solution from BMD. Worked seamlessly. 10 G2 cameras for live motorsport. Well done to the team at BMD.
How are you dealing with autofocus? I found it odd for a broadcast camera to not have autofocus.
It is actually odd for broadcast cameras (i.e. those used on live broadcast shows, sports, etc.) to have autofocus. Most broadcast cameras use b4 mount lenses that don’t have autofocus (they have builtin or addon motors that provide remote focus.) The cheaper ENG and prosumer style camcorders often have autofocus.
They take care of ursa mini pro g2 customers instead of leaving them without and repair options
The need to make an actual pocket-sized camera again with either s35 or full frame, I imagine the cinema camera (ursa g3) will get full frame. The 6k pro and Ursa g2 make a great image and adding the gyro data was great but the ergonomics of both cameras was not great. I’d like to see the Ursa g3 be about the size of c70 or fx6 and the pocket camera to to be the size of fx3 or sigma fp but wide enough to keep the current LCD. They do that and they will clean up the stick to the current clumsy ergonomics where everything is bigger than their competitors and they will only keep their market share. I personally hate box cameras, maybe in tight spaces but I never like the way box cameras feel when rigged out
They know they have to push new product beyond their need, before their product sales reduce, but it’s not a $500 true pocket cinema. Thru know that they having replaced the micro or introduced true 8k shooting cameras for too long.
I would love a dual lens 180 vr camera that produces a left and right braw file. I’m using a z-Cam K1 Pro now for 3d (*spatial* vision pro) and I’ve looked at the Canon Vr creator (r5c with dual fisheye). But a BlackMagic solution will fit better with how I shoot and edit.
I’d settle for a dual fisheye to put on the front an Ursa mini, but seriously – 2 ganged up sensors and lens would make me really happy.
I know, 3d film making comes and goes but maybe, just maybe THIS TIME with the Apple Vision Pro and its handful of 250,000 current users to perhaps 1 million users in 2025 will get 3d, 180 and maybe even 360 film a boost.