Blackmagic’s Affordable Pyxis 6K Full-Frame Camera Shines in Test Footage
Cinematographer Patrick O’Sullivan put the upcoming Blackmagic Pyxis 6K camera through the paces for a commercial shoot, showing that the camera, which Blackmagic Design calls “the world’s most riggable full frame digital film camera,” is capable of remarkable cinema-grade footage.
The Blackmagic Pyxis 6K, announced in April at NAB 2024, is designed to be a versatile solution for filmmakers and small production teams on relatively tight budgets. The Pyxis 6K cinema box camera is priced at just $2,995 for its Canon EF and Leica L versions, making it one of the more affordable full-frame 6K cinema cameras on the market. The Arri PL version costs $200 more, by the way.
A big reason why the Pyxis 6K is so competitively priced is that the camera is essentially just a box, ready to be rigged and expanded upon depending on a user’s needs and restrictions. With multiple mounting points and accessory side plates, it’s straightforward for cinematographers to configure the camera however they want, whether using gimbals, cranes, handles, microphones, external power and storage, or even mounting the camera to a drone.
O’Sullivan is an especially interesting choice for Blackmagic’s test shoot project, as he says he has spent the last four years shooting on an Arri Alexa Mini LF — not a Blackmagic camera. The Mini LF is similar in shape and function to the Pyxis 6K, albeit with a price tag eclipsing $70,000 for just the camera body and a 4.5K large-format sensor (which is basically full-frame). In a breakdown on his YouTube channel, Wandering DP, O’Sullivan says he wanted to test the Blackmagic Pyxis 6K in as many different situations as possible and to push the full-frame image sensor to its limits.
As O’Sullivan’s footage shows, the Pyxis 6K handled the challenges well, demonstrating impressive dynamic range. However, as some have pointed out on Reddit’s Cinematography community, the footage also shows a bit of rolling shutter.
O’Sullivan remarks that he didn’t have to change his workflow when using the Pyxis 6K compared to his Mini LF, a setup that he thinks cost him around $150,000. “It’s definitely less expensive,” he says of the Pyxis 6K, laughing. The fact that O’Sullivan could swap the Pyxis 6K in for the Mini LF in his workflow without suffering any issues with workflow or dynamic range says a lot about Blackmagic’s new camera.
His breakdown video is also interesting for cinematography enthusiasts, as he discusses individual scenes with details on lens selection and lighting. With an admitted lack of interest in cameras and test charts, O’Sullivan demonstrates how much of good video comes down to the operator’s understanding of light, lens selection, composition, and color grading. However, his work also shows that a Pyxis 6K, which costs a fraction of what high-end cinema cameras do, is capable of high-end results, a big win for cinematographers without six figures to spend on gear.
