Digital Cinema Pocket Guides
LEGACY POCKET GUIDES BUNDLE
Whether the camera you're working with cost $5,000 or $50,000, our library of 30 pocket guides will help you be ready to shoot with whatever digital cinema camera your production chooses.
Most of these cameras are no longer supported by their manufacturers, however, many people still use them from time-to-time, so we continue to offer these pocket guides for free.
Please note: these pocket guides are not actively updated.
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“The guides are really fantastic, and the best part about them — in my opinion — is that they aren’t written by an engineer, but by someone who spends most of his working hours on a set where speed and accuracy are critical.”
Joe Marine of NoFilmSchool.com
“There are so many cameras and options out there these days, it’s very difficult to commit all this info to memory. These guides are a great way to stay up to date on what each camera system is capable of and common best practices"
Matt Jeppsen of FreshDV.com
“These are little guides that you can stick in your pocket or view on your device, like your phone or tablet. Really convenient when you are on set and need to quickly figure out something about your camera."
Brent Pierce of Cineblur.com
“These guides are ideal for any pro shooter...when you’re on-set the format of these guides is perfect. Charts, graphics and diagrams make it easy to get the camera info you need quickly."
Danny Greer of Premiumbeat.com
“What an awesome gift to crew and AC's everywhere" – @SteadicamJD
“Now this is helpful" – @Ryanewaltcine
“If you work in film/video production this is a no brainer" – @DanAlmasy
Designed for Life On Set and Behind the Lens
Made by a camera assistant with established experience who understands life on set, each pocket guide is full of charts, text, graphics and simple diagrams that take complicated camera systems and make them easy to understand.
Easy Reference in the Chaos of a Shoot
Too many camera manuals are filled with warnings and instructions you only read once. The pocket guides, however, contain info that you'll always want close by so you can find what you need without wasting time getting lost in a manual.
Printable. Portable. Pocketable.
The pocket guides are designed to fold from a full sheet of paper into a small "book" that fits inside your jeans, your toolbag, your frontbox, or your pouch. All you need is a printer and a piece of paper.
Compatible with Tablets and Smartphones
Prefer digital to analog? The pocket guides are PDF files with tablet and mobile formats for use on many platforms including iOS, Android, Windows, or OS X devices – you can even put them on a Kindle.
Go Beyond the Camera Manual
Significant research went into the pocket guides, often from multiple sources such as manuals, white papers, brochures, and third-party data. In many cases, the pocket guides themselves go beyond the basic info offered in the camera's operation manual.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did you discontinue the pocket guides?
It became very difficult to keep up with the amount of different cameras being released as well as the frequency of the software updates. Creating them was labor-intensive and I was no longer able to devote time to them while also pursuing my career as a camera assistant.
Will I receive updates for the pocket guides?
No. Besides the fact that most of these cameras aren't even made anymore, the pocket guides have been discontinued. What you see is what you get!
How many pocket guides are there?
There are 30 pocket guides. The list includes:
RED Epic, RED One, ARRI Alexa, ARRI Alexa XT, Sony F5, Sony F55, Panasonic GH2, Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera, RED Scarlet, Canon C100, Canon C300, Canon C500, Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 6D, Canon 7D, Nikon D600, Nikon D800, Sony F65, Phantom Miro M/LC110, Phantom Miro M/LC120, Phantom Miro M/LC310, Phantom Miro M/LC320s, Ikonoskop A-Cam dII, Sony PMW-F3, Sony FS100, Sony FS700, Panasonic AF-100, GoPro Hero3 Black, GoPro Hero3 Silver
Do you have a pocket guide for (insert camera here)?
All of the pocket guides available are listed on this page. The pocket guides were discontinued after it became very difficult to keep up with the pace, variety, and requests of new camera systems. No new pocket guides are planned to be made.
Will the pocket guides work with my device?
If your device reads PDF files, then yes. Both the regular and mobile formatted pocket guides come as PDF files. PDF files are extremely versatile and cross-platform and can be easily read by most phones (including iOS and Android devices), tablets, and computers. If your device doesn't already support PDF files, there's a good chance you can find an app that will.
I bought the pocket guides and now they're free. Can I get my money back?
Our return policy has always been 60-days and we will honor that. However, the pocket guides were quietly discontinued long ago to the point we stopped charging for them. We hope you found the purchase worthwhile at the time you made it and we thank you for your support! The money has gone directly back into The Black and Blue to keep it live for other ACs and industry folk to use and reference. Read our return policy.
Get the Legacy Pocket Guides
All 30 pocket guides are available for free. They are no longer actively updated, but remain available as an archival resource for those who find them useful.