Specifications

About SSDs
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Supported Disk Format
SSDs used by Blackmagic Cinema Camera must be formatted as either HFS+ or exFAT. These disk formats
allow long clips to be recorded in a single file per clip. Simply connect the SSD to your computer with an
external dock or cable adapter and format it as you would a regular disk. Make sure you back up anything
important from your SSD as you will lose everything on it when you format it.
HFS+ is also known as Mac OS Extended. It is the recommended format for Cinema Camera as it supports
"journaling". In the event of a hardware or software malfunction, data on a journaled SSD is more quickly
recovered and less likely to be corrupted in the first place. HFS+ is natively supported by Mac OS X.
Windows computers can use HFS+ with the purchase and installation of MediaFour MacDrive software
from http://www.mediafour.com.
ExFAT is supported natively by Mac OS X and Windows without needing to purchase any additional
software. However exFAT does not support journaling.
Preparing SSDs on a Mac OS X computer
The Disk Utility application included with Mac OS X can format a drive in the HFS+ or exFAT formats. If you
are shooting CinemaDNG RAW 2.5K video, be sure to choose the HFS+ format so you can quickly browse
through the thousands of DNG files in the Finder of Mac OS X.
Step 1. Connect the SSD to your computer and dismiss any message offering to use your SSD for Time
Machine backups.
Step 2. Go to /Applications/Utilities and launch Disk Utility.
Step 3. Click on the disk icon of your SSD and then click the Erase tab.
Step 4. Set the Format to "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" or "exFAT", type a Name for the new volume
and then click Erase. Your SSD will quickly be formatted and made ready for use with Blackmagic
Cinema Camera.
Preparing SSDs on a Windows computer
MacDrive software can format a drive in the HFS+ format on a Windows PC.
Step 1. Install MediaFour MacDrive and restart your PC.
Step 2. Connect the SSD to your computer.
Step 3. Choose Start>Computer and right-click on your SSD.
Step 4. From the contextual menu, choose MacDrive>Format Mac Disk.
Use Disk Utility on Mac OS X to erase your SSD in the
Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format.
Use MacDrive software on Windows to initialize the SSD with a
GPT and create an HFS+ volume.