Blackmagic Design
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources
Melbourne company making digital cinema cameras and video gear.
Until Blackmagic Design traces its cobalt, gold and tin to the mine, it can't show that the miners who dig them are safe or fairly paid.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It relies on high-risk mined materials it can't trace. That alone means a poor grade until it takes steps to trace them.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsSome of its products are made in Indonesia, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Not met: Traces its cobalt, gold and other conflict minerals to the mine
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made partly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
- Red flag: Relies on high-risk mined materials it can't trace
- Red flag: Fails its category's raw-material check (means Lacks transparency)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Blackmagic Design's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Indonesia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Singapore | Strong protections | Not rated | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: cobalt, tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold mining carry child and forced labour risk (DR Congo, Indonesia), and assembly overtime is widespread.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Relies on metals such as cobalt, gold and tin from artisanal mines where miners, including children, face toxic dust, mercury exposure and deadly tunnel collapses. It hasn't shown any steps to trace these materials to the mine, so it's graded Lacks transparency until it does.
Research notes Blackmagic Design makes its products in-house in three company-owned factories in Australia, Singapore and Indonesia; staff confirm cameras such as the Cinema Camera 6K are built in its own Indonesian factory. It is not an RBA member and publishes no supplier list, smelter list, audit results, modern slavery statement or wage policy. Countries are listed without shares because no source gives an output split.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Unclear | No Blackmagic Design modern slavery statement was identified on the Australian register. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Not assessed in Baptist World Aid's Electronics Industry Report, which ended in 2016. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Unclear | No labour abuse allegations involving Blackmagic Design or its suppliers were identified. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- How an Aussie billionaire went from the housing projects to making Blackmagic movie cameras (Forbes, republished) · search the archive · Three company-owned factories in Australia, Singapore and Indonesia; all products made in-house; about 1,500 staff.
- Blackmagic Design - Videopro · search the archive · Blackmagic products sold by Australian video retailers.
- Blackmagic Design (Wikipedia) · search the archive · Privately held; founded 2001 by Grant Petty; headquarters in South Melbourne; product range.
Published by Blackmagic Design or its owner
- BMCC: country of manufacture? (Blackmagic Design Forum) · search the archive · Blackmagic staff (2024): Cinema Camera 6K is made in its own factory in Indonesia.
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Employees
- About 1,500
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Blackmagic Design ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/blackmagic-design, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Other TV and audio brands
Nothing we've rated in TV and audio is better than Lacks transparency yet.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Blackmagic Design.