That age-old question: what gear should I get? In this episode of cinema5D essentials, I decided to answer this question once and for all, in a video as entertaining and educational as I could think of. Which Gear Should I get? For the last 9 years we’ve been constantly on a quest to find better gear to work with and make digital filmmaking easier and more affordable. As we like to work with the gear we test, my new Gear Guide is an attempt to share some of the experience I’ve had with the equipment along the way. Note that this gear guide reflects only Seb’s gear recommendations for the time being. The other authors of cinema5D will follow. Some of our regular readers will notice that the video is targeted at a broader audience looking for gear tips and recommendations. We receive requests for gear tips quite regularly but, even though we try to answer them individually, this can unfortunately be difficult sometimes due to our everyday workload. Gear Used in the Video The video should really speak for itself, so I will not go through the seven essential pieces of gear in this text. Instead, I would like to give you some background on the video production itself. Camera I used the Blackmagic URSA Mini 4.6K as it gave me beautiful, cinematic 4K rendering in a studio environment. I never use it outdoors, but in a studio environment there is no other affordable camera that’s so easy to use and gives such a pleasing picture. I went back and forth between camera and computer to check and implement my shots into the evolving editing timeline and it was an effortless process. Lens My lens of choice was the Zeiss CP.2 50mm Macro T/2.1. This is probably my favourite lens of all time and, although it’s bulky and expensive, whenever I put it on a camera I just love the image it gives me. Additionally, its macro design means I’m not as limited on how close I can get to an object. Bokeh and highlights are beautifully cinematic. Lights I mention the ALZO 3200 Low Noise in the video, which I used with the ALZO 36″ soft box. While it doesn’t have the best build quality, it is super affordable and is an extremely bright light with a great, clean white rendering. I used it as a key light for the top-shot gear photos and every single shot in the video. Due to its special design it is just a little inconvenient to use, but produces a relatively low fan noise. The second light I used was the Aputure Light Storm 120d. It has a lower output than the ALZO, but delivers good light color and is convenient to use. I used this one with a 24″ Westcott beauty dish, the best soft box I know albeit not the largest, which makes it perfect for a back light. I added two additional CTB gels to give me that blue back-light tone on my skin. The blue color in the video comes from a tiny light that will knock your socks off. The Luxli Viola 5″ is a very small LED that lets you dial in any color you like. It isn’t cheap, but it’s the perfect background color light and is super convenient to use. I have two of these, but only used one of them for the video. Tripod The Sachtler FSB-6 with quick legs was my tripod of choice. It’s getting on in years now and the FSB-8 would be a better option today, but it still gets the job done even though the URSA Mini is a bit on the heavy side. I hope you found this video and gear lists helpful. We have never had a proper gear guide on cinema5D, but I know we’re one of the websites where people regularly look for gear tips. With over 3600 articles on our site, it can be pretty hard to find stuff, so hopefully this gear guide will make things a bit easier. Let us know how you liked this episode of cinema5D essentials. And if you have gear tips of your own, why not share them with us and the rest of the world?

There’s an email from Apple ghosting around the interwebs that may find its way to your inbox, too: Final Cut Pro 7 won’t be starting up once you upgrade to the upcoming macOS High Sierra. We’re witnessing the final death to the classic Final Cut Pro. Time to make a choice! RIP Final Cut Pro 7 This is it, people. The classic Final Cut Pro 7 is officially dead. If you were part of the mob struggling to accept the new kid on the block, called Final Cut Pro X and introduced back in 2011, then this news might be the final stab to the heart. You might wonder what took Apple so long – after all, Final Cut Pro 7 lived for another 6 years after the introduction of Final Cut Pro X. Perhaps it was FCPX’s rough start that made Apple hesitate for so long. Anyway, it’s finally time to move on. The Final Death of Final Cut Pro 7 If you haven’t got the email from Apple yet, then you probably don’t know what’s going on here. In order to get you up to speed, here is the official announcement by Apple: Dear …: Our records show that you may be using applications included in Final Cut Studio. We wanted to share some important compatibility information about these applications and macOS High Sierra, which will be available this fall. Older versions of Apple pro video applications — including applications in Final Cut Studio — will not launch on a computer running macOS High Sierra. New versions of Apple pro video applications — including Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, and Compressor 4 — are compatible with macOS High Sierra. You can purchase these applications on the Mac App Store. You can learn about the transitioning from older versions of Final Cut Pro to Final Cut Pro X here. For more information about compatibility of Apple pro applications on macOS High Sierra, please view this support article. Sincerely, Apple If you’re still using Final Cut Pro 7 for your editing work, this is bad news. On the other hand, it was just a matter of time, really. Its direct successor, Final Cut Pro X, has now reached version 10.3.4, having evolved quite a bit from its miserable first releases. However, if you’re not into the way Apple thinks NLEs, there are plenty of alternatives! Alternatives to Final Cut Pro 7 It’s no longer just Apple vs. Avid like in the old days. There are other players with really good NLE solutions on the market. There’s Adobe Premiere Pro which has evolved steadily from its beginnings in the 1990s. Then there’s Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve, of course – not only a full-blown color grading suite but now a NLE, too. A few alternatives to Final Cut 7. Avid Media Composer might still be the king of the hill when it comes to classic editing, but Premiere Pro follows hot on its heels. If you’re not into the subscription model of Adobe Premiere Pro, you might want to have a look at Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve. This gives you not only the industry-standard color grading suite, but also an NLE and, since version 14 is imminent, a full-blown audio editor too. All for free with a few limitations, or, if you want the whole package, for $299. Following Blackmagic Design’s business model, Avid also offers a free version of its famous Media Composer, too. Spanish company SGO, who now offers the free Mistika Insight, takes the same line. There are other (paid) applications, of course, such as GrassValley Edius or Vegas Pro. Or, if Apple finally managed to convince you, maybe Final Cut Pro X is the right choice. For another $299 it’s yours. Conclusion There are a lot of alternatives to the now-defunct Final Cut Pro 7. However, if you still have FCP7 projects sitting in your computer, you might want to double check if you’ll ever need to work on them again, as these project files are not compatible with Final Cut Pro X. Once you’ve upgraded to macOS High Sierra, you won’t be able to open them again. You could skip High Sierra, of course, but that would only delay the problem down the line. Anyway, it’s sad to finally say goodbye to this piece of software. Final Cut Pro 7 served many of us very well in the times of the indie cinema revolution in 2008 with the introduction of the Canon 5D mark II. Farewell! Links: Avid Media Compser Free | Final Cut Pro X | DaVinci Resolve | Premiere Pro | Mistika Insight Which one is your NLE of choice? What kind of payment model do you prefer? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Both versions of the Blackmagic Design Video Assist are receiving some significant price drops. Links to US and Europe retailers below! The Blackmagic Design Video Assist is field monitor and recorder compatible with both HDMI and SDI-capable cameras that has proven quite popular with shooters thanks to its Apple ProRes and Avid DNx-encoding capabilities to dual low-cost SD cards. While not sporting as many bells and whistles as some offerings from the competition, both the 5” HD-only Video Assist and the 7” Video Assist 4K from Blackmagic Design are still solid alternatives that give you various tools such as waveform, zebras, peaking, false colour, XLR inputs, LUT support (4K version only) and more — and all this at a relatively competitive price. The good news is that Blackmagic Design has significantly dropped the price on both units. And yes, the offer is available to customers on both sides of the Atlantic. The base model, 5” Blackmagic Design Video Assist has dropped by about $100, and is now available for $395 from B&H, or £315/€357 from CVP. With a $300 discount, the larger 7” Video Assist 4K received has the larger price drop, so this may be your chance to grab a bargain. It is now available for $595 from B&H and £475/€539 from CVP. This puts both models in just a slightly higher price bracket than the most budget-oriented field monitors out there, but with the added benefit of being able to dual-record to edit-friendly codecs with low-cost, easy-to-find SD cards. Blackmagic Design Video Assist 4K with LUT support Sure, these Blackmagic monitors may not offer things like Raw recording, high frame rates or HDR, but if you are in the market for a solid monitor/recorder and don’t want to break the bank, they could be a good alternative from a very reputable brand. For more information about the latest firmware updates for these products, make sure to check out our post HERE. Are you a Video Assist user? Why not share your experiences in the comments section below?

Just minutes before the official opening of NAB 2017, Blackmagic Design unveiled DaVinci Resolve 14. It features a whole new audio tab, thanks to the company’s acquisition of Fairlight last year. There are also many other improvements throughout the application. Let’s dive in! Blackmagic Design Resolve 14 Following version 12.5, version 14 of Resolve is almost ready to hit the grading suites. And the editing suites, of course. Oh wait, this version will even hit audio suites, too! After skipping version 13, version 14 is all about Pro Audio. Their acquisition of Fairlight last year left everyone wondering what Blackmagic Design’s secret masterplan was. Well, now you know: Resolve 14 has evolved in a way that allows you to stay in the same application for the edit, grade and audio mix stages of your project. The Fairlight Audio Tab You can create up to 1,000 tracks of audio and work with them in realtime, with 8 main, sub and aux outputs available. The Fairlight tab works in tandem with a whole new line of Fairlight hardware consoles that accelerate and streamline the whole audio workflow. There are 4 versions of these available: a desktop console, a two-bay console, a three-bay console and a gigantic 5-bay console. The gigantic full size 5-bay Fairlight console for DaVinci Resolve 14. Feature-wise, the new Fairlight tab in Resove 14 is capable of all kinds of audio-related tools, such as equalization and dynamics, for example. It gives you real-time 6-band equalization, along with expander/gate, compressor and limiter dynamics on every single track. Editing and automation, mixing of course, mastering and VST plugins are all there at your service. In order to improve the performance of the Fairlight tab, you might want to add a dedicated Fairlight Audio Accelerator card to your system. It will provide you with sub-millisecond latency on all 1,000 tracks, along with full real-time processing of EQ, expander/gate, compressor and limiter dynamics, and up to 6 real-time VST plug-ins per channel. If you choose to not get one of those cards, you still can add up to 60 tracks of audio to your project. Collaborative Working Resolve 14 also features a whole new set of collaborative features. Multiple members of your team can work together on one project at the same time, and can compare different timeline versions. The heart of all this is the new project manager software which handles traffic and saves the changes from each user automatically. Once the system is set up multiple users can log in and start working. In terms of storage, you are free to use whatever suits your needs best – there is no limitation to certain storage systems. The new collaboration tool within Resolve 14 Users can protect their work by locking a certain bin or timeline. In case another user needs access, there’s even a built-in chat system. That way, you don’t have to send emails back and forth with login details. The collaboration feature is bound to a single facility, though, and doesn’t work over the internet for now. These collaborative tools are available in the studio version of Resolve, which is now available at a reduced price of $299. Blackmagic Design hopes to get more people using the studio version, and all the tools available there. Overall Performance The whole playback engine in DaVinci Resolve 14 has received an overhaul. It features CPU and GPU optimization, fast 16-bit float playback, lower latency, faster UI refresh and support for Apple Metal. With all this, it should be easy to handle even very complex projects with ease, as long as you own a powerful computer with fast GPUs, of course. It’s still a very complex program in terms of system load, but version 14 has been designed to be much more easy on the system overall. All in all, Blackmagic Design claims that the performance is up to 10x faster. JKL playback and scrubbing through footage should be way smoother than before. Other Enhancements It’s now possible to edit in fullscreen mode, too. Also, there is a new face recognition tool within the color tab of the program. With it you can easily track faces and enhance certain features like the eyes or the skin idividually. On top of that a lots of improvements have been implemented throughout the program. Pricing and Availability The new Resolve 14 will be available for Mac, Windows and Linux later this year, though there is already a public beta version available. The Studio version of this public beta is $299, while the regular version is free of charge. You can download the beta on the Blackmagic Design website. EDIT: As Johnnie has mentioned in the video above, we’ve investigated the GH5 10-bit issue which occurs in the current 2017.1 Adobe Pemiere Pro update. As it turns out, the exact same issue occurs in Resolve 14, too (on a Mac at least). 4K 10-bit footage from the Panasonic GH5 will be imported as audio only tracks. The video side of things remains offline. Hopefully this issue will be resolved soon. 8-bit footage from the GH5 works just fine. I couldn’t try the 10-bit HD footage introduced with the recent firmware 1.1 update, yet. GH5 10bit footage in conjunction with Resolve 14. EDIT: The Studio version of Resolve 14 seems to be capable of handling these 10-bit files.

I was originally not planning to test the new Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro as it shares the same sensor as the URSA Mini 4.6K. However, after working with it, I felt that the images coming out of it are simply better and sharper than its predecessor. Here are my first impressions after spending few days with this new camera. Blackmagic design URSA Mini Pro. Earlier this month in a well-coordinated streaming event, Blackmagic Design introduced their new URSA Mini Pro camera aimed for the professional filming crowd. I won’t go into all the improvements that make this model more suitable for occasional professional work (see instead my colleague and friend Nino Leitner’s Hands-On Video Review HERE), but I would like to highlight this as a significant moment. In my opinion, from this point onward, Blackmagic Design should be considered as a camera manufacturer that has taken a big step forward, and must be taken very seriously. When the original URSA Mini was introduced, we said goodbye to the awkward “hyperdeck shuttle with an attached sensor camera box” form-factor from Blackmagic’s earlier designs. Now, with the introduction of the Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro, the signs of maturity have become even more evident. These can be measured in several aspects, from announcing a new camera and being able to (finally) ship it almost simultaneously, to designing a product that looks and behaves like a mainstream usable working tool (hello, ND filter…). Using the Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro In the short video above, I tried to simulate a few working scenarios, such as shoulder operation, lowlight shooting, using a video picture profile, shooting a planned interview and more. Please allow me to start by saying that no matter how I used the new camera, the end picture result was lovely. There is something very organic and beautiful when seeing the picture on my screen. Actually, after returning the camera to Blackmagic and going back to work with the URSA Mini 4.6K, I had no doubt that the new model is superior to the old one in picture quality, with NO magenta cast evident from the camera I tested. Another aspect I was eager to test was the sound recording quality, as this was a major flaw with the previous model. I was truly relieved to see that Blackmagic gave this issue the attention it deserved. In addition, the LCD screen is now usable, too. It got smaller, lost its green cast, remained very responsive and was overall very pleasant to use, not to mention how easy the relatively new camera OS makes operating the camera. Another great feature – and one that I didn’t have a chance to explore this time – is the possibility to choose the recording media type. Fast SD cards are now an option along side the usual CFast cards. As a side note, I’m currently using Angelbird’s CFast cards and absolutely love them. Click HERE for a complete list of recommended SD and CFast cards. What I was less than happy to see can be divided into two sections. On the camera side: While dealing with bright sunshine and normal lighting conditions is now a very straight forward task thanks to the new internal ND filters, one might miss the flexibility and usability that some other modern cameras offer for low-light shooting. I mention it because, as a documentary shooter, you never know what to expect. ISO 1600 on this camera is just OK, and the results in less than optimal lighting conditions can suffer from a very grainy image. One way to help the camera combat its somewhat limited low-light capabilities is to use fast lenses, and while there are plenty of those when it comes to primes, the selection is rather non-existent when looking for non-photo, affordable fast EF-mount zoom lenses. Note the position of the iris wheel on the side of the Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro. This of course brings us back to the option of working with fast photo zoom lenses, for which I must say that the electronic iris controller wheel is located in a place that leaves a lot to be desired. I strongly recommend the use of manual aperture lenses whenever possible. Another point to consider is related to those who use autofocus during parts of their production. The autofocus function is extremely slow to work with, to the point that it is better to skip using it altogether. When it comes to sound, Blackmagic Design has kept the endless audio knobs found on the older model. Truly not useful. Accessories: While the optional shoulder mount kit, OLED EVF and handgrip haven’t been replaced, there is something in their functionality that must be noted. Let’s put aside the shoulder mount kit: it is well-built, well-priced and very useful. Regarding the OLED EVF, a lot has been said and written about its optical quality, but that aside, I wish the top 3 user buttons would have made from soft rubber instead of hard plastic. They are very loud to use, meaning that pressing any of them while shooting comes at a risk of picking up that clicking sound in your audio, especially during interviews in quiet locations. Then, there’s the handgrip. This item should better be redesigned. It plays a crucial part when having the camera on your shoulder, but is very hard to adjust precisely, and it should be possible to adjust its rotation one-handedly. Function buttons – Blackmagic design OLED EVF   Three Cameras in One By allowing the user to change the camera’s lens mount, Blackmagic Design has made a brave decision in trying to make the camera appealing to a wide range of users in the cinema, broadcast and studio fields. By brave, I mean the attempt of satisfying the working needs of, say, an ENG cameraman and a cinematographer. Both might use the same working tool BUT in a completely different manner. Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro – three cameras in one (Photo credit: Blackmagic design) As good as it sounds and despite the very competitive pricing, I find it hard to see how broadcasters will be rushing to change their ENG cameras to a Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro for practical reasons. Consider the following: Most, if not all ENG cameras share a similar camera button layout. The Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro is a bit different in this regard, with the power button being a good example. This might seem like a minor point, but for a news shooter who has done this action millions of times, I’m willing to bet that having this particular switch on the “wrong” place might be an issue. The absence of an automatic sound control option, a much-needed feature for the independent shooter. Camera start-up time. Although much-improved from its predecessor, it is still much too slow when compared to a regular ENG camera. These points are likely to be insignificant to a cinematographer, yet important to the ENG user. What I can recommend is to lower expectations in thinking that TV stations will change their ENG cameras in bulk. Instead, they should focus on advising them to have one URSA Mini Pro in every ENG department. This particular camera can serve very well for high-end productions and documentaries where a certain look is required, and also to train staff in how to work with a large-sensor device. Blackmagic design URSA mini pro – A bit heavy but sits comfortably on the shoulder Conclusion Since working with the Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro and seeing what it is capable of, I have found it hard to go back to the URSA Mini 4.6K. The new model is literally better in every aspect. In fact, in my opinion, it is the most robust and mature camera that Blackmagic Design has ever made. I can only hope that they pay the same kind of attention to their much-anticipated filming tools in the future (Pocket Cinema Pro, anybody?). Edit:  As requested by many, here is the ungraded version to my short video. Feel free to download and grade it by yourself. Please note that part of my review was shot in “video mode”. You will easily spot those shots as they are already coloured.   Camera settings for the video above: ProRes 422 HQ, 4K DCI, 25p, edited in the latest version of Adobe Premiere Pro. Colour corrected with FilmConvert URSA Mini 4.6K preset, “film stock” FJ8553 ET. Music by Art-list. Song: Gramercy by JCNY – Currents of a City. Many thanks to Agustina Pezzani and Zach Kornell (https://www.rednoses.eu) If you’re already working with this new camera, why not share your initial thoughts with the community in the comments section below?

UPDATE: Unfortunately, this deal has now ended. You can still get the 2-camera kit for $8,990, though this doesn’t offer any advantages over the individual prices of buying the two cameras on their own. This deal on B&H offers the Blackmagic Design URSA 4K PL (AKA the big one) for just $500… well, at least in theory, as there is one little detail. You also just need to shell out a few thousand bucks for the brand new Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro. Criticised by many due to its large size and weight, the original Blackmagic URSA 4K was quickly dethroned by its little sibling – the Mini – a couple of years ago. Now that the Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro has stolen the show, it may leave many wondering why anyone would want the big ol’ original URSA in the first place. Well, a $500 price tag could be reason enough for many, with this deal offered by B&H. (Thanks to our reader Martijn Schroevers for the heads-up on this incredible deal!) For essentially the price of an entry-level DSLR, you are still getting a host of great features, such as 4K Super35 sensor, 12 claimed stops of Dynamic Range, ProRes and Raw recording, XLRs, SDIs and screens… oh, so many screens. Of course, this comes with the not-so-insignificant caveat that it is only available alongside the fresh-out-of-the-oven Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro. I don’t think we would be too far off the mark if we guessed this “cinema camera kit for 2-camera coverage” from B&H is an attempt to quickly flip their current stock of big URSAs ahead of the official release date of the Mini Pro. I think it’s safe to say that Blackmagic Design is going to be selling a lot of Mini Pros, so if you’re thinking of jumping on that bandwagon, you may want to consider paying a few more hundred dollars and going for this deal. Even if you don’t need it, the second hand value alone may be worth the extra effort. UPDATE: Unfortunately, this deal has now ended. You can still get the 2-camera kit for $8,990, though this doesn’t offer any advantages over the individual prices of buying the two cameras on their own. The B&H image for their 2-camera kit. Uhm… Image not to scale. Thinking of becoming the proud owner of a brand-old big URSA alongside an URSA Mini Pro? Let us know in the comments! Special Thanks to Martijn Schroevers for pointing this deal out to us.

Today I took delivery of my new DaVinci Resolve Micro Panel, after ordering it from CVP on the evening of its announcement last week. Understandably, there was a lot of talk about the Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro after Blackmagic’s live stream, but the DaVinci Resolve Micro Panel and DaVinci Resolve Mini Panel were the thing I was most excited about. They represent a push by Blackmagic in to a whole new market that is ripe for a shake-up. Blackmagic Resolve Micro Panel DaVinci Resolve Micro Panel – A New Generation Is Born It is very seldom that I get the chance to grade using Blackmagic’s full size panel and, at £21k, it’s not exactly something the new breed of home studio colourists are queuing up to purchase. For many years there has been a dearth of options at the lower end of the market. The woefully-supported Avid Artist Color panel was one I used for a time but, more recently, it was Tangent’s ‘Element’ control surface that I, and scores of smaller post houses and freelance colourists, were using. For Tangent, last week’s announcement must have come as a heavy blow. I never thought there was much wrong with Tangent’s products, but I can’t see anyone in the market for a control panel now choosing the Element over the Mini, and even the Micro gives it a good run for its money. The DaVinci Resolve Micro Panel retails for the same cost as just one part (the Tk balls and wheels) of the Element, or nearly a third of the full Element setup. It feels much more solidly built, has a more thoughtfully laid out design and works seamlessly with Resolve right out of the box, whereas Tangent’s panel requires users to install their TangentHub software. Blackmagic’s panel literally just plugs in using the included 2m-long USB-C to USB-A cable, and that’s it. Customisation Now some people may argue that, via its Mapper utility software, the ability of the Element to have its soft keys re-mapped to various functions gives it an advantage over the Micro panel, but I disagree. I can see these smaller panels quickly becoming widely adopted in various levels of post-production studios – from home suites, like mine, to post-production houses, agencies and educational institutions too. That means that the muscle memory you’ll build up on your own panel will still apply if you find yourself grading somewhere else on another DaVinci Resolve Micro or Mini panel. Because the functions won’t have been re-mapped to someone else’s specific tastes, you’ll be on familiar ground, ready to work immediately. In fact the panel is so small, it really wouldn’t be an issue to carry it around with you to grade on-site with clients. Knowing you could simply plug it in to your client’s system and start working in Resolve immediately is hugely attractive. There are also a lot of studios where internet access isn’t allowed on workstations, so not needing to download software is a nice bonus. First Impressions In use, this panel feels great. It’s solidly built and reassuringly heavy but, again, not so bulky you wouldn’t want to take it with you on site. There’s a lovely fluidity to the knobs, and the buttons offer a nice firm resistance as you depress them. There’s little chance you’ll accidentally reset a node or activate any of the buttons functions without intending to. I really like the easy to read, backlit buttons and their simple layout on the surface. Within minutes I was confident that I knew roughly where every function was and could grade faster than I would have been able to without it, and that really is the whole point with control surfaces. With regular use they will enable the operator to make both subtle and not so subtle changes at a pace that is unattainable with a mouse and keyboard alone. Of course, this only being the DaVinci Resolve Micro Panel, there are still functions you will need to reach for the keyboard to activate, particularly if you are editing in Resolve as well as grading. Thanks to the carefully considered size of the panel (it is exactly the same width as a full size Apple keyboard!) it fits snugly in-between my keyboard and Mac, allowing me to go back and forth with ease. Summary I’m really impressed with the panel so far. Though I’ve literally only played with it for a few hours, it already feels at home on my desk and, as I said earlier, operating it seems so instinctive that it feels like I’ve had it forever. At £800, I can imagine Blackmagic will sell a lot of these DaVinci Resolve Micro Panels, but I’m also curious to check out the more expensive DaVinci Resolve Mini panel which, at £2500 is quite a big step up. I’m hoping to lay my hands on a Mini soon, to do a side by side comparison with my Micro. Until then, I’m off to grade my latest project with this little fella.

Here’s my hands-on URSA Mini Pro Review – the newly released ENG / Digital Film / Streaming crossover camera from Blackmagic Design. But what have Blackmagic Design improved? Blackmagic Design just released a new camera – and to be very honest, in the past, these words caused a lot of excitement and doubt at the same time. On the one hand, Blackmagic really managed to shake up the camera industry by packing a lot of pro features like, for example, raw recording into their earliest cameras. With their raw support, they enabled low budget filmmakers to produce high-end quality previously only available from much more expensive cameras. On the other hand, until not so long ago, Blackmagic upset a lot of people by announcing too many cameras at the same time, not meeting their delivery dates or facing sensor issues with some of their cameras. (If you are interested in what the footage from the URSA Mini Pro looks like and you want to hear my colleague and friend Johnnie Behiri’s thoughts on the camera after using it, head over to his review!) Blackmagic Design learned their lessons I think it is safe to say that Blackmagic Design have now learned from their mistakes. In the past year, they have started to announce products only when they are already available, and have succeeded in stopping any significant leaks about their new products. The Blackmagic Design URSA Mini 4.6K and the new URSA Mini Pro side-by-side. A Definitive Second Generation Camera And here it is, the Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro. It was only just announced, but was already shipping right after its introduction. It’s quite clear that this is a definitive second generation camera that offers huge usability improvements over the original URSA Mini 4.6K. Because it is the same sensor and optical performance is expected to be the same or similar, am focusing instead on the hands-on aspects of the camera in this review. Almost the same, but strikingly different: The URSA Mini Pro can take up to 4 different interchangeable mounts. Improvements and Differences to the URSA Mini 4.6K While with the original URSA Mini 4K and 4.6K you had to buy separate EF and PL versions, the PRO offers an interchangeable mount between EF, PL, B4 and Nikon, making this camera adaptable to almost any lens on the market. When compared side-by-side, the first thing to notice is the same-sized body. The new URSA Mini Pro is around 300 grams heavier according to our measurements, though. It’s not a super light camera, but I actually like it for this form factor, because it’s very evenly balanced and sits nicely on the shoulder. Weight Differences between the URSA Mini 4.6K (below) and URSA Mini Pro (above). What’s also new is the greatly reduced start-up time between the two generations of the camera. It was around 10 seconds for the URSA Mini 4K and 4.6K, and it’s now only around 5 seconds – something that makes a difference in everyday shooting scenarios. Startup time on the URSA Mini 4.6K Startup time on the URSA Mini Pro ENG-style New Features Improve Versatility Logically layout of ENG-style buttons on the URSA Mini Pro. As you can see, the outside of this new camera has changed significantly. Blackmagic have moved away from functional minimalism to providing many custom buttons for all kinds of functions, much like we have been used to from other cameras for many years now, particularly those in a broadcast-type form factor. This means less digging into menus and faster access to the functionality you constantly require. Immediate access to Iris, ISO, Shutter, White Balance, High Frame Rate recording, Audio settings and customisable buttons makes the URSA Mini Pro a valid ENG camera in addition to its “digital film” applications. There is now an easily-accessible wheel to adjust either the headphone volume or the aperture of the iris. Unfortunately, the audio knobs are still “infinite” and don’t have hard stops, which means that you will always have to look at the screen in order to see where your audio levels are – but the external display makes monitoring audio much easier. Finally: ND Filters Built-in In my opinion, one of the biggest shortcomings of the original URSA Mini 4K and 4.6K was the lack of built-in ND filters. This is something that’s essential in the ENG world, and considering that it was designed in this form factor, many people including myself were surprised that NDs were missing. Not any more, though – Blackmagic Design have added three steps of switchable, built-in ND to the URSA Mini Pro, at 2, 4 and 6 stops. It’s a rotating filter wheel just like the ones found on other similarly-sized cameras, such as the Sony FS7. There is just one minor design fault: the filter wheel shows the labels 1-2-3-4, with the filter enabled from setting 2 onwards. in my opinion, Blackmagic should have chosen the word “clear” instead of 1 for the sake of clarity. However, they do provide a printed explanation on the side of the camera for this. The filters work just fine and we couldn’t see any significant colour shift when using them on a quick test outside. Smaller Screen, Smart Idea The screen has shrunk. It’s now 4 inches across, which practically makes much more sense as a built-in screen rather than the 5-inch found in the original URSA Mini. Functions that you don’t constantly need to access have now been moved to the inside of the screen – specifically audio settings like XLR phantom power or playback functions. URSA Mini 4.6K next to the URSA Mini Pro, both with opened screen One small downside of the monitor: It still cannot be rotated 180 degrees like on many other cameras, which means you can’t do a “selfie” shoot or have the screen facing the side of your camera. Also, at some angles, it can block the small adjustment wheel that controls the iris. These are all minor issues, though. Screen size comparison between the two URSA Minis – with the new URSA Mini Pro on the right-hand side. Optional URSA Mini Viewfinder If you want to use this camera on the shoulder, I recommend getting the optional URSA Mini viewfinder, which offers a really high quality 1080p image, and has its own focus magnification and peaking controls. Be aware that peaking in the viewfinder also outlines the screen overlays it receives from the camera, which can be a bit distracting. Intuitive: The Operating System and Menu Structure The operating system found on the URSA Mini Pro is where Blackmagic demonstrates its knowledge as a company that has a lot of experience in software and interface design. First of all, the touch screen is super responsive, and while I am not a big fan of touch screens on cameras, I can really see this work just fine for most productions because of its speed and sensitivity. The layout of all the menu items and settings is very logical – this is something that many Japanese camera manufacturers traditionally struggle with. If you have ever looked for a specific function that you don’t need every day on a Sony camera, you know exactly what I am talking about. All that is much easier here – there are virtual touch buttons and sliders that use the available screen real estate effectively, and everything feels very self-explanatory. The only other camera menu as straightforward as this is probably the Arri Alexa, with RED cameras coming in as a close second. The URSA Mini Pro features an outside display with several brightness settings that shows the most important camera settings even when you have the screen closed. A very convenient feature, they clearly took note from other manufacturers who have built this into their cameras in the past. New outside display on the URSA Mini Pro. Recording: Now with SD Cards Next to CFast Cards Let’s move on to recording. The URSA Mini Pro features two CFast Card slots and now also dual UHS-II SD card slots. That means if you are not recording something data intensive, you can opt to record onto much less expensive SD and UHS-II cards, which are inexpensive, commonly available, and perfect for recording ProRes Ultra HD files or RAW HD files. And yes, the URSA Mini Pro records up to 12-bit CinemaDNG RAW, something that still no other camera in this price range can do. It also records up to ProRes XQ and all other flavours of ProRes. SD card slots now next to the CFast card slots. That’s it for the first-look review of the new Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro! Stay tuned for more about this camera from us at cinema5D as we get to know it better.