Description
Blackmagic URSA Mini 4.6K Camera EF Mount with EVF and shoulder mount
We think Blackmagic Ursa Mini 4.6K camera is a game-changer. We disliked the original Ursa camera which was almost too heavy to be usable. The Ursa Mini is a totally different story. Combined with the EVF and shoulder mount kit, suddenly Blackmagic have crossed a threshold of usability and made a camera that can be used for run-and-gun shooting in a professional environment, without the battery and form factor issues of their previous cameras.
You can pick this up, put it on your shoulder, add an EF zoom lens and shoot 4.6K prores with a log curve in 10 bit. Easy workflow, great pictures, low price. People who may have been looking at an Alexa mini for a production but been budgetarily challenged could look at this as a more budget friendly option. It is definitely a strong rival to the Sony FS7.
The new menu structure is a lot easier to deal with, and allows for different viewing LUTs over all the outputs. The new EVF has great peaking for focussing when using this size sensor. The fold out screen is touch control for ease of use.
Our only niggles: 1. It uses expensive Cfast2 cards for recording media rather than SSDs. But Cfast2 cards are beconing more widely available and at lower prices. 2. You have to fold out the touch screen to get to the power button, which if you are only shoulder shooting with the EVF is an annoyance.
This is what Blackmagic say:
World’s Lightest Handheld Super 35 Digital Film Camera
Introducing URSA Mini, a lightweight miniaturized URSA featuring an incredible 4.6K Super 35 image sensor and a massive 15 stops of dynamic range! The super compact and lightweight design is perfectly balanced for handheld use and comfortable enough for all day shooting. That means you get a handheld camera with higher resolution and better dynamic range than most Super 35mm film! URSA Mini shoots up to 60 frames per second, has a super bright 5 inch foldout viewfinder, dual RAW and ProRes recorders and more. You can select from four models of URSA Mini with 4.6K or 4K image sensors and either EF or PL lens mounts.
Varied Professional Applications
The Blackmagic URSA Mini is designed to be used on feature films, television shows, commercials, indies, documentaries, music videos and more. The stunning quality of its 4.6K sensor with 15 stops of dynamic range lets you capture epic cinematic shots, while its compact size is perfect for solo shoots or smaller crews! You can easily customize URSA Mini with high quality cinema lenses, rails, matte boxes and more. The optional shoulder mount kit features a quick release mounting plate so you can go from handheld to shoulder or tripod in seconds, making it perfect for pickup and run shooting situations. It’s the handheld Super 35mm digital film camera that you can use anywhere and, because it’s an URSA, everything you need is built right in.
Large Camera Features in a Compact Magnesium Alloy Body
URSA Mini features a compact, perfectly balanced body made out of advanced technology magnesium alloys so it’s rugged, lightweight and comfortable enough to be used all day. Like all URSA cameras, it includes everything you need built right in! You get a super bright 5 inch fold out 1080 HD touch screen for on-set monitoring and to change camera settings, professional connectors such as 12G-SDI, a high quality stereo microphones and a side grip with control buttons mounted on a standard rosette. The optional Blackmagic viewfinder and shoulder mount kit allow you to go from tripod to over the shoulder shooting in seconds, so you can keep up with the action.
Flexible Rig Options
Blackmagic URSA Mini is completely customizable so you can create a rig that’s built specifically for your production! You can add accessories like the Blackmagic URSA Viewfinder and Blackmagic URSA Mini Shoulder Kit, or choose from hundreds of third party accessories. URSA Mini has 9 standard ¼” threaded mounting points on the top and bottom of the camera so you can mount it directly to a tripod as well as add accessories such as rails, sliders, matte boxes, microphones, ring lights, batteries and more. Whether you’re building a feature film rig or outfitting the camera for an ENG style shoot, URSA Mini has all of the mount points and connections you need.
Cinematic 4K Sensor with 15 Stops Dynamic Range (4.6K version), 12 Stops Dynamic Range (4K Version)
URSA Mini operates at a resolution and dynamic range that goes well beyond traditional motion picture film. You get a 4.6K image sensor that captures up to 4608 x 2592 pixels, that’s bigger than full DCI 4K! The sensor features 15 stops of dynamic range and has a built-in refrigeration cooling which ensures maximum dynamic range so you get incredibly clean pictures with amazing detail in both the dark shadows and bright highlight areas of the image. You can also choose a lower cost 4K model of URSA Mini with 12 stops of dynamic range when you don’t need the performance and are on a tighter budget.
Because URSA Mini features a 4.6K native resolution image sensor it can capture much higher resolution than Ultra HD. This means when you’re working in Ultra HD you have a lot of extra resolution that can be used through the de-bayering image processing so you can recover full color for incredible images. The wide dynamic range blows away high end broadcast cameras to give you dramatically better images that can be colored corrected for a truly cinematic look. For faster post production, quickly switch settings to use regular video dynamic range, so you can shoot great looking video without the need for color correction.
Fast Frame Rate with Slow Motion Recording
Shoot at high frame rates and then play it back at the edit frame rate so you get smooth slow motion video. Simply set the sensor frame rate to get different types of slow motion effects. URSA Mini can capture full resolution 4.6K recordings at up to 60 frames per second and up to 120 frames per second in regular 1080 HD! When you need even more dramatic, higher frame rate slow motion shooting, you can use the regular URSA which can record high resolution 4.6K images at an amazing 120 frames per second!
Seamless Recording
The URSA Mini features dual CFast 2.0 recorders so you never have to stop recording when you need to change the media! When the current card is full, recording continues onto the second card so you can swap out the full card and just keep shooting. URSA Mini uses the latest, incredibly fast CFast 2.0 technology for recording speeds up to 350 MB/s. You get perfect high frame rate RAW recording and instant play back on the built in 5 inch screen. Files can be saved as lossless 12-bit CinemaDNG RAW for the highest possible quality, or as ProRes for easy post production workflows with minimum storage requirements.
Optional High Resolution Viewfinder
The optional Blackmagic URSA Viewfinder has been designed to be the perfect match for URSA and URSA Mini digital film cameras. The Blackmagic URSA Viewfinder has the specifications demanded by high end cinematographers. You get a high resolution 1920 x 1080 color OLED display matched with precision glass optics, adjustable diopter and built in digital focus chart so you get perfect focus every time. To preserve OLED screen life there’s a built in sensor so the OLED only turns on when you’re looking through the viewfinder. The Blackmagic URSA Viewfinder is adjustable so it can be used on both the left or the right eye. There’s even a built in record light.
Touchscreen Control
The high resolution 5 inch fold out monitor includes a touchscreen so you get easy access to the revolutionary URSA camera interface. All of your settings, controls and monitoring tools are at your fingertips. That means you don’t have to hunt through confusing menus to make changes. You can see and change all camera settings, view timecode, histograms for checking levels, audio levels and a focus peaking indicator for checking focus.
Multitude of Connections
Blackmagic URSA Mini features multiple connections such as 12G-SDI out, HD-SDI monitoring out, 2 LANC inputs, balanced XLR audio with phantom power, timecode in and reference input. On the front right side of the camera the 4 pin XLR DC and HD-SDI monitoring output are located in the perfect position for connecting to an optional viewfinder or on set monitor. The 12G-SDI output handles up to 2160p60 using a single BNC cable and also switches to 6G-SDI or HD-SDI depending on the shooting format.
12G SDI Connectivity
12G-SDI is an incredible 8 times faster than regular HD-SDI which makes it fast enough for Ultra HD video at up to 60 frames per second, all over a single regular SDI cable! The high quality BNC connections are multi rate so it can automatically switch and work with 6G-SDI, 3G-SDI, and regular HD-SDI equipment. That means URSA Mini is compatible with all of your existing HD and Ultra HD equipment so you can plug it into things like ATEM live production switchers, on-set monitors, decks and more.
Production Quality Audio
URSA Mini has the highest quality built in microphones and professional audio recording built in so you don’t have to carry around extra sound equipment. Use the built in stereo microphone to record natural location sound or connect professional microphones using the two XLR wide dynamic range mic inputs. The XLR connections have 48V of switchable phantom power so you can plug in everything from shot gun to wireless clip on mics for capturing every detail of the performance. You can quickly adjust levels using the physical knobs and monitor audio using the onscreen audio meters.
Embedded Metadata for Location and Setup Details
The built in touchscreen makes it astonishingly simple to set up and enter metadata for tagging clips. Metadata is saved directly in the video files so you don’t have to worry about managing extra sidecar files. Some models of URSA Mini also include GPS and gyroscopic sensors so that information can be stored as metadata in the video files. That means you can import the files directly into software like DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro and Avid Media Composer then use the metadata to sort, search and find the clips you need so you can spend more time on creative editing and less time managing mountains of media.
Optional Shoulder Mount Kit
The URSA Mini includes multiple ¼” mount points on the bottom so you can attach it directly to any tripod. When you need to rapidly move URSA Mini from tripod to handheld and back multiple times on a shoot the best solution is to use the optional Blackmagic URSA Mini Shoulder Kit. This kit includes the shoulder pad with built in rosettes, rail mounts and integrated quick lock release attachment points so you can instantly latch it into the quick release plate without needing to remove the shoulder pad. The kit also includes a top handle for carrying the camera and attaching accessories.
Power Options
URSA Mini includes a 4-pin XLR industry standard power connector that works with 12V to 30V external power supplies. That means it’s easy to use the camera with all of your existing power supplies and batteries! URSA Mini uses the same battery power connector and mounting points on the rear of the camera as used on URSA so you can use the same range of battery plates from a wide range of manufacturers such as IDX, Frezzi, Anton Bauer and more. You can also add the optional Blackmagic URSA VLock Battery Plate for using popular V-Mount batteries.
Call us now to hire or enquire: 0207 183 1600
Need a 4k camera for your shoot? Consider the Blackmagic 4K Production Camera with EF or PL Mount?
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