Blackmagic Design: URSA (http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagicursa)

Blackmagic Design: Blackmagic Studio Camera (http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagicstudiocamera)

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Studio cam:
HD / 4K models
S35 sensor
XLR audio inputs
10" monitor
active Micro 4/3"
built in headset / talkback / tally
fiber in / out
4pin XLR power
4 hour battery

Love the look of the URSA!!!

Oh, god. Mind blown. Can't say anything else at the moment; I'm still gasping for air since I read the price.

Incredible, and of course everyone is asking whether they will really deliver the first 2 in July.

Personal reaction: I was really hoping this "broadcast" camera would be 2/3" as there are a lot of great zoom lenses out there & it would be amazing crazy to have a $2k HD 2/3" broadcast camera.


The Cinezoom lenses they show in the photos cost, what... 20-50x as much as the camera it is attached too?


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The URSA looks like a stab at the Sony F5 / F55, doesn't it? I guess the new Panasonic Varicam too (which has a 2/3" flavor, so that might be a unique selling point).

But if it compares to the F5 / F55, it would be killer at the fraction of the price.

At least since this is the 3rd year of Blackmagic Design cameras, people know that BMD has their own set of quirks, troubles, etc. etc. etc. Still exciting to see how things will shape up.

That URSA model looks really cool.

Oh, and the talent isn't that bad, either.

Huh... only took two years for Blackmagic to realize their camera design was awful.

Regardless... These better be flawless if they want to compete in the pro world.

Oh, god. Mind blown. Can't say anything else at the moment; I'm still gasping for air since I read the price.

Yes. 10" LCD!!! That is awesome. The big three are getting it handed to them by Blackmagic. This camera design ticks a lot of boxes. Very interesting.

Wow! Just amazing. RED should be worried.

The ten inch monitor is unbelievable.

It says shipping in July but doesn't specify what year...

WOW! o_O

RED should be worried.

Yes!

Oh, god. Mind blown. Can't say anything else at the moment; I'm still gasping for air since I read the price.

Yes!

That unit at the bottom, without the sensor that allows you to hook up a DSLR via HDMI and have full features seems to be pretty neat....

10" HD Monitor... that is sweet.

Here are the details about Davinci Resolve 11. The editing part has been greatly improved...

Blackmagic Design: DaVinci Resolve 11 (http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve)

OK now having a reality check after digesting all the info I can currently find on the URSA.

It's VERY heavy - better start booking gym sessions before I order one
No ND filters (but that is expected on a big Cinema camera where a Matt box would be the norm)
Looks to be the same sensor as the current BMD production camera - so it will not be a low-light king (but at least it could be upgraded in the future with the modular design approach)
Seems many BMD owners are not impressed with the lack of firmware fix announcements today (BMD really risk alienating their existing user base…and this is clearly aimed at a different user base to what's been seen so far from BMD - a risky strategy)
Shipping in July…yes, yes…but of which year? (BMD have rather a lot of "previous" on missing delivery dates)
Also, if I order one, won't a better model be announced by BMD before I even get my hands on it…

Still think its GREAT that there are an increasing number of competitors, such as BMD, to keep the "big boys" on their toes about pricing and features on offer…and despite the above I still, sort of, want an URSA! However, my totally reliable C100 and PMW-300 are safe enough tucked up in their kits bags - for now.

Well, the sensors are interchangeable, and the B4 mount has ND filters. But I agree with you, it's heavy and before they start selling it they have to attend the issues their current customers are complaining about, because they're going to be the main voices and possible clients for the new cameras.

It sounds like a bad idea if you ask somebody who owns a 2.5 or a 4k and he tells you to stay away from BM. I have faith they will fix the issues; it's a marketing win...

I was about to pull the trigger on an FS700 but with the announcement of the Ursa Im glad I waited until after NAB. Framerates aside, considering my glass is already all taken care of... it might... just... take the cake. We will see, Ill have to give them a ring after all this craziness that is NAB is over and there are no other things that shout "take my money!".

One thing is likely, the development of the two new cameras had to be stretch for a company the size of BMD and has perhaps taken resources away from other projects. What I hope is that software development for the URSA will or has also yield(ed) solutions to some of the issues with the earlier cameras.

The announcement that Resolve will now be a NLE is also really interesting.

For anyone considering the URSA, also check out AJA's new camera. Yes it is their first, but I feel like AJA designed their camera with camera ops in mind. It has XLR inputs, only took BMD 3 years to add those things.

Keeps on being a very exciting time to be a consumer. All these camera companies keep throwing new cameras at us.

As a camera shader/engineer for multi-cam projects I find using Resolve to match cameras a bizzare but intriguing concept. For live work the iris control better be very ergonomic, changing iris levels on say 4-8 cameras one right after the other is not uncommon and you really need solid controls to make the changes accurate as well as fast.

And studio cameras should have parfocal zoom lenses, having to re-focus every time you zoom/reframe is a non-starter. So far, MFT lenses with a decent Zoom range, constant arpeture and the ability to hold focus throughout the zoom are a rarity, if even they exist. Yeah, I'm with Zach on the 2/3" sensor. I love what BM is trying to do, but there seem to be so many little 'gotchas' that aren't really little at all.

As a Black Magic Cinema Camera owner, as others have said here, I would really hesitate about being an early adopter of this camera. It just seems like there is a lot that has to be developed on this camera, and don't forget current users of the 4K rig are reporting fixed pattern noise on many units, and that hasn't been resolved by Black Magic yet. I also think that sometimes Black Magic Design likes to emphasize its design element, and tries to make cool looking things, that may not be usable in the end. That makes me wonder about the 10 inch monitor, and just how convenient that will really be and how well will it perform in bright light and such.

And I have been waiting for promised upgrades for a year now on my EF, so this time around, I will wait and see how things pan out. Definitely no preorders like last time. An if Black Magic Design is depending on preorders, I have a feeling the based of buyers that were there last time, will not be there this time. I can remember a definite panic that developed to get on a preorder list last time, and I am guessing that will not be near as big this time.

The studio Cam has the same image sensor as the pocket
The differences are it can't do raw but it can do a variety of framerates up to 50/60p
Its not a camcorder. It seems there isn't onboard recorder.

The Ursa is HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE!

The body according to the rep I talked to is something like 16lbs without battery. That gives you the jumbo monitor but a lot of people will be surprised if they buy this without handling it first.

The Ursa is HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE!.

And aptly named. I hope they come out with a baby bear... Ursa Minor.

Pretty amazing package for that price, though. Really, the weight is the only thing that would keep me from seriously considering it... Definitely not a run and gun camera!

One of the best hand held 16mm film cameras, the CP16R weighs about 16 lbs, it was used for shooting news. For hand held work, it's how well it's balanced.that's important and that's where many of the large sensor fail because everything gets front heavy when a zoom is stuck on the front.

http://whitehouseaudiovisual.com/images/singleitem_imgs/CP_16.jpg

However, the CP is full of mechanics and a 400ft roll of film. I suspect the BlackMagic is being made to a price, which prevents any machining to reduce the weight. The Arri Amira has had a weight reduction since last year and comes in at 9.2lbs.

16 lbs people. that should sink in before you consider it, even on top of the other potential issues with BM

a smaller camera can always be built up, but this beast cannot be built down

The AJA Cion looks a better bet on the weight front with 7.4 lbs with the handle fitted.

An Arri Alexa body with SxS Module, electronic viewfinder and handle weighs 7.7 Kg/16.9 lbs.

The URSA seems to aiming to be a production camera and also high end for documentary work on a budget

I suspect the BlackMagic is being made to a price, which prevents any machining to reduce the weight. The Arri Amira has had a weight reduction since last year and comes in at 9.2lbs.

The Ursa also has a liquid cooling system. That's probably a significant contributor to its weight.

i imagine the thing is pretty thick solid metal, and yes, weight reduction is added design, time, and cost.

they likely could have solved all of that with stamped 2-4mm metal, like computer cases. but that would of course likely wouldn't come off as ridiculously solid, but still would have been plenty rugged.

I guess Liquid cooling is a good method to keep down the camera noise, there's a lot of careful fan design in the Arri camera, which adds to the cost.

Liquid cooling probably also allows BMD to take advantage of cooling solutions for personal computers which due to the economies of scale, are quite inexpensive relative to their quality and robustness.

PVC interview Dan May from Blackmagic about the camera.

PVC at NAB 2014 - Blackmagic's URSA on Vimeo

Pre-order the URSA today! We have four handy configurations.


Blackmagic Design URSA EF Upgradable 4K (Pre-Order) (http://www.omegabroadcast.com/product-p/bmd-cinecamursa4k-fslash-ef-90-4791.htm)


Blackmagic Design URSA PL Upgradable 4K (Pre-Order) (http://www.omegabroadcast.com/product-p/bmd-cinecamursa4k-fslash-pl-90-4792.htm)


Blackmagic Design URSA Broadcast 4K (Pre-Order) (http://www.omegabroadcast.com/product-p/bmd-cinecamursa4k-fslash-b4-90-4796.htm)


Blackmagic Design URSA HDMI 4K Recorder (Pre-Order) (http://www.omegabroadcast.com/product-p/bmd-cinecamursa4k-fslash-hdmi-90-4797.htm)

This is an interesting but baffling camera. I didn't think I could be put off a camera by the weight but 7.5kgs without an evf or battery!? Wow! - 3 screens you' have to' carry seems a bit ott. And where are those other flavours of prores?

I have to say though this is a huge amount of camera for the money...literally!

I didn't know anything about Ursa when I walked into the BM booth at NAB. Without looking at the specs, two things stood out for me. First, this camera is huge! It's about 1.5 times the size of a standard bread loaf. Massive. Second, why were the audio monitor meters on the right side of the camera? A shooter won't be able to monitor audio, unless another meter is included in the lcd?

Warren:

Their idea is that it will actually be a for a sound guy to control sound levels without interfering with shooter. I think the two side monitors can view the same thing, but not certain. Most of us current BM customers blew a gasket when BM suddenly produced these at NAB, when they haven't fixed the issues with the first four cameras.

BM had best have deep pockets if these new big investments don't sell. Will be interesting to see if there is a price reduction in the next 12 months due to slow sales.

Their idea is that it will actually be a for a sound guy to control sound levels without interfering with shooter. I think the two side monitors can view the same thing, but not certain.

This makes me think that perhaps BMD doesn't understand their customer base. Do they really think it's the best idea to design a camera that's geared toward running it with a crew (cam op, focus puller and audio tech)? I would think that there would be a majority of single operator users who want to use this instead of a production crew, so it would have made more sense to design the ergonomics for a single operator.

This makes me think that perhaps BMD doesn't understand their customer base. Do they really think it's the best idea to design a camera that's geared toward running it with a crew (cam op, focus puller and audio tech)?
I've just watched the link Brian gave, and there are so many (critical) questions which could have been asked.....

In particular, they talk about the sound recordist having access to the one side of the camera, hence the audio metering and controls there. Do they seriously think any camera operator is going to be very pleased if somebody starts adjusting knobs on the far side of their camera mid-shot? And is the side of the camera the best place for the recordist to always have to look for his metering?

Surely the arrangement where the recordist lines up a small mixer with the camera pre-shooting, which gives him the flexibility to monitor and adjust levels where it's most suitable to him, far preferable? Oh wait - that's what happens at the moment, so they couldn't advertise anything "new"......

And the 10" monitor - it may be useful sometimes, but is it the only method of viewfinding? What happens on an outdoor shoot in bright daylight?

Overall Ed, I agree. It smacks of having been designed by technicians who think they know what cameraman want - rather than involving those who actually use the gear day in, day out. The comment about it's coming from a company with a base in computing may be more revealing than they intended.....

It's interesting, it's got good points, but I'm just left feeling it hasn't been fully thought through. Which is a shame.

For the studio camera, what's a decent low cost zoom lens suggestion? I don't see 720P SDI output. That's kind of disappointing. Looks very interesting that's for sure!

I didn't know anything about Ursa when I walked into the BM booth at NAB. Without looking at the specs, two things stood out for me. First, this camera is huge! It's about 1.5 times the size of a standard bread loaf. Massive.

Size wise the dimensions are pretty similar to an ARRI Alexa, although that camera has a shoulder notch built in. The weight is greater than the Alexa, in that the latter needs to have a viewfinder fitted before they match. I suspect the large screen feature may be adding a bit to the URSA's weight compared to the Alexa plus the liquid cooling.

According to John Brawley, the URSA, with the liquid cooling part of Ursa at back of the camera and its length, balances well with vLock and a heavy cine prime or a lightweight zoom.

A number of the current large sensor (smaller) cameras tend to be front heavy, especially with a cine lens fitted

This makes me think that perhaps BMD doesn't understand their customer base. Do they really think it's the best idea to design a camera that's geared toward running it with a crew (cam op, focus puller and audio tech)? I would think that there would be a majority of single operator users who want to use this instead of a production crew, so it would have made more sense to design the ergonomics for a single operator.

Sure, why not? I think if they took a glance around a forum like this one they'd see pretty fast that most of the one-man-band and wedding shooter talk goes straight to whatever the latest high end one piece is from Sony or Canon. It would probably be a mistake for someone their size to try and compete with them directly.

BM as camera makers have chucked their lot in with with filmmakers and students from the start, I'd say. This one seems like the wish list of a mid-late 2000s 'video' student crew struggling to do a single system shoot with an XL1s or XHA1 or something (ie. me) and hitting most points fairly well (not weight, but hey). I would imagine a lot of that stuff still applies until more recent times.

Surely the point is and very frustratingly that their cameras have so much potential. They are putting in some very nice ingredients but by not really speaking to operators within their marketing user group they are coming up with a rather strange finished recipe. 3 screens, a built in 10inch monitor, high bit rate only, 7.5 kg body... - would anyone actually ask for these in a camera and wasn't the story the same for their first cameras to, internal battery etc ??

Surely the point is and very frustratingly that their cameras have so much potential. They are putting in some very nice ingredients but by not really speaking to operators within their marketing user group they are coming up with a rather strange finished recipe. 3 screens, a built in 10inch monitor, high bit rate only, 7.5 kg body... - would anyone actually ask for these in a camera and wasn't the story the same for their first cameras to, internal battery etc ??

Well, it's not that they shouldn't listen to them. But as these discussions usually develop, the 'pro-shooter' space usually wants particular things, as ever, that no one is going to deliver without adding five-to-ten grand to the price. BM seem to have a more broad audience in mind. That and keeping the price down seems to explain their unusual mishmash of features.
The BMCC, complained about though it is, made a lot of sense in a world full of people weaned on DSLRs who wanted to play with raw. I can't think of a camera yet people have had no wish list/change list for, bar some top tier ones perhaps. So the fact that there's some is really no surprise.

Quite a few little oddities seem aimed directly at situations I've seen myself. Its been a while but the last couple of shoots I was on had f3s and Epics festooned with monitors and other stuff. One for the op, one for the follow, one for whoever else is looking. Each of those added $50 or more to the daily rental cost. Put them on the camera and you could be saving some starving crew $1000 a week. The on board ones aren't as flexible, but swings, roundabouts etc.
I always recommend against single system audio, but I've still seen a ton of people use it, even demand it. And then the knobs and monitoring options becomes something audio people have to sigh about on the day. This camera does a better job there.
Those are a couple of examples. There's a number of things people are pointing out as weird that I have personally seen and they are addressing. Good plan or not? I don't know. But their logic is at least partly explicable to me, is all I'm saying.

Single system sound is pretty standard on a lot of broadcast TV productions. Double system adds another item to the post production, which has an increasingly tighter schedule over the years, not helped by the fixing it in post approach. .

I've been looking over the design of this camera - as much as I can from videos and pictures - and I think it's a pretty nice system, especially for the money. I see it as a mainly tripod-mounted camera with a small crew in attendance. Sure, it can be operated by one person, but it's obvious the design was meant for a production crew.
The audio on the opposite side of the camera op? Very nice. I've worked enough audio to see this as a nice feature. And I wouldn't have a problem with the audio operator adjusting the levels while shooting. He has his own monitor, he can see when to touch the camera. I'd rather he do it than me.

The 10" monitor should negate the need for a viewfinder, at least while the camera is on a tripod. Shoulder mounted, though, will be an issue. The weight and lack of a EVF could pose problems. I guess that's why BM included a power port and video out on top for a third party EVF. Even though the camera is heavy, I came from the days of 3/4" video gear. My gear weighed 45lbs back in the day. I would have begged for this camera. In other words, shoulder mounting is doable, at least for a little while.

For now, this seems to be the best and cheapest 4K solution for raw and pro res codecs. What other camera offers all this for $6,000? All you need is a battery, lens and media cards, like any other shoulder mount ENG cam, and you're set to go. The media is expensive, but so was P2 when it first came out. Still isn't cheap.

You could buy a used RED, but not everybody wants a RED.
I prefer the design of the CION, but it it's more expensive. Might be worth it, who knows?

I've never been interested in BM cameras until the Ursa. You have to admit, BM thinks outside the box.

The audio on the opposite side of the camera op? Very nice. I've worked enough audio to see this as a nice feature. And I wouldn't have a problem with the audio operator adjusting the levels while shooting. He has his own monitor, he can see when to touch the camera. I'd rather he do it than me.
But he may want to adjust the level mid-shot - and if whilst panning with a tight lens I don't see the cameraman being happy.......

But more to the point, and especially with a combined recordist/boom op, being next to the camera on camera right may not be where they need to be. The BlackMagic photos show the recordist camera right purely to see levels etc - but key from camera right and the recordist is likely to actively want to be on the same side as the cameraman for shadow avoidance reasons. Or do BlackMagic expect keying to always now to be from the same direction, to fit in with their design? :-)

Assuming we want single system sound, then isn't the conventional idea of a small field mixer - an SQN, or whatever - to feed the camera just a far better idea? Allows the recordist freedom to be where they want to be - and even allows for mixing more than one mic.........

It would make more sense for the audio levels to be on the operators side. Unless the large screen also displays the levels. Any sound recordist I've worked with has always had a mixer, with the audio level on the camera set up before any filming using the reference tone, once set the recordist never touches the camera.

A rather more basic set up is to have a boom swinger feeding audio into the camera, which probably leaves the camera operator effectively adjusting the levels.

It really doesn't matter if the sound turns out like it is turning out with the Black Magic Cinema Cameras. The recorded sound, even if fed from a decent mixer, is still lacking lower end response. We know it doesn't have to be like that, because the early version firmware 1.21 gave un a fairly equalized recording, though it was suffering from DC offset issues. On the next firmware update sometime in May or June of last year, the DC offset issue disappeared. Yet, in the notes on they don't even mention they have done anything with the sound,. and since then, they have ignored all requests to correct the issue.

This lack of support is what would make me wary of the Black Magic's new Ursa, and until they fix their support issues, I can't in good conscience recommend to anyone that he or she buy one of their cameras. .

It would make more sense for the audio levels to be on the operators side. Unless the large screen also displays the levels. Any sound recordist I've worked with has always had a mixer, with the audio level on the camera set up before any filming using the reference tone, once set the recordist never touches the camera.

A rather more basic set up is to have a boom swinger feeding audio into the camera, which probably leaves the camera operator effectively adjusting the levels.

When I work audio, I normally use a mixer. We usually set audio with tone beforehand. The levels are then adjusted from the mixer.
But again, I'd prefer to see the audio levels while filming. This is a very good way of seeing the levels without disturbing the camera operator. I know I'd find it very useful when I'm working audio.
I would think the camera operator can also monitor the audio levels, both on the 10" VF and on the smaller side mounted monitors.