Blackmagic URSA : full Fledged Camera

If only he had yelled that the camera can shoot in 2160 60p. I don't think I knew that when I shot this video.


Wow, definitely a lot of new big chip cameras at NAB. Still wish we would have seen new big chip cameras from Canon and the 4K version of the AC90 that Panasonic showed off a while back. I was told that Panasonic is aiming for 2160 60p before they release that.
 
Why can't BM make normal products? Why do they have to reinvent the whole concept of a camera?
I do think that the quality they produce is good, but feature wise it can be a disaster when they just ignore what's been developed as a good set of features and functions over the years.
 
I agree with Osslund here to a point, I think the studio camera is a bit odd, Would be good for public access shooting where anyone can jump behind the camera, and if it gets trashed it's only a few g's. The URSA, has some really cool features, That big screen is strange, If it doesn't swivel around then It's going to be pretty limited, it will also act as a sail in windy situations, I can see that thing getting ripped off in high winds. It looks to be the same glossy finish which acts like a mirror in sunlight, The sensor is the issue for me, love that it's super 35, but for today's market and shooting demands, it's not to good in the low light realm, about the same or less than the f35 it seems, but with less DR. Love the global shutter, I guess that's the trade off.
 
We might ask RED the same question. Why couldn't they just leave well enough alone? When everyone was happy recording 1080p to HDCam/HDCamSR, why record to CF? When DCP is only 2K, why record to 5/6K? When "everyone" was shooting 1080p to 2/3" sensors why jump to S35? When everyone is building around the 1.85 frame, why offer 2:1?

The answer to RED and to BM seem to be, "Because they prefer to innovate". BM as with RED, Kodak, Arri, and everyone else who's ever pushed at the edges, has made numerous mistakes. They will learn, mature, and likely give us some fantastic products. And like the others, they will give us some duds too. No one hit's it out of the park every time. I thought I wanted an Arri D21... until the Alexa came out. :) And I thought I wanted a RED One.... until the Epic was announced.

BM is new at this. Give them some time to learn.


Osslund said:
Why can't BM make normal products? Why do they have to reinvent the whole concept of a camera?
I do think that the quality they produce is good, but feature wise it can be a disaster when they just ignore what's been developed as a good set of features and functions over the years.
Click to expand...
 
When I saw what BM did with this camera at NAB for the price point and with user changeable lens mounts my first thought was this is the camera the Red promised to give use years ago. This is not a one man band camera but designed for a small crew. BM is thinking out of the box but at least they went with a standard external Battery this time.
 
Yak said:
When I saw what BM did with this camera at NAB for the price point and with user changeable lens mounts my first thought was this is the camera the Red promised to give use years ago. This is not a one man band camera but designed for a small crew. BM is thinking out of the box but at least they went with a standard external Battery this time.
Click to expand...

They got a lot of things right. SDI, PL/EF, XLRs, 4-pin power, global shutter, etc. They did a few things that are questionable... CFast, UHD instead of true 4K. And those head scratchers... 10" screen in front of operator.

I want SO MUCH to like this camera and order one. It would work for me at the office. But I just don't know...
 
I hear you perrone, I to like a lot about this camera, Love the build, love that the sensor can be swapped out, and the more I think about it, the hdmi cheeseplate front is even pretty awesome. As silly as it may seem, the monitor is a big issue for me until I know for sure that it can swivel. If it can't, well it's going to be very limited, in fact so much that I don't see the purpose, it's like going back to the 5d2 days of lying on the ground to get horizontal with the screen. I rarely am positioned behind the camera when working solo, I'm all over to get the shot and angle. This is the reason I love the dslr form factor. I certainly hope they brand their own cfast cards as well, at an affordable price. It's crazy the cost of those things.
 
I've had many BM products and all but their Battery converters have been odd ducks. I applaud them getting into the camera business but looking at the cameras produced so far and it's clear they just ignore common sense. At least from a shooters perspective.
 
If you look here: http://youtu.be/gICpqs6AAPQ?t=1m30s

This shows the beginning of the swivel. If you look carefully at the camera with the screen closed, you can see the swivel pin going to the monitor, and not just a simple hinge. I believe this is going to swivel just like the old DVX/HVX used to do. That was a nice design and let you get high and low without issue.

Frankly, I hate the DSLR form factor. I have a lot of them, but for stills work. For shooting film, I prefer a camera with more size and mass. It's easier to get more stable footage when the camera has mass and size.

maranfilms said:
I hear you perrone, I to like a lot about this camera, Love the build, love that the sensor can be swapped out, and the more I think about it, the hdmi cheeseplate front is even pretty awesome. As silly as it may seem, the monitor is a big issue for me until I know for sure that it can swivel. If it can't, well it's going to be very limited, in fact so much that I don't see the purpose, it's like going back to the 5d2 days of lying on the ground to get horizontal with the screen. I rarely am positioned behind the camera when working solo, I'm all over to get the shot and angle. This is the reason I love the dslr form factor. I certainly hope they brand their own cfast cards as well, at an affordable price. It's crazy the cost of those things.
Click to expand...
 
I wish they simply finished existing line of cameras and fix all the issues bugging them. Then if they improved MFT version- better body design, active mount, maybe change hardware and allow for higher frame rates. They had a sensor, they had color science and experience. It simply looks like at this point BM is pumping out a whole bunch of half baked products, creating constant workarounds. Sorry, but shaking things up from time to time can be good, but constant shaking leads to trauma. And I think this is where BM is heading.
 
I feel like they jumped the shark with the big monitor and the various displays. Folks have asked a lot of BM after the launch of the BMCC and they did a great job answering them like balanced line audio input, camera ergos, power, etc. The switchable sensor idea is great. I just feel they went off in a strange direction making it so big and putting that monitor on it. It's like they had a bunch of them and had to figure out what to do with them.
 
It's an interesting thought. What seems more likely to me, is that BM had a timeline laid out to put camera products into all the spaces they serve with their other products. DSLR, Mid-Range, Cinema, and broadcast. Pocket, BMCC, BMPC/URSA, StudioHD/Studdio 4K.

I think the issues with the sensors hit them by surprise. I think their timeline was too aggressive and couldn't be addressed properly because they were spread thin on finishing their product timelines. Ultimately, they would have had to face the choice of whether to stop on their timeline and fix issues, or finish the timeline and live with the issues. Finishing the timeline causes some headaches on the internet as people get mad that things aren't addressed. But it gives advantages in other ways. The BMCC is the odd duck. It's got a sensor not shared by the other products. To me, it feels the most sorted out, and I truly love mine. All the 4K cameras are sharing a sensor. Fix the issue for one, and you fix it for all. The Pocket and the StudioHD camera share a sensor. Those are probably the biggest sellers (or potential sellers), and the issues with them have been addressed quickly. The Studio/4K, URSA, and BMPC will share a sensor, and that sensor needs the most work right now. That is likely their next target since it will sit in their flagship camera.

I think at this point, they can wind back on the camera development a bit, and try to concentrate more on the firmware side of things. NAB is over and it's movie-making season. I'm rooting for BM a lot like I did for RED. Disruptive products at reasonable prices. Forcing others to compete or lose.

I sit here needing to buy a new camera for work. My realistic choices are sony pxw-z100, AJA CION, BM URSA, BMPC, BMCC. Each brings it's on set of issues.
 
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