The Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF is Blackmagic’s full-frame cinema digicam, designed to push decision, dynamic vary, and suppleness whereas remaining extra accessible than many ultra-resolution cinema rigs. Introduced final 12 months, the URSA Cine 12K LF, together with the URSA Cine 17K 65, could also be set to make an outsized affect on the business. That’s one thing to say for a 12K digicam.
First, we have to cease being afraid of 12K as a decision. Blackmagic Design has made 12K Blackmagic RAW as straightforward to make use of as any high-resolution format. And this isn’t the primary 12K digicam and even the one one Blackmagic makes. Plus, the 12K footage is totally beautiful. A further profit is that you just don’t must shoot 12K. You possibly can shoot 8K or decrease and nonetheless have that full-frame look.
What Blackmagic will get proper with the Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF is straightforward: The digicam makes it straightforward to seize gorgeous pictures and simplifies the method of powering obligatory digicam equipment, which in flip makes it simpler to make use of by knowledgeable digicam crew. Don’t side-eye me; there’s a leap in functionality when working with a crew. An enormous a part of the success of different high-end skilled cinema cameras is their skill to attach and work together with obligatory digicam equipment.
Right here is how I examined the Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF: I shot a scene with my Spouse and Daughter as they learn a e-book. I labored as a solo operator, as I are inclined to movie solo more often than not. Subsequent, I shot an interview for a video of a beautiful girl who cleans up my space of city each week. Lastly, utilizing Laowa’s lovely Sword Macro Lenses, I captured the fleeting butterflies and season-ending flowers in my yard. I can’t assist however attempt my hand as a nature filmmaker every now and then. It jogs my memory of the top-level expertise we see featured in nature documentaries and the way I’m nowhere near that degree of professionalism. Kudos to those that seize nature nicely.
The URSA Cine 12K LF is likely one of the latest cameras from Blackmagic, which democratizes filmmaking by placing instruments normally reserved for high-end filmmaking into the palms of the plenty. I can at all times get behind that core theme by Blackmagic Design. Early on of their digicam manufacturing, Blackmagic offered us with uncooked recording capabilities at an excellent value, and likewise affords a free model of DaVinci Resolve for anybody who needs or wants the software program. In some ways, Blackmagic Design has profoundly formed the business.
Key Specs & Options
Key options for the Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF embrace a big 36×24 mm RGBW sensor, as much as 12K decision with excessive body charges, built-in NDs, a number of mount choices, onboard 8 TB media, and integrations for contemporary post-/cloud-workflows. Above is what one can learn in any on-line description. Cameras are greater than key specs and options.
Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF Digicam Measurement
The Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF is just not a small digicam and it doesn’t try to be one both. The URSA Cine 12K LF is a bigger skilled cinema digicam that comes equiped for any shoot. The digicam can really feel heavy within the hand if one tries to shoot with it like a small digicam. I shot with a tripod for many of my testing, however I might have pulled out an EasyRig. In my case, what I wished to shoot seemed higher from a tripod.
I did shoot handheld for a challenge, not edited but, and I discovered the digicam straightforward to shoot off the shoulder as its weight and steadiness are much like different cameras.
B-Mount Batteries
If you wish to take advantage of out of the Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF, you’ll want B-Mount Batteries. I requested BlueShape to assist me with this evaluation, they usually despatched me three of their newest B-Mount Batteries. Thanks, BlueShape, which is a good firm.
Why would you like B-Mount batteries like BlueShape’s? Effectively, you may’t get the very best body charges out of the digicam with out B-Mount’s greater voltage batteries. I truly suppose, when you’re taking pictures Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF, 17K 65, Arri 35 Xtreme, or some other high-end digicam, you need to most likely spend money on B-Mount batteries. In any other case, on the Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF, you are caught with decrease body charges, and who needs to be caught taking pictures 60 fps when you may prime out at 224 fps at 8K 2.4:1 by a single battery change.
I attempt to take into consideration progress in my work and kit. It appears to me that cameras that proceed to push the envelope on dynamic vary, decision, and excessive body charges will want the obligatory energy to attain an increasing number of unimaginable outcomes. Add in the advantages to an organization like Blackmagic, which can wish to proceed to push the engineering additional and additional. Energy and cooling are an enormous a part of that equation.
Wrangling 12K Decision
Within the evaluation instance Blackmagic despatched me, the URSA Cine 12K LF got here prepared for me to make use of my CFexpress B playing cards. Not their proprietary 8TB Media, which is ok to me. I recorded 12K and 8K decision on the highest body charges out there for the cardboard reader and B-Mount battery. The URSA Cine 12K LF permits one to report throughout two playing cards, permitting you to mix two in Resolve. The method is simple, and if I have been an proprietor/operator, I’m not so certain I’d require 8TB media. Although I believe the cost-benefit is best for proprietor/operators in the event that they spend money on Blackmagic’s 8TB onboard media, particularly for longer initiatives.
Taking pictures 12K
I wished to check the Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF in the best way I sometimes shoot, which is usually solo documentaries. The Dad in me comes out in these assessments, capturing my household doing one thing. On this case, my Spouse, Angela, studying to our little one.
I shot 12K with the Sword Macro Lenses by Laowa. I prefer to get near a topic at occasions, and these Sword Macro Lenses made it straightforward to get the pictures I wished. Total, the picture is good with nice pores and skin tones. My Spouse has a extra olive complexion, and my daughter’s pores and skin is lighter. I like with the ability to see the distinction nicely.
I edited that little video in DaVinci Resolve with an 8K export. The 4K model appears slightly softer within the export, however nonetheless retains the pop that the Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF can ship with out being overly sharp.
Filming Butterflies
Utilizing the identical Laowa Sword Macro lenses, I attempted to seize the fleeting butterflies in my yard. Butterflies transfer an entire lot faster than one initially imagines. I cranked the Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF to its highest body fee. To get much more out of the digicam, I set the challenge to 60p, permitting me to vary my clip attributes in Resolve and see a fair greater body fee within the edit.
Would having the Blackmagic 8TB media module have given me even greater body charges? That I couldn’t check. I used to be caught with CFExpress B as my media. Nonetheless, what I used to be seeing seemed gradual sufficient for me to seize some first rate footage of butterflies.
That POP!
What I really like in regards to the butterfly footage is all of the element we are able to see within the butterflies. From the colour of their wings, hair on their our bodies, to the dusting of pollen throughout. It’s fairly cool to see that degree of element on prime of a picture that POPs on display. I don’t know what it’s in regards to the butterflies, however I might stare at these particulars as a result of they’re issues I normally can’t see on daily basis. I didn’t reframe any of those pictures, however I simply might have delivered a 4K video and reframed to make it a greater edit, however I’m not right here for higher edits. I’m right here to pixel peep.
Filming Interviews
Interviews may be lengthy, and I actually shot a one-hour-long interview for a video a few volunteer. This is the place I want we had that Blackmagic 8TB Media Module. As a video producer and shooter, operating out of media house and batteries is the largest mistake one could make. With this video, I did crop in to vary the shot occasionally. The liberty to shoot in 12K and even 8K is fairly useful.
Proxies
This is the place the Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF shines. The digicam data proxies to both the identical card or a unique card for you. As an editor and video producer, I used these proxies to log the video interview. That could be a useful function. Nevertheless, when you’re utilizing CFExpress B playing cards and recording proxies to the identical card as the upper decision, you might encounter learn/write velocity choke factors. Ship these proxies to a different card when you can.
XLR Audio Inputs
Blackmagic selected to maintain the 2 XLR inputs on the highest rear of the digicam. I contemplate this an attention-grabbing place for audio. Clearly, it’s straightforward for a sound recordist/growth operator to entry the highest of the digicam. The best facet options quantity adjustment knobs for channels 1/2 and three/4. I can see Blackmagic needs to make it straightforward for groups to work collectively. I just like the bodily knobs.
Blackmagic EVF
Blackmagic has confirmed again and again that they make nice viewfinders. The most recent model is best, has a stronger mount to the digicam, and is crystal clear. Now, Blackmagic has an EVF extension accent permitting operators to place the EVF a bit additional away from the entrance of the digicam. This makes the operator from a tripod fairly snug.
LCD Screens
The Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF and 17K 65 each include a left facet flip-out LCD display and a second LCD display on the suitable facet of the digicam. For these working with a digicam crew, the extra proper facet LCD shall be a useful function. As a solo shooter, I preferred with the ability to function the digicam from both facet. Once I was serving to my daughter shoot slightly bit, we’re dipping her toes into images and video, I used to be in a position to help her from the digicam assistant facet. Each LCDs are vibrant and seemed nice to me. The colour felt correct in each. We shot in vibrant daylight and we didn’t have an issue seeing the picture on both display.
A pleasant huge LCD display and you’ll see the B-mount batteries plate.
12K in Resolve
This combo, the URSA Cine 12K LF and DaVinci Resolve, is the place Blackmagic has tuned the 2 to deliver out probably the most from that 12K footage. I discovered it tremendous straightforward to drag colours and regulate and alter any picture with out a lot concern of destroying the picture.
What Works Actually Effectively
- Decision & Flexibility
- Person-Changeable Lens Mounts
- The flexibility to shoot in very excessive resolutions (12K) after which downsample, reframe, crop, or stabilize in publish whereas retaining glorious picture high quality is an enormous plus. 12K provides numerous artistic freedom
- Dynamic Vary / Colour / Picture High quality
- The ~16 stops of dynamic vary, good spotlight roll-off, and the newer RGBW sensor give richer shade constancy. Pores and skin tones and shade science are stable.
- Constructed-in Workflow & Storage.
- Value / Worth (Relative to Competitors)
- For what it affords, particularly at its pricing, many discover it compelling: excessive decision, giant sensor, skilled options.
Perfection Eludes All
Not all the things is ideal. Each digicam has trade-offs and potential downsides. With the Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF, noise may be discovered within the decrease finish of the picture when filming at greater ISOs. When you’re taking pictures 12K on a regular basis, you’d higher have a great storage answer. The digicam is heavy. For mirrorless shooters, the Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF might really feel very heavy. The load of a digicam can enhance the price of rigging when taking pictures, as you might want extra sturdy tools to seize the shot you completely want.
Verdict
The Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF is a strong cinema digicam that delivers not solely 12K decision but additionally glorious shade and dynamic vary. At its value, one will get one helluva digicam. Blackmagic continues to democratize the business, and the URSA Cine 12K LF is the newest instrument at a really cheap value. Really, a VERY REASONABLE Value.
When you’ve got good lighting and may deal with giant information in post-production, this digicam affords nice worth and inventive flexibility. Nevertheless, in decrease gentle or cell settings, you might discover some trade-offs. I consider this digicam can produce unimaginable pictures in the suitable palms. I nonetheless watch the butterfly video I shot, and I’m in awe of the element and shade. That’s what we wish. We would like a digicam that makes it straightforward to seize gorgeous footage, and Blackmagic has succeeded in that regard.
