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The first footage from Blackmagic's new $6,000 4K camera is predictably sublime
Blackmagic's 4K URSA camera was announced at NAB in April, but delayed much to the dismay of would-be film makers every where. If the first footage shot with it is any indication though, it looks to be worth the wait. Cinematographer John Brawley -- who also demoed early footage of Blackmagic's Pocket Cinema Camera -- uploaded the first frames captured with the $6,000 camera. The URSA is a large departure from past models, as it features a 10-inch, 1080P pop-out display, traditional camcorder form factor and a user-replaceable 4K sensor with a global shutter. It also bests previous Blackmagic models by shooting 4K at 60fps, the speed Brawley used on all but one shot. He used a Cooke 25-250 MK3 T3.7 (PL mount) zoom lens, shooting onto several 128GB SanDisk CFast 2.0 cards at UltraHD (3,840 x 2,160) resolution. As you'd imagine, the footage looks amazing and Brawley said Vimeo doesn't do the original ProRes HQ files justice. The only problem is that the camera is double the price of Blackmagic's Production Camera 4K -- but it's still a lot less than pro models like Red's Scarlet Dragon.
Blackmagic's 4K URSA camera features massive 10-inch 1080p display, ships in June for $6,000
Consumers may not be familiar with Blackmagic Design, but the firm's cameras are all the rage with filmmakers at NAB, drawing enormous crowds within seconds of the show floor opening up to attendees. This year's flagship is the URSA, a relatively massive 4K camera with an enormous 10-inch 1080p flip-out display. There are also two 5-inch monitors on each side, displaying everything from camera settings to a duplicate preview. Another highlight is the Super 35 image sensor (the same used in Blackmagic's existing 4K cam), which is upgradeable should you wish to swap in a refreshed version down the line. You also get plenty of SDI inputs and outputs, XLR mic jacks and either a Canon EF or PL lens mount.
