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12K Ursa Mini Pro Camera by Blackmagic Design, Engineering Marvel
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    Specs

    • 12,288 x 6480 12K Super 35 sensor
    • 14 stops of dynamic range
    • Native ISO - 800
    • Not usual bayer sensor - instead has equal amounts of red, green and blue pixels
    • User-Changeable PL Lens Mount
    • $9995 at https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1578059-REG/blackmagic_design_ursa_mini_pro_12k.html
    • Storage Features
      • 2 x CFast 2.0
      • 2 x SD UHS-II cards
      • 1 x high speed USB-C expansion port for external media.
    • Storage Rates, based on 24 frames per second.
      • 12K - 12,288 x 6480
      • Blackmagic RAW 5:1 - 578 MB/s
      • Blackmagic RAW 8:1 - 361 MB/s
      • Blackmagic RAW 12:1 - 241 MB/s
      • Blackmagic RAW 18:1 - 160 MB/s
      • Blackmagic RAW Q0 - 241 to 578 MB/s 1
      • Blackmagic RAW Q1 - 144 to 361 MB/s 2
      • Blackmagic RAW Q3 - 96 to 241 MB/s 3
      • Blackmagic RAW Q5 - 72 to 180 MB/s 4
      • 8K - 8192 x 4320
      • Blackmagic RAW 5:1 - 258 MB/s
      • Blackmagic RAW 8:1 - 161 MB/s
      • Blackmagic RAW 12:1 - 107 MB/s
      • Blackmagic RAW 18:1 - 72 MB/s
      • Blackmagic RAW Q0 - 107 to 258 MB/s 1
      • Blackmagic RAW Q1 - 64 to 161 MB/s 2
      • Blackmagic RAW Q3 - 43 to 107 MB/s 3
      • Blackmagic RAW Q5 - 32 to 81 MB/s 4
      • 6K - 6144 x 3240
      • Blackmagic RAW 5:1 - 145 MB/s
      • Blackmagic RAW 8:1 - 91 MB/s
      • Blackmagic RAW 12:1 - 61 MB/s
      • Blackmagic RAW 18:1 - 40 MB/s
      • Blackmagic RAW Q0 - 61 to 145 MB/s 1
      • Blackmagic RAW Q1 - 36 to 91 MB/s 2
      • Blackmagic RAW Q3 - 24 to 61 MB/s 3
      • Blackmagic RAW Q5 - 18 to 45 MB/s 4
      • 4K - 4096 x 2160
      • Blackmagic RAW 5:1 - 65 MB/s
      • Blackmagic RAW 8:1 - 41 MB/s
      • Blackmagic RAW 12:1 - 27 MB/s
      • Blackmagic RAW 18:1 - 18 MB/s
      • Blackmagic RAW Q0 - 27 to 65 MB/s 1
      • Blackmagic RAW Q1 - 16 to 41 MB/s 2
      • Blackmagic RAW Q3 - 11 to 27 MB/s 3
      • Blackmagic RAW Q5 - 8 to 20 MB/s 4
    • Recording Formats
      • Blackmagic RAW Q0, Q1, Q3, Q5, 5:1, 8:1, 12:1 and 18:1 at 12,288 x 6480, 11,520 x 6480, 12,288 x 5112, 7680 x 6408, 8192 x 4320, 7680 x 4320, 8192 x 3408, 5120 x 4272, 6144 x 3240, 4096 x 2160, 3840 x 2160, 4096 x 1704 and 2560 x 2136 stored as 12 bit non-linear with film, extended video, video or custom 3D LUT embedded in metadata.
  • 53 Replies sorted by
  • Can’t take anyone seriously when the video to present a cinema camera is over exposed by like 4 stops

  • I prefer my fx3 to this camera. The shit you have to go to play this material and manage size of files also noise and low iso. It’s really bad hasn’t aged well at all. As a piece of engineering fine work as a part of real workflow more like nightmare.

  • @DrDave

    It can be similar IQ, but BM is much more handy is real work as camera.

    Resolve support for 8K is constantly improving.

  • New price makes sense as the Canon and Sony are going to have similar IQ, along with the upcoming Nikon.

  • From day 1 I said this camera and IQ it has is a flop, I guess I was right. It was the wrong move from Blackmagic , instead of improving on the 4.6k sensor , they went back (in Image quality) , its very small market for such a sensor, where final image 4.6k sensor is still better

  • image

    Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K camera just got a price reduction from $9,995 to $5,995. This 40% price drop.

    sa18033.jpg
    800 x 449 - 57K
  • VK I want to get why you falling in love with the 12k sensor?

  • @johnbrawley

    I want to remind you about "BM don't need or use their own forums and all we need is take part at bmcuser.com that is owned by RED" :-)

    They all post all the time there and engage with users.

    Really happy that I managed to change opinion on BM forum.

  • If you go to BMDs official forum their product managers for each specific product interact all the time with users.

    Tim Schuman is the Ursa Product manager. Kristian Lam is the Micro and Pocket product manager. Peter Chamerlin is the Resolve product manager.

    They all post all the time there and engage with users.

    Grant does not use forums. He doesn’t do social media.

    JB

  • I agree that an external monitor is always better option in most cases and the progress is amazing. For example, since I started this business ten years ago the price was so expensive even for shit monitor.

    But I am talking about market penetration of product - not design or quality. For example, if normal DSLR requires monitor just to view in video mode, many people will not purchase. Consumer is accustomed to screen on camera. It is not good for professional camera to have big screen on camera, but screen on camera has more mass appeal and will sell better. I know many amateur purchase the blackmagic - do not even know how to change iris or white balance.

    If z-cam become true big company, you will see Kinson will fast stop responding and leave to PR (who give same rubbish response i.e. pass it on to management).

    It is normal situation for big company like blackmagic - they allow feedback through website, etc. I do not see any difference with other big companies. I cannot complain to Tim Cook or their head management because Apple will not give me usb-c. Z-cam must have good public response because they find it hard to compete with larger company on price; otherwise, they would not respond, like other capitalist companies.

  • Blackmagic are not stupid; they know that a camera with a screen where you can shoot out of the box will bring in a lot more 'weekend shooters" who won't go anywhere near the z-cam because they don't want or don't know how to kit out a box body - which is reserved for a small group of professionals.

    I don't want to upset you, but it is designs with fixed build in screens that are plague of BM. As such form factor comes with lot of shortcomings from all engineering point fo view. Add here usage of FPGA that add lot of limits to heat management.

    Progress of third party monitors is just staggering, you can now get 2000 nit cheap monitors, various more expensive HDR ones. And very soon it will be 5000 nits with micro leds, stuff that will be able to show you 12-14bit HDR videos accurately. And biggest fun will be that support for various kind of such monitors will be just added to Z-CAM and similar cameras.

    Because there are only a small number who are interested in z-cam, their CEO can cater to a small group of professionals over a very small product line (a few cameras only). It is not too time-consuming.

    It is really time consuming and their groups, including unofficial are rising in counts very fast.

    So how can we expect CEO and lead engineer to respond to every single feedback? There is no time and it is not how you run big company.

    Where you saw that I talked about responsing to each input?

    They need to have open and public system that allow people to provide all feedback and clearly and publically respond to most valuable and important feedback and proposals.

  • Blackmagic is a whole lot more popular than z-cam. There are pros and cons to both body styles.

    You won't hear anything from the people who like the current body style because there are no complaints. But you will hear constant complaints from people who would rather a different body (i.e box).

    So there is no way of saying which is more popular as you are only ever hearing one side.

    Blackmagic are not stupid; they know that a camera with a screen where you can shoot out of the box will bring in a lot more 'weekend shooters" who won't go anywhere near the z-cam because they don't want or don't know how to kit out a box body - which is reserved for a small group of professionals.

    Because there are only a small number who are interested in z-cam, their CEO can cater to a small group of professionals over a very small product line (a few cameras only). It is not too time-consuming.

    Blackmagic has a vast sum more products and users than z-cam, including resolve, cameras, broadcast equipment, etc. So how can we expect CEO and lead engineer to respond to every single feedback? There is no time and it is not how you run big company.

  • Like that other disruptive company that likes to trade in the same notions of being accessible and accountable to their customers ?

    I am serious here. As we have quite long story dealing with Z-CAM and I must say that thir top guys deserve the prizes.

    I think many that have approached Grant in person at trade shows and find he's open and willing to listen. He's not a forum or Facebook person. He's an in-person person.

    Well, we covered almost all appropriate trade shows and always had been told that CEO is unacessible (by people who are responsible top arranging interviews at BM). I also never noticed big amount of his interviews, actually it had been rare exceptions.

    he's open and willing to listen. He's not a forum or Facebook person. He's an in-person person.

    Please tell him to turn on computer or at least TV, so he could get news that it is no trade shows in next few months (and also in previous almost 6).

    So, it is time to become, as you said "Facebook person". Yes, painful, but it is time.

  • @Vitaliy_Kiselev Like that other disruptive company that likes to trade in the same notions of being accessible and accountable to their customers ?

    I think many that have approached Grant in person at trade shows and find he's open and willing to listen. He's not a forum or Facebook person. He's an in-person person.

    JB

  • @johnbrawley

    Part of why Z-CAM is great is how their CEO and lead engineer are handling the feedback and support.

    We don't have this at BM and it is big reason why lot of BM cameras became not so popular.

  • It's funny people talk about how great the Z cam is, but I think that BMD kind of did it first with the MICRO. A camera I use a lot.

    My personal wish would be for them to update THAT camera, maybe go to a full MFT sized version of the 12K sensor.

    JB

  • I really wish they'd just put out the brains and sensor of the P4K in a little box like a Z-Cam or the previous micro cameras. I've been using my P4K in a live setup with the ATEM Mini and it's great to be able to control the camera and run the in camera color corrector from the desk but I need more of them and I don't want to buy several P4Ks with big bodies and giant screens I don't need just to mount around the studio. If they updated the older Micro Studio / Cinema cameras to be controllable with the ATEM Mini I'd consider them but they still haven't dropped in price despite being very old at this point (I'm guessing because of motion picture / reality TV use maybe?).

  • @johnbrawley

    I can say that the sensor can only work because of the Codec. They started the development of the sensor and codec together. That is a key part of making this work.

    This is why separate talk on this can be nice.

    Also interesting if BM has something similar to Z-CAM in the plans with such sensor.

    Simple black box format where you don't need fancy buttons (and use universal grip or remote controller for all adjustments_.

  • I can say that the sensor can only work because of the Codec. They started the development of the sensor and codec together. That is a key part of making this work.

    And Blackmagic are in a unique position now. They design the sensor, they design the codec and the have the platform for working with the codec. No-one else is has this nose to tail thinking in place.

    JB