New URSA Mini 4.6K narrative film footage

URSA Mini 4.6K test footage seems to be coming fast and furious now. Some nice narrative rushes from Blackmagic tester and DP Kholi Hicks' short film Spooks:


Recorded to ProRes HQ, lightly graded and shot mostly in natural light, this is the best looking footage from the 4.6K sensor to date. Again, the roll-off from the highlights and the color seem very "Arri-like" - for 1/10th the price.

Really looking forward to seeing footage recorded to CinemaDNG RAW with this sensor.

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First ever URSA Mini 4.6K footage posted to Vimeo!

Finally - Blackmagic beta tester and cinematographer Tom Majerski posts two examples of footage from the URSA Mini 4.6K to Vimeo! Without further ado, here they are:




As Tom said in a tweet earlier day, "It's better than I expected...worth the wait."

I agree- the dynamic range and the richness and depth of the colors seem much more (dare I say it) "Alexa-like" than the 4K camera to my eye.

Now that we have started to see footage from both the 4K and 4.6K versions of this camera, I'm going to go out on a limb.  I think Blackmagic has a price/performance winner here - and we're about to see a wave of creative destruction in camera prices.

With a ready-to-shoot LCD-only URSA Mini 4K coming in at a little under $3500 (with media, battery plate, a battery solution and shoulder kit) the 8-bit JVC LS300 has a real problem at $3495.

In addition, I think Canon Cinema EOS and Sony FS prices are going to have to come down across their product lines.  I really cannot see buying a C300 Mark II for $15,999 rather than a $7,000 viewfinder-equipped Mini 4.6K.

As for me, my Panasonic GH cameras are for sale.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. This costs you nothing extra. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Wooden Camera rolls out custom accessories for the URSA Mini

Pictured: URSA Mini with Wooden Camera NATO Handle Kit, Top Plate, Quick Base & 2x 15mm Rods

If you want to rig your new URSA Mini and you need more mounting points or flexibility than Blackmagic's URSA Mini Shoulder Kit can provide, the folks at Wooden Camera are ready with a solution for just about every need.  Wooden Camera President Ryan Schorman explains:




With the Wooden Camera NATO Handle Kit, Top Plate, Quick Base (or Fixed Base),  2x 15mm Rods and the Universal View Finder (UVF) Mount, you can use any EVF with your Mini, add a follow focus or matte box and mount the camera pretty much anywhere.

Wooden Camera products cost a little more than other brands - but I have used them personally and they are a great value for the money.

Kudos to Wooden Camera for being ready with a full set of accessories for the camera as the first units arrive in the hands of customers.

For more micro budget video and filmmaking news, please follow HCR here, on G+, on YouTube on Vimeo and on Twitter (button below).

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. This costs you nothing extra. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

3 axis gimbal prices plummet - Kovacam Sabre Digi for A7/GH4/G7/A6000 just $398!

New Kovacam Sabre Digi 3 axis gimbal just $398

Kovacam has been building counterbalanced stabilizers and selling them in the US market for a while - such as this well-reviewed combination stabilizer monopod and the interesting Xcam Sabre mini tripod stabilizer.

Now, they have decided to step into the 3 axis gimbal market in a big way - with the new Kovacam Sabre Digi SD-01 - priced at an amazing $398.

At this price, Sabre Digi undercuts the nearest competition, the $499.90 Beholder MS-1, by almost $100 - and makes the $998 CAME-TV Single look seriously overpriced.

Here are a couple of Kovacam promo videos showing the SD-01 flying the Panasonic G7 and GH4:





At $398, it starts to make a lot of sense for mirrorless shooters to replace their old counterbalanced stabilizers with an easy to use gimbal.

It also means the higher-end gimbal manufacturers will  have to lower their prices if they want to stay competitive.

A real win-win for videographers and filmmakers on a budget.

Please follow HCR here, on G+, on YouTube on Vimeo and on Twitter (button below) for more of the latest news in micro-budget video and cinema.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. This costs you nothing extra. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Today only - 20.3MP 4K Panasonic GX8 marked down $300 to $899.99!

With its 20.3 megapixel sensor, the new Panasonic GX8 is the highest resolution (and probably the best) micro 4/3 still camera on the market today - and it records some pretty darned good looking 3840x2160p Ultra High Definition "4K" video as well.


This deal expires at midnight, US Pacific Time - so if you want more than 20MP of still resolution and would like to step up to a 4K video camera -  and your budget is less than $1000 - you should jump on this deal today by clicking on the picture above - or the display below.





Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. This costs you nothing extra. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Blackmagic URSA Mini 4K vs. Sony A7s II - side by side test

UK-based DP Daniel Peters has provided a tremendous service to the community by shooting two short pieces on the same day, in the same setting, with the $2999.99 Sony A7s II and the $2995 Blackmagic URSA Mini 4K (no viewfinder).

Both are shot handheld, comparing the Mini's global shutter to the Sony's internal stabilization.  Daniel has made both videos downloadable, so you can look at them in detail - without Vimeo compression.

Here is the footage.  First the Sony:


Daniel says that the Sony "rocks" and that slow motion holds up well - but that its 8-bit codec fell apart a bit in the grade (banding in the sky) and that the rolling shutter is "quite bad" despite the internal stabilization.

Here's the URSA Mini 4K footage:



It's hard to tell from two short samples shot in overcast conditions, but I have to say that I liked the Blackmagic footage a little better.  I like the deeper depth of field from the Super 35 sensor and the smooth UHD/60p frame rate.  And it looks like Daniel was able to get more detail out of the shadows from the URSA's 10-bit ProRes.

There are no low light tests here, but the Mini 4K is not a low light camera (as someone who owns both cameras, Daniel says that it "doesn't stand a chance" against the Sony).

For me, the Mini's global shutter, superior codec, built-in XLRs, UHD/60p frame rate, shoulder mounted ergonomics (without a complicated rig) and dual card slots make it a better choice for video than the A7s II - but its poor low light performance is a real problem.  I hope the 4.6K is better in low light.

That said, download Daniel's footage and see for yourself -  and comment below with your thoughts.

And if anything here has helped you to make a buying decision, please click on the links above or the display ads below or in the margins.  It won't cost you anything extra, and it will help to keep these posts coming.

And please follow HCR here, on G+, on YouTube on Vimeo and on Twitter (button below) for the latest news on micro-budget video and cinema.

Follow @hybridcamrev