As a long-time Blackmagic fan, when I heard the news about their new camera this morning, my ears immediately perked up – URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2. While it’s still very new, I thought I’d share some of my first impressions here on the blog.
I’ll keep it short and sweet since it’s day one and I haven’t shot with a camera yet. I always like to get my hands on any camera out in the field before doing any kind of official review, but now I’m going to outline some specs and highlights, and what I think of them.
What immediately struck me about the Ursa Mini Pro G2 (Gen 2) is that it’s essentially an internal update…and a big one at that. The camera body itself looks almost identical to the previous URSA Mini Pro, but the electronics and sensor are all new, thus providing a different user experience.
Below is an excerpt from Blackmagic’s announcement –
Today we announce the Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2, a next-generation digital film camera featuring completely redesigned electronics and a new Super 35mm 4.6K HDR image sensor with 15 stops of dynamic range for Shooting speed up to 300 frames/second!
Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 features an all-new design that lets you capture crystal-clear slow-motion footage! You can record full-sensor 4.6K at up to 120 fps, windowed DCI 4K at up to 150 fps, and regular windowed 1080 HD at 300 fps. This makes the Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 perfect for capturing stylized fast action documentary and nature photography!
Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 comes with dual CFast card recorders and dual SD card recorders. It even features an innovative USB-C expansion port so you can record directly to an external drive! You also get built-in ND filters, interchangeable EF lens mounts (replaceable with optional PL, B4, and F mounts), plenty of external controls, a high-visibility backlit status display, and a folding 4-inch touch screen Screen monitors, professional audio recording and more!
first impression
I was immediately happy to see that this wasn’t another body update. I’ve been shooting with a URSA Mini Pro for a few years and have grown to love its build quality, features, and ergonomics. I have to imagine that keeping the body design the same would allow BMD to focus all their attention on the functionality of the camera, which is what really matters in the end…if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
As stated in the press release, the new Super 35mm sensor is said to produce images with a dynamic range of 15 stops at up to 300 fps. This is undoubtedly the biggest takeaway from this launch, and the new sensor is sure to appeal to filmmakers shooting sports, music videos, events, or other content that requires high DR/high frame rate capture.
I’m curious how the previous URSA Mini Pro sensor will match up to the new sensor on the G2. While both have similar dynamic range (15 stops on paper), the new sensor uses different technology and should therefore produce a different color palette.
Given the price of Blackmagic cameras, many filmmakers own more than one (especially if they’re doing multi-camera or event work). With that in mind, I expect the new and improved sensors to still easily match the previous generation sensors.
I’m also curious about how the camera handles low light and whether the new sensor offers any improvements in this area. For some filmmakers who have considered Blackmagic in the past, one of the only real drawbacks has been the lack of low-light performance.
This has never been a big issue for me as I tend to shoot a lot of narrative and commercial content. Since almost everything is scripted and planned, I rarely, if ever, need to shoot above ISO 800, so the URSA Mini Pro’s lack of low-light performance has never been an issue.
That said, I know many filmmakers who shoot low-light footage primarily in a run-and-gun/unscripted environment, and up until now they’ve had to rely on cameras from other manufacturers (such as Sony) that specialize in high ISO. Many filmmakers love Blackmagic and are excited about their cameras, but are unable to take full advantage of them due to noise issues above ISO 1600.
It would be huge if this new sensor could deliver sharper images at ISO 1600 and 3200. I don’t think this camera can compete with Canon or Sony’s full-frame sensors in terms of high ISO performance, but if it gets us even half that, it’s sure to send a big shake in the camera market.
Regardless, this camera offers great value at a very competitive price tag $5995. I have no doubt that, like previous versions, they will find their way into the hands of countless filmmakers around the world.
I’ll be sure to write a follow-up article once I have a chance to actually shoot with the G2 (and compare it to the existing URSA Mini Pro 4.6K). In the meantime, let me know what you think of the camera in the comments below!
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