Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF is Now Netflix-Approved

Camera News

by Heath McKnightToday

The Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF has been added to the list of Netflix-approved cameras, meeting the capture requirements needed to receive the official designation. The dedicated Camera Production Guide featuring the camera’s capture requirements can be downloaded.

The full-frame cinema camera was unveiled in April 2024 and has a host of features but at a competitive price. (see our full camera lab test here). It comes with a large-format RGBW 12K sensor (35.64 x 23.32mm) and can film BRAW in 12K 3:2 Open Gate up to 80 fps, or 120 fps in 2.4:1 mode.

Additionally, 8K and 4K Open Gate RAW can film up to 144 fps without a crop. The de-squeeze function includes 1.3, 1.5, 1.6, 1.66, 1.8, and 2x. Supported mounts include ARRI PL, LPL, Canon EF, and Hasselblad.

The Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF starts at $14,995 for the body only, while a bundled option includes the EVF Top Handle Kit and retails for $16,495.

Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF is part of the Netflix-approved camera list

Netflix has created an official Camera Production Guide for the Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF, which can be downloaded here. The guide details the streaming giant’s requirements when setting up and filming with the camera. 

Some of the settings Netflix recommends include:

• Resolution of 12K, 9K, 8K, and 4K.
• Aspect ratio of 3:2 Open-Gate, 16:9, 17:9, 2.41:1, or 6:5.
• Dynamic range: Film (Blackmagic Design Film).
• RAW: Constant bit rate of 3:1, 8:1, 12:1, and 18:1, plus a constant quality of Q0, Q1, Q3, and Q5.

Additionally, there are settings for recording maximum frame rates and resolution to the Blackmagic 8TB Media Module. For example, 80 fps at 12K 3:2 Open Gate or 12K 6:5.

If you’re filming with the Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF for Netflix, or any approved camera, the Camera Production Guides are an excellent resource. These recommendations are mandatory if you are filming original content for Netflix and 90% of the total run time.

Camera specs needed for Netflix approval 

Netflix has an official page called “Cameras and Image Capture: Requirements and Best Practices.” In it, the company details the minimum specifications and features needed for a camera to receive the official badge. The company does say that not all cameras that meet these requirements are approved. Non-fiction works have more flexibility when it comes to the recommendations, it should be noted.

Some of these specs include:

• A true 4K sensor with at least 3840 photosites across.
• Lightly compressed or uncompressed RAW or intraframe-based codec with 4:2:2 chroma-subsampling or greater.
• Bit depth of 10-bit or greater.
• Data rate minimum of 240 Mbps at 24 fps.
• Scene-referred Color Space, including REDWideGamut, ALEXA Wide Gamut, S.Gamut3, and more.
• Scene-referred Transfer Function, including Slog3, Vlog, Log3G10, Log C, etc.
• Timecode must be able to jam to an external source and written as metadata. 

Check out the Cameras & Image Capture page to learn more, which includes the full list of approved cameras and best practices from Netflix. And the settings are also a good guide as a way to achieve high imaging quality.

Are you using the Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF for your projects, Netflix or otherwise? What are your thoughts regarding the features? Please let us know in the comments below!