Blackmagic RAW Update 2.1: Now With Support for M1 Macs, New Cameras, and more

Software Update

by Graham TempletonJune 25^th, 2021

Blackmagic Design has released Blackmagic RAW Player 2.1, which adds support for Macs with Apple’s own M1 silicon. It also finalizes support for a range of non-BMD cameras capable of capturing BRAW with an external recorder.

The latest version of Blackmagic RAW is now out, featuring support for M1 Macs and an expanded list of official BRAW-capable cameras – assuming you have one of Blackmagic Design’s Video Assist 12G units to go with them. Check out the full list of changes below!

M1 Macs could make fast BRAW decoding even faster

M1 silicon already delivers incredible speed upgrades to video production, most notably through a recent 80% increase in the speed of Premiere Pro for some tasks. Now, with Blackmagic RAW support, you can natively import BRAW footage on an M1 Mac and take full advantage.

BRAW is known for its quick decode speed when opened in DaVinci Resolve; paired with the speed of Apple’s M1 chips, it could be a blazing-fast alternative to Premiere and ProRes RAW. Time will tell.

Full-featured Blackmagic RAW from non-BMD cameras

Blackmagic has also improved and added support for BRAW recordings from a selection of cameras. Its own URSA Mini Pro 12K will get optimized CPU decoding, allowing even better performance when editing its challenging 12K files. In addition, the codec now supports BRAW files recorded on the Panasonic S1H, S1, and S5, as well as the Nikon Z 6II and Z 7II. Just remember that you’ll need to actually do the recording via a Blackmagic Video Assist 12G, either the 5″ or the 7″ variety.

This is great news for those who want to buy into the BRAW and/or Resolve pipeline, but who don’t favor Blackmagic’s own cameras for whatever reason – most likely due to either autofocus issues or crop factor. Now, full-frame mirrorless cameras like the S1H can bring the convenience of a BRAW-Resolve workflow to a full-frame sensor with all the modern conveniences.

The full list of changes:

• Added native support for Apple Silicon on Mac
• Added optimized CPU decoding for clips captured by Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K
• Added Blackmagic Generation 5 Color Science Technical Reference document
• Added support for Panasonic Lumix S1H, S1, and S5 Blackmagic RAW clips captured by Blackmagic Video Assist
• Added support for Nikon Z 6II and Z 7II Blackmagic RAW clips captured by Blackmagic Video Assist
• Blackmagic RAW Adobe Premiere Pro plugin performance and stability improvements
• General performance and stability improvements

Is increased support enough to make you take the plunge on a M1 Mac? Let us know in the comments!