Blackmagic URSA Mini 4K Review By Frame Fury

NewsCameras

by Tim FokApril 2^nd, 2016

So, we won’t be doing a Blackmagic URSA Mini 4K review, but we have our opinions of it. Opinions that are apparently very similar to FrameFury, and they did a fantastic job reviewing it, so here it is.

https://vimeo.com/160519759

It’s a pretty comprehensive review broken down into a few sections, I’ve taken the liberty of pulling those out for you below.

Blackmagic URSA Mini 4K Review

0:27 TL;DR (Too Long Didn’t Read)
01:36 Background
02:50 Image Quality
06:39 Form Factor
08:07 Functionality
14:49 – Light Sensitivity
17:03 Power
18:08 EVFs
19:09 Workflow
20:22 Audio

A lot is covered, much of which we as a team we agree with, here are some pros and cons (in no particular order) I’ve pulled from the review that we concur:

Pros:

• Great on-the-shoulder form factor
• Fantastic OLED viewfinder
• ProRes is a very easy post workflow
• Incredible price>image ratio
• Global Shutter
• CFast Cards
• Universal Battery Mounting Options

Cons

• No ND Filters
• Poor in Lowlight (anything above 400)
• Same Sensor as AJA Cion (DR not as described)
• No Shutter Speed (Shutter Angle only)
• No LUT send to EVF
• Clunky XLR ports
• Poor Pre-amps
• Menu On/Off behind LCD Screen
• Clunky Touchscreen Display

For me personally, the last point is killer for me. I simply can’t own/hire a camera that I can’t operate instinctively, knowing the technology won’t slow me down on set. I became increasingly frustrated with how long it took to adjust simple procedures like switching between standard/higher framerates and audio levels in the touchscreen menu.

That said, with enough light the image is fantastic and very easy to deal with in post.

Fame Fury epitomise Blackmagic in two simply sentences:

“[Blackmagic are]…a younger, smaller disruptive company that offers powerful products with unbeatable prices”

“[Blackmagic are]… the worst company at delivering products on schedule & sometimes their products suffer from defects and glitches”

Like any camera, the Blackmagic URSA Mini is a tool that is compatible for certain roles, and not for others. This and the 4.6K would be perfect indie filmmaker tools, best bang for buck that with patience, you can get some fantastic results.

I would not trust this on a commercial shoot, one where a glitch (frame freeze, accidental power down) or slow touchscreen menu means you’re wasting a lot of peoples time and money.

Hopefully reviews like this help you decide a little more whether this is the right tool for you. But like any online content, it is not the be-all-and-end-all, it is merely a well educated point of view that should be second only to personal experience and opinion.

via/ FameFury