jgharding Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 hi all,Just interested to get some opinions.so far we've had once piece of footage, I can't find a way to embed it so here it is on another blog: http://www.newsshooter.com/2015/06/13/new-footage-from-the-blackmagic-ursa-mini-4-6k/the dynamic range and skin tones look lovely as does resolution, footage seems jolly good.I am however worried about the camera itself, as someone who once had a preorder down on an earlier model and cancelled as all sorts of delays happened and problems arose once when the camera was out there.i also have a friend whose camera broke on day one on a shoot, leaving him to use a backup he had luckily brought in the form of a GH2 (remember those?;)as such I can't bring myself to preorder, despite lovely footage and a low price I still feel it's a... Gamble. Which is sad. I'd like to be more trusting but still... This is real money and real work...is anyone out there with more courage than I taking the plunge? If so let us know! kaylee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBounce Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 I can't say how "we" feel, however, I personally believe the new ursa mini 4.6 will be amazing in many ways... Yet frustrating to work with. I don't have any inside information, just history with the brand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgharding Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 Well now it's me and you so it's a justified we hmm from my experience of pocket I did find menus a bit slow and things not to be in the best place. It's seems it's all touchscreen so it could be slow... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBounce Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Well now it's me and you so it's a justified we hmm from my experience of pocket I did find menus a bit slow and things not to be in the best place. It's seems it's all touchscreen so it could be slow... Mind you, the pocket was/is a great little camera. I still feel the footage looks great. I just hated working with it... And if you hate working with something... well... you probably won't. docmoore and Don Kotlos 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Although BMD is seen and loved as some sort of underdog, I feel that they are in fact fooling around with people. For example, most pros will go with a camera that has a proven track record with a budget to support it. So what does Blackmagic do? They build a big heavy camera called the Ursa thinking that it can compete. And I guess on a good day it can. But why would a pro hire the Ursa when they have access to cameras that are the benchmark of the industry? Blackmagic's market is indie filmmakers like the folks here who want small powerful cameras at fair price. All they have to do is build something like the FS5 and give it decent functionality and a robust codec and they could own everything south of the $10k market - or most probably force the big guns to have to give us more bang. Maybe the Ursa Mini 4.6k will really hold together... I want to like it but to be honest it still looks too big for what I do. And what's with having to open the LCD panel to access the audio pots? Moreover, I certainly don't need all those SDI, timecode, BNC, etc connectors. I can understand that building a great camera must be a shitload of design and engineering work, but in watching a number of BDM interviews they always strike me like they don't seem to know what people want and I think that is a bit of an insult. I really hope this camera shine through for them though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronChicago Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 I predict a hit. Flynn and Emanuel 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinegain Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 It's a new dawn... and I'm... kaylee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graphicnatured Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 I'm saving my money for it and am pretty confident that by the time I have this money it will be out and some kinks worked out ;-) However, being in my position keeps me from preordering and will save me if it flops. Everything I've seen or read tells me it probably won't though. Flynn 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonesy Jones Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 hi all,Just interested to get some opinions.so far we've had once piece of footage, I can't find a way to embed it so here it is on another blog: http://www.newsshooter.com/2015/06/13/new-footage-from-the-blackmagic-ursa-mini-4-6k/the dynamic range and skin tones look lovely as does resolution, footage seems jolly good.I am however worried about the camera itself, as someone who once had a preorder down on an earlier model and cancelled as all sorts of delays happened and problems arose once when the camera was out there.i also have a friend whose camera broke on day one on a shoot, leaving him to use a backup he had luckily brought in the form of a GH2 (remember those?;)as such I can't bring myself to preorder, despite lovely footage and a low price I still feel it's a... Gamble. Which is sad. I'd like to be more trusting but still... This is real money and real work...is anyone out there with more courage than I taking the plunge? If so let us know! The great thing about preordering is that you can cancel your order later if you decide the camera is not going to work for you after learning more about it. With preordering you're just saving your place in line, you can get out any time. I ordered within the first couple/few minutes but of course I won't go through with the purchase until we've seen more footage and hear some reviews. Right now I am planning to buy the camera, but we'll see.There is a great write up on no film school about the URSA mini, this is from a user with the 4K sensor, so not the 4.6 but a great overview of the body. You can read about it here. It's seems great, but not flawless, but mostly good. Seems like with a firmware update or two (which BMD is pretty good about) it'll be even better. Point being, seems like an awesome camera, and if the 4.6 turns out as good as a few users have been saying it is, it'll be magic. I am more than likely taking the plunge, but for me, image is tops. I can work around the other stuff. I was one of the first to jump into DSLR's (and btw, everyone complained about how hard it was to work with them). Also, Red isn't perfect either, not by a long shot. Neither is Sony. Canon is pretty solid, but their price/spec is pathetic. We'd all like an Arri, but they're not for every project either.Oh, and the demeaning comments above about BMD and URSA not being professional, well, maybe there's some truth to that, but if you're getting hired because of your camera, you're gonna need to spend way more than what it costs for an URSA, either one. And for the rest of the clients out there, I'm going to take a risk here, but, when they see the image, they're gonna love it. But until we see more, get in line, and if I'm wrong, just get out. Easy peezy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Emery Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 I predict a hit.So do I. It looks like BM are heading in the right direction. They just need some time to work things out (like RED 10 years ago). If they get that 4.6k sensor right... I think we got a winner!! Every time someone complains too heavily about BM cameras, I think they should just think of that price again. For low budget "cinema"... best bang for buck any day (IMO). Spoilt little buggers!! IronFilm 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axel Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 I actually had the Ursa Mini in my hands at IBC, and it feels gooood ...As far as my experiences with BM are concerned, I only had the Pocket (and once borrowed the BMPC. Now I have sold the Pocket, because I gave up operating camera altogether and rely on a friends' skills. Invested in A7s, Shogun, lenses, Ronin. Tests are running since two months now, but right now the results are at best, er, mixed in comparison to the Pocket. Too many parameters to check, almost no chance to grade this stuff (the way I was used to), and very poor skintones. Would buy the UM, but unfortunately my friend just hates BM.I think there is no need to preorder. First periods of shipping they will be delivered with terrible delays anyway, in a few months you'll get them within days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M Carter Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 On paper, it could be the last camera you'll need for a few years unless you need 1000fps or something. In the reality of a working set, who the hell knows yet?BMC has a great track record when it comes down to the actual image. I think the big Ursa was a learning experience for them. I predict I'll own a mini in a year, and that will be the end of renting cameras for me. I hope it works out that way at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emanuel Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Coupled to 1.33x anamorphics, it is a 1:2.35 6K camera... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgharding Posted October 2, 2015 Author Share Posted October 2, 2015 There do seem to be some real irritations: touch screen control means a greasy invisible mess in daylight conditions and probably slow operationViewfinder is an expensive add onContinuous encodes for audio instead of knobs with hard stops1080 is a center crop onlyReally expensive media in the form of cfastexpensive and heavy batteries in the form of V-lock etc the image looks great so far though. Let's hope there's no more hidden firmware/hardware gremlins waiting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Members Mattias Burling Posted October 2, 2015 Super Members Share Posted October 2, 2015 There do seem to be some real irritations: touch screen control means a greasy invisible mess in daylight conditions and probably slow operationViewfinder is an expensive add onContinuous encodes for audio instead of knobs with hard stops1080 is a center crop onlyReally expensive media in the form of cfastexpensive and heavy batteries in the form of V-lock etc the image looks great so far though. Let's hope there's no more hidden firmware/hardware gremlins waitingTouch screen on a Blackmagic is much faster than using the buttons.The batteries are much cheaper and better than most other solutions and its great not having to boy a plate for V-Mount like you must on most other cameras out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oliver Daniel Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 There do seem to be some real irritations: touch screen control means a greasy invisible mess in daylight conditions and probably slow operationViewfinder is an expensive add onContinuous encodes for audio instead of knobs with hard stops1080 is a center crop onlyReally expensive media in the form of cfastexpensive and heavy batteries in the form of V-lock etc the image looks great so far though. Let's hope there's no more hidden firmware/hardware gremlins waitingI pre-ordered this camera because it ticks a lot of boxes for my type of work:Beautiful image capabilities. Global/Rolling switchable. Ergonomic body. High frame rates. ProRes + Internal raw (master those money shots!)Very cost effective. By the sounds of it, the viewfinder is meant to be a bargain. One of the best on the market for a competitively good price. However, I am concerned about these things so far: Supposed 3.4x crop on 120fps mode. Could be disappointing/annoying, but I hope not. Data could be very costly to backup in the long run. BM cameras eat memory.Weight with lens and battery. Got to look after this back. Reliability. (hopefully no weird issues like pink frames). jgharding 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oliver Daniel Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 I'm in two minds whether to actually change my URSA Mini 4.6k pre-order to a Sony FS5. They are much different cameras, but I think I'm getting bit of sense when thinking about this for business terms. For these reasons: Smaller, much lighter body. (constant shoulder cam on a long shoot really starts to hurt! Health matters).Can use the Sony FS5 with my lightweight grip gear - DJI Ronin M, Edelkrone Slider, Libec Tripod. (too small for URSA Mini). Internal electronic ND means I don't need 100 step up/step rings/combos to put on a vari-ND on each lens. 240fps at 10bit - massive for music videos. (URSA is a worrying, windowed 3.4x 120fps. HFR is a MUST). Much smaller file sizes (decent hard drives + backups cost a lot of money). Much more reliable brand. Less likely to have weird issues on footage where money matters. Very familiar with Sony video products and Slog2/3. Much cheaper media. Can record external RAW in future update. (might be a great way to "upgrade" the camera). Put on a Speedbooster and also adapt all sorts of lenses.URSA Mini advantages:Be able to produce much more spectacular images. Much better colour science. Rolling/Global Switchable - nice to have the option. Larger screen and better EVF. I'm wondering whether the benefits of the URSA Mini 4.6k are enough. The filmmaker says yes, the business person says no. pablogrollan, Flynn and IronFilm 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bioskop.Inc Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 As with all BM products you'll have to wait - they have never hit a release date on time.We need to see what real world users think once it gets let loose into the wild.Weight souldn't be a problem - it will be way lighter than a traditional ENG & you'll find it will take a bit of getting used to, but not much (it'll help a lot with stability when shooting).Cfast cards will eventually become cheaper - all media does once the demand & market forces get to work.Buttons, menus etc... can be a pain, but every time you change camera make, there is a learning curve/time period to adapt.The only thing that you really have to ask yourself is do you need 4.6k & a bigger bodied camera? If its a clear yes, then I would reckon this camera will hit the spot, eventually. If not, then I do think that the Micro camera will probably be better - the pocket still surprises me with the images that people get from it & I believe that i'm not alone in thinking this.My experience with the Pocket cam has been a good one & I think a lot of people just like to complain for the sake of it - the screen, battery life, SD cards, ProRes, menus etc... have never been a problem for me.However, the image has been a real problem though - its too good for the price that they are charging! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Members Mattias Burling Posted October 7, 2015 Super Members Share Posted October 7, 2015 URSA Mini advantages:Be able to produce much more spectacular images. For me this point would carry a lot of weight. sudopera 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronFilm Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 The filmmaker says yes, the business person says no.Yup, I feel very similar about the URSA Mini 4.6K vs FS5/FS7/F5 debate (seen the newest deal on the F5? wow)Heart says BMD, brains says Sony. Anyway, I am no rush. I can wait until well into 2016 until my next major camera purchase Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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