Blackmagic Design’s URSA Won’t Bust Your Budget

There’s no better time to review the URSA than in our motion issue, because this camera is a serious filmmaking machine. It’s built to accommodate anything from weddings and corporate productions to music videos, commercials and feature films.

The URSA from Blackmagic boasts a Super 35mm-sized image sensor capable of 4K (3840 x 2160) recording up to 80 frames per second (fps) with 12 stops of dynamic range. It offers a built-in mic for recording reference audio, plus a pair of XLR inputs with phantom power for connecting external microphones. The camera records footage internally to a pair of CFast 2.0 cards, and they’re hot-swappable, so if you have two in the camera, you can pop a full one out during recording and drop a new one in without missing a beat. You can use the camera’s 12G-SDI output to record to an external recorder as well.

Blackmagic sells the URSA in several versions, including an EF mount ($5,995), PL mount ($6,495) and an HDMI mount (no price just yet). This last version does not include an image sensor. Instead, it’s designed for use with a DSLR, essentially turning the URSA into a massive external recorder for your camera. No matter which URSA you opt for, you’ll get a free copy of the company’s $995 DaVinci Resolve color-grading software with your purchase.

We teamed up with our frequent tester, New Jersey-based photographer and director David Patiño, who owns Blackmagic’s Pocket Cinema Camera, to put an EF mount URSA through its paces.

Image Quality
Patiño used the URSA to shoot 4K in ProRes 422 at several frame rates, including 80 fps, indoors and outdoors, and only had good things to say about the quality of the footage. (After our test was done, Blackmagic released a firmware upgrade that delivered the highest quality ProRes format available, ProRes 4444.) Color reproduction was consistent and accurate, while the 12 stops of dynamic range preserved plenty of details in his scenes. Users of the Blackmagic Production Camera should be familiar with the URSA’s cinematic output, as it uses the same sensor.

Thanks to its global shutter, the URSA won’t pick up rolling shutter artifacts that might otherwise mar a DSLR or mirrorless camera filming very fast motion—another plus. Low-light performance was also good, though it trails other cameras in this category—particularly Canon’s Cinema EOS series. The camera’s native ISO is 400, and while you can push it higher, we stayed in this sweet spot for best results.

Design
The design of the URSA is a major selling point. One highlight is the ability to upgrade the camera’s sensor by removing the front module (behind just four bolts), which contains both the sensor and lens mount. While the URSA’s current 4K sensor is hardly antiquated, Blackmagic told us they eventually plan to offer newer sensors through their network of resellers and that installing them would be simple enough for an end-user to accomplish by themselves. Just pop off the front module, screw in a new module and, bingo, you’re future-proofed.

The URSA features a removable front module containing both the image sensor and lens mount. When new sensors roll out, upgrades will be as simple as replacing that module. 

We also loved the abundance of displays. First, there’s a huge 10-inch, 1920 x 1200 display. It’s extremely sharp and Patiño appreciated the focus peaking and zebra patterns that were so clearly visible on the URSA without having to resort to an external monitor. The 10-inch display is complemented by a pair of 5-inch touch screens on either side of the camera. They’re on hand to enable other operators to monitor audio and pull focus or make quick adjustments to camera settings.

What We Liked
The URSA may look a bit intimidating on the outside, but its on-screen menu is remarkably straightforward. Patiño compared it favorably to RED’s cinema cameras, which can be more daunting to navigate. The versatile design gives those stepping up from a DSLR, or even Blackmagic’s own Pocket and Production cameras, more of the features they’ll need to shoot high-quality productions right out of the box.

The URSA starts up quickly, taking a mere five or six seconds to spring to life after a battery swap. It’s durably constructed, too. In fact, it feels like a tank.

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The URSA will also be sold in an HDMI mount that lets you use your DSLR’s lens and sensor, turning the URSA into a giant external recorder.

What We Didn’t Like
The most immediate issue an event videographer is going to have with the URSA is its size and weight. We said “tank,” and we meant it. At 16 pounds sans lens, you won’t need a gym membership to firm up those biceps. Without a big stabilizing rig, you won’t be doing much “running and gunning” either. It’s unwieldy off of a tripod.

Also, the CFast 2.0 cards it takes are still expensive. Those prices are falling, as memory prices tend to do, but you can easily tack on north of $1,000 to the URSA’s price tag if you don’t already own them.

How it Compares
If you have about $6,000 to spend on a video camera that delivers 4K and a large image sensor, you’ll have a few options, including Sony’s NEX-FS700R and JVC’s new GY-LS300. The URSA is less portable than either, but offers more file format and frame rate options with a much larger display—not to mention more than one of them. The URSA is an extremely versatile filmmaking tool that’s also, all told, a tremendous value, even discounting the hit you’ll take investing in CFast 2.0 cards. If cinema-style videos are on your radar, the URSA should definitely be top of mind.

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