News

Panasonic used IBC 2015 to announce a series of upgrades and improvements to its flagship 4K production camera the VariCam 35, including the introduction of Codex V-RAW recorder playback support. The company launched a 20m extension cable (AU-VCBL20) so that the recorder and camera head can be split apart, making the VariCam suitable for use in helicopters, cranes and cars. Available this month, the cable has an RRP of 2,200 EUR.

Furthermore, a series of firmware upgrades will improve on a camera that has already found a home in natural history, episodic production and cinema. Panasonic announced support for the ProRes 4444 format, allowing up to 60 frames per second in HD, while recording in ProRes also enables a new PreREC function, so that camera is rolling before an operator selects record, particularly useful in wildlife production. Other upgrades include Codex V-RAW recorder playback support, anamorphic lens support (de-squeezed image monitoring on EVF, VF out and MON out and to be recorded on Sub Recorder), image flip-flop functionality, as well as the ability to decrease the ISO setting down from the second native dual ISO 5000.

Also on show on the Panasonic booth was the newly launched glass-free 4K displays aimed at the broadcast market. Available in 98" and 84", the LED LCD panels (TH-98LQ70L & TH-84LQ70L) offer 3840 x 2160 resolution and include Panasonic's new generation of image enhancement technology, for fine, life-like images. For more information on Panasonic broadcast products, visit stand C45 at IBC.

Press Release

Now customers can use existing high definition B4 lenses with URSA Mini.

IBC 2015, Amsterdam, Netherlands - September 11, 2015 - Blackmagic Design today introduced the Blackmagic URSA Mini B4 Mount which is a B4 lens mount modification for its new Blackmagic URSA Mini PL camera that lets it use broadcast HD lenses. Since URSA Mini’s launch at NAB, feedback from broadcasters has been overwhelmingly positive, and now they will also be able to use their existing high definition B4 broadcast lenses with Blackmagic URSA Mini.

Blackmagic URSA Mini B4 Mount will be demonstrated on the Blackmagic Design IBC 2015 booth in Hall 7, Stand H20.

The Blackmagic URSA Mini B4 Mount is designed to replace the existing PL lens mount on Blackmagic URSA Mini PL, turning it into a B4 camera for HD. To install the B4 mount, customers simply take the PL lens mount off where it is normally removed for shimming PL lenses and bolt on the B4 lens mount.

The Blackmagic URSA Mini B4 Mount is a true lens mount replacement that features precision glass optics specifically designed to match Blackmagic URSA Mini’s sensor with high definition broadcast B4 lenses. The B4 mount also features spherical aberration correction so customers can use their lenses wide open with no blooming effect. The Blackmagic URSA Mini B4 Mount can be used with both 4K and 4.6K PL models of URSA Mini.

Once the mount is installed, B4 lenses can be attached to the camera. Blackmagic URSA Mini PL also includes a new lens control connection that works with both PL and B4 lenses. This new connection supports both analog and digital lens control standards and also provides iris control and power for the lens.

The built in PL lens mount on URSA Mini PL can be changed to the B4 lens mount whenever needed, giving customers the flexibility to use URSA Mini with their existing B4 broadcast lenses for HD today, and with PL cinema lenses for Ultra HD and 4K tomorrow.

The Blackmagic URSA Mini B4 Mount turns URSA Mini PL into an incredible ENG style camera. Crafted from advanced technology magnesium alloy, URSA Mini is a rugged, yet extremely lightweight and well balanced shoulder mount camera that is comfortable enough to be used all day. There’s a 5” fold out monitor, complete technical scopes, professional audio recording, and dual ProRes recorders all built right in as well as the optional URSA Viewfinder and URSA Mini Shoulder Kit. With URSA Mini, news crews can shoot a story, mount the card on a computer in the van and begin editing immediately without having to convert files so they can get stories on air fast.

Blackmagic URSA Mini PL can be purchased with either a 4K or a 4.6K image sensor and features up to 15 stops of dynamic range. When used with high definition B4 lenses, URSA Mini shoots incredibly clear HD images that have massive dynamic range and look far better than the images from a traditional broadcast HD camera. Plus, broadcasters can use their URSA Mini PL with B4 lenses on one job and then switch back to PL lenses for another job.

“Since we announced URSA Mini at NAB earlier this year, broadcasters have been asking us for a B4 lens mount,” said Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design. “We listened carefully and designed a way for them to use the B4 lenses they already have for high definition production, and still give them a camera that works for Ultra HD and 4K production because they can switch back to a PL mount lens whenever they need! The most exciting part about this announcement is that broadcasters using URSA Mini get the HD camera they need today with modern file formats like RAW, ProRes and DNx plus they also get wide dynamic range so the quality of the images are much better. From our conversations with broadcasters everybody is talking about the excitement of having digital film capability in an ENG style camera and they are aware of the extra creativity that can bring to their production work.”

Availability and Price

Blackmagic URSA Mini B4 Mount will be available in November for US$295 from Blackmagic Design resellers worldwide.

Press Photography

Product photos of the Blackmagic URSA Mini B4 Mount, and all other Blackmagic Design products, are available at www.blackmagicdesign.com/press/images.

About Blackmagic Design

Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company’s Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com.

Blackmagic Design released numerous software updates today, at IBC 2015, including a release version of DaVinci Resolve 12, and a second beta of Fusion 8. New Fusion 8 Beta 2 adds many UI updates, new preference option to enable neutral gray background, audio playback support, Python scripting, SVG import, bin enhancements including drag to view & drag to bin, templates for particles, shaders etc. as well as general performance and stability improvements. Also released today were DaVinci Resolve 12 (a free version replacing DaVinci Resolve Lite), and DaVinci Resolve 12 Studio. The new full version of DaVinci Resolve 12 Studio adds support for multiple GPUs, 4K mastering, motion blur effects, temporal and spatial noise reduction, 3D tools, and remote and multi user collaboration tools. The „Studio” edition is a free update for all current users and requires a DaVinci Resolve dongle to operate.

Red Giant Software, in cooperation with Automatic Duck, released two new applications: Automatic Duck Ximport AE (transfers your editing timeline from FCPX to After Effects, in an instant, including Red Giant and other 3rd-party plugins, along with a vast variety of FCPX features), and Automatic Duck Media Copy 4 designed to copy and move your media from FCP 7, FCPX, and Avid projects.

Adobe revealed new and changed features in the forthcoming updates to the CC 2015 professional video and audio applications, including Premiere Pro. With this next release, Premiere Pro expands on its exceptional support for UltraHD, 4K and beyond workflows with new, native support for HEVC (h.265), DNxHR, and OpenEXR media, for both encode and decode, allowing editors to edit and deliver any format they need to.

The intuitive Color Workspace featuring the Lumetri Color Panel, designed to let editors to be creative with color without needing to work in a complex grading application, will be further enhanced with initial support for High Dynamic Range (HDR) workflows. With a supported external HD monitoring system, RAW camera formats and OpenEXR media, alongside the Dolby Vision mezzanine codec, can be edited and graded with much greater dynamic range than conventional video, by using powerful but intuitive HDR controls. And new HDR scopes will give editors precise feedback on their creative decisions. Adobe is also adding the Lumetri effect to After Effects, ensuring color fidelity between Premiere Pro and After Effects

New Premiere Pro will also provide touch support for Windows hybrid touch devices like the Microsoft Surface Pro, and improved gestural support using Apple Force Touch track pads. The addition of GPU-optimized Optical Flow Time Remapping will let you get smooth slow motion and speed ramps you want even when you haven't shot at ultra high frame rates, and will provide significantly improved frame-rate conversion. And there are large improvements coming to the Adobe Stock workflow, which will let you search, try out and license any of the 45-million high quality royalty-free images through the Adobe Stock service built right into the Creative Cloud Libraries panel in Premiere Pro, as well as After Effects.

The new Adobe Media Encoder will include Destination Publishing to Facebook, expanded support for UHD formats, improved image sequence workflows (new Watch Folder support for OpenEXR), Automatic Loudness correction, and more.