Blackmagic Design has unveiled Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2, a next-generation professional broadcast camera with 6K digital film sensor.
Designed to bring digital film quality to both traditional and online broadcasters, the advanced 6144 x 3456 digital film sensor is said to provide exceptional low light performance with dual gain ISO of up to +36dB and 13 stops of dynamic range.
Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 also includes H.265 and Blackmagic RAW file formats, Blackmagic generation 5 colour science and a USB-C expansion port for external disk recording.
According to the company, the three-cameras-in-one design acts as a 4K production camera, 4K studio camera or 6K digital film camera. Customers can record to common SD cards, UHS-II cards, CFast 2.0 cards or external USB disks, using common file formats such as H.265, Apple ProRes and Blackmagic RAW.
The large 6K sensor combined with Blackmagic generation 5 colour science gives customers the same imaging technology used in digital film cameras. When using B4 lenses, customers have a 4K window of the sensor for UHD broadcast use. 13 stops of dynamic range provide darker blacks and brighter whites.
The URSA Broadcast G2 features a B4 broadcast lens mount that includes optics specifically designed to match the camera’s sensor, said the company. The B4 lens mount allows customers to use modern UHD lenses or lower-cost HD lenses. The B4 lenses are par-focal so the image stays in focus as customers zoom in and out.
The camera is also designed to work with standard file formats that are used by all broadcast systems and editing software. Customers can record in ProRes 422 HQ and ProRes 422 into QuickTime files. The new model can record into H.265 for incredibly small files at 60:1 to 285:1 compression ratios, in 10-bit broadcast quality.
“Customers love the flexibility of the original URSA Broadcast and have been asking for a camera that also delivered the quality of digital film quality for broadcast use,” said Blackmagic Design CEO Grant Petty. “We’ve listened and the new URSA Broadcast G2 means that customers now don’t have to choose between a broadcast focused camera design or digital film images. With URSA Broadcast G2, they get both! URSA Broadcast G2 can be used as a production camera, a studio camera or a digital film camera, so it’s really three cameras in one. We think both traditional and online broadcast customers are going to really enjoy the creativity of being able to shoot Hollywood quality digital film.”
