Blackmagic Design announced the Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF Body, a version of the camera with all the quality and features of the URSA Cine 12K but excludes many of the accessories. This body-only model is perfect for experienced cinematographers and rental houses who already have the accessories they need to rig their cameras. This also makes it more affordable as the new Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF Body will retail for US$6,995.

The camera itself is a fully featured model without any limitations in quality or performance, but it excludes accessories such as shoulder mounts, handles, some lens mounts, battery plates, power supply, lenses, and the high-capacity 8TB media module. Users can purchase these items separately as they need them to complete the total camera rig in their preferred configuration.

However, for media, while the 8TB media module is not in this model, a new CFexpress media module is included that has dual CFexpress card slots. The Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF Body model has an EF lens mount installed as standard. Other lens mounts can be purchased independently as required.

We believe this Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF Body model will also help existing Blackmagic Design camera users upgrade to the incredible quality of the large-format 12K sensor featured in this camera. Based on our experience with DaVinci Resolve workflows, this sensor has amazing features and incredible color science. It’s also been designed for high-performance film production and Blackmagic Cloud workflows.

A unique feature of URSA Cine is the new full-frame 12K sensor that features a multi-scale design with symmetrical color filters that allow in-sensor scaling. Now, cinematographers can shoot in 12K, 8K, or 4K at the full sensor size. They can choose the resolution for the job or the shot they want! VFX plates can be shot in 12K while documentaries can be shot in 8K or 4K for lower data rates. Plus shooters can also crop if they want greater depth of field.

Blackmagic Design spent years developing this new full-frame 12K sensor to help create the next generation of cinematography, so it had to be extremely high-performance. When working in 8K 2.4:1, the camera can shoot up to 224 fps, or 8K 3:2 open gate up to 144 fps. Even when shooting in 12K 3:2 open gate, it can record up to 80 fps or up to 120 fps in 12K 2.4:1.

Shooting in 12K enables color super sampling for better handling of fine image detail. Plus, the new 12K full-frame sensor has the latest Blackmagic color science, which has been designed to be the perfect sensor for color grading in DaVinci Resolve. The color filters have been chosen specifically to match DaVinci Resolve’s image science and processing.

Plus, the 12K sensor is a perfect choice for shooting VFX plates where users may want to shoot wide but retain high resolution. It’s also great for shooting IMAX-style immersive content. The high-resolution sensor also allows interesting lens effects, where users can crop a specific part of the image for creative analog-style optical effects but still be well above your delivery resolution. Even vintage Super16 lenses have high enough resolution to use.

Cinematographers can use the large sensor area to shoot anamorphic and deliver in a range of aspect ratios with 1.3, 1.5, 1.6, 1.66, 1.8 and 2x de-squeeze factors. There’s even 9K Super 35 4-perf, 3-perf and 2-perf modes for full compatibility with classic cinema lenses.

Even though the new Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF Body model is lower cost when purchased by itself, it still includes the same exact features as the full kit models. There is no difference in specification to the higher end URSA Cine camera kits.

It includes exactly the same 12K large format RGBW 36 x 24mm sensor as the other models and has the same large photo-sites for 16 stops of dynamic range, interchangeable PL, LPL and EF lens mounts, and industry standard Lemo and Fischer connections. It ships with the EF lens mount as standard but users can purchase the PL and LPL lens mounts as they need them.

For storage, Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K comes with a dual CFexpress media module for using industry standard CFexpress cards. These cards will still sync to Blackmagic Cloud and can be accessed via the 10G Ethernet connector on the back of the camera. Users can also purchase the 8TB high performance media module if they need it.

The camera body is built with a robust magnesium alloy chassis and lightweight carbon fiber polycarbonate composite skin to help shooters move quickly on set. Standard Lemo and Fischer connectors let shooters control the camera remotely while providing power for lens motors and other accessories. The camera also has 12G‑SDI outputs, 10G Ethernet, USB-C, XLR audio and more.

Blackmagic URSA Cine lets crews work faster on set with multiple monitoring options. It has a large fold-out 5″ HDR touchscreen monitor on one side and an external color status LCD on the other. On the right side of the camera, there’s a dedicated assist station with a second 5″ HDR touchscreen which allows crew to work around the camera without needing external monitors. There’s even a dedicated focus puller’s mode to help the camera team get perfect focus.

The wide range of industry-standard connections on URSA Cine make it perfect for high-end cinema production. The 7-pin Lemo and 3-pin Fischer connectors at the front provide record start/stop and 24V power, so they are ideal for onboard accessories such as focus motors. Camera power is provided by a standard 24-volt 8-pin Lemo connection, plus there’s an additional 2-pin Lemo 12V connection at the rear for lower-voltage accessories.

Blackmagic RAW files store camera metadata, lens data, white balance, digital slate information, and custom LUTs to ensure consistency of image on set and through post-production. URSA Cine records to the included Blackmagic Media Module CF or to the optional Blackmagic Media Module 8TB, allowing users to capture over 4 hours of Blackmagic RAW in 12K or a massive 20 hours in 4K.

URSA Cine includes a high-performance optical low-pass filter that is precisely matched to the sensor. The OLPF also incorporates updated IR filtering that improves far-red color response. When combined with Blackmagic RAW processing for the URSA Cine, this preserves color and critical image detail for new levels of image fidelity.

Blackmagic URSA Cine supports creating a small H.264 proxy file in addition to the camera original media when recording. This means the small proxy file can upload to Blackmagic Cloud in seconds so their media is available back at the studio in real time. The ability to transfer media directly into the DaVinci Resolve media bin as editors are working is revolutionary and has never before been possible.

Now shooters can live stream from film sets. URSA Cine features a built in hardware streaming engine that supports RTMP and SRT streaming to major platforms or directly to clients. Simply connect to the internet via Ethernet, high speed wifi or even connect a 4G or 5G phone for mobile data.

URSA Cine also supports the optional Blackmagic URSA Cine EVF to make outdoor and handheld shooting accurate and easy. Shooters get an integrated high-quality 1920 x 1080 color OLED display with a built-in proximity sensor and a 4-element glass diopter for incredible accuracy with a wide focus adjustment. A built-in digital focus chart ensures shooters get a perfect viewfinder focus setup.

URSA Cine includes an 8-pin Lemo power connector at the back of the camera that works with 24V and 12V power supplies. That means it’s easy to use the camera with existing power supplies, batteries and accessories. URSA Cine also supports various battery plates so users can use a wide range of high voltage batteries from manufacturers such as IDX, Anton Bauer, Core SWX, BEBOB and more.

Another exciting companion product to URSA Cine is the Blackmagic Media Dock, which accelerates post-production workflow by making it faster to start editing and color correction while shooting. Users can mount up to three Blackmagic Media Modules simultaneously for high-speed access to media from multiple URSA Cine cameras. These can be the CFexpress card media module included with the camera or the Blackmagic Media Module 8TB which can be purchased separately.

Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K Features

• Cinematic large-format sensor with a massive 16 stops of dynamic range.
• Lightweight, robust camera body with industry-standard connections.
• Locking EF mount included with optional LPL or PL mount available separately.
• Blackmagic RAW for real time 12K, 9K, 8K and 4K editing.
• Generation 5 Color Science with new film curve.
• High performance OLPF for reduced moire and aliasing.
• Built-in ND filters for shooting in varying conditions.
• Shoot up to 80 fps in 12K, 144 fps at 8K and 240 fps at 4K.
• Includes CFexpress media module. 8TB module can be purchased separately.
• Recording media modules are compatible with the Blackmagic Media Dock.
• High speed wifi, 10G Ethernet or mobile data for network connections.
• Built-in RTMP and SRT live streaming.
• Optional Blackmagic URSA Cine EVF can be purchased separately.
• Accessories and EVF that match the URSA Cine design can be purchased separately.
• Includes full DaVinci Resolve Studio license for post production.