Blackmagic Design URSA Broadcast G2
Image courtesy: Blackmagic Design

Blackmagic Design has launched a new 6K digital camera, the Blackmagic Design Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2. The company proclaims the G2 is three cameras in one, pointing to the fact that it can work as a 4K production camera, a 4K studio camera or a 6K digital film camera.

Blackmagic Design fits a 6K sensor into the Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2

The camera’s new 6144 x 3456 digital film sensor offers 13 stops of dynamic range and uses Blackmagic’s generation 5 color science. It also has a dual gain ISO from -12dB (100 ISO) to +36dB (25,600 ISO). This means that the camera should capture high-quality videos in low light.

The Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 features a B4 lens mount

Blackmagic Design URSA Broadcast G2 in the field
Image courtesy: Blackmagic Design

The camera comes with a fitted B4 lens mount as standard. Due to the dimensions of the B4 mount, you have to use a 4K window of the sensor to use the camera for Ultra HD broadcasts. However, the camera supplies a user swappable EF mount which allows you to shoot in full 6K. PL and F mounts are also available as optional accessories.

Here are the Blackmagic URSA Broadcast’s storage and file format options

With the Blackmagic Design Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2, you can record to SD cards, UHS-II cards, CFast 2.0 cards or external USB disks. The file formats on offer are H.265, Apple ProRes and Blackmagic RAW. When shooting in H.265, you can record very small files — with 60:1 to 285:1 compression ratios — yet still retain 10-bit broadcast quality.

Blackmagic Design URSA Broadcast G2 storage
Image courtesy: Blackmagic Design

ND filters

The Blackmagic Design Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 shares a body design with Blackmagic Design’s URSA Mini Pro range of cameras. It also shares great features such as internal 1/4, 1/16th and 1/64th stop ND filters. These ND filters will evenly filter both optical and IR wavelengths to eliminate IR contamination.

Blackmagic Design Davinci Resolve comes with the camera

The Blackmagic Design Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 comes with Blackmagic’s shoulder mount kit, V-Lock battery plate and top handle. You need to buy these accessories separately for the other cameras in the Ursa range, so it’s a good saving. The full studio version of Davinci Resolve comes with the camera as well.

Extra accessories

Other optional accessories available include zoom and focus demands, which you can use to control photography lenses for live production. The new camera is compatible with the Blackmagic Design URSA Viewfinder and Blackmagic Design URSA Studio Viewfinder.

Pricing and availability

The Blackmagic Design Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 retails for $3,995 and is available now.

Pete Tomkies is a freelance cinematographer and camera operator from Manchester, UK. He also produces and directs short films as Duck66 Films. Pete's latest short Once Bitten... won 15 awards and was selected for 105 film festivals around the world.