GEAR REVI EW | BLACKMAG I C 12K
of the screen to let you select what group of settings you require. Then, you simply tap and can adjust the settings. There is histogram, zebra, false colours and peaking, but no large waveform. The camera can be completely controlled via a tablet or smartphone using a dedicated app that you can download for free. Just like on the G2 version, the left of the camera has a backlit LCD screen showing record time code, frame rate, shutter angle, aperture, white-balance, ISO and iris, along with a battery indicator, card recording status and audio meters for monitoring levels. There are professional connections, such as XLR audio, a 12G-SDI out connector, HD-SDI monitoring out, two LANC inputs, time code in and reference input to record continuous incoming time code. It’s specifications like this that show the 12K camera is aimed at the sort of shooter that values quality and needs all the traditional controls and feel of a cinema camera. There is no IBIS, no continuous AF and no non-Raw codecs. This is a camera built for people who know what they are doing, and how to use it. And, of course, for anyone who wants to boast that they have the highest-resolving camera on the market. “IT SHOOTS 110FPS IN 8K RAW TO MEMORY CARDS – THAT’S INCREDIBLE!”
quality. If you’re a techy type, you can work out the resolving power a lens should have to work with a 12K sensor, which is around 228 λ /mm. That means you need good-quality primes and zooms to take advantage of the sensor resolution. We used a trio of Canon CN-E cine primes and they worked perfectly. But they are manual focus and require precise focusing. With a 12K sensor there is nowhere to hide if you don’t get the images sharp. There is no continuous AF and certainly no face detection. However, there is a push-to-focus button. Using an AF lens, the camera is able to focus on the central subject, before locking focus at that point. For that reason, we only used it with manual lenses. The camera itself is pretty much identical to the old 4.6K Ursa Mini Pro G2, except that the USB-C socket has been moved to the back, and that camera was a development of the earlier Ursa Mini Pro. The body is very solid and well built, with lots of buttons to access all the main features that a professional cameraman becomes accustomed to. However, the design is starting to feel a bit old-school. The built-in ND filters have IR compensation, in two-, four- and six-stop
high-quality screen in order to discern any real difference. In fact, using the more compressed files meant it was actually possible to edit 12K footage on a modern MacBook Pro – and that is something we thought would never prove possible. It’s not ideal, though, and the faster your computer, the better. For the best results, shoot in 12K and then drop resolution in post to 8K or 4K. And of course you retain the 12K files for future use. However, shooting in-camera in these smaller sizes has the advantage of still using the whole area of the sensor – meaning the angle of view does not change. And it also unlocks higher frame rates. Shooting from the full size of the sensor, you can record up to 17:9 in 12K at 60fps, or 8K and 4K at 110fps. If you record in the 2.4:1 ratio, then it’s possible to shoot at 75fps in 12K and 160fps in 8K and 4K. If you crop the sensor to Super 16 size, you can record 6K at 120fps and 4K at 220fps. Right, so let’s allow that to sink in for a minute. It shoots 110fps in 8K Raw to memory cards – that’s simply incredible! And on top of that, the rolling shutter is well controlled. Whether you are shooting in normal frame rates or faster, the one thing that this camera does demand is quality glass. It comes with a PL mount, but you can also DIY fit a Canon EF mount like we did. It doesn’t need shimming and just boots right on. That doesn’t mean you can get away with boshing on some old EF zooms – or even photo primes – on it and expect decent
IMAGES The grip can be used like this (above); with a cine prime and V-Lock battery, it’s perfect for serious filmmakers (below)
range, but there is no electronically variable ND like there is on newer Sony cameras. The touchscreen is decent, though, and the menu system is very easy to use and navigate. There are tabs at the top
26 DEF I N I T ION | MARCH 202 1
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