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MINI TESTS
BLACKMAGIC DAVINCI RESOLVE MICRO COLOR PANEL £415/$509 blackmagicdesign.com
As Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve software continues to expand, so does the range of hardware built to give editors a fast and easy way of using it. If you are a serious user, the Advanced Panel does it all but is massive and costs £22,585/$27,585. Even the Mini Panel is £1695/$2115. Now, enter the Micro Color Panel: a far more affordable panel for DaVinci Resolve at £415/$509 that works well for colour correction and grading. It’s an upgrade from the older DaVinci Resolve Micro Panel, but is smaller and cheaper, yet with some features from the flagship Advanced Panel. While it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of the larger versions, it’s more portable and can run from an internal battery so you can carry it around and edit from a laptop. It still has high-quality trackballs and control knobs for fine-tuning primary grading parameters, as well as navigation and transport keys for shortcut commands. Connection to your editing device is via Bluetooth or USB-C. Just hit the Bluetooth button and pair with your
PANEL SHOW If you edit with DaVinci Resolve, you should get one of these to speed up your workflow
computer. There is even a mounting slot for an Apple iPad Pro – a device more filmmakers are turning to for editing. For use with a computer or laptop, it sits next to the keyboard. It’s easy to move between the two and doesn’t take up much space on a desk. The panel features three weighted trackballs designed to give a controlled feeling – and they certainly work well. If you are not used to them, it’s quick to get the hang of it, and any changes are instant on your screen. There are also 12 control knobs that give direct access to all the most used features: Lift, Gamma, Gain, Contrast, Pivot, Midtone Detail, Colour Boost, Shadow, Highlight, Saturation, Hue Rotation and Luminance Mix. Lift, Gamma and Gain are often referred to as shadows, midtones and highlights, so you can adjust the brightness in a specific area of an image’s tonal range. Midtone Detail changes the contrast on edge details
SPECIFICATIONS
Controls: 12x dials, 3x trackballs Display: None Compatibility: iPadOS, MacOS 14.3 or later, Windows 11, Linux 8.6 Connectivity: 1x USB-C input Dimensions: 364x182x48mm/ 14.33x7.18x1.89in Weight: 1.2kg/2.6lb
in an image, which adds sharpness to details in the frame. It’s very quick and easy to do. There are also a range of transport and grading control buttons on the left, top and right of the panel for the most common commands. Many of these – such as Wipe Still, Cursor and Select – have only been available on the larger Mini or Advanced grading panels. Many of the controls are in the same position as the Advanced Panel and the trackballs are designed with a similar feel, so this new hardware is ideal for experienced Resolve colourists to use as a slimmed-down version, ideal for use on location. For users of Resolve, it’s a well- priced unit and seriously useful too. The only issue is that it works fine with the current version 18 of Resolve, but is set up to take advantage of version 19 – and that’s still a beta download. So, if you do buy it, either get hold of the beta version or wait for it to go on full release. PRO MOVIEMAKER RATING: 9/10 The portable and affordable solution for serious Resolve users Pros: Small, but has lots of features Cons: Doesn’t come with a case
BACK TO BLACK
Used alongside a Macbook Pro, the Blackmagic panel is your perfect partner for fast edits
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