Ursa Mini 4.6k - Blackmagic's killer camera - full review

[@joelsmolenaers1783]

I’m 4 years late to the party but just wanted to say great job! This type of review gives much more understanding then just specs. I’m inspired haha

[@Luiscameraman]

Joel, I'm still shooting on the Ursa mini, is still a very capable camera. Have fun with it and Good luck!

[@GiTxSHuM]

You have the most cleanest footage I have seen in low light. I want to thank you for explaining about professionals. I try to explain about me being a video editor of storytelling versus a KZbin vlogger. THANK YOU. Love the work here from one artist to another. I also went to film school in SF and now just doing things on my own. Hope to see your work in the future again.

[@Luiscameraman]

Thanks for taking the time to write a comment, and yes, I have encountered many situation with different cameras users over the years. The main one being most experienced shooters know how to use they equipment and thus get better and consistent results, and I am grateful to have worked alongside side some very talented professionals, because i have learned my craft from them. In the other hand we have the inexperienced shooters that think that this or any other camera will do the work for them. Sadly when they are unable to reproduce the Hollywood film they are looking for they quickly blame the equipment, filling forums with complaints. We all need to shoot more and make the effort to know the gear we are using. that will allow us to focus on creating great films.

[@GiTxSHuM]

Luis cameraman Yes you are right. That is the thing when I went to film school. I wanted to shoot on my DSLR and they preferred us shooting on super 8 and a DVC camera to practice composition and lighting. Man, when I picked up my dslr, it felt like just a tool and was easy to use. I did appreciate working on set with red and some arri. Never tried blackmagics camera. But looking into the pocket cinema camera as a b roll shooter or for stock and archival footage.

[@filmactorgordwelke]

Hey Luis: Your tutorial about the Blackmagic is surely one of the top 3 video's I've seen about the camera I've/we've dreampt of owning for over 2 years! I love your details and your cinematography is top shelf!! Thanks

[@Luiscameraman]

Thanks for the comment, I'm planning a couple more over the next few weeks. Hopefully the pocket 4 will arrive soon. I really enjoyed making them vids.

[@preciouschinedu2090]

Wow, hands down the best review I've seen about this camera so far. don't think I'd be watching another one lol...

[@CCozart]

Luis this is a great unbiased video, proving the capabilities of this camera by some great footage that matches the best image quality out there. I just picked up a slightly used 4.6k to combine with my 4k, and 6k pro for various productions. This video helped me to see that I did not need to purchase a new G2 to obtain the best image quality, for my workflow of shooting Cinematic footage.

[@Luiscameraman]

Yeah, it's 2024 and I'm still using it. 2 months ago I shot a doc for tv and the editor was asking what camera did we shoot on? I was like the um 4.6k he wouldn't believe me hahahaa.

[@dietwedge]

I've got an Ursa Mini Pro. Love it. With the Blackmagic RAW announcement, it's like I've got a brand new camera.

[@chardonwaite]

I don't think anyone could have said it better, everything in this video is absolutely true. I also have this camera and it has been amazing. Nice work mate.

[@STGFilmmakers]

Great take on the Ursa Mini 4.6k. It's a great tool.

[@Luiscameraman]

Agreed!

[@WesleyClouden]

bless up always great seeing you Lou, catch up soon

[@AlexLopez-iy4by]

Thanks for great review. Lovely looking footage.

[@DJAnamaly]

Very concise and straight to the point. Thank you.

[@D3Sshooter]

Its one of the best video on the Ursa Mini, as I am a potential buyer. TXS for sharing

[@Luiscameraman]

Thanks for the comment, it's a great camera. I use it as my main camera next to the pocket and it's a killer combo

[@jorgemartinez123]

Just a great video, Luis. Straight to the point. You're backing what you say with your images. Your videos look amazing. Good job, sir!

[@Luiscameraman]

Thanks Jorge ! Took me a good wile to compile all the clips , but yes it makes such a difference talking about the scenarios and showing the visuals.

[@georgedoyle8795]

Nice video, straight and to the point, great footage in there too

[@Luiscameraman]

Thanks dude, want to condense the most info with out making them boring.

[@brmoogma]

nice review...I am looking forward to the next Version BMD publishes....and with BMD Raw, the Mini Pro MKII will be a must buy

[@Luiscameraman]

Yes my friend same here, next year I'm certain balckmagic will come out with something surreal. 6k full frame censor, B-raw and internal ND ! Imagine that!

[@andrekingme]

Thank Luis.

[@brendanlister883]

Great video man, I am really keen on getting one of these soon.

[@Luiscameraman]

It was the best purchase I have ever made, the quality is mad... And it have me the flexibility to do documentary and passion project like KZbin vids on my free time with out spending money.

[@Alecgodwin]

Nice review bro. You still rocking the ursa G2?

[@Luiscameraman]

Hell yeah dude! Still living the camera.

[@sgt.makkar676]

Great review brother

[@Luiscameraman]

Thanks!

[@AaronStowers]

Brother you have made a video about everything i have been saying for years. Great job and keep the videos coming.

[@Luiscameraman]

Thanks Aaron, still working on fine-tuning the video format, need to make them more often but not killing myself in the process hahahahaha. as it is it's taking me a day and a half to produce the vids. So many long days in the studio, with work and personal time on the side.

[@aliquran7535]

@@Luiscameraman will you recommend canon c300 mark2 over 4:6k?

[@swapnil528]

very useful and motivating .....! cheers !

[@Luiscameraman]

Glad to help!

[@fredsanchez9245]

Great video but why is there a blue hue added to most of your clips. With 15 stops of dynamic range, why wash the image with LUTS? By trying to make the sky or water a little more blue you also turn the greens in grass and leaves in that direction. As a production camera (not point and shoot) this camera is at its absolute best with a proper gray and color balance before you hit record.

[@welldone8235]

great video! Thank you!

[@jimkoral3824]

Great review based on real world experience. You can see the wear marks on the camera and viewfinder. Can you dive into your codec settings? Since you shoot a lot, I imagine you would shoot ProRes 1080p to conserve hard drive storage. Do you shoot in film mode or video mode? Lastly, how are the builtin pre amps? Thanks!

[@Luiscameraman]

Hi Jim, well I actually shoot sometimes on 1080 but mostly when I shoot for other produces or directors and I don't store that footage. When the projects are done by my Production company I shoot mostly in 4k or UHD ProRes 422 , yes they are big files but the results are just perfect, with great flexibility in post production. In 2 years I have filled up 7 hard drives with a capacity of 8tb each. I have never shot in video mode, and the pre-amps are nice, I have shot allot of documentary and corporate work straight in to camera and I'm happy with the audio. I bought a pre-amp adapter called fethead when I got the camera and have only used it a couple of times when my talents speak very low.

[@Chorusfilms]

thank you for the information . Nice review . Can u please mentions the Lens detail you used on your work .

[@MervinRijo]

Eso ta chevere tigere! Nice video!

[@josuenunez5353]

Awesome video man! Do you still recommend the Ursa mini 4.6k today? I've seen some as low as 2k. I know DNG raw files are rough on the computer but now we have stuff like ryzen 2, and graphics cards are coming down in price while still having great performance. Because of the new RTX series of graphics cards I've seen people selling their RTX 2080 ti for less than 500$ which is insane.

[@Luiscameraman]

Hey Josue, yeah I would still recommend it. It can do most of what the newer cameras can do and records in ProRres up to 444 which is still highest standard for vfx and high end commercial work. Also as you said Raw video is on it's on world if you are able to handle the workflow then it's a no-brainer but you need to be conscious that there's extra work required to handle those files so in my case not every production justifies the need for Raw. Wow RTX 2080 Ti for 500 sound like a nice deal. I would say if you find a UM kit, for a decent price go for it, if you are able to save up some more then do get the UMpro but price for a working kit, Batteries, cards, grip etc..... Will be more than double.

[@jimenezvisuals5707]

Awesome video Luis! I am saving up for this camera. De donde eres compi?

[@Luiscameraman]

Thanks Jimenez ! This camera is mad cool, you will definitely have fun with it.

[@LouisCharlesBlais]

Amazing video ! Continue your good work !

[@Luiscameraman]

That's dude ! There are a few new ones coming this month, hopefully they be well received.

[@Theeslickness]

I'm just like you, I've been using the Ursa Mini 4.6k for years and it has been an awesome camera. I used the original BMCC with success, but it wasn't easy to use. So you love the Tamron 24-70mm 2.8? I didn't consider this lens until I saw the newer $1200 version. Are you using the new or old one? Differences?

[@SmokeeWhine]

I love this camera

[@Luiscameraman]

Yes it's a cool one! I'm particularly impressed with the quality of the footage. Like if you shoot ProRes HQ when grading you can push the footage so much without it falling apart.

[@w.w.7148]

You forgot (?) The EVA1 in your sensor comparison.

[@Luiscameraman]

True that ! I actually know some one that has it, the Eva1 is amazingly built, very cool camera for documentary work.

[@theseventh2609]

Nice review man, thank you. Instead of me watching stuff about Red Gemini, Ursa Mini G2, etc...how about I use the camera I already got? Thanks for reminding us that this first Gen Ursa is STILL AND WILL STAY a beast.

[@Luiscameraman]

Yes dude, I have used it in all the production I shot in the last 2 years and still live by it. We are currently working on a documentary and this is our A camera with the B camera being the pocket 4k on a Ronin S or legs wen needed.

[@theseventh2609]

Luis Cameraman I have the 4.6k but it gets hot really quickly so much so the camera shuts down way too often in my opinion ! Have you had that issue ? If so what do you recommend to solve that problem please? Thanking you for your time Luis

[@Luiscameraman]

@@theseventh2609 hey Alexander I would recommend first stop using the camera immediately. You might have a problem with the fan or the cooling unit if it burns out it will cost you a lot of money to repair. I would say go to a technician that can open the camera up and make sure the fan is not about to fail altogether, it could be dust trap in the fan itself or the cooling unit may not be connected well.

[@cttp]

Nice man. Good video!

[@SeanvanBerlo]

Nice video! One question, what's up with all the cyan in your outdoor videos? Your skies, greys (in for example the highland video) even highlights all turn cyan, which I guess is your grade? It looks sort of strange.

[@Luiscameraman]

Hey Sean, it's the LUT I'm using, Teal and Orange. The format is till not set in stone, but the idea is to have all the b-role sections with a moody grade and the bits where I talk to the cam with a standard colour grade.

[@kalkimovie]

Hi Luis! Thanks for great video, how does this compares only in terms of final quality and color science against the Ursa Mini Pro? Is it possible to get the same results? I’ve heard that this 4.6K version had quite a little bit different colors because of IR pollution? Thanks in advance! And keep up with your great content!

[@Luiscameraman]

The original ursa mini 4k that had global shutter and a different censor , had tons of issues, the most common was the magenta cast.... Then balckmagic did the Ursa Mini 4.6k which is the one I have, I have had no problems whatsoever, last year they announced the Ursa Mini pro 4.6k which is the exact same sensor as the Ursa Mini 4.6k with 3 design improvements: the internal ND , the buttons outside and the Bluetooth. Hope that makes sense Gabah. Thanks for the question.

[@kalkimovie]

Luis cameraman thanks for the reply, but I’m kinda worried about FPN, since there are reviews that say they receive a unit with lots of it, then bring it back, and the new one has “less”. Have they fixed already? It would be difficult to me to be returning it to get a “good” unit. Thanks for info.

[@demti2]

How does he know my uncle is an accountant?

[@chief9543]

brilliant review I knew there was a bit of a Dublin twang in the accent

[@savageshutter7211]

that shot with the women and bubbles killed me because it was so awsome till she started smacking her gum lol whyyyyy

[@Luiscameraman]

Hahahahahaa

[@itsoverat6000]

Love the video sir. Do you edit DNG videos on you computer? If so, can you do a video on the build or give the spes? My BMPCC4K will be in soon and i would like to edit Cinema DNG files.

[@Luiscameraman]

Hey Daniel, yes I have editeds Raw it's very hardware intensive. I mostly shoot ProRes 422 or HQ depending on the projects. I have a very fast custom built pc. 32gb ddr4 ram , Intel i7 processor, 2 SSD one for Os one for cash memory both have a capacity of 500bg and a read/write speed of 560mb/s, lastly the Graphics cads is a gtx 2070 with 8gb of video ram. This setup can still struggle with Cinema DNG so proxy workflow are needed for real time playback on complex edits. Hope that helps !

[@itsoverat6000]

@@Luiscameraman thank you

[@avitpsyrush4394]

Does bmpcc 4k produce the same colors as ursa mini 4.6k?

[@Luiscameraman]

Hey Avit, yes it does now that I have shot a few times with the pocket 4k I can tell you the it's very easy to match and they work amazingly together. The only noticeable difference is the dynamic range of the pocket is way smaller, so in exterior shots with sky or shot similar your will see the difference in Dynamic range straight way.

[@avitpsyrush4394]

Hey luis glad hear from you..thanks buddy.

[@SoundSpeeding]

I reckon with the URSA Mini Pro improvements that makes it a no brainer over the original 4.6K camera. And the new BMPCC4K with braw makes for an epic B Cam! BTW, a better/easier workflow for audio is to use timecode! Check out my videos on timecode, or just ask me any questions :-) Plus all professional sound recordists you hire should know how to handle timecode.

[@microdoulo2250]

Hello Luis do you have some sample video clip to test for grading?

[@navg1409]

Hey Luis, what are your thoughts on someone selling their Ursa Mini Pro for the New Pocketcam? I know you would lose two stops of dynamic range, and the sensor and resolution are smaller, but with a metabones adapter i can fix that problem a little bit. Also dont mind using a variable ND filter. The price difference is just way too huge, and the weight for long day shoots can be a hassle. I can sell the UMP for quite a bit right now, I'm sure i'm not the only one who has this dilemma lol

[@Luiscameraman]

Hi Nav well I would say is a big move, depending on the shoots you are doing that smaller camera kit might work best. It is still a very powerful camera , and paired with a metobones you will get a similar FOV, also the colour science is very good compared to other camers manufacturers. The UMP on the other hand is a superb camera , and has better specks, but yea is a bigger payload when rigged, but we'll with it. So if I had to make make a call, I would say go with the one that works best for the projects your shooting.

[@navg1409]

Thanks a Ton Luis! Keep up the amazing work!

[@christophershivers6257]

or you could keep both, and switch when you need one over the other lol. Right now imma sell my c200 for the ump, especially since the black magic raw came out. It's super fast its playback is smooth as hell, and for a 256gb cfast card you can get 90 min out but with my c200 i can only get 30 min. I will also be buying the pocket cinema camera 4k to go hand and hand with the ump

[@Luiscameraman]

That's the best pair of cameras, both will shoot raw, so the workflow will be very simple, and we o match the cameras will be a breeze. I can't wait to have my pocket and do a review video.

[@thabokeorapetse2273]

Can the Blackamgic URSA Mini 4K can also achieve the same quality @luiscameraman

[@Luiscameraman]

I think is a nice camera, but the colour science is closer to the Productions cameras and the big Ursa . In my opinion it has a way more stylised colour, thus people say it more filmlike. I actually like more the true to life colours that the Ursa Mini 4.6k has, but that just person taste, and the use I have for it, doing corporate and commercial stuff. If I was shooting more shorts, features and stuff like that it would probably make sense to have a more stylised look.

[@DynamicLearning4u]

Which lens did you use for your low light sample? Thanks

[@spo5egy]

I didn't like the video... I loved it! Thank you Luis 😊

[@Luiscameraman]

Thanks! HipStar

[@FarEastSurvival]

Nice video. I subbed.

[@showcase-me]

Man, r u venezuelan?