Ben Allan ACS CSI, test drives and reviews the URSA Cine 12K LF, with Oscar winner Bruce Beresford and also with our own fxcrew.Blackmagic Design refers to their much anticipated high-end camera as the first cine camera design. This camera is also the basis for the new Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive, which the company announced today is now available to pre-order from Blackmagic Design.URSA Cine Immersive cameraThe new Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive camera will be the worlds first commercial camera system designed to capture Apple Immersive Video for Apple Vision Pro (AVP), with deliveries starting in early 2025. DaVinci Resolve Studio will also be updated to support editing Apple Immersive Video early next year, offering professional filmmakers a comprehensive workflow for producing Apple Immersive Video for Apple Vision Pro. Rumours have been incorrectly claiming Apple is moving away from the AVP, this is clearly not the case. The AVP: Immersive Video format is a remarkable 180-degree media format that leverages ultra-high-resolution immersive video and Spatial Audio to place viewers in the center of the action.Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive will feature a fixed, custom lens system pre-installedThe Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive will feature a fixed, custom lens system pre-installed on the body, which is explicitly designed to capture Apple Immersive Video for AVP. The sensor can deliver 8160 x 7200 resolution per eye with pixel level synchronisation and an impressive 16 stops of dynamic range. Cinematographers will be able to shoot 90fps 3D immersive cinema content to a single file. The custom lens system is designed for URSA Cines large format image sensor with extremely accurate positional data thats read and stored at time of manufacturing. This immersive lens projection data which is calibrated and stored on device then travels through post production in the Blackmagic RAW file itself.Hands-on with Ben Allan, ACS CSI.Ben tested one of the first URSA Cine 12K LF camera.URSA Cine 12K LF : Cinema or Cine?BMDs has used the terms cinema and digital film camera for most of the cameras they have made. This a reflection of the fact that when they first started to produce cameras, they already had the prestige post-production software DaVinci Resolve in their stable, so a big part of the equation in starting to produce their own cameras was to fill the gap of an affordable, small camera which could produce images which were suitable for colour grading with the powerful tools already available in Resolve.Their original Cinema Camera was introduced in 2012 with an unconventional design and, crucially, recording very high-quality files in either ProRes or Cinema DNG RAW. It is probably hard to put this in the proper perspective now, but at the time, it sparked a little revolution in the industry where high-end recording formats were tightly tied to the most expensive cameras. Only a few years earlier, RED had started a similar revolution at a time when Super 35mm sized single sensors which could be used with existing cinema lenses, was the province of the most expensive digital cameras from Sony and Panavision. At the same time, RAW recording for moving pictures was essentially a pipe-dream.By showing that these things could be delivered to the market in a working camera system at somewhere near a 10th of the cost, RED catapulted the whole industry forward and forced the existing players to fast-track the new technologies into the families of high-end cameras were all familiar with today such as Sonys F-series, Panavisions RED-based DXLs, ARRIs ALEXAs and Canons Cinema Line.The other revolution which had also occurred recently was the advent of HD video recording in DSLRs with the introduction of the Canon 5D-II. While this suddenly gave people a low-cost way of recording cinematic images with shallow depth of field coming from a single large sensor, the 5D-II and the next few generations of video-capable DSLRs were limited by highly compressed 8-bit recording. The effects of this would sometimes only become apparent when the images were colour-graded and DCT blocking from the compression and banding from the 8-bit recording became difficult or even impossible to remove.BMDs choice to offer both 10-bit ProRes and 12-bit Cinema-DNG RAW recording removed the quality bottle-neck and allowed users with limited budgets or needing a light and compact camera to record in formats that met or exceeded the specifications of a 2K film scan, which was still the standard for cinema production at the time.What BMD did by releasing a camera that could match the file format quality of the high-end cameras with low or no compression and high bit depth and at a tiny percentage of the cost from even the original RED showed that these features neednt be kept for the top-shelf cameras alone, sparking the other manufacturers to allow these features to trickle down into their more affordable cameras as well.Since then, Blackmagic has evolved and expanded its range of cameras year after year and is now easily one of the most significant players in the professional motion image camera market.From the Pocket Cinema Cameras at the entry-level, to the various incarnations of the URSA Mini Pro platform, all of these cameras delivered varying degrees of film-like dynamic range combined with recording formats that provided the basis for intensive colour grading and VFX work. Since the DSLR revolution, there has been an explosion in the options for rigging cameras for cine style shooting, and all of these BMD cameras could and were extensively rigged in this way.For over a decade, BMD has been releasing cameras that record in cinema-friendly formats, optimised for high-end post-production requirements and routinely rigged for cinema-style shooting, so why call this new camera their first cine camera? I think this is their way of explaining succinctly that this is a camera designed from the ground up for film production style shooting.The Cine BenchmarkWhen we think of the modern motion picture film camera, the benchmark both in a practical sense and in the popular consciousness in the Panavision Panaflex, with its big white film magazine sitting on top, it is the very essence of what people both inside and outside the industry feel a movie camera should look.But a huge part of the success of the Panaflex since its introduction in the 1970s is that the camera itself was designed and evolved as part of a cohesive ecosystem that was modular, flexible and, most importantly reliable. In creating this, Panavision set expectations for crews and producers of what a professional camera system needed to be. This philosophy has flowed through in varying ways to all of the high-end digital camera systems used today. Take the ARRI ALEXA 35, for example, with a modular design that can be quickly and easily optimised for a wide range of shooting styles and requirements, has all the connections required for professional work, including multiple SDI outputs, power for accessories and wireless control.In this context, it starts to become very clear what BMD have done with the URSA Cine platform; they have designed a system that is driven by this cinema camera philosophy rather than, say their DSLR-styled Pocket cameras or the TV-inspired URSA Mini Pro range. Different design philosophies for different purposes.The URSA Cine 12K LF is the first camera to be released from the URSA Cine line ahead of the URSA Cine 17K with its 65mm film-sized image sensor and the URSA Cine Immersive stereoscopic camera being developed with Apple and optimised for capturing films in the 180 Immersive format for the Apple Vision Pro. While these other two cameras are much more niche, special-purpose tools, the Cine LF is very much a mainstream production camera system. An Operators CameraWhen it comes to actually using the Cine LF it becomes very clear what a mainstream system it is. It is a very operator-friendly camera that is well thought out. Although it is a little bigger and heavier than the URSA Mini Pro cameras, it is still significantly smaller and lighter than a full-sized ALEXA, which is of itself much smaller and lighter than something like a fully loaded Panaflex.The Cine LF is packaged in one of two kits, both well-kitted up and pretty much ready to shoot but with and without the EVF. I suspect the EVF kit will be by far the more popular, as the viewfinder is as good as any Ive ever used. It is sharp and clear, the contrast is exceptionally good, the colour rendition is incredibly accurate, and all in a very compact unit. The EVF connects to the camera via a single, locking USB-C cable which carries power, picture and control. Not only is this convenient, it allows the EVF to be thoroughly controlled from the cameras touchscreen menu. This is dramatically easier and quicker than the URSA Mini Pros EVF menu system. In addition to the EVF function buttons, there is even a record trigger on the EVF itself. In certain situations, this could be an extremely useful feature, particularly when the camera is wedged into a tight spot.The EVF is mounted using a system that attaches quickly to the top handle and allows the viewfinder to be positioned with a high degree of freedom. The kit also includes a viewfinder extension mount which is very quick and easy to attach and remove and can be used with or without an eyepiece leveller. With all of these elements, it is easy to position the EVF wherever the operator needs it and then firmly lock it in place. The way all these pieces fit together is solid, smooth and seamless. In this respect, it is instantly reminiscent of the Panaflex philosophy, it doesnt force you to use the camera in a particular way, it just allows you to make the choices, and the system supports that.The kit also includes a hard case with custom foam. This is also in keeping with the traditions of high-end professional camera systems from people like ARRI. I have a URSA Mini Pro case by SKB that allows the camera to be packed with the EVF attached, and I like that. However, the decision to have the camera packed with the EVF and its mounting system removed makes the whole case much neater and more petite than would otherwise be possible. In fact, the Cine LF EVF kit is substantially smaller than my case for the URSA Mini Pro, despite the bigger camera. In addition to being more consistent with film camera standards, the key to making this work is how quick and easy it is to attach the EVF once the camera is out of the case. The top handle and baseplate remain on the camera when packed.The baseplate with both kits is also an excellent piece of gear. Like the URSA Mini baseplate, it offers a lot of freedom where it is mounted to the underside of the camera body, but the Cine baseplate demonstrates how much this system is designed for film-style shooting. While the URSA Mini Baseplate is a broadcast-style VCT system that works well for getting a fully built camera quickly on and off the tripod it doesnt offer much in the way of rebalancing when the camera configuration changes substantially. The URSA Cine baseplate uses the ARRI dovetail system which is now almost ubiquitous for high-end production cameras. Although the kit doesnt come with the dovetail plate, it connects easily to both the ARRI ones and third-party plates, and the locking mechanism allows it to be partly unlocked for positioning with a safety catch to fully unlock for putting the camera on and off the plate.The baseplate also has a thick and comfortable shoulder pad built-in and mounting for both 15mm LWS and 19mm Studio rods.Together all of these features of the EVF and the baseplate mean that it would be quick and easy to reconfigure the Cine LF from working with a big lens like the Angenieux 24-290mm with a 66 matte box and the viewfinder extension and in moments, have the camera with a lightweight prime lens, clamp on matte box and ready for a handheld shot. This is the sort of flexibility crews expect from a high-end cine-style camera system, and the Cine LF delivers it comfortably.The kit also comes with both PL and locking EF lens mounts which can be changed with a 3mm hex key. These two options will cover a lot of users needs, but there is also an LPL for those who want to use lenses with ARRIs new standard mount, such as the Signature Primes and Zooms and also a Hasselblad mount for using their famous large format lenses.MonitoringMonitoring options is one area where the Cine LF is in a class of its own. In addition to the EVF, there are two built-in 5 HDR touchscreen monitors, which are both large and very clear, with 1500 nits of brightness and very good contrast, and with FHD resolution matching the EVF. On the operator side is a fold-out display, and when it is folded in, there is a small status display showing all the cameras key settings. This is similar to the one on the URSA Mini Pro cameras but with a colour screen. Unlike the URSA Mini fold-out screens, this one can rotate right around so that the monitor faces out while folded back into the camera body. I can imagine this being very convenient when the operator uses the EVF with the extension mount, and the focus puller could be working directly off the 5 display folded back in. The operator side monitor can even rotate around so that the subject can see themselves, potentially useful for giving an actor a quick look at the framing, or for total overkill selfies!On the right hand side, the second 5 monitor is rugged mounted to the side of the camera body. Like the left-side flip-out screen it is also a touch screen, and the whole menu system can be accessed from both screens. Either screen can be configured for an assistant, operator or director with a wide array of options for as little or as much information as required. The right side screen also has a row of physical buttons below it to control the key features and switch between modes.The first shoot I used the Cine LF on was with Bruce Beresford (director of Best Picture Oscar winner Driving Miss Daisy), shooting scenery for his new film Overture. Bruce loved that simply standing next to the camera allowed him to clearly see what was being filmed without waiting for additional equipment to be added to the camera. I can imagine many directors becoming quite used to this feature, allowing them to get away from the video village and be near the action whenever needed.The camera body also has two independent 12G SDI outputs. In the menu system, there are separate controls for both SDI outputs, both LCDs and the EVF, so you can have any combination of LUT, overlays, frame lines, focus and exposure tools etc., on each one.For example, it would be easy to have the LUT, overlays & frame lines on in the EVF for the operator, LUT and focus tools on the right side monitor for the focus puller, false colour & histogram on the left side monitor for the Director Of Photography to check, LUT & frame lines on one SDI out for the director and a clean Log feed on the other for the DIT or any other combination. This flexibility allows the camera to function in a wide range of crew structures and shooting styles efficiently. Because of this, it would be pretty feasible to effectively drop the camera into most existing mainstream production systems with minimal adaptation around the camera.Ironically, the main thing that might obscure how much of a mainstream tool the Cine LF is might be the 12K sensor. The Cine LF, like the URSA Mini Pro 12K, the combination of the RGBW colour filter array and the BRAW recording format means that the RAW recording resolution is not tied to the area of the sensor being used the way it is for virtually every other RAW capable camera.Resolution & Recording FormatsThis might sound counter-intuitive because of how RAW has been sold to us from the start. The concept that RAW is simply taking the raw, ie. unprocessed digitised data of each pixel from the image sensor has always been a vast oversimplification that has served a useful purpose in allowing people to understand the usefulness of RAW. The only production camera Im aware of that records in this way is the Achtel 97. Even then, the files need to be converted to a more conventional format for post-production. The vast amount of data involved in doing this is truly mind-boggling.What the RAW video formats were all familiar with do is more of an approximation of this which is to use efficiencies from saving the de-Bayer process to reduce the amount of data before compression is applied and use some of that space saving to record high bit depth data for each photosite allowing it to retain more of the tonal subtleties from the sensor and therefore being able to apply minimal processing to the recording. The effect of all this is that it gives so much flexibility in post that it generally functions in practice as if you had all of the unprocessed raw data from the sensor. RED set the standard for this with their REDCODE RAW format, and most manufacturers have followed this in some form or another, such as ARRIs uncompressed ARRIRAW. With all of these formats, recording a lower resolution than the full sensor res means cropping in on the sensor. The RED ONE, for example, recorded 4K across the Super 35mm sensor, but to record 2K meant cropping down to approximately Super 16mm.Ben Allan DOP on set recently with the fxcrewBlackmagic RAW or BRAW achieves a similar result by different means and was designed with the RGBW sensor array in mind. Unlike other RAW systems where the recording is tied to the Bayer pattern of photosites, BRAW does a partial de-mosaic before the recording but still allows for all the normal RAW controls in post, such as white balance, ISO etc.One of the big advantages of this is that the recording resolution can be decoupled from the individual photosites meaning that the BMDs BRAW-capable cameras can record lower resolutions while still using the full dimensions of the sensor.While the Cine LF has the advertised 12K of photosites across the sensor, it doesnt have to record in 12K to get all the other advantages of the large sensor. In 4K, you still get the VistaVision depth of field as you would expect from something like an ARRI ALEXA LF but also the other advantages of a larger sensor that are often overlooked. Many lenses that cover the full frame of the 24mm x 36mm sensor are optimised for that image circle, so they will maximise performance on that frame and issues like sharpness and chromatic aberration will not be as good when significantly cropped in. There are also advantages to oversampling an image, including smoothness while retaining image detail and less likelihood of developing moire patterns. On that subject, the Cine LF also has a built-in OLPF filter in front of the image sensor. This Optical Low Pass Filter removes details below the resolution limit of the sensor, resulting in even less risk of moire and digital aliasing.As a 4K or 8K camera, the Cine LF excels. 4K RAW is the minimum resolution that the camera can record internally, but with the BRAW compression set to a conservative 5:1 the resulting data rate is a very manageable 81 MB/s. The equivalent resolution in ProRes HQ (although in 10-bit, 4:2:2) is 117 MB/s.For many productions, 4K from this camera will be more than adequate. The pictures are smooth and film-like and very malleable in Resolve. The workflow is easy, and you can very comfortably set the camera to 4K and pretend it is just a beautifully oversampled 4K camera. Im conscious that this sort of sensor oversampling is how the original ARRI ALEXA built its reputation with 2.8K of photosites coming down to stunning 2K recordings.Some productions will shoot 4K for the most part but then switch to 8K or 12K for VFX work, somewhat like the way big VFX films used to shoot Super 35mm, Academy or Anamorphic for main unit and switch to VistaVision for VFX shots (think Star Wars, Jurassic Park & Titanic). The beauty of this is that unlike switching to VistaVision, there are no issues with physically swapping cameras or with matching lenses or even angle of view- everything remains the same but with a quick change in the menu system, you have a 4K, 8K or 12K camera.If youre expecting an eye-poppingly sharp 12K from this camera, you may want to be adjusting the settings in Resolve because the camera is optimised for aesthetically pleasing images rather than in-you-face sharpness. While BMD may have taken a bit of a PR hit with the Super-35 12K because people were expecting a big impact 12K zing, Im glad that they have stayed the course and kept the focus on beautiful images. Resolution, image detail and sharpness are related but different issues and they are ones that every manufacturer has to make decisions about in every cameras design. That balancing act has landed in a real sweet spot with the Cine LF and the effects are most notable on faces. The images are simultaneously detailed and gentle.The other significant recording format is the 9K mode, which does a Super-35 crop. This is a great option that allows for the use of any of the vast array of beautiful modern and vintage lenses designed for the Super-35 frame. Things like the classic Zeiss Super Speeds or Panavision Primos spring to mind.In each of the recording resolutions you have the same five options for aspect ratio.Open Gate is a 32 or 1.5:1 image that uses the full dimensions of the sensor. While it isnt a common delivery format, there are a number of reasons to use this recording option. The one delivery format that does use something very close to this is IMAX and I believe this camera will prove itself to be a superb choice for IMAX capture. But aside from that, it is very useful to shoot in open gate to capture additional image above and below a widescreen frame. This concept originated with films and TV shows framing the widescreen Super 35, but without masking the frame in the camera, which is literally an open film gate. This creates a shoot off which allows for either reframing or stabilisation.The 16:9 mode uses the entire width of the sensor and crops the height to get the correct ratio. Its also worth noting that the 16:9 4K mode is 169 based on the DCI cinema width of 4096 and not UHD 4K at 3840 across and is 2304 pixels high to get the 16:9 rather than the UHD 2160. This is another reflection of the design philosophy of making a cine camera rather than a TV camera.17:9 is a full DCI cinema frame at 1.89:1 which is also not a standard delivery format but the container standard for digital cinema. This would need to be cropped down to either 2.4:1 Scope or 1.85:1 for cinema release or 16:9 for TV, and any of these frame lines can be loaded for monitoring as with the Open Gate mode.2.4:1 is the standard Scope ratio for cinema and doesnt have any shoot-off for that format. In 8K & 4K this format delivers the highest off-speed frame rates at 224 fps compared to 144 in 8K or 4K Open Gate. A fairly trivial detail, but 2.4:1 in 4K is actually the only standard delivery format that the camera offers directly without any resizing or cropping in post.The final aspect ratio is 6:5 or 1.2:1 is explicitly designed for use with anamorphic lenses. With a traditional 2x anamorphic, the 6:5 ratio closely matches the anamorphic frame on film and produces a 2.4:1 image when de-squeezed. In 12K, 8K or 4K this would require anamorphic lenses built to cover the large format frame, but in 9K 6:5 the crop perfectly mimics a 35mm anamorphic negative area, making it possible to use any traditional 35mm anamorphics in the same way as they would work on film.Anamorphic de-squeeze can be applied to any or all of the monitoring outputs and displays, including the EVF, in any of the recording formats and with any of the common anamorphic ratios 1.3x, 1.5x, 1.6x, 1.66x, 1.8x and 2x. Combined with the different recording aspect ratios this could cater for a wide range of different workflows, creative options and even special venue formats. For example, 2x anamorphic on a 2.4:1 frame would produce a 4.8:1 image that would have been a superb option for the special venue production I shot and produced for Sydneys iconic Taronga Zoo a few years ago, which would have negated the need for the three camera panoramic array we had to build at the time.The other thing worth noting about the twenty different recording resolutions is that only one matches a standard delivery format pixel for pixel. I doubt that this is any reflection on that particular format but a coincidence that it coincided with the overall logic of the format options. This logic also goes back to the idea of this as a cine camera. Like a professional film camera shooting on film negative, the idea is not to create a finished image in camera but to record a very high-quality digital neg, which is expected to have processing in post-production before creating a deliverable image.While nothing is stopping you from using this camera for fast turnaround work with minimal post production, there are so many choices that have been made in the design of the camera which are not focussed on the ability. This again comes back to the concept of a cine camera optimised to function in the ways that film crews and productions like or need to work.The Media ModuleThe combination of 12K RAW and high frame rates created another challenge in the form of very high data rates. Although BRAW is a very efficient codec BMD needed a recording solution that really wasnt met by any of the off-the-shelf options.Their solution is the Media Module which is specially designed, removable on-board storage. While it will also be possible to replace the Media Module with one that contains CFexpress slots, the Media Module M2 comes with the camera and has 8TB of extremely fast storage. Even in Open Gate, 12K at the lowest compression settings, this still allows nearly 2 hours of recording. There are very limited scenarios where it would be necessary to shoot more than that amount of footage at that quality level in a single day. In those situations, it is of course, possible to have multiple Media Modules and swap them out as you would a memory card.For most productions, though, it will be easy to comfortably get through each days shooting on the single module. There is a Media Module Dock which allows 3 Modules to be connected simultaneously to a computer, but for many users, the simpler solution will be the 10G ethernet connection on the back of the camera. Either way, downloading the days footage will happen about as fast as the receiving drive can handle as the Media Module and the ethernet will outrun most drive arrays.The PicturesThe resulting pictures are, of course, what its all about, and the pictures from the Cine LF are nothing short of stunning. It has the same silkiness that the pictures from the original 12K have but with the large format look. The larger photosites and the fact that lenses arent working as hard seem to also contribute to the fact that the pictures look sharp without harshness.That lack of harshness also contributes to the film-like look of the images. There are so many techniques to degrade digital to make it more like film, but this is digital looking like film at its best. Detailed, clean, gentle on skin tones and with a beautiful balance between latitude and contrast.While there are several cameras which this one competes with, there is really nothing on the market that is comparable in terms of the combination of functionality, workflow and look.The AVP VersionThe Blackmagic URSA Cine camera platform is the basis of multiple models with differentfeatures for the high end cinema industry. All models are built with a robust magnesiumalloy chassis and lightweight carbon fiber polycarbonate composite skin to help filmmakersmove quickly on set. Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive is available to pre order now direct from Blackmagic Design for US$29,995. Delivery will start in late Q1 2025.Shipping Q1 2025Customers get 12GSDI out, 10G Ethernet, USB-C, XLR audio, and more.An 8-pin Lemo power connector at the back of the camera works with 24V and 12V power supplies, making it easy to use the camera with existing power supplies, batteries, and accessories. Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive comes with a massive 250W power supply and B mount battery plate, so customers can use a wide range of high voltage batteries from manufacturers such as IDX, Blueshape, Core SWX, BEBOB, and more.Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive comes with 8TB of high performance network storage built in, which records directly to the included Blackmagic Media Module, and can be synced to Blackmagic Cloud and DaVinci Resolve media bins in real time. This means customers can capture over 2 hours of Blackmagic RAW in 8K stereoscopic 3D immersive, and editors can work on shots from remote locations worldwide as the shoot is happening. The new Blackmagic RAW Immersive file format is designed to make it simple to work with immersive video within a post production workflow, and includes support for Blackmagic global media sync.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. Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive is the first commercial, digital film camera with ultra fast high capability Cloud Store technology built in. The high speed storage lets customers record at the highest resolutions and frame rates for hours and access their files directly over high speed 10G Ethernet. The camera also supports creating a small H.264 proxy file, in addition to the camera original media when recording. This means the small proxy file can be uploaded to Blackmagic Cloud in seconds, so media is available back at the studio in real time.Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive Features Dual custom lenses for shooting Apple Immersive Video for Apple Vision Pro. Dual 8160 x 7200 (58.7 Megapixel) sensors for stereoscopic 3D immersive image capture. Massive 16 stops of dynamic range. Lightweight, robust camera body with industry standard connections. Generation 5 Color Science with new film curve. Each sensor supports 90 fps at 8K captured to a single Blackmagic RAW file. Includes high performance Blackmagic Media Module 8TB for recording. High speed Wi-Fi, 10G Ethernet or mobile data for network connections. Includes DaVinci Resolve Studio for post production.Apple is looking to build a community of AVP projectsSubmergedLast month, Apple debutedSubmerged, the critically acclaimed immersive short film written and directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Edward Berger. New episodes ofAdventureandWild Lifewill premiere in December, followed by new episodes ofBoundless,ElevatedandRed Bull: Big-Wave Surfingin 2025.Submerged BTS Note the film was not shot on the BMC, but is now available to watch on AVP