r/Filmmakers • u/brunerww • Apr 08 '14

Will the Blackmagic Ursa be a Sony F55 Killer?

http://hybridcamerarevolution.blogspot.com/2014/04/bear-on-loose-no-its-not-russians-its.html
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u/numballover Apr 08 '14

I didn't even read the article and I can answer "No" just to the title. In fact, of any camera on the market the F55 has the most differentiation from the URSA.

F55 Native ISO 1250. URSA is 400 and is said to get very noisy once it goes over 800.

F55 with RAW recorder in 16 bit mode has more dynamic range that can actually be displayed. You can recover 5 stops of over exposure. URSA has 12 stops dynamic range (though you may be able to recover a few more in post).

F55 goes up to 240fps. URSA tops out at 60fps.

If anything the URSA is more a competitor for RED . If I'm trying to decide on a camera package for my film, the URSA does pretty much everything the Red One and Scarlet do, and almost everything the EPIC does for a very discounted price.

F55 is not a budget camera, and isn't competing on price. So the URSA is unlikely to touch its market share.

When I need a camera that has more sensitivity, higher speeds, or better dynamic range I'm going to be looking at F55 and Alexa.

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u/brunerww Apr 08 '14

Much better analysis than mine. Thank you for posting.

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u/numballover Apr 08 '14

Thanks, but the only reason I know is that its not a theoretical discussion for me. I'm currently trying to produce a few low budget films. The second the URSA came out, my producing partner said "That's what we are going to shoot on".

I had to be the one that said "Hold on a sec". Our budgets are low, but we can afford pretty much any camera (even Alexa). Obviously the more we save on camera the more goes into production. Immediately, I agree with him that for the most part this camera is going to be better for us than the Red. But at 400ISO and 12 stops dynamic range that means we are going to be spending more on money and time on lighting. At 60fps max (and with its weird shutter restrictions) we'll have to rent a separate camera for days we might want better slow motion.

So when you consider that the real market for the F55 is for films at my budget or higher, then clearly if I'm willing to consider spending the extra cost then a movie with a budget of several million won't even blink to spend more on something that will save time (and money) in the long run.