Announcing Blackmagic Studio Camera for Live Production

[Katie Colledge]

Blackmagic Design today announced Blackmagic Studio Camera, the world’s smallest live broadcast camera, with the world’s largest viewfinder. The camera has been specifically designed for live production and is available in 1080HD and Ultra HD models, starting from $1,995.

The Blackmagic Studio Camera features a large 10” viewfinder, 4hr battery, talkback, tally indicators, phantom powered microphone connections, as well as built in optical fiber and SDI connections that connect to a production switcher with a single cable. It has an active Micro Four Thirds lens mount that is compatible with an incredibly wide range of lenses and adaptors.

Blackmagic Studio Camera will be demonstrated on the Blackmagic Design NAB 2014 booth at #SL219.

To learn more, please visit: http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/press/p ... seID=60310

How will the camera control work? Over optical or SDI (like tally did on the studio converter)?
If over SDI, will this work going through a router like the Blackmagic Studio Hub?
If over optical cable, will this require the studio converter unit?
Finally, how is talkback introduced to the vision chain?

Thanks

Steve

What's a reasonable lens for this rig? The Cabrio 14-35 Zoom is pictured, but, dude, that's a $42k lens, and we should adapt it down to M43? I'm also super curious about the control functions.

I use ATEMs and have a studio converter. Will this hook up without an ATEM?

This is truly aaammmaazzing !

Well done BMD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I might be wrong, but as far as i can figure it out, this camera makes no sense to me in its current state.

First of all, I love the concept, but it fails with regards to fundamental multicamera production strategies.

The reason is the choice of MFT lens mount and lack off lens control interface for broadcast lenses.
After all, the camera is designed solely for the purpose of multicamera shoots. At witch You are going to need at least a lens with decent zoom range/factor with fast servo control and manual focus directly available on the handles. Anything else will severely impact directors ability to call for fast paced composition of frames in run and gun situations.

This effectively means that you will need B4 (2/3) broadcast lenses for anything but the smallest shooting areas/situations. And when current optical lens converters, that compensates for the missing prism in 2/3 systems, comes at a price tag of about $ 6K, the camera pricing seems trivial.

I would definately appreciate a BMD solution for this in form of a reasonably priced converter with connector for the lens cable, or even better, an upgraded version with direct support for B4 lenses.

But then again, why not equip the URSA with the same remote controll abilities, fiber connection, tally and intercom?

How can You remotely control the iris of a B4 lens from the ATEM? There must be an electronically active optical adapter to enable this; if not there is no point in having the remote control functions at all.

I am not not even contemplating on EF mount lenses, as the only 10x lens i could find weighs in at 44K. The current stock of MFT lenses are lacking in terms of zoom range and control. So I wonder, are there new "broadcast capable" lenses coming to the market that would fill the performance gap between cheap photo lenses and professional B4 lenses?

Come on, the newest Panasonic and Sony camcorders comes with 22 and 25 times zoom lenses, respectively, and they have chosen those lenses for a reason. Did You even consider the need for an ultra close shot from FOH at 15-20 meters (or more) from the stage, while at the same gig you must be able to frame relatively wide shots of the entire stage area with audience from the same camera, with only a few seconds between?

I know the camera is a low cost solution, but the concept is good, briliant actually, just lacking that little extra that would make it a no brainer, like a native B4 lens mount. But, hey, You could make a PRO version

1. Does this $1995 or $2995 Studio camera require an external recorder?

The Shuttle II does neither 1080 P60 or 4k
2. Will the codec be upgraded or there be a Shuttle III out soon?

3. How much extra is the remote switcher?