Ursa Viewfinder

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Cool. Thanks for sharing Paul.

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I received my Ursa Viewfinder this morning by courier. ... Peaking, False Colour, Film to Video, Histogram and Audio meters all working with the Pocket. ...

Thanks for posting, Paul! Your report makes me extremely happy.

Hmm ... my BMPC-4K may have a new appendage someday! Aside from the obvious connection & rigging issues, are there any downsides that you can see?

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Paul, nice quick look. Good point to have your muscle memory trained to always point the eyepiece away from sunlight when not in use.

I didn't understand what you meant by "the timer/on switch needs movement..."


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Thanks, again, Paul! Exciting little toy you have there. Beyond exciting when the bigger toy arrives!


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Paul: Can you confirm the pin-outs for the URSA VF's power connector? Or at least what's working for you (with the usual YMMV disclaimer).

Also, if you can provide a link to an appropriate 4-pin female XLR connector part, that would be great. Actually, I don't know if it's a standard size XLR or a mini-size. Thanks for any clarification.

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Peter, it's the same as the power connection on the URSA, an Industry standard 4-pin XLR power connection, as used on all the ENG cameras. All of the commercially built cables follow,the same standard, pin 1 = negative pin 4 = positive. Pins 2&3 are used for 6VDC and other special application connections, like a talley light, or communication connections on some equipment. Four pin XLRs were used for power to prevent miss-connections to preamps with 12/6VDC connections. Four-pin connectors were also used on commas headsets, as they also carried a 6-12 VDC power connection to power the headsets. Matertek sells both ready made cables and the 4-pin XLR connectors.
For more information on pinouts see: http://pinoutsguide.com/Home/xlr4_pinout.shtml
Cheers

Thanks, Denny!

I happen to have sitting right here on my desk a standard 4-pin female XLR connector attached to a big, old 12VDC output camera AC power supply, and also a PAG snap-on type connector I use with my Anton-Bauer batteries -- and a soldering iron.

Hmm ... now all I need is an URSA VF!

Cheers!

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Peter, take a meter and check the pinouts, you should not need the soldering iron!

Roger that. I've got a volt/ohm meter, too.

I'll use the soldering iron to connect the old 4-pin XLR connector to PAG (or more likely, a d-tap/p-tap) connector for use with my batts & AB plate. (I don't have much use for the ancient camera power supply anymore).

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Hot Rod Cameras in Hollywood, California has large shipment of these we expect any day now.

I'm spent 6-hours shooting out in bright sunlight with the BMCC today, I wished I had this VF!!

If I were to build an Blackmagic URSA VF mount and power solution for the Cinema Camera / Production Camera would anyone else be interested in it?

I.

I am looking a way to use the viewfinder with the Pocket Camera. I am getting the Ursa Mini too, and would love to be able to use the viewfinder on whichever camera is needed.

The Ursa EVF will work with the Pocket but it will need fairly substantial custom rigging. You will need to supply 12v power to the 4 pin DIN input and convert HDMI from the Pocket to SDI for the EVF. It is a bit heavy and so with rigging it will be even heavier. But you will be able to nail focus, exposure, framing etc. Getting it to be at the right height and position will be a challenge too. As it is designed specifically for the Ursas, it is not ideal for DSLR type rigging and will be a bit of an inelegant solution. But it can be done. It will just look like a bit of a Frankencamera. I think I will be using the Pocket more for hand held and moving shots with a gimbal and super 8 style like with the Redrock Micro Retroflex.

No doubt it would be odd looking, but there are lots of smart people figuring out clever solutions to make best use of this gear, so I am hopeful someone will come up with a good solution. If not, that's ok too. Perhaps I will use the Mini so much it won't matter.

Hot Rod Cameras in Hollywood, California has large shipment of these we expect any day now. I'm spent 6-hours shooting out in bright sunlight with the BMCC today, I wished I had this VF!!

If I were to build an Blackmagic URSA VF mount and power solution for the Cinema Camera / Production Camera would anyone else be interested in it?

If the URSA VF is as good as it appears to be (for the price), no doubt HRC will sell every unit you can get your hands on.

I'm the sort who'll figure out a solid way to rig & power a VF to my BMPC-4K (I already have most of the bits), but I'm sure many others will be very interested to see a HRC VF mounting & powering solution. Cheers!

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Hot Rod Cameras in Hollywood, California has large shipment of these we expect any day now.

I'm spent 6-hours shooting out in bright sunlight with the BMCC today, I wished I had this VF!!

If I were to build an Blackmagic URSA VF mount and power solution for the Cinema Camera / Production Camera would anyone else be interested in it?

I.

Yup! Can you solve the cap problem as well!

FYI: Another customer connected an URSA VF to a BMCC:
http://www.bmcuser.com/showthread.php?1 ... ema-Camera

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Man, I love the false color on this thing. Where the skin tones are... the pink color contrasts with the values directly below and above it so you know when you're on. I love that. Some other companies don't do that.

At IBC, both at the BMD and Wooden Camera booths, I was told Wooden Camera are going to make some changes to the BMD evf so it can be mounted on any camera.

Wooden Camera are about to take it apart to see what's possible. They're planning to remove all the horizontal plastic (yes, plastic?) parts, so only the evf itself remains. Which would make it awesomely small, I think. Cables would come out of the bottom or side, they weren't sure yet. The new rig could look like their UVF Mount V2.

They might even sell the kit, including the BMD evf as a package, so we wouldn't have to take things apart ourselves. No word on powering options.


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Mounting an URSA VF on a BMCC or BMPC-4K might not require additional mounting hardware.

The VF's built-in bracket & 1/4-20 bolt looks like it'll mount to one of these camera's top threaded holes, and be usable as-is.

Optionally, you might add a relatively inexpensive top cheeseplate (available from many vendors) for mounting flexibility. Doesn't look complicated.

The VF's attached SDI cable is quite short. An inexpensive short BNC-to-BNC cable with an inline female-to-female BNC adapter (or a purpose-built cable) will probably be needed, preferably one with a right-angle connector at the camera end.

Plus of course an external battery with a connected 4-pin XLR female power cable (probably with a d-tap/p-tap connector at the other end).

Pretty standard stuff.

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URSA Viewfinder review:
http://www.provideocoalition.com/blackm ... der-review

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... Peaking, False Colour, Film to Video, Histogram and Audio meters all working with the Pocket [via Hyperdeck Shuttle]. ...

Paul, could you verify for us whether or not the VF's built-in Film-to-Video feature actually works without an URSA camera?

Specifically, when your BMPCC is in RAW record mode (and its HDMI outputs Film gamma), can you toggle Film-to-Video in the VF's menu and make its OLED switch between a Video or Film gamma appearance?

There's been a conflicting report, so it would be great to verify what you're seeing. Further clarification is appreciated. Cheers!

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Is it possible to turn off the overlay display being fed into the viewfinder from the ursa? I can't seem to turn it off and just use the evf overlay.


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Is it possible to turn off the overlay display being fed into the viewfinder from the ursa? I can't seem to turn it off and just use the evf overlay.


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Yes. URSA display menu > front SDI overlays and there you choose all/guides only/off.

D'oh! Thank you


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In fact CaptainHook has said, that's the way it should be done. Overlays off in the camera settings for the front SDI and use the overlays calculated by the BMVF when you set the BMVF to display overlays.


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Thanks for the follow-up, Paul, and especially for the attached photos. Unfortunately, your news is not what I was hoping.

It appears the URSA Viewfinder's Film to Video feature currently requires an URSA camera.

A major bummer for BMCC, BMPCC, and BMPC-4K users.

Thanks again!

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Looks like if you want to use the new EVF, current BMCC, BMPCC, and BMPC4K owners are going to have to "upgrade" to a Mini, might as well make it a 4.6K...

Looks like if you want to use the new EVF, current BMCC, BMPCC, and BMPC4K owners are going to have to "upgrade" to a Mini, might as well make it a 4.6K...

Apparently only the Film to Video and record tally light features can't currently be controlled by a non-URSA camera, so it's not a total loss.

I agree that the URSA Mini 4.6K is a winner, and it's my preferred choice -- for some point in the future.

In the meantime, partly as an incremental purchase in advance of eventually owning an URSA Mini, I may pick up an URSA Viewfinder for its superior features (1080p resolution, OLED, SDI, & on-screen tools) and use it with my BMPC-4K.

I'll cross my fingers that BMD will add to the BMPC-4K's firmware the ability to toggle the VF's Video to Film feature via SDI. Of course, that may never happen, but I doubt it's impossible, and would be of great benefit to many pre-URSA BMD camera owners. Here's hoping such an update for older BMD cameras is somewhere near the top of the company's mile-long "to do" list.

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I've come across a bit of a worrying problem, and I wanted to get some clarification on it.

I haven't got a camera that works directly out of SDI, so I grabbed my DP7-Pro, connected my laptop to it, turned on the HDMI->SDI loop and connected the EVF.
I get image on the DP7, but no image shows up through the EVF.

I'm worried that I may have a dud. Could it be the EVF, or is it the loop through from the DP7 not compatible with what the EVF is wanting?

What refresh/frame rate are you outputting?

Does the DP7 do a scale as it's a 720p monitor?

I'm outputting 1080p60 (can't seem to get it to 24/25/30p)
The screen itself downscales as it's a 1280x800 display, but the loop through is 1080p.

Does the manual state what the maximum frame rate should be? It may not handle 60fps.


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That's the thing, I looked at the specs of the DP7 and it says output is 1080p30 max.
It doesn't state if it's HD-SDI or 3G-SDI, but I'm going to say the latter from the 1080p30 spec.

The EVF is looking for a video, 4.2.2 10/12-bit progressive signal. Most laptops/computers output a RGB progressive/interlaced pull down signal, which is probably not going to work with the BM EVF.

I hope BMD doesn't read this post. Just to help you gain a perspective for the BMVF, here's some breakthrough technology shown at InterBEE 2015 by Astro Design. I don't know how anyone who buys the BM Viewfinder will be able to hold their head up after looking at what the competition offers as the latest and greatest comparable viewfinder is coming to market (hint: HD OLED from 4K SDI feed!):

http://www.newsshooter.com/2015/11/22/i ... iewfinder/


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Whilst they could be a force to be reckoned with, it's still $7000 and shipping next year, and BMD's is $1500 and shipping now.
And I read that it's 4K from HDMI only, not SDI.

I hope BMD doesn't read this post. Just to help you gain a perspective for the BMVF, here's some breakthrough technology shown at InterBEE 2015 by Astro Design. I don't know how anyone who buys the BM Viewfinder will be able to hold their head up after looking at what the competition offers as the latest and greatest comparable viewfinder is coming to market (hint: HD OLED from 4K SDI feed!):

http://www.newsshooter.com/2015/11/22/i ... iewfinder/


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It looks nice and Astro do make nice gear.

But it's a 1920 EVF that takes a 4K input. Not a 4K EVF.

BM's EVF is also a 1920 EVF.

JB

Whilst they could be a force to be reckoned with, it's still $7000 and shipping next year, and BMD's is $1500 and shipping now.
And I read that it's 4K from HDMI only, not SDI.

I think it's both, but you may be right! The article doesn't mention 4K SDI so I'm uncertain now that you questioned it.


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I hope BMD doesn't read this post. Just to help you gain a perspective for the BMVF, here's some breakthrough technology shown at InterBEE 2015 by Astro Design. I don't know how anyone who buys the BM Viewfinder will be able to hold their head up after looking at what the competition offers as the latest and greatest comparable viewfinder is coming to market (hint: HD OLED from 4K SDI feed!):

http://www.newsshooter.com/2015/11/22/i ... iewfinder/


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It looks nice and Astro do make nice gear.

But it's a 1920 EVF that takes a 4K input. Not a 4K EVF.

BM's EVF is also a 1920 EVF.

JB

John, apologies! I guess I needed to put some kind of emoticon on my post. I meant my remarks to be sarcastic as in my mind, the $7,000 EVF offered very little over the $1,500 BMVF. It did have some additional adjustments to the image in the viewfinder, but I truly think anyone will be proud to buy the BMVF and put the savings to other uses. Nothing to hang ones head about coming from BMD in this area. Yes, not knocking the competition either as it's quite high end, but personally very happy about the BMVF that has similar specs.


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Hmmmm, I didn't notice any breakthrough technology with that $7K viewfinder. Anyway, while waiting for my Ursa Mini 4.6K to arrive, I've at least been able to play with the BMD EVF and it is brilliant. The image is like looking through a film camera reflex viewing system only brighter ..... not a pixel to be seen anywhere. Personally, I wouldn't waste my money on the competition regardless of price

I just received my BM EVF as I await the URSA mini.

As it's been in stock with my reseller, I thought I may as well put it to use on my pocket rig. After wiring it up, and a few test shots, my verdict is it's really a pleasure to use. What a great piece of kit. I might have to buy another when my Mini arrives as I don't know if I can use the pocket with out it!

BM EVF on Pocket Camera rig

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BM EVF on Pocket Camera rig

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Very creative rig!


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