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URSA 12k support vs Pocket 4K (firmware)

PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2023 10:58 pm
by Nick Lavigne
I am just writing this to point out that my Pocket 4K is more supported via updates than my 12k. The pocket has an updated user interface, color histogram, false color scale on screen, motion sensor (maybe 12k doesn't), way more for BRaw bitrate/CQ options even when on the same resolution, I think the peaking is better on 4k as well. A simple cruse through the menu 4kvs12k shows that one, 12k, is behind. the 12k even has options grayed out when they done pertain to the camera model, which feels like a beta.

Honestly there needs to be better parity in terms of update support ( i hear that the G2, not broadcast is rarely updated if ever). at this point it feels like the Pockets are the flagship not the URSA.

Re: URSA 12k support vs Pocket 4K (firmware)

PostPosted: Wed Feb 01, 2023 2:42 am
by Uli Plank
The 12K probably isn't their cash cow, but if you are putting IQ first, it's a great camera.

Re: URSA 12k support vs Pocket 4K (firmware)

PostPosted: Wed Feb 01, 2023 2:49 am
by Nick Lavigne
Uli Plank wrote:The 12K probably isn't their cash cow, but if you are putting IQ first, it's a great camera.

I just feel that if something isn't abandon, then it should have complete parity, like the histogram and false color chart key, etc..

Re: URSA 12k support vs Pocket 4K (firmware)

PostPosted: Wed Feb 01, 2023 2:53 pm
by Sean van Berlo
Man I feel like the Ursa line is in such a tough spot right now. They're behind on firmware, one of their flagships (G2 4.6k) hasn't been updated in years ... What is going on with the Ursa's? They're great camera's, Blackmagic just seems to have lost interest in them.

Our company shoots exclusively on Blackmagic, and we just don't know what to do when we update our G1 Ursa's at last. 12K feels like a sidegrade at best (some minor quality of life improvements) but at the same time there's the FX6's and FX9's which really give Blackmagic a run for their money. It's tough.

Re: URSA 12k support vs Pocket 4K (firmware)

PostPosted: Wed Feb 01, 2023 6:39 pm
by misterk
Sean van Berlo wrote:Man I feel like the Ursa line is in such a tough spot right now. They're behind on firmware, one of their flagships (G2 4.6k) hasn't been updated in years ... What is going on with the Ursa's? They're great camera's, Blackmagic just seems to have lost interest in them.

Our company shoots exclusively on Blackmagic, and we just don't know what to do when we update our G1 Ursa's at last. 12K feels like a sidegrade at best (some minor quality of life improvements) but at the same time there's the FX6's and FX9's which really give Blackmagic a run for their money. It's tough.


Not to be totally biased but the FX6 doesn't compare when it comes to IQ. It's a great event/corporate camera due to file sizes, variable ND and better weather resistance, but the Ursas smash it out the water in IQ department. The FX9 is now (since 12K cut price) a more expensive camera. At which point you can invest into better glass for the remainder of the budget.

Re: URSA 12k support vs Pocket 4K (firmware)

PostPosted: Thu Feb 02, 2023 1:34 am
by Uli Plank
Sean van Berlo wrote:Our company shoots exclusively on Blackmagic.

So, you can shoot with them? Well, what's the problem then?

German Filmakademie had three UMPs for a few years now. They still do exactly what they did when they decided to buy them, and this in the hands of students. Nobody really cares if they don't do something that was never promised.

Re: URSA 12k support vs Pocket 4K (firmware)

PostPosted: Thu Feb 02, 2023 1:53 am
by Nick Lavigne
Uli Plank wrote:
Sean van Berlo wrote:Our company shoots exclusively on Blackmagic.

So, you can shoot with them? Well, what's the problem then?

German Filmakademie had three UMPs for a few years now. They still do exactly what they did when they decided to buy them, and this in the hands of students. Nobody really cares if they don't do something that was never promised.

Cool.

Re: URSA 12k support vs Pocket 4K (firmware)

PostPosted: Thu Feb 02, 2023 2:03 am
by John Brawley
Nick Lavigne wrote:
Uli Plank wrote:The 12K probably isn't their cash cow, but if you are putting IQ first, it's a great camera.

I just feel that if something isn't abandon, then it should have complete parity, like the histogram and false color chart key, etc..


When you have limited resources and a tiny team in a post covid environment they have to prioritise what they do.

First of all bug fixing.

Then R&D for "new stuff"

Then they try to add or develop features. Sometimes it's not possible to add these kinds of features that appear on one camera because they don't have the right amount of memory or processor overhead.

Think of a feature like the new histogram as an app.

If you have a 5 year old computer, you can't always expect to run a "new" app.

It might not seem like much, but generating a historgram in real time based on colour over the top of recording BRAW takes a lot of computational power. It seems trivial but it's not from a processor point of view. It might be that the oder generation processor in a different camera might not have the easily ability too add a feature like this, and that's even if they development team have time and have cleared other more important issues to get to adding a operational nicety like this that actually doesn't affect the core performance of the camera as sold.

JB

Re: URSA 12k support vs Pocket 4K (firmware)

PostPosted: Thu Feb 02, 2023 2:19 am
by Nick Lavigne
John Brawley wrote:
Nick Lavigne wrote:
Uli Plank wrote:The 12K probably isn't their cash cow, but if you are putting IQ first, it's a great camera.

I just feel that if something isn't abandon, then it should have complete parity, like the histogram and false color chart key, etc..


When you have limited resources and a tiny team in a post covid environment they have to prioritise what they do.

First of all bug fixing.

Then R&D for "new stuff"

Then they try to add or develop features. Sometimes it's not possible to add these kinds of features that appear on one camera because they don't have the right amount of memory or processor overhead.

Think of a feature like the new histogram as an app.

If you have a 5 year old computer, you can't always expect to run a "new" app.

It might not seem like much, but generating a historgram in real time based on colour over the top of recording BRAW takes a lot of computational power. It seems trivial but it's not from a processor point of view. It might be that the oder generation processor in a different camera might not have the easily ability too add a feature like this, and that's even if they development team have time and have cleared other more important issues to get to adding a operational nicety like this that actually doesn't affect the core performance of the camera as sold.

JB


I just don't see the point in writing something that you don't know for a fact. You don't actually know that the 12k FPGA is soo saturated that it can't hanle a png showing a false color chart or be represented in code with no pictures as it is lines and gradients. Or more rec options for 8k and 4k, or the updated cleaner gui (which would remove options that are currently not usable).
That's my two cents.

Re: URSA 12k support vs Pocket 4K (firmware)

PostPosted: Thu Feb 02, 2023 2:58 am
by Uli Plank
Well, John is pretty close to BM and might know a thing or two he can't write about.
But to me, his first few lines are just good common sense if you want to stay in business.

Re: URSA 12k support vs Pocket 4K (firmware)

PostPosted: Thu Feb 02, 2023 5:39 am
by Nick Lavigne
I would like to state that I am not mad. I would just like to have the parity from my A cam (12k) to my B cam (P4k).
After a couple hundred thousand dollars of BM over the years nothing has really ever been bad or break, not even any of my 24/7 converters running non stop for a decade.

I only ever was upset once, that after the URSA Broadcast G1 had a debayer update (which was awesome) they didn't do it to the Micro Studio 4k. This lack of debayer update (same sensor) made the two cameras completely not match when before they did (the noise profile is on mini is like pin pricks, while the updated Broadcast became like "normal" style noise.