Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro
If your role at your church involves content creation, these six words should make your pulse quicken: new cinema gear for church filmmaking.This is not about just wanting more or coveting the next, newest gear. It’s about seeking out the tools that can be a vital extension of how churches share the vision with their communities and the Gospel with a wider world.Yet some report to CPM that they’re frustrated by the limitations of using camera gear primarily designed for still photography.Fortunately, many of today’s leading digital cinematography equipment manufacturers are recognizing the need for owners/operators to produce professional results on an indie film budget—and they’re keying into the needs of churches specifically as they bring exciting new products to market.So as the year comes to a close and capital budgets are on the table, it’s timely to consider a line up of two of the most important elements of the filmmaking kit—cameras and lenses. Here are some noteworthy options.
As one of the newest players in the digital cinema camera market, Blackmagic’s URSA Mini Pro is proving to be a contender in the indie film and church filmmaker worlds. The URSA Mini Pro features a super-35mm sensor that boasts a robust 15 stops of dynamic range and captures 4.6K footage at 60fps and HD at 120fps. It’s also one of the few cinema cameras on the market to film internally to RAW and ProRes444 at all of its native resolutions. The URSA Mini Pro films to non-proprietary dual CFast 2.0 and SD cards, with the former being necessary for RAW recording data rate. While we haven’t had the chance to test the camera out for ourselves yet, it’s important to be aware that filmmakers using it will need to utilize plenty of light as the ISO tops out at 1,600.
As the latest addition to the popular EOS Cinema line, the Canon EOS C200 boasts a few new milestones. It represents the first EOS model to include Canon RAW Light recording internally to CFast 2.0 cards. It’s also the first Canon cinema camera to feature a touchscreen LCD monitor, which allows real-time focus selection simply by touching the screen. The EOS C200 also boasts a Super-35mm sensor, 15 stops of dynamic range (when filming in Canon RAW Light) and records 4K/60fps and HD/120fps. One slight letdown is the lack of a more robust 10-bit internal recording codec, but there’s hope this may be rectified through a promised firmware update in 2018. On the bright side, our early tests prove the C200 to be every bit the lowlight superstar both the C100 and C300 cameras have proven themselves to be.
Earlier this summer Panasonic made quite a splash with the announcement of the upcoming AU-EVA1, a new small-form cinemacamera expected to be released in late 2017. While Panasonic isn’t dubbing it a “mini-Varicam,” it’s not difficult to see some very exciting similarities to their higher-end line of cinema cameras. At the heart of the EVA1 is a Super-35mm 5.7K sensor that captures a reported 14 stops of dynamic range. The sensor oversamples to produce a 4K image up to 60fps. It also captures in HD up to 240fps at a robust 10-bit 4:2:2 bit depth, which will be upgraded to a 400Mbps bit rate in an update later next year. Fans of the Varicam will also recognize the Dual native ISO feature, which produces the cleanest possible signal at both 800 and 2500 ISO. While there’s a lot to be excited about with the EVA1, it’s always wise to wait until a camera’s been released to the public before making any final purchasing decisions.
After reviewing the Sony FS7M2 XDCAM in August 2017 we concluded that it represents one of the better options for church film teams looking for an all-around cinema camera. It features a Super-35mm sensor with an impressive dynamic range of 14 stops. The camera captures 4K/60fps and HD/180fps to a 10-bit 4:2:2 XAVC codec with a very robust 600 Mbps bit rage. When using an external recorder the quality can be pushed even higher, all the way up to a 12-bit RAW signal. One of the signature features of the FS7M2 is its built-in variable ND, a proprietary technology that allows for precise control over the light hitting the sensor, eliminating the need to tap down the iris to cut light. While the camera is a bit on the larger side, the additional heft and innovative side handle and extension arm setup makes it ideal for filming in a shoulder-mounted configuration.
Another exciting cine lens sequel comes from Canon in the form of the CN-E 70-200mm T4.4. This past summer we had the chance to review its sibling, the 18-80mm T4.4, and were very pleasantly surprised at how useful we found it to be. Weighing in at only 2.76 pounds, the 70-200mm T4.4 features the option for both servo and manual control over the zoom, iris and focus parameters. Auto focus abilities can also be utilized when mounted on select EF-mount Canon cameras. While the lens’ T4.4 aperture isn’t the fastest for a cine zoom, it balances out by including three different Image Stabilization modes, a feature that can often be a life-saver when filming run-and-gun.
One of our favorite cine lenses of 2017 was the Fujinon MK18-55mm T2.9, a lens we found to be a solid match for the Sony FS7 and FS5. With the subsequent release of the MK50-135mm T2.9, filmmakers now have the ideal telephoto complement to the original wide-angle cine lens. At only 2.16 pounds, the lens is extremely lightweight, yet features a durable build quality for stress-free filming in a variety of settings. It also features full manual control over zoom, iris and focus with a constant T2.9 aperture for seamless rack zooms, even in lower-light settings. While the lens does feature a convenient macro function, it does need a 33-inch minimum focal distance, so it probably won’t replace a dedicated macro lens. Owners of Sony’s popular line of cinema cameras should definitely give this lens some serious consideration when they’re ready to take their imagery to the next level.
Sigma FF High-Speed Cinema Primes
Designed from the ground up to resolve imagery for full frame sensors capturing up to 8K resolution, Sigma’s new line of FF High-Speed Cinema Prime lenses are shaking up the market with their compelling balance of high end performance and price points aimed at owner/operators. The lenses are available at a super-fast T1.5 aperture on the 20mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm focal lengths. (14mm and 135mm lenses are also available at a very slightly slower T2). Each lens in the series features a standardized gear position and front diameter for easy switching mid-filming. While we haven’t had the chance to try these lenses out here at CPM, hopefully we’ll have a chance to take a more serious look in the future.
