Blackmagicdesign URSA Broadcast G2 Camera Instruction Manual
- June 15, 2024
- Blackmagicdesign
Table of Contents
- URSA Broadcast G2 Camera
- Product Information: Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2
- Specifications:
- Product Usage Instructions:
- Getting Started:
- Storage Media:
- Recording:
- Playback:
- URSA Broadcast G2 Connectors and Features:
- Settings:
- Entering Metadata:
- Streaming Video:
- Accessories:
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
- Q: What storage media does the Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2
- Q: Can I record in Blackmagic RAW format?
- Q: How do I connect the camera outputs for monitoring and
- Q: What are the different control panels available on the
- Q: How can I stream video using the Blackmagic URSA Broadcast
- References
- Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
- Download This Manual (PDF format)
URSA Broadcast G2 Camera
Product Information: Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2
Specifications:
-
Languages: English, Deutsch, Italiano
-
Storage Media: CFast Cards, SD Cards, USB-C flash disks,
SSDs -
Recording Formats: Blackmagic RAW
-
Video Outputs: HD Monitoring Output, 12G-SDI Output
-
Connectors: Camera Front, Left Side, Right Side, Rear Panel,
Top Panel, Underside -
Control Panels: Forward Control Panel, Ergonomic Control Panel,
Internal Control Panel -
Touchscreen Controls: Upper Toolbar, Lower Toolbar with Looping
playback -
Settings: Dashboard Record Settings, File Naming Convention,
Monitor Settings, Audio Settings, Setup Settings, Presets,
LUTS -
Metadata: Entering Metadata, Gyro Stabilization
-
Streaming Video: Smartphone Setup Settings, ATEM Camera ID, XML
File Handling -
Accessories: URSA Mini Shoulder Kit, Blackmagic URSA
Viewfinder, Blackmagic URSA Studio Viewfinder, Blackmagic Zoom and
Focus Demands, Blackmagic Fiber Converters
Product Usage Instructions:
Getting Started:
To get started with your Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2
camera:
- Attach a lens to the camera.
- Power on the camera.
- Set up and adjust servo zoom lenses if used.
- Set the back focus on B4 lenses.
Storage Media:
The Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 camera supports various storage
media options:
- CFast Cards: Insert a compatible CFast card for recording.
- SD Cards: Use SD cards for recording.
- USB-C Flash Disks and SSDs: Record to USB-C flash disks or SSDs
connected to the camera.
Before recording, ensure the media is properly prepared on the
camera, Mac, or Windows.
Recording:
To record clips with the Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2
camera:
- Select the desired codec, resolution, and sensor area.
- Choose Blackmagic RAW format for recording.
- Select appropriate frame rates.
- Trigger record on external equipment if necessary.
- Refer to the record duration table for recording time
limits.
Playback:
To playback recorded clips:
- Connect the camera outputs to compatible devices.
- Use the touchscreen controls to navigate and control
playback.
URSA Broadcast G2 Connectors and Features:
The Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 camera has various connectors
and features:
-
Camera Front, Left Side, Right Side, Rear Panel, Top Panel, and
Underside connectors for different purposes. -
Control panels include Forward Control Panel, Ergonomic Control
Panel, and Internal Control Panel. -
Touchscreen controls with upper and lower toolbar options,
including looping playback.
Settings:
Configure the camera settings using the dashboard:
- Record Settings
- File Naming Convention
- Monitor Settings
- Audio Settings
- Setup Settings
- Presets
- LUTS
Entering Metadata:
Add metadata to your recordings for better organization and
identification. Enable gyro stabilization for smoother footage.
Streaming Video:
Setup the camera for streaming video:
- Configure smartphone settings.
- Set the ATEM Camera ID.
- Create, export, and load XML files for streaming.
Accessories:
Additional accessories for the Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2
camera:
- URSA Mini Shoulder Kit
- Blackmagic URSA Viewfinder
- Blackmagic URSA Studio Viewfinder
- Blackmagic Zoom and Focus Demands
- Blackmagic Fiber Converters
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Q: What storage media does the Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2
support?
A: The camera supports CFast Cards, SD Cards, USB-C flash disks,
and SSDs.
Q: Can I record in Blackmagic RAW format?
A: Yes, the camera allows recording in Blackmagic RAW
format.
Q: How do I connect the camera outputs for monitoring and
playback?
A: Connect the camera outputs to compatible devices using the
provided connectors.
Q: What are the different control panels available on the
camera?
A: The camera has Forward Control Panel, Ergonomic Control
Panel, and Internal Control Panel.
Q: How can I stream video using the Blackmagic URSA Broadcast
G2 camera?
A: Configure smartphone settings, set the ATEM Camera ID, and
handle XML files for streaming.
June 2023
Installation and Operation Manual
Blackmagic
URSA Broadcast G2
Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2
Languages
To go directly to your preferred language, simply click on the hyperlinks listed in the contents below.
English
3
282
Français
562
Deutsch
842
Español
1122
1402
1682
1962
Italiano
2242
Português
2522
Türkçe
2802
English
Welcome
Thank you for purchasing Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2! Blackmagic URSA
Broadcast G2 is an incredibly powerful camera designed for both traditional
and online broadcasters. The camera’s versatile design allows it to work as a
4K production camera, a 4K studio camera or a 6K digital film camera! Built
from strong, lightweight magnesium alloy, your Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 is
perfectly balanced and comfortable to use all day with physical controls at
your fingertips. This means you can change ND filters, shutter speed, white
balance, ISO and more without looking away from the viewfinder. Your URSA
Broadcast G2 is compatible with B4 broadcast lenses and records to common file
types such as Blackmagic RAW and Apple ProRes, plus highly efficient 10-bit
broadcast quality H.264 and H.265. Dual native gain provides fantastic low
light performance and is optimized to reduce grain and noise at higher ISOs
while maintaining the full dynamic range of the sensor! We hope you use your
URSA Broadcast G2 to produce some of the world’s most exciting television
programming, documentaries and live studio content. We are extremely excited
to see what creative work you produce and would love your feedback on new
features you would like to see us add to URSA!
Grant Petty CEO Blackmagic Design
Contents
Getting Started
6
Attaching a Lens
6
Powering your Camera
7
Using Servo Zoom Lenses
9
Setting the Back Focus on B4 Lenses 15
Storage Media
19
CFast Cards
19
SD Cards Recording to USB-C flash disks SSDs
20 22 23
Preparing Media for Recording
25
Preparing Media on Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2
Preparing Media on Mac
Preparing Media on Windows
25 27 28
Recording
Recording Clips
Choosing the Codec, Resolution and Sensor Area
29 29
30
Blackmagic RAW
31
Recording to Blackmagic RAW
31
Choosing Frame Rates
34
Triggering Record on External Equipment37
Record Duration Table
37
Playback
39
URSA Broadcast G2 Connectors and Features
40
Camera Front Left Side Left Side Controls
40 41 41
Right Side
43
Rear Panel Top Panel Underside
44 46 46
URSA Broadcast G2 Controls Forward Control Panel Ergonomic Control Panel
47 47 50
Internal Control Panel
55
Camera Video Outputs HD Monitoring Output
57 57
12G-SDI Output
57
Touchscreen Controls Upper Toolbar
59 59
Lower Toolbar Looping playback
76 82
Settings Dashboard Record Settings File Naming Convention Monitor Settings Audio Settings Setup Settings Presets LUTS
83 83 83 90 90 97 99 116 119
Entering Metadata Gyro Stabilization
122 127
Streaming Video
129
Smartphone Setup Settings Setting the ATEM Camera ID Creating the XML File Exporting the XML File Loading the XML File
130 130 131 131 131 132
URSA Mini Shoulder Kit
133
Blackmagic URSA Viewfinder Mounting and Connecting to Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 Adjusting the Eyepiece Button Features Menu Settings
136
136 137 137 138
Blackmagic URSA Studio Viewfinder
Mounting and Connecting to Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2
Adjusting the Blackmagic URSA Studio Viewfinder
Button Features
Menu Settings
142
143
145 148 150
Blackmagic Zoom and Focus Demands 155
Connecting and Attaching to your Camera
155
Using Blackmagic Focus Demand
157
Using Blackmagic Zoom Demand
158
Mounting Batteries
Mounting V-mount or Gold Mount Batteries
Using your own Battery Plate
159
159 161
Blackmagic Fiber Converters
163
Getting Started with Blackmagic Fiber Converters
About SMPTE Fiber
Connecting SMPTE Fiber
164 164 166
Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2
4
Why Connections on the Front?
170
Plugging in Camera SDI Plugging in Return SDI Outputs
171 171
Mounting Blackmagic Camera Fiber Converter
171
Attaching the URSA Studio Viewfinder 174
Plugging in a Talkback Headset
174
Operating the Camera Fiber Converter 175
Selecting a Return Feed
175
Using the Call Button
176
Using Talkback
176
Using Tally
177
Status Indicators
177
Audio Inputs IP Video
178 179
Power Specifications
179
Additional Camera Controls
180
Operating the Studio Fiber Converter 181
Using the Menu
182
Rack Mounting the Studio Unit
185
Camera Unit Connections
189
Camera Power Connection
189
PTZ Interface
189
Talkback Connection
190
Tracker Interface
191
DC Connection
191
D-Tap Output
192
Reference Output and Operation
192
Studio Unit Connections
193
12G-SDI Output
193
Return SDI Inputs
193
Reference Input and Output
194
Talkback Interface
194
PTZ Interface
195
Audio Outputs
196
Updating Internal Software
197
Updating Blackmagic Camera Fiber Converter
197
Updating Blackmagic Studio Fiber Converter
197
Interchangeable Lens Mount
198
Removing the B4 Mount
199
Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro EF Mount 199
Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro F Mount 201
Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro PL Mount 205
Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 B4 Mount
208
Shimming Lens Mounts
209
Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro Shim Kit Shimming mounts
209 210
URSA Mini Recorder
Mounting and connecting URSA Mini Recorder
Using URSA Mini Recorder
Updating URSA Mini Recorder’s internal software
211
212 214
215
Understanding Studio Camera Control 216
Using Camera Control
217
DaVinci Resolve Primary Color Corrector
222
Using DaVinci Resolve Project Manager Editing with the Cut Page Adding Clips to the Timeline Trimming Clips on the Timeline Audio Trim View Adding Titles Working with Blackmagic RAW Files Color Correcting your Clips with the Color Page Adding a Power Window Using Plugins Mixing Your Audio Adding VFX and Compositing on the Fusion Page Mastering Your Edit Quick Export The Deliver Page
226 226 227 230 231 231 232 233
237 240 242 243
248 257 257 258
Blackmagic Camera Setup Utility
259
Working with Third Party Software Working with Files from CFast 2.0 and SD cards Working with Files from SSDs Using Final Cut Pro X
260
261 261 262
Using Avid Media Composer 2018
263
Using Adobe Premiere Pro CC
263
Developer Information
265
Blackmagic Bluetooth Camera Control 265
Blackmagic SDI and Bluetooth Camera Control Protocol
Example Protocol Packets
Blackmagic Tally Control Protocol
267 275 276
Help
278
Regulatory Notices
279
Safety Information
280
Warranty
281
Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2
5
Getting Started
Getting started with your Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 is as simple as
mounting a lens and powering your camera.
Attaching a Lens
Your URSA Broadcast G2 comes fitted with a B4 lens mount for HD and Ultra HD
broadcast lenses. An additional EF mount is included so you can also use
stills lenses, other compactzoom or EF cine lenses. For instructions on
switching lens mount types, refer to the `Interchangeable lens mount’ section
later in this manual.
URSA Broadcast G2’s B4 mount features optics specifically designed to work
with your camera’s sensor to produce the same field of view and depth of field
as traditional broadcast cameras with 2/3″ sensors. This means that if you
already have a broadcast background, you can be comfortable mounting your
existing B4 lenses to URSA Broadcast G2 and shoot confidently.
To remove the protective dust cap from the camera, rotate the outer locking
ring counterclockwise and pull the dust cap away from the mount.
To attach a B4 mount lens:
Rotate the locking ring clockwise to secure the lens to the camera
1 Turn the B4 lens locking ring counterclockwise to reveal the alignment slot
inside the top of the mount. Align the B4 lens to your URSA Broadcast G2’s B4
mount so the alignment pin on the lens matches the position of the alignment
slot.
2 Hold the lens against the B4 mount so the mount plates are against each
other and make sure the alignment pin is secured inside the alignment slot.
3 Turn the locking ring clockwise to tighten the lens against the mount and
lock it into position.
4 To power the lens and provide lens control, simply plug the lens cable into
the connector marked `Lens’ on the front of your URSA Broadcast G2’s turret.
Most B4 lenses will have the 12 pin lens connector and cable built in. This
will provide power and control signals from your URSA Broadcast G2 to the
lens.
Getting Started
6
For information on the types of B4 lenses and how to use them with your
camera, refer to the `Using Servo Zoom Lenses’ section in this manual.
NOTEWhen no lens is attached to the camera, the optical element of URSA
Broadcast G2’s B4 mount is exposed to dust and other debris. Ensure that you
keep the dust cap on whenever possible.
Many B4 lenses can be quite long due to their extreme zoom range. When using
URSA Broadcast G2 with B4 lenses, your camera’s center of gravity will move
forward. The URSA Mini shoulder pad included with your camera can be adjusted
accordingly.
Center of gravity
When mounting URSA Broadcast G2 on the URSA Mini shoulder pad, it’s a good
idea to mount the camera towards the rear of the shoulder pad base when using
longer zoom lenses. This moves your camera rig’s center of gravity back over
the middle of the pad, making it easier to balance on your shoulder and rest
steadily when sitting on a desk or flat surface. Refer to the `URSA Mini
Shoulder Kit’ section later in this manual for more information on fitting the
shoulder pad.
Powering your Camera
Now that you’ve attached a lens, you will need to supply power. The quickest
way to power your camera is to connect external power using the supplied AC to
12V DC adapter.
To plug in external power:
1 Connect the AC to 12V DC adapter plug to your mains power socket.
2 Connect the AC to 12V DC adapter’s 4 pin XLR connector to the 12-18V DC
power connector on the camera.
If you have both external and battery power connected, only external power
will be used. If you remove external power while a charged battery is
connected, your camera will switch to battery power without interruption.
Getting Started
7
Use the supplied AC to 12V DC adapter to power your Blackmagic URSA Broadcast
G2
Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 comes fitted with an URSA VLock Battery Plate.
This lets you use industry standard V mount batteries with your camera. Refer
to the mounting batteries’ section for more information about mounting different types of battery plates to support different batteries. To turn on URSA Broadcast G2: 1 Move the power switch, located above the fold out LCD, to the
on’ position.
2 To turn the camera off, move the switch to the `off’ position. You are now
ready to insert your media and start recording!
Move the power switch to on’ to power your camera URSA Broadcast G2 also features a redundant power switch, which allows the camera to be turned on and off by holding down the
rec’ and `forward skip’
buttons on the inside control panel. While you wouldn’t normally power your
camera using this method, it is provided as a helpful alternative if the power
switch along the top edge is obscured, for example when mounted on a custom
rig.
Getting Started
8
If you need to, you can also hold down the record and forward skip buttons on
the control panel behind the LCD to power your camera on or off
TIPIf your URSA Broadcast G2 is turned off when the power switch is set to
on’, your camera may have been powered down via Bluetooth® control or by holding down the record and forward skip control panel buttons. Simply toggle the power switch
off’ and on,’ or hold down the relevant control panel buttons to power the camera on. Using Servo Zoom Lenses Your URSA Broadcast G2 natively supports servo driven B4 broadcast lenses. For information on fitting a B4 lens to your camera, refer to the
attaching a
lens’ section at the start of this manual.
TIPWith the optional URSA Mini Pro PL mount fitted, your URSA Broadcast G2 is
also compatible with servo driven PL cine lenses.
B4 broadcast lenses offer several features that aren’t typically present in
still photography and cinema lenses. In addition to the ability to hold focus
through a large zoom range, these lenses are distinguished by handgrip
controls and servo driven iris and zoom functions. Some lenses also feature
servo driven focus. With the lens connector fitted, iris and zoom can be
controlled from the handgrip, from your camera or by using an optional
Blackmagic Zoom Demand. You can even control your lens remotely via an ATEM
switcher. Lenses which have a focus servo can accept auto focus commands from
the camera, continuously track focus using an optional Blackmagic Focus Demand
or receive focus commands from an ATEM switcher.
Using Servo Zoom Lenses
9
B4 Lenses with iris and zoom control include: Fujinon B4 lens models with HA,
ZA, XA, UA and LA prefixes in their model name and RM in their suffix. For
example, Fujinon XA20sxBRM. Canon B4 lens models with HJ, KJ and CJ prefixes
and RSE or RSD in their suffix. For example Canon KJ20x8.2B IRSD.
B4 Lenses with full servo control for focus, iris and zoom include: Fujinon B4
lens models with HA, ZA and UA prefixes in their name and the letters RD or ZD
in the suffix. For example, Fujinon HA22x7.8 BERD. Fujinon box lenses with XA
and UA prefix in their name. Canon B4 lens models with HJ, KJ..ex and CJ
prefixes in their name and the letters ASE or ASD in the suffix. For example,
Canon HJ24ex7.5B IASE. Canon box lenses with XJ and UJ prefix in their name.
TIPBox lens models mentioned above support both zoom and focus servos. Please
check with your lens supplier to confirm the servo motors are installed.
Your Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 is shipped ready to record to Blackmagic RAW
Ultra HD. To confirm your record settings simply press the menu button to open
the menu settings on the LCD. The first menu item is the `record’ tab and you
can check your codec and resolution settings here. More information on how to
use the menu settings is provided later in the manual.
Using Servo Zoom Lenses
10
The default Blackmagic RAW settings in the record’ tab Ultra HD is also the default resolution for both ProRes and H.265 codecs. If you’d like to shoot in HD that is also available in ProRes or H.264. The record tab in the menu settings TIPIf you notice any vignetting in your images when using a B4 lens check that your resolution is set to Ultra HD when set to Blackmagic RAW. If you are recording ProRes or H.264/5, adjusting your camera’s
sensor area’ to 4K will
suit the optical area that the B4 mount covers. For more information, refer to
the `record settings’ section later in the manual.
Using Servo Zoom Lenses
11
B4 lens controls
Iris
On the top of most B4 handgrips, you’ll find an auto/manual’ or
A/M’ switch,
and a push auto’ or
iris’ switch. These control your lenses’ aperture ring.
Auto Set this switch to auto’ or
a’ to adjust your lens aperture via your
URSA Broadcast G2, Blackmagic Zoom Demand or an ATEM switcher. You can adjust
lens aperture from URSA Broadcast G2 using the iris wheel, internal control
panel buttons, touchscreen controls, or iris based auto exposure modes. See
the URSA Broadcast G2 controls’ and
touchscreen controls’ sections in this
manual for more details. While in auto’ mode, the aperture ring on your B4 lens cannot be moved manually. Manual Set this switch to
manual’ or `m’ to adjust your lens aperture by
turning the iris ring on the lens barrel. In this mode, your lens will not
accept aperture commands from your URSA Broadcast G2 or ATEM switcher.
Push Auto/Iris Use this button to momentarily activate auto’ aperture control while in
manual’ mode. This can be combined with iris controls on your camera
or ATEM switcher to great effect.
For example, with your camera set to an iris based auto exposure mode and your
lens aperture set to manual,’ you can freely adjust your lens iris by using the aperture ring on the lens barrel, however tapping the
push auto’/iris’ button will momentarily activate auto exposure, adjusting your iris for the current lighting conditions. Alternatively, you can set an iris value using the controls on your URSA Broadcast G2’s LCD touchscreen. While in
manual’ mode, you are free to adjust
lens aperture using the aperture ring on the lens barrel, but tapping the
push auto’/
iris’ button will return the lens to the preset value on your
touchscreen.
Using Servo Zoom Lenses
12
Zoom
On the underside of most B4 handgrips, you’ll find a zoom’ switch that can be set to
servo’ or manual.’ This controls zoom behavior. Servo Set this switch to
servo’ or s’ to enable servo zoom control. In this mode, the rocker switch on your handset can be used to zoom your lens in and out, as well as any other zoom related controls, such as zoom speed and quickzoom. Your lens will also accept zoom commands from URSA Broadcast G2, Blackmagic Zoom Demand and ATEM switchers, so long as it is connected to the camera via the lens connector. In this mode, you typically can’t adjust your lens’s manual zoom ring. TIPHandgrip zoom rockers are typically linked to zoom speed. Push the rocker down gently to zoom slowly, push down harder to zoom more rapidly. Manual Set this switch to
manual’ or `m’ to disable servo control and adjust
zoom using the zoom ring on your lens barrel. In this mode, your lens will not
accept zoom commands from the handgrip, URSA Broadcast G2, or ATEM switchers.
Using Servo Zoom Lenses
13
Focus
Some B4 lenses also have focus servo controls. If this control is present on
your lens, you’ll see a focus’ switch on the underside of the handgrip with two settings,
servo’ and manual.’ Servo Set this switch to
servo’ or s’ to enable servo focus control. In this mode, your lens can accept focus commands from URSA Broadcast G2, Blackmagic Focus Demand or an ATEM switcher via the lens connector. Manual Set this switch to
manual’ to use the focus ring on the lens barrel to
control focus. B4 lenses tend to autofocus quite slowly, so using manual
control is more common.
NOTEAnalog B4 lenses with servos are also supported although the camera will
only power the zoom servo and support electronic iris control. Many of them
are standard definition and may not have the standard 12 pin broadcast
connector. If you are going to use an analog B4 lens, it’s important to make
sure it is compatible with your camera first as some have limited feature
sets. It is also worth testing them for their image circle coverage as some of
them may reveal resolution and light fall off towards the edge of the frame.
Using Servo Zoom Lenses
14
Ret and VTR
On a B4 lens, the vtr’ button toggles recording and the
ret’ button is for
program return’. For information on how you can configure the
vtr’ and ret’ button as function buttons, see the
set function button’ section in `setup
settings’ later in this manual.
The ret’ and
vtr’ buttons on a B4 lens
Setting the Back Focus on B4 Lenses
One of the huge advantages of B4 lenses is that they are designed to be
`parfocal’ which means they hold focus all the way through the zoom range.
This means you can zoom in, get focus on an object and then when you zoom out
it will remain in focus.
The back focus ring is typically located at the rear of the lens, close to the
mount
Back focus is critical in ensuring that your HD or 4K B4 lenses retain focus
right through the zoom range. When you first mount a B4 lens on your camera
you should check that the back focus is correct. Back focus should also be
checked when you swap lenses, and it’s a good idea to periodically check back
focus at the start of major projects.
Using Servo Zoom Lenses
15
To check the back focus of a B4 lens:
1 Place a focus test chart, or a flat white item with good high contrast
detail, approximately seventy feet, or as far away as possible, from the
camera.
2 Set the iris on the lens wide open and compensate for exposure by using the
built in NDs if you need to. You’ll want a shallow depth of field so you can
exaggerate any focus issues.
3 Zoom into the chart and set focus.
4 Now zoom out. If you reach maximum wide and the focus remains sharp, then
your back focus is correct and you don’t need to make any adjustments.
However, if you zoomed out and the chart drifted out of focus, the back focus
is incorrect. Zoom all the way out and adjust the back focus ring on the rear
of the lens close to the mount. The back focus ring typically has a twist knob
used to loosen and tighten. Simply loosen the twist knob and rotate the ring
until your chart is in focus.
5 Now zoom in and out slowly and check if your chart remains in focus all the
way through the zoom.
6 Repeat steps 4 and 5, zooming in and out and making adjustments to the back
focus ring. If your lens holds focus all the way through the zoom range your
back focus is now set correctly.
Setting back focus on Fuji LA16x8 BRM lenses The process of setting back focus
on a Fuji LA16x8 BRM lens is slightly different. Instead of an external back
focus ring this lens sets back focus electronically using a button underneath
the hand grip.
To set back focus on a Fuji LA16x8 BRM lens:
1 Place a focus test chart, or a flat white item with good high contrast
detail, approximately seventy feet, or as far away as possible, from the
camera.
2 Set the zoom switch underneath the lens handgrip to servo’. 3 Locate the
F.f.’ button next to the zoom switch. Press and hold the F.f.’ button for 5 seconds. The indicator LED on top of the zoom rocker will flash red. 4 The lens will automatically zoom in. Set focus using the focus ring. It’s important to note that if you have Blackmagic Focus Demand attached you will need to unplug it from your camera to adjust the physical focus ring or adjust the focus using the focus demand for this step and step 5. 5 Press the
F.f.’ button again and the lens will automatically zoom out. Set
focus using the focus ring.
6 Press the `F.f.’ button to confirm the settings. The top indicator LED will
flash red. The electronic back focus on your Fuji LA16x8 BRM lens is now set.
7 Now zoom in and out slowly and check if your chart remains in focus all the
way through the zoom.
8 If your lens holds focus all the way through the zoom range your back focus
is now set correctly. If you need to make further adjustments, repeat steps 3
to 6.
TIPAs temperature changes and wear over time can have subtle effects on the
back focus, it’s worth regularly checking the back focus on B4 lenses to
ensure it stays accurate.
Using Servo Zoom Lenses
16
Using Box Lenses
Large studio box lenses like Fujinon’s UA27x6.5 and UA125x8 and Canon’s UHD
Digisuper series lenses can also be used with URSA Broadcast G2’s B4 mount.
These types of box lenses allow horizontal and vertical image stabilization on
studio style 27x lenses, as well as extreme zoom ranges with 80x and even 125x
magnification which are incredible for broadcasting sports and outdoor events.
The large size of box lenses means that you will need to setup your camera
correctly on a heavy duty tripod or pedestal, with adequate spacing. This is
possible with URSA Mini Shoulder Kit, a VCT-14 plate and a box lens adapter.
Box lenses have a high power draw, and need to be powered separately. You can
add additional power to the lens by using an URSA 12 volt power supply, or if
you are using Blackmagic Camera Fiber Converter, you can run additional power
from the 12 volt D-tap output on the side of the unit. Plug the lens connector
from the lens support bracket into URSA Broadcast G2.
Add additional power to your box lens by plugging in a 4 pin XLR cable
Once additional power is connected, you can power up your camera and control
the lens with your URSA Broadcast G2.
Using Servo Zoom Lenses
17
PL Servo Zoom Lenses
PL zoom lenses used for motion pictures can also be used with your URSA
Broadcast G2. When using servo driven PL or EF lenses, the full 6K sensor area
of URSA Broadcast G2 can be used to get the most out of these lenses. For more
information on setting the sensor area on your URSA Broadcast G2, refer to the
`record settings’ section later in this manual.
Super 35mm PL lenses with full servo control of focus, iris and zoom include:
Brand Fujinon Fujinon Fujinon Fujinon Fujinon Canon Canon Canon
Series Cabrio Cabrio Cabrio Cabrio Cabrio Cine-servo Cine-servo Cine-servo
Model ZK2.5×14-SAF ZK4.7×19-SAFB ZK12x25 with ESM-15A-SA ZK3.5×85-SAF XK6x20 CN7x17KAS S CN10x25 IAS S/P1 CN20x50
Range 14-35mm 19-90mm 25-300mm 85-300mm 20-120mm 17-120mm 25-250mm 50-1000mm
Max. Aperture T2.9 T2.9 T3.5-3.85 T2.9-T4 T3.5 T2.9-3.9 T2.95-3.95 T5-8.9
Focus and zoom controls can also be used to drive focus and zoom from the pan handles in a studio environment on all of the servo zoom lenses listed above.
Hybrid Compact Servo Zoom Lenses
Recently, a new category of lenses known as compact-servo’ zoom lenses have been introduced. These have some of the functionality of B4 and PL servo zoom lenses but use an EF mount. The zoom rocker for these lenses can be powered through the lens mount from URSA Broadcast G2 and information such as lens name, iris, focus and zoom position values are all able to be read and recorded by URSA Broadcast G2’s lens metadata system. Electronic control of the focus, iris and zoom is available with these lenses. When connected to a switcher, these can also be controlled remotely via ATEM Software Control. If you are operating in a live broadcast or studio environment, use of these lenses with Blackmagic Zoom and Focus Demands is possible provided the iris switch on the barrel of the lens is set to
A’, the
focus switch is set to AF’, and the zoom servo switch is set to
servo’.
Lenses in this range include: Canon CN-E 18-80mm T4.4 Compact-servo
Canon CN-E 70-200mm T4.4 Compact-servo
Using Servo Zoom Lenses
18
Storage Media
Your Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 uses standard SD cards, faster UHS-II SD
cards or CFast 2.0 cards to record video. Using the rear USB-C 3.2 Gen 2×1
port, you can connect high speed flash disks or high capacity solid state
drives. You can also record to SSDs using the optional Blackmagic URSA Mini
Recorder. For more information on connecting URSA Mini Recorder to your
camera, refer to the URSA Mini Recorder’ section later in this manual. Important Notes About Media Speeds Write and read speeds published by recording media manufacturers are often based on peak speeds for small files such as still images, and may not accurately reflect write speeds for a continuous stream of high speed video. For reliable recording with your chosen frame rates, use only the cards recommended by Blackmagic Design. CFast Cards CFast 2.0 cards are capable of supporting very high data rates, so are perfect for recording HD and 4K video at high frame rates. Refer to the record duration table in the
recording’ section for details on the maximum frame
rates that can be recorded in each format. It’s important to note that while
CFast 2.0 cards are generally high speed cards, some cards have slower write
speeds compared to read speeds, and maximum data rates can differ between
models. For reliable recording with your chosen frame rates, use only the
cards recommended by Blackmagic Design.
Inserting a CFast Card
To record using CFast cards you need to set your camera accordingly. To do
this, set the storage media switch above the media slots to the `CFAST’
position.
To insert a CFast card. 1 Open the fold out monitor to access the CFast slots.
2 With the label of the CFast card facing towards the touchscreen, insert the
card into the
CFast card slot until you feel it lock in place. The card should insert easily
without the need for excessive force. Push the CFast card ejector button
underneath the CFast card slot to eject the card. The storage information at
the bottom of the LCD touchscreen will show the name and record time remaining
of the detected CFast cards.
Storage Media
19
Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 has two CFast slots for continuous recording
TIPIf you have CFast cards inserted but can not access them on the camera,
check you have CFast selected on the storage media selection switch located
above the media slots.
Choosing a CFast 2.0 Card
When working with high data rate video it’s important to carefully check the
CFast card you would like to use. This is because CFast 2.0 cards have
different read and write speeds. For the most up to date information on
supported CFast cards on Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2, please refer to the
Blackmagic Design support center at
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/faq/59037.
SD Cards
In addition to CFast 2.0 cards, Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 can record on
high speed UHS-I and UHS-II type SD cards. Using high end SDXC UHS-II cards,
you can record ProRes HQ footage in Ultra HD or even 6K in Blackmagic RAW!
With SD cards, you can use more affordable storage media when shooting
compressed video formats in HD. SDXC and SDHC are a very common media storage
format for consumer still and video cameras. If you’ve ever shot video using a
DSLR, or use a Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera, Pocket Cinema Camera or
Blackmagic Video Assist, you probably already have compatible SD cards to use.
For projects that don’t require the highest resolution Blackmagic RAW files,
or for when long recording durations are needed, using SD cards can be very
economical. Lower capacity and lower speed SD cards can also be used for
storing and loading LUTs and Presets.
Inserting an SD Card
To insert an SD Card. 1 Open the fold out monitor to access the SD card slots.
These are the smaller slots located
between the CFast slots. 2 Set the storage media toggle switch above the slots
to `SD’. 3 With the label on the SD card facing away from the touchscreen,
insert the card until you
feel it lock into place. To remove an SD card, push the SD card in to eject
it.
Storage Media
20
4 The storage indicator at the bottom of the LCD touchscreen will show the name and record time remaining of detected cards.
When recording to SD cards on URSA Broadcast G2 make sure the storage media
selection switch is set to SD’ Choosing a fast SD Card If you are recording Ultra HD, then we recommend using the fastest high speed UHS-II type SD cards available. It’s important to use high speed UHS-II SD cards for Ultra HD and HD recording, or UHS-1 cards for HD recording. These cards are rated for fast data speeds and support larger storage sizes. Generally the faster the cards, the better. Before using your cards, you will need to format them to either HFS+ or exFAT formats. You can format your media with the storage manager or your computer. For more information, see the
preparing media for recording’ section.
If you want to, you can format your cards using a Mac or Windows computer.
When using your media on Mac, you can use HFS+ which is the Mac disk format.
If you are using Windows then you should use exFAT format, which is the
Windows disk format that Mac computers can also read.
For the most up to date information on supported SD cards on Blackmagic URSA
Broadcast G2, please refer to the Blackmagic Design support center at
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/faq/59037.
NOTEWhen filming high frame rate or Ultra HD footage on your URSA Broadcast
G2, we recommend CFast 2.0 or SD UHS-II recording media, which are typically
faster and available in higher storage capacities than SD UHS-I media.
Locking and Unlocking SD Cards
SD cards can be write protected, or `locked’, to prevent data from being
overwritten.
When inserting an SD card, make sure the card is not write protected. Write
protection is disabled by moving the plastic switch on the left side of the
card to the position closest to the connectors. After recording, you can then
write protect the card by sliding the switch back down to the bottom position.
Storage Media
21
Move the lock tab up or down to lock or unlock an SD card
Your URSA Broadcast G2 will let you know if you’ve inserted a locked SD card
by displaying a `locked’ icon on the LCD touchscreen and storage menu. If the
card is locked, you won’t be able to record video, capture stills, or export
LUTs and presets until it is unlocked.
Your URSA Broadcast G2 will indicate when locked SD storage media is inserted
Recording to USB-C flash disks
Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 features two USB-C ports. The USB-C 3.1 Gen 1
port on the side near the CFast card slots is for software updates. The port
on the rear panel near the SDI connectors is for recording to high speed SSDs
and USB-C flash disks via USB-C 3.2 Gen 2×1. These fast, high capacity drives
allow you to record video for longer periods, which can be important when
filming events with long durations.
When a USB-C flash disk is connected to your camera, it occupies the third
media slot in your camera’s operating system. Tapping the drive name in the
storage menu sets it as the active drive. This means that recording, playback
and storage management is exactly the same for USB-C flash disks as it is for
CFast, SD cards and SSDs.
Once you have finished recording you can connect the same drive directly to
your computer for editing and post production without having to copy media
across.
To connect a USB-C flash disk: 1 Connect one end of a USB type-C cable to your
USB-C flash disk.
2 On your URSA Broadcast G2, plug the USB-C cable into the USB-C port on the
back panel below the SDI ports.
3 The USB-C flash disk will occupy the third media slot on your camera’s LCD
touchscreen.
Storage Media
22
4 To switch recording to the USB-C flash disk, press and hold the drive name
in the lower toolbar of your camera’s LCD display. The media bar will turn
blue to indicate that the camera will now be recording to the USB-C flash
disk. When recording the media bar will turn red.
Choosing a fast USB-C flash disk
USB-C flash disks are designed to offer fast, affordable storage for a wide
range of devices and are readily available from a variety of consumer
electronics outlets. It’s important to note that film making is only one part
of the USB-C flash disk market, so choosing the best drive is vital to making
sure you have enough speed to record Blackmagic RAW and Ultra HD footage. Many
USB-C flash disks are designed for home computing and aren’t fast enough to
record Ultra HD. For the most up to date list of recommended USB-C flash disks
please go to https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/faq/59037. Use
Blackmagic Disk Speed Test to accurately measure whether your USB-C flash disk
will be able to handle high data rate video capture and playback. Blackmagic
Disk Speed Test uses data to simulate the storage of video so you get results
similar to what you’ll see when capturing video to a disk. During Blackmagic
testing, we have found newer, larger models of USB-C flash disk and larger
capacity USB-C flash disks are generally faster. Blackmagic Disk Speed Test is
available from the Mac app store. Windows and Mac versions are also included
in Blackmagic Desktop Video, which you can download from the capture and playback’ section of the Blackmagic Design support center at www.blackmagicdesign.com/support. SSDs With the optional Blackmagic URSA Mini Recorder, URSA Broadcast G2 can record video directly to solid state drives, or
SSDs’. These fast, high capacity
drives are readily available from a variety of consumer electronics outlets.
URSA Mini Recorder features a USB-C port enabling high speeds to work with
standard 2.5″ SATA SSDs as well as 7mm U.2 SSDs. M.2 solid state drives will
work when using an M.2 to U.2 adapter. To reach the proper speeds available, a
certified USB 3.1 Gen 2 cable is required. The supplied USB-C cable features
locking connectors at each end to maintain a secure connection during use.
NOTESee the section `Blackmagic URSA Mini Recorder’ in this manual for
information on installing Blackmagic URSA Mini Recorder.
Inserting an SSD
To insert an SSD: 1 Hold your SSD with the connection pins facing towards the
front of your camera. 2 Open the spring loaded cover on Blackmagic URSA Mini
Recorder and gently insert the
SSD into the slot.
TIPBlackmagic URSA Mini Recorder has a pressure plate to keep different sized
SSDs in place, so there’s no need to use spacers to fit your drive.
Storage Media
23
3 Once your SSD is all the way into the slot gently push it home until you
feel it register, then lower URSA Mini Recorder’s cover.
4 The SSD will occupy the third media slot on your camera.
5 To switch recording to the SSD, press and hold the drive name in the lower
toolbar of your camera’s LCD display. The media bar will turn blue to indicate
that the camera will now be recording to the SSD. When recording the media bar
will turn red.
To remove an SSD: Open URSA Mini Recorder’s cover and gently grasp the drive
between your thumb and forefinger. There’s a small recess in the top of the
bay to let you get a grip on the drive. Simply pull the drive out and close
the cover.
Choosing a fast SSD for URSA Mini Recorder
SSDs are designed to offer fast, affordable storage for a wide range of
devices. It’s important to note that film making is only one part of the SSD
market, so choosing the right drive is vital to ensuring that you have enough
bandwidth to record Blackmagic RAW or Ultra HD footage. Many SSDs are designed
for home computing and aren’t fast enough to record Ultra HD video.
We highly recommend using only the SSDs from our recommended list, which have
been tested with Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 to ensure support for continuous
filming at the specified resolutions. For the most up to date list of
recommended SSDs please go to
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/faq/59031.
Important Notes About SSD Speed
Some models of SSD can’t save video data at the speed the manufacturer claims.
This is due to the disk using hidden data compression to attain higher write
speeds. This data compression can only save data at the manufacturer’s claimed
speed when storing data such as blank data or simple files. Video data
includes video noise and pixels which are more random so compression will not
help, therefore revealing the true speed of the disk.
Some SSDs can have up to 50% lower write speed than the manufacturer’s claimed
speed. Even though the disk specifications claim an SSD has speeds fast enough
to handle video, in reality the disk isn’t fast enough when used to store
video data for real time capture.
Use Blackmagic Disk Speed Test to accurately measure whether your SSD will be
able to handle high data rate video capture and playback. Blackmagic Disk
Speed Test uses data to simulate the storage of video so you get results
similar to what you’ll see when capturing video to a disk. During Blackmagic’s
rigorous testing, we have found newer, larger models of SSD and larger
capacity SSDs are generally faster.
Storage Media
24
Preparing Media for Recording
You can format your recording media using Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2’s
storage manager, or via a Mac or Windows computer. We recommend formatting
storage media using URSA Broadcast G2 for best performance. HFS+ is also known
as OS X Extended and is the recommended format as it supports journaling’. Data on journaled media is more likely to be recovered in the rare event that your media becomes corrupted. HFS+ is natively supported by Mac OS. ExFAT is supported natively by Mac and Windows without needing to purchase any additional software. However, exFAT does not support journaling. NOTEBefore formatting your media, it’s important to make sure the media storage switch has been set correctly to either SD card or CFast card. Always check the settings carefully before formatting. Preparing Media on Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 1 Tap any storage indicator at the bottom of the LCD touchscreen to enter the storage manager. 2 Tap a format button at the bottom of the touchscreen to format the card in slot 1 or 2, respectively. If you have a USB-C flash disk or SSD connected to the rear USB-C port of your URSA Broadcast G2, tap the
Drive List’ button.
Then select the drive you want to format and tap `Format Drive’.
Use your URSA Broadcast G2’s storage manager to format your camera’s storage
media
3 If you want to change the reel number, tap on the pencil icon to open the
keyboard. Type the new reel number and tap update’. 4 Choose OS X Extended or exFAT format and tap the
format’ button.
Storage Media
25
Tap the pencil icon to manually edit the reel number
5 You will be asked to confirm your selection. Tap the format button again to
continue or `cancel’ to cancel the format.
Check that you have selected the correct card before formatting
6 You will be prompted to press and hold the `format’ button for 3 seconds.
The camera will notify you once formatting is complete.
When formatting is complete your card is ready to use
7 Tap ok’ to return to the storage manager. 8 Tap
exit’ to leave the storage
manager.
Storage Media
26
When formatting recording media using the storage manager, your URSA Broadcast
G2 will use the Camera ID from the slate and reel number to name the card.
Your camera automatically increments reel numbers each time you format. If you
need to manually enter a specific reel number, tap the pencil icon’ and enter the number you want to format the card as. When you start a new project, reel numbering will reset to 1 when you tap on
reset data’ in the project’ tab of the slate. It’s worth mentioning that if your camera’s media storage switch is set to SD or CFast, only the selected card type will be formatted when you tap
format
card’. For information on switching between CFast and SD storage see the `SD
Cards’ section earlier in this manual.
The storage manager on your URSA Broadcast G2 will indicate whether you are
currently managing CFast, SD, USB or SSD media
TIPIf your URSA Broadcast G2 is set to record to SD cards and you have
inserted a locked card, you will be unable to format that card. A padlock icon
will appear next to the card’s name in the storage manager. Simply unlock the
card to format and record. For more information on locking SD cards, see the
SD cards’ section of this manual. Preparing Media on Mac The Disk Utility application included with Mac can format your CFast card, SD card, or SSD in the HFS+ or exFAT formats. Make sure you back up anything important from your media as all data will be lost when it is formatted. 1 Connect the storage media to your computer using a card reader, dock or adapter, and dismiss any message offering to use your media for Time Machine backups. 2 Go to applications/utilities and launch Disk Utility. 3 Click on the disk icon for your camera’s storage media and then click the
erase’ tab. 4 Set the
format’ to
Mac OS extended (journaled)’ or exFAT’. 5 Type a
name’ for the
new volume and then click `erase’. Your camera’s storage media
will quickly be formatted and made ready for use.
Storage Media
27
Use Disk Utility on Mac OS to erase your CFast card in the Mac OS extended
(journaled) or exFAT format
Preparing Media on Windows
The format’ dialog box can format a drive in the exFAT format on a Windows PC. Remember to back up anything important from your media as all data will be lost when it is formatted. 1 Connect your camera’s storage media to your computer using an external reader/writer or SSD dock or adapter. 2 Open the
start’ menu or start’ screen and choose
computer’. Right click on your
camera’s storage media. 3 From the contextual menu, choose format’. 4 Set the file system to
exFAT’ and the allocation unit size to 128 kilobytes. 5 Type a
volume label, select quick format’ and click
start’. 6 Your storage media
will quickly be formatted and made ready for use.
Use the `format’ dialog box feature in Windows to format your CFast, SD card or SSD in the exFAT format
Storage Media
28
NOTEIf your recordings are dropping frames, check that your card is on our
list of recommended media for the codec and frame size you are using. For
lower data rates try lowering your frame rate, resolution, or try a compressed
codec such as ProRes. Check the Blackmagic Design website for the latest
information at www.blackmagicdesign.com
Recording
Recording Clips
B4 broadcast lenses typically have a record button positioned on the lens
handle where your thumb would be when shooting from the shoulder. Simply press
the record button on the handle to start recording. Press again to stop
recording.
Your camera has record buttons built into the camera itself. A record button
is located on the inside control panel, and on the forward control panel for
convenient access when shooting from the shoulder.
Triggering Record from External Sources
Using the Blackmagic Camera Control’ app you can trigger recording remotely and adjust various camera settings via Bluetooth from your iPad. For more information on setting up and using the
Blackmagic Camera Control’ app refer
to the Bluetooth’ section later in this manual. If you are using an iPhone or Android smart phone there are also third party apps available that let you trigger recording on your URSA Broadcast G2 via Bluetooth. If you are using an optional Blackmagic Zoom Demand with your URSA Broadcast G2, you can trigger record using the function button. The function button on Blackmagic Zoom Demand sits under your thumb like the VTR button on a B4 lens. For more information on Blackmagic Zoom Demand, refer to the
using Blackmagic
Zoom Demand’ section later in this manual.
When your Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 is connected to an ATEM Mini Pro or
Extreme model switcher via a Blackmagic Micro Converter BiDirectional SDI/HDMI
3G, you can trigger recording from the ATEM switcher.
For example, the record stream’ palette in ATEM Software Control has a checkbox labeled
record in all cameras’. When this checkbox is enabled and
you click or press record, all connected cameras will start recording as well.
This means you only have to click or press one button to start recording on
all cameras simultaneously. Refer to the ATEM Mini manual for more
information.
Another option for starting and stopping record is to attach an external LANC
controller to your URSA Broadcast G2’s LANC input and trigger the record
externally. For example, you may want to attach a LANC controller to your
tripod so you can trigger the recording without taking your hands off the
focus ring and tripod handle.
You can also trigger record on one or more URSA Broadcast G2 cameras using a
Blackmagic 3G-SDI Shield for Arduino and the Blackmagic SDI Camera Control
protocol. For more information, see the `Developer Information’ section of
this manual or visit www.blackmagicdesign.com/developer and download the
manual for Blackmagic 3G-SDI Shield for Arduino.
Recording
29
You can create your own hardware controller and plug it into your Blackmagic
3G-SDI Shield for Arduino for more interactive and refined control.
NOTEIf you toggle the storage media selection’ switch mid-recording, the camera will complete the current recording before switching to the other type of media. This ensures that you can not damage your recording if the switch is adjusted during a take. Choosing the Codec, Resolution and Sensor Area Your Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 can record using Blackmagic RAW with either a constant quality or constant bitrate setting. You can also use Apple ProRes, H.264 or H.265 compressed video codecs for recording in Ultra HD and HD resolutions. Sensor frame rate options will vary depending on the codec and resolution you choose. Blackmagic RAW lets you use either a constant quality or constant bitrate compression. Blackmagic RAW 8:1, 12:1, Q3 or Q5 compression is recommended for ENG style shooting as its high compression offers long recording times with minimal visual reduction of image quality. For shots that contain a large amount of fine detail you can choose Blackmagic RAW 3:1 or Q0 for the highest level of image quality. It’s worth noting that clips recorded using Blackmagic RAW are compatible with DaVinci Resolve, Blackmagic RAW Player and other applications that support Blackmagic RAW SDK. Blackmagic RAW has already been adopted by many post production platforms. It may not be supported natively in all editing software but most work with the plugins provided in our Camera Update and Blackmagic RAW installer. For more information, see the
Working with Third Party
Software’ section.
Recording
30
Blackmagic RAW
Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 supports the new Blackmagic RAW file format. This
format offers superior image quality, wide dynamic range and a broad selection
of compression ratios. Blackmagic RAW features all the user benefits of RAW
recording, but the files are very fast because most of the processing is
performed in the camera where it can be hardware accelerated by the camera
itself.
Blackmagic RAW also includes powerful metadata support so the software reading
the files knows your camera settings. If you like shooting in video gamma
because you need to turn around edits quickly and you don’t have time for
color correction, then this metadata feature means you can select video gamma,
shoot in video gamma, and the file will display with video gamma applied when
you open it in software. However underneath, the file is actually film gamma
and the metadata in the file is what’s telling the software to apply the video
gamma.
So what all this means is if you want to color grade your images at some
point, then you have all that film dynamic range preserved in the file. You
don’t have your images hard clipped in the whites or the blacks, so you retain
detail and you can color grade to make all your images look cinematic.
However, if you don’t have time for color grading, that’s fine because your
images will have the video gamma applied and look like normal video camera
images. You are not locked in on the shoot and you can change your mind later
during post production.
Blackmagic RAW files are extremely fast and the codec is optimized for your
computer’s CPU and GPU. This means it has fast smooth playback and eliminates
the need for hardware decoder boards, which is important for laptop use.
Software that reads Blackmagic RAW also gets the advantage of processing via
Apple Metal, Nvidia CUDA and OpenCL.
This means that Blackmagic RAW plays back at normal speed like a video file on
most computers, without needing to cache it first or lower the resolution.
It’s also worth mentioning that lens information is recorded in the metadata
on a frame by frame basis. For example, when using compatible lenses, any zoom
or focus changes performed over the length of a clip will be saved, frame by
frame, to the metadata in the Blackmagic RAW file.
Recording to Blackmagic RAW
Blackmagic RAW works in two different ways. You have a choice to use either
the constant bitrate codec, or the constant quality codec.
The constant bitrate codec works in a similar way to most codecs. It tries to
keep the data rate at a consistent level and won’t let the data rate go too
high. This means even if you are shooting a complex image that might need a
bit more data to store the image, a constant bitrate codec will just compress
the image harder to make sure the images fit within the space allocated.
This can be fine for video codecs, however when shooting RAW you really want
to ensure the quality is predictable. What would happen if the images you were
shooting needed more data, but the codec just compresses harder to make a
specified data rate? It’s possible you could lose quality, but not be sure
it’s happening until you return from a shoot.
To solve this problem, Blackmagic RAW also has an alternative codec choice
called constant quality. This codec is technically called a variable bitrate
codec, but what it’s really doing is allowing the size of the file to grow if
your images need extra data. There is no upper limit on the file size if you
need to encode an image but maintain quality.
So Blackmagic RAW set to the constant quality setting will just let the file
grow as big as it needs to be to encode your images. It also means the files
could be larger or smaller depending on what you are shooting. I guess if you
leave your lens cap on the lens, you won’t waste space on your media!
Recording
31
It is also worth noting that the quality settings for Blackmagic RAW are not
obscure names, but are more meaningful as they are derived from what’s
happening technically. So for example when you have selected the constant
bitrate codec, you will see quality settings of 3:1, 5:1, 8:1 and 12:1. These
are the ratios of the uncompressed RAW file size vs the file sizes you should
expect when shooting in Blackmagic RAW. 3:1 is better quality as the file is
larger, while 12:1 is the smallest file size with the lowest quality. Many
users of Blackmagic RAW find that 12:1 has been perfectly ok and they have not
seen any quality limitations. However it’s best to experiment and try various
settings for yourself.
When using Blackmagic RAW in constant quality you will see the settings are
Q0, Q1, Q3 and Q5. These are the compression parameters passed to the codec
and they are setting how much compression is applied in a more technical way.
This setting is different because the codec operates differently between
constant bitrate vs constant quality. In this constant quality setting, you
really cannot tell what the file size ratio will become as it varies a lot
based on what you are shooting. So in this case the setting is different and
the file will become the size needed to store your media.
Constant Bitrate Settings
The names for 3:1, 5:1, 8:1 and 12:1 represent the compression ratio. For
example, 12:1 compression produces a file size roughly 12 times smaller than
uncompressed RAW.
Constant Quality Settings
Q0, Q1, Q3 and Q5 refer to different levels of quantization. Q5 has a greater
level of quantization but offers a greatly improved data rate. As mentioned
above, the constant quality setting can result in files that grow and shrink
quite a lot, depending on what you are shooting. This also means it’s possible
to shoot something and see the file size increase to beyond what your media
card can keep up with. It could result in dropped frames. However the benefit
is that you can instantly see if this happens on a shoot and then investigate
your settings vs quality.
Blackmagic RAW Player
The Blackmagic RAW player included in your Blackmagic camera’s software
installer is a streamlined application for reviewing clips. Simply double
click on a Blackmagic RAW file to open it, and you can quickly play and scroll
through the file with its full resolution and bit depth.
When decoding frames, the CPU acceleration in the SDK library supports all
main architectures, and also supports GPU acceleration via Apple Metal, Nvidia
CUDA and OpenCL. It also works with the Blackmagic eGPU for extra performance.
Blackmagic RAW player is available for Mac, Windows and Linux.
Sidecar Files
Blackmagic RAW sidecar files let you override metadata in a file without
overwriting embedded metadata in the original file. This metadata includes the
RAW settings as well as information on iris, focus, focal length, while
balance, tint, color space, project name, take number and more. Metadata is
encoded frame by frame over the duration of the clip, which is important for
lens data if the lens is adjusted during a shot. You can add or edit metadata
in sidecar files with DaVinci Resolve or even a text editor because it’s a
human readable format.
Sidecar files can be used to automatically add new RAW settings to a playback
simply by moving the sidecar file into the same folder as the corresponding
RAW file. If you move the sidecar file out of the folder and reopen the
Blackmagic RAW file, the RAW settings are not applied and you see the file as
it was originally shot. Any software that uses the Blackmagic RAW SDK can
access these settings. Changes made are saved in the sidecar file and can then
be seen by Blackmagic RAW Player or any other software capable of reading
Blackmagic RAW files.
Recording
32
When shooting video gamma, the file stays in film gamma, and the metadata
tells the Blackmagic RAW processing to display using video gamma. Video gamma
is great when you don’t want to grade the image and want to deliver content
quickly, however if you want to pull up the black parts of the image, or pull
down the white areas, all the detail is retained. You never clip the video and
all the detail is still there if you want to access it at any time.
Blackmagic RAW in DaVinci Resolve
Settings can be adjusted for each Blackmagic RAW file, and then saved as a new
sidecar file from the RAW tab in DaVinci Resolve for creative effect or
optimized viewing. This also means you can copy your media for another DaVinci
Resolve artist and they will have access to your modified gamma settings
automatically on import. In addition to the other metadata your camera files
contain, DaVinci Resolve can read your selected dynamic range, so your clips
will automatically display in DaVinci Resolve with film’,
extended video’ or
video’ dynamic range. You can then customize these settings by adjusting the saturation, contrast and midpoint, as well as the highlight and shadow rolloff. Any adjustments can then be saved as a sidecar file, so the changes can be seen by anyone else working with the files in post. You can always return to the original camera metadata at any time. You can also export a single Blackmagic RAW frame from the RAW tab in DaVinci Resolve, which contains all adjustments, metadata, full resolution and color information so it is easy to share a single frame grab or reference file with others. For more information on how to use Blackmagic RAW in DaVinci Resolve, see the
Using DaVinci Resolve’ chapter in this manual.
Blackmagic RAW Software Development Kit
The Blackmagic RAW Software Development Kit is an API developed by Blackmagic
Design. You can use the Blackmagic RAW SDK to write your own applications to
use the Blackmagic RAW format. This SDK library can be used by any developer
to add support for reading, editing, and saving Blackmagic RAW files. The
Blackmagic RAW SDK includes all the generation 4 and generation 5 color
science so you can achieve organic cinematic images across any app that
supports it. The Blackmagic RAW SDK supports Mac, Windows and Linux, and is
available as a free download from the developer page of the Blackmagic website
at www.blackmagicdesign.com/developer
The following diagram illustrates the components of the Blackmagic RAW API:
Recording
33
Choosing Frame Rates
Your camera is able to shoot video using many different frame rates and you
may be wondering which is the best one to use. Your camera’s sensor frame rate
can also have a big impact on the look’ of footage. Generally, when selecting a sensor frame rate, there are some common items to consider. For many years, there have been presentation standards for film and television. These have set frame rates that differ between countries, but all share the same purpose; to display an efficient number of frames every second that portrays pleasing and convincing motion. Cinema, for example, uses a standard 24 frames per second and while there have been recent experiments with faster frame rates, 24 frames per second remains widely accepted for international audiences. Television frame rates have generally conformed to technical broadcast standards for each country. For example, if you were making television content you would typically record using 29.97 frames per second for North American distribution, and 25 frames per second for Europe. However, as technology has improved, today we have more choices and broadcast standards are changing. It is now common for sporting events to be recorded and broadcasted at higher frame rates. For example, some sporting events are recorded and broadcasted at up to 59.94 frames per second in North America, and 50 frames per second in Europe. This provides smoother motion on fast action and appears more lifelike. Alternatively, streaming and online broadcasters normally use frame rates similar to television, however there is more freedom to experiment due to user selectable viewing formats, and being limited only to what the audience’s screens are capable of displaying. Generally, when choosing a frame rate for a project, let your delivery format guide your choice. This means your clips will play back at the same speed the event happened in real life. To achieve this, you will need to turn off the
off speed’ option on your camera.
If you are looking to create an interesting effect, for example slow motion,
then you can set the sensor frame rate to a higher setting. The higher the
sensor frame rate compared to the project frame rate, the slower the playback
speed.
For more information on using off speed sensor frame rates to achieve creative
effects, refer to the `touchscreen controls’ section.
Shooting at High Frame Rates
When shooting at high frame rates, your camera captures an increased number of
frames per second when compared with the traditional sync speed frame rates of
24, 25 and 30 frames per second. This means that the image sensor has less
time to collect light for each frame it captures and the resulting image from
your camera will be darker.
So for example, if you switch from 25 to 50 frames per second, the amount of
light reaching the sensor will be halved. To maintain your exposure you need
to compensate for this change by opening up your lens an extra stop, by
opening up your shutter angle from 180º to 360º or by adding some extra
lighting to the scene that you are shooting.
When shooting at 60 frames per second you have 2.5 times less light than 24
frames per second so you may need to adjust multiple things such as lens
aperture, shutter angle and lighting to achieve the same level of exposure.
Another thing to be mindful of when shooting at higher frame rates, is the
fact that electronic light sources can add flicker to your recorded image.
Artificial light sources such as tungsten, fluorescent and LED may introduce
some flicker to your images. You may not see these flicker issues when
previewing the scene on your LCD and SDI feed or while recording, so it’s
important to perform a test shoot with the lights you plan to use and to play
the clip back to check for flicker.
Recording
34
Your shutter setting can also affect the visibility of flicker when shooting
under lights, so your URSA Broadcast G2 can automatically calculate and
display flicker free shutter options for your current frame rate. Note that
the characteristics of individual light sources may still cause flicker even
when using flicker free values. For more information, refer to the
touchscreen controls’ section. If you have opened up your shutter to the slowest shutter speed or widest shutter angle possible and are still seeing flicker in recorded footage, you may need to consider using different light sources for your scene or look into using a faster lens. Maximum Sensor Frame Rates and Data Rates The table below contains available codecs and resolutions with their maximum sensor frame rates and data rates. It should be noted that the references to Blackmagic RAW, ProRes 444 and ProRes 422 are references to all of the supported variants within each particular codec. Because of the data rates required for recording high resolutions in slow motion you will need to choose a fast CFast card, USB-C flash disk or SSD. Refer to the
storage media’ section for more information.
TIPYou can test the speed your card can sustain by switching on the stop recording’ option from the
if card drops frame’ settings menu and recording a
test clip. This will allow you to test how long you can shoot at a particular
frame rate in any given resolution. If the card stops recording too quickly,
moving to the next available compression setting or resolution will lower the
data rate and make it easier for the card to maintain.
Maximum Frame Rates for URSA Broadcast G2
Ultra HD
Resolution 3840×2160 3840×2160 3840×2160 3840×2160 3840×2160 3840×2160 3840×2160 3840×2160 3840×2160 3840×2160 3840×2160 3840×2160 3840×2160 3840×2160
Codec Blackmagic RAW 3:1 Blackmagic RAW 5:1 Blackmagic RAW 8:1 Blackmagic RAW 12:1 Blackmagic RAW Q0 Blackmagic RAW Q1 Blackmagic RAW Q3 Blackmagic RAW Q5 ProRes HQ ProRes 422 H.265 SDI H.265 High H.265 Medium H.265 Low
Max Frame Rate 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60
Max Data Rate 254 MB/s 152 MB/s 96 MB/s 64 MB/s 48.7 – 96.8 MB/s 32.6 – 77.6 MB/s 21.9 – 55.6 MB/s 13.4 – 32.6 MB/s 220 MB/s 148 MB/s 24.6 MB/s 21.6 MB/s 15.6 MB/s 6.4 MB/s
Recording
35
Resolution 1920×1080 1920×1080 1920×1080 1920×1080 1920×1080 1920×1080 1920×1080 HD 1920×1080 1920×1080 1920×1080 1920×1080 1920×1080 1920×1080 1920×1080
Codec Blackmagic RAW 3:1 Blackmagic RAW 5:1 Blackmagic RAW 8:1 Blackmagic RAW 12:1 Blackmagic RAW Q0 Blackmagic RAW Q1 Blackmagic RAW Q3 Blackmagic RAW Q5 ProRes HQ ProRes 422 H.264 SDI H.264 High H.264 Medium H.264 Low
Max Frame Rate 150 150 150 150 150 150 150 150 120 120 60 60 60 60
Max Data Rate 161.4 MB/s 97.2 MB/s 61.1 MB/s 41 MB/s 121.2 – 241.6 MB/s 81.8 – 193.4 MB/s 54.4 – 138.4 MB/s 33 – 81.1 MB/s 110 MB/s 74 MB/s 14 MB/s 11.2 MB/s 6.4 MB/s 3.6 MB/s
It’s important to note that Blackmagic RAW Q0, Q1, Q3 and Q5 use variable bit
rate compression to achieve constant quality. Q0, Q1, Q3 and Q5 data rates
depend on the complexity of the image subject matter and can vary considerably
throughout a clip. To select your desired codec and resolution: 1 Press the
menu’ button on the control panel. 2 Navigate to the first page of the
record’ tab. 3 Tap your desired combination of codec, quality, and
resolution. 4 Press menu’ to exit. Recording Formats and Project Frame Rates After setting your codec and resolution, you should set your
project’ and
sensor’ frame rates. Refer to the
recording’ section in this manual for more
information about frame rates. The project frame rates available are: 23.98,
24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94, and 60 frames per second. When using Blackmagic
RAW and ProRes codecs up to ProRes 422 HQ, the maximum project frame rate is
60 frames per second at all resolutions.
Recording
36
Triggering Record on External Equipment
Your URSA Broadcast G2 automatically sends a signal via the SDI outputs that
will trigger recording when connected to equipment that supports the SDI
trigger record feature, such as Blackmagic Video Assist. This means when you
press record on your camera, your external SDI equipment will also start
recording, and will stop recording when you press record again.
You will also need to set your equipment to enable SDI trigger recording to
make sure it responds to the trigger signal from your URSA Broadcast G2. If
your SDI equipment supports SDI trigger recording, it can usually be enabled
using your SDI equipment’s settings menu.
You can trigger recording on other SDI video equipment, for example Blackmagic
Video Assist 12G HDR, using the trigger record feature on your camera
Record Duration Table
Tables are provided showing approximate record duration in minutes and seconds
compared to format, project frame rate and media size. The maximum recording
duration for your storage media depends on its capacity, the recording format
and the frame rate. For example, the storage rate for Apple ProRes 422 HQ at
3840 x 2160 is approximately 880 Mbps. At 24 frames per second, you can record
approximately 47 minutes of video on a 256GB CFast 2.0 or SD card. At the same
settings you can record approximately 23 minutes of video on a 128GB CFast 2.0
or SD card, which is approximately half the record duration of the 256GB card.
It should be noted that record duration on CFast 2.0 and SD cards can also
vary slightly between cards from different manufacturers. It can also vary
depending on whether the storage media is formatted as ExFat or Mac OS
Extended.
Simple scenes containing less detail tend to require less data than more dense
compositions. The values in these tables assume shots with a high complexity,
which means you may get slightly longer record times depending on the nature
of your shoot.
Recording
37
CFast Card
256GB
Frame Rate
23.98 24 25 30 50 60
ProRes 422 HQ Duration 189 mins 189 mins 182 mins 152 mins 91 mins 76 mins
HD
ProRes 422 Duration 283 mins 283 mins 271 mins 227 mins 137 mins 114 mins
H.264 SDI Duration 635 mins 635 mins 602 mins 496 mins 371 mins 331 mins
H.264 High Duration 782 mins 782 mins 748 mins 612 mins 462 mins 411 mins
H.264 Medium Duration 1395 mins 1395 mins 1339 mins 1118 mins 841 mins 716 mins
H.264 Low Duration 2456 mins 2456 mins 2321 mins 2079 mins 1852 mins 1520 mins
CFast Card
256GB
Frame Rate
23.98 24 25 30 50 60
ULTRA HD
Blackmagic Blackmagic Blackmagic Blackmagic
RAW 3:1
RAW 5:1
RAW 8:1
RAW 12:1
Duration
Duration
Duration
Duration
41 mins
68 mins
110 mins
164 mins
41 mins
68 mins
109 mins
164 mins
39 mins
66 mins
105 mins
157 mins
33 mins
55 mins
88 mins
131 mins
19 mins
33 mins
52 mins
79 mins
16 mins
27 mins
44 mins
66 mins
CFast Card
256GB
Frame Rate
23.98 24 25 30 50 60
ProRes 422 HQ Duration 47 mins 47 mins 45 mins 38 mins 22 mins 18 mins
ULTRA HD
ProRes 422 Duration 71 mins 71 mins 68 mins 57 mins 34 mins 28 mins
H.265 SDI Duration 353 mins 353 mins 339 mins 286 mins 242 mins 241 mins
H.265 High Duration 404 mins 404 mins 389 mins 325 mins 280 mins 277 mins
H.265 Medium Duration 571 mins 571 mins 550 mins 461 mins 389 mins 325 mins
H.265 Low Duration 1499 mins 1499 mins 1442 mins 1223 mins 960 mins 809 mins
Recording Motion Sensor Data
Your Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 Camera automatically records gyro data from
the internal motion sensor. DaVinci Resolve can then use this data to
stabilize clips. For more information refer to the `gyro stabilization’
section in this manual.
Recording
38
Playback
Playing Back Clips
Once you have recorded your video, you can use the transport control buttons
to play back your clips. Press the `play’ button once for instant playback and
you’ll see your recorded video on URSA Broadcast G2’s LCD touchscreen. Your
clips can also be viewed on any display connected to your URSA Broadcast G2’s
SDI outputs.
URSA Broadcast G2
TIPBlackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 has playback and transport controls buttons on
both the internal and ergonomic control panels.
NOTEBlackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 will play back clips sharing the same codec
family, frame rate and resolution. For example, if you want to play back HD
clips recorded using ProRes 422 HQ at 29.97 fps, make sure your camera is set
to the same frame rate and resolution, and a ProRes codec.
The controls of your camera work just like a CD player, so pressing the
forward skip’ button will skip to the start of the next clip. Press the
reverse skip’ button once to go to the start of the current clip or press
twice to skip back to the start of the previous clip. Hold the forward’ or
reverse skip’ button to play or reverse at 2x speed. Once shuttling forward
or backwards, press the fast forward’ or
reverse skip’ buttons twice for 4x,
three times for x8 and four times for x16. You can also use the forward and
reverse skip buttons to open or close the iris on compatible lenses while
recording clips. When recording a clip using a sensor frame rate that differs
from your project frame rate, your clip’s playback speed will also differ. For
example, imagine you have set your camera’s project frame rate to match your
post production timeline of 24 frames per second. If you record a clip with
your sensor frame rate set to 60 frames per second, your clips will play back
in slow motion on both the camera and on your post production timeline.
TIPRefer to the `recording’ section of this manual for more information about
frame rate.
Playback
39
URSA Broadcast G2 Connectors and Features
Industry standard BNC connectors are located on the right and rear panel of
your URSA Broadcast G2 for SDI connections. There is also a LANC input on the
right panel for the optional Blackmagic URSA Handgrip.
XLR inputs are on the top panel behind the mounting points for professional
balanced analog audio and AES digital audio. A 4 pin XLR connector is provided
on the rear panel for external power input, and an output is available on the
right side for powering accessories such as Blackmagic URSA Viewfinder.
The USB port above the storage media slots is for connecting to a computer
when updating your camera’s internal software.
NOTEYour camera has additional ergonomic controls that make it easy to quickly
access the camera’s essential settings and functions without opening the
foldout touchscreen.
Camera Front
1
2 3
4 5
URSA Broadcast G2 with B4 mount
1 Stereo Microphone Built in high quality stereo microphone. Refer to the
settings’ section for information on microphone audio settings. 2 Lens Mount URSA Broadcast G2 is supplied fitted with a B4 mount. However, it’s interchangeable with the included EF mount and compatible with URSA Mini Pro PL and F mounts. Refer to the
Interchangeable lens mount’ section for
more information.
3 Broadcast Lens Connector This 12 pin connector provides power and control to
compatible broadcast servo zoom lenses. Refer to the `using servo zoom lenses’
section in this manual for details on functionality available with these B4
and PL lenses.
URSA Broadcast G2 Connectors and Features
40
4 ND Filters Use this wheel to cycle through three built in neutral density
filters, as well as a clear setting. See the section URSA Broadcast G2 Controls’ for more information. 5 Auto White Balance The auto white balance button is marked
Auto W/B’ and is
used when you want to set the white balance based on what is currently in the
center of the screen. For example, setting auto white balance on a gray card
placed in front of the lens. See the section `URSA Broadcast G2 Controls’ for
more information.
Left Side
URSA Broadcast G2’s left side panel lets you insert CFast 2.0 cards, SDXC or
SDHC cards, access the control panel and change settings. The USB-C port is
located just above the CFast slots so you can easily plug into a computer when
updating your URSA Broadcast G2’s internal software.
Left Side Controls
The left side panel features additional controls for easy access to all of
your camera’s essential functions. These controls are split between the
forward control panel, the ergonomic control panel located on the outside of
the foldout touchscreen monitor, and a control panel on the inside of the
foldout monitor.
6
7
9 8
URSA Broadcast G2 with touchscreen closed
6 Power Switch Power switch for turning on the camera. There is also a backup
power switch inside the fold out monitor that allows the camera to be powered
on by pressing both the record and forward skip buttons at the same time.
7 ND Filters Your URSA Broadcast G2 has three internal neutral density filters
to adjust the amount of light reaching the sensor. Four settings are
available, ranging from clear to six stops of light reduction. Simply turn
this wheel to move through the available settings. The filter will click into
place for each setting. For more information see the section `URSA Broadcast
G2 Controls’ in this manual.
URSA Broadcast G2 Connectors and Features
41
8 Forward Control Panel The forward control panel provides quick access to all
of your URSA Broadcast G2’s essential functions. These controls are located
for easy access when shooting on a tripod or on the shoulder, and you can use
them to adjust settings such as ISO, shutter speed, iris, white balance, frame
rate, and more. See the section URSA Broadcast G2 Controls’ for more information. 9 Ergonomic Control Panel On the outside of your URSA Broadcast G2’s foldout touchscreen monitor, you’ll find an LCD status monitor and a variety of controls for fast, powerful monitoring control. Here you can see all of your camera’s status information at a glance, as well as controlling a variety of powerful monitoring functions. See the section
URSA Broadcast G2 Controls’
for more information.
10 Storage Media Selection Switch Use this switch to choose between CFast and
SD storage media.
11 USB Port USB-C port for updating internal software. See the section
Blackmagic Camera Setup Utility’ for more information. 10 11 12 13 URSA Broadcast G2 with touchscreen open 12 Internal Control Panel When your URSA Broadcast G2’s foldout monitor is open, you have access to the internal control panel. Use the controls here to set your audio inputs as well as phantom power settings. You can also access iris, focus, menu and playback controls and more. See the section
URSA
Broadcast G2 Controls’ for more information.
13 Memory Card Slots Insert CFast 2.0 cards, SDXC or SDHC cards for record and
playback. Please note that you should check the list of certified cards on our
website. See the section `storage media’ for more information.
URSA Broadcast G2 Connectors and Features
42
Right Side
URSA Broadcast G2’s right side panel gives you access to all the video, audio
and power connectors plus the side handle rosette mount. 14 Side Rosette Mount
Standard rosette mount for the side handle. Refer to the Getting Started’ and
Blackmagic URSA Mini Shoulder Kit’ sections.
14 15
16
17
18
URSA Broadcast G2 has a rosette mount built into the right side if you need to
attach an optional URSA Mini side handle
15 HD Monitoring Output 3G-SDI connector for down converted 1080HD output. Use
with Blackmagic URSA Viewfinder or external monitors. Refer to the camera video output’ and
Blackmagic URSA Viewfinder’ sections for more information.
16 +12V Power Output 4 pin XLR connector for powering Blackmagic URSA
Viewfinder, Blackmagic URSA Studio Viewfinder or external monitors and
accessories. Refer to the Blackmagic URSA Viewfinder’ and
Blackmagic URSA
Studio Viewfinder’ sections for more information. This output combined with
the Broadcast Lens Connector supplies 12 Volts at up to 2 Amps in total.
17 LANC Input Dedicated 2.5mm TRS LANC connector for Blackmagic URSA Handgrip.
18 Broadcast Lens Control Connector Provides power and control to compatible
PL and B4 mount lenses with 12 pin connections. This output combined with the
+12V Power Output supplies 12 Volts at up to 2 Amps in total.
URSA Broadcast G2 Connectors and Features
43
Rear Panel
19 Battery Mount Plate Your Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 comes fitted with
Blackmagic URSA VLock Battery Plate for attaching VLock batteries to your
camera. URSA VLock Battery Plate features a D-Tap port for powering
accessories. The D-tap port can output a regulated 12 Volts at up to 1.5 Amps.
URSA VLock Battery Plate can be replaced with an optional Blackmagic URSA Gold
Battery Plate or a third party battery plate. The battery plate can be removed
to access a recessed Molex connector and to attach optional accessories such
as Blackmagic Camera Fiber Converter or Blackmagic URSA Mini Recorder onto the
back of the camera. If your connected accessory has a D-tap power output then
the Molex connector will supply a pass through output of 12 Volts at up to 1.5
Amps. For more information, refer to the chapter for Mounting Batteries’,
Getting Started with Blackmagic Fiber Converters’ and `URSA Mini Recorder’.
20
21
22
19
23
24
25
20 Headphone/Headset The 3.5mm jack output is used for headphone monitoring
and talkback. You can plug in iPhone and Android compatible headsets that have
a built in microphone for quick and easy talkback. Talkback audio is embedded
in channels 15 and 16 of the SDI output.
TIPWhen using URSA Broadcast G2’s 3.5mm jack for talkback, a very affordable
option is using an iPhone or Android compatible headset. These typically
feature an inline button that can be used to mute and unmute their microphone.
If you would like to use a broadcast headset without this inline switch you
can configure your URSA Broadcast G2’s function buttons to offer the same
functionality. See the `setup settings’ section of this manual for more
information.
21 12G-SDI Out Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2’s 12G-SDI output is used to send
HD and Ultra HD video to SDI equipment such as routers, monitors, SDI capture
devices, and broadcast switchers. You can also connect the 12G-SDI output to
an external recorder such as the Blackmagic Video Assist for backup recording.
URSA Broadcast G2 Connectors and Features
44
22 12G-SDI In The 12G-SDI input is used for connecting to a switcher or
external recorder. This means if you’re using URSA Broadcast G2 in a live
broadcast, you can plug in the switcher’s program output and monitor it during
the shoot, or check playback from an external recorder. Press and hold the
program button to see your program feed.
For more information, refer to the Ergonomic Control Panel’ section in this manual. You can also use an ATEM switcher’s
camera control’ feature to remotely
adjust many URSA Broadcast G2 functions. See the section Understanding Studio Camera Control’ for more information. Blackmagic 3G-SDI Shield for Arduino can also be used to provide custom control of the camera over SDI. To receive tally and talkback via the SDI input, make sure you have set your ATEM Camera ID in the camera’s setup menu. If you want to use the SDI input to receive an external reference signal, you will need to select
program’ as
your reference source in the setup settings. REF’ will appear next to the timecode display on your camera’s LCD screen when the external reference is locked. Refer to the
setup settings’ in the manual for more information.
On URSA Broadcast G2 the SDI Input can be used for feeding external timecode
to the camera as well. This will lock to the incoming timecode automatically
if the frame rate of the incoming SDI signal matches and has valid timecode.
The EXT’ logo will appear on URSA Broadcast G2’s LCD when external timecode is locked. If you unplug the cable timecode will remain jammed and the logo will switch to
INT’ to let you know it is now running from URSA Broadcast
G2’s internal timecode clock.
23 Reference and Timecode In This input automatically recognizes and switches
between timecode and reference input signals. Synchronize Blackmagic URSA
Broadcast G2 to a common reference signal, such as tri-level sync, by
connecting to the reference’ BNC input marked
REF In’. It’s worth noting
that to use a reference signal through this input, you must set your reference
source to external’ in your URSA Broadcast G2’s setup menu. Alternatively you can use this connector to match an external timecode source to sync up multiple cameras, or audio and picture when shooting dual-system. This ensures audio and picture, or video from multiple cameras, can be easily synchronized during post production. When external timecode with a matching frame rate is plugged into this connector the camera will lock to the incoming timecode automatically. The
EXT’ logo will appear on URSA Broadcast G2’s LCD
when external timecode is locked. If you unplug the cable, timecode will
remain jammed and the logo will switch to INT’ to let you know it is now running from URSA Broadcast G2’s internal timecode clock. You can also set your camera to use the reference signal from an ATEM switcher via the Program SDI Input. This is helpful when working with ATEM switchers because all cameras can receive program return, camera control and be referenced together using a single SDI signal. See the
setup settings’
section in this manual for more information.
24 12V+ Power Input Use the 4 pin 12-18 Volt DC XLR connector to plug in power
from external sources such as the supplied power adapter, or portable
batteries.
25 USB Port USB-C 3.2 Gen 2×1 port for recording to an external flash disk or
to an SSD using Blackmagic URSA Mini Recorder. Also used for connecting
Blackmagic Zoom and Focus Demand to your camera for focus and zoom control
with compatible lenses.
The threaded connector under the USB-C port works with the locking USB cable
supplied with URSA Mini Recorder to maintain a secure connection during use.
For more information refer to the `URSA Mini Recorder’ section in this manual.
URSA Broadcast G2 Connectors and Features
45
Top Panel
26
27
External analog audio can be plugged into the balanced XLR connectors on the
top panel
26 1/4 Inch Mounting Points Your camera’s top panel contains 4 strong mounting
points for attaching the top handle and accessories.
27 XLR Audio In Use the balanced XLR inputs to plug in external analog audio
from professional equipment such as audio mixers, PA systems or external
microphones. The XLR connectors supply 48V phantom power so you can use
microphones that aren’t self powered. Refer to the `URSA Broadcast G2
controls/internal control panel’ section for more information on phantom
power.
Underside
28 1/4 Inch Mounting Points The 5 mounting points on the underside are used
for attaching tripod heads, the URSA Mini Shoulder Kit and other accessories.
28
URSA Broadcast G2 Connectors and Features
46
URSA Broadcast G2 Controls
Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 has control panels on the chassis, outside and
inside of the foldout touchscreen monitor to give you quick, easy access to
all of its essential functions as well as powerful monitoring tools. These
panels are designed to be close to hand whether shooting from a tripod,
handheld or with the URSA Mini Shoulder Kit.
Forward Control Panel
Your camera’s forward control panel groups together all of the controls you
might need to adjust when setting up a shot and recording. These are all
designed for easy access while shooting with the foldout monitor closed, such
as when using the shoulder kit.
1
2 3
4
5
6
7 8
9
URSA Broadcast G2 forward control panel
1 Power Switch Power your URSA Broadcast G2 by moving this switch to the on’ position. Power off by moving the switch to the
off’ position.
TIPYou can also power your URSA Broadcast G2 on or off via a combination of
control panel switches. Holding the rec’ and
forward skip’ buttons will
power up the camera if it is turned off, or power it off if it is turned on.
If your camera’s power switch is set to `on’ but your camera is powered down,
it may have been powered down via the control panel. Toggle the power switch
to return it to normal operation.
2 ND Filters Your URSA Broadcast G2 has three internal neutral density
filters. Together with a clear filter, the available settings are 1/4, 1/16th
and 1/64th. These filters allow you to reduce the amount of light reaching
your URSA Broadcast G2’s sensor by a preset fraction.
URSA Broadcast G2 Controls
47
By reducing the exposure, you can continue shooting at wide apertures in
bright conditions such as outdoors on sunny days.
To adjust your neutral density setting, rotate the wheel upwards or downwards.
The `clear’ setting means there is no ND filter being used. From settings 1/4
to 1/64th, the ND filters gradually increase in density so you can decrease
light if you need to.
Because different people prefer to use different terms for each ND filter, the
measurement of your ND settings can be customized in the LCD menu. You can
identify the ND filter number, amount of stops in light reduction, or the
fraction representing the amount of light reduced for the filters to suit your
preference.
Neutral Density Filter Settings
Wheel position 1 2 3 4
ND number clear 0.6 1.2 1.8
Stops 0 2 4 6
Fraction 1 1/4
1/16 1/64
3 Settings Wheel Set this wheel’s function by adjusting the adjacent three
position switch next to the wheel. The options are headphone,’
monitor’ and
iris’. Headphone When set to
headphone’, the settings wheel will adjust headphone
audio levels. Rotate the wheel upwards to increase volume, and downwards to
decrease.
Monitor When set to monitor’, the settings wheel adjusts audio levels on your camera’s built in monitor speaker. The speaker is located on the outside of the LCD monitor door and can be used to monitor audio without headphones. Rotate the wheel upwards to increase volume, and downwards to decrease. This function is disabled while recording from the camera’s internal microphone to prevent unwanted feedback. Iris When set to
iris’, the settings wheel is used to adjust the aperture of
compatible lenses mounted to your URSA Broadcast G2. Rotating the wheel
downwards opens the iris, and turning the wheel upwards closes the iris. These
directions mimic the operation of aperture on adjustable still and cinema
lenses.
TIPTo change aperture settings via the settings wheel, URSA Broadcast G2 must
be fitted with a lens that supports changing aperture via the camera. If you
are using a B4 or PL lens connected via the broadcast 12 pin connector, make
sure that the lens iris switch on the handgrip is set to A’ or
auto’.
4 Menu Wheel and Back Button When `status text’ is turned on for your camera’s
front SDI output, you can use the menu wheel to navigate many of the head up
display features usually accessed via the LCD touchscreen.
URSA Broadcast G2 Controls
48
Simply press the menu wheel as you would a button to access your URSA
Broadcast G2’s head up display on an external monitor such as Blackmagic
SmartView, Video Assist or URSA Viewfinder. While the menu wheel is active,
turn the wheel to select features such as LCD monitor options, frame rate,
ISO, white balance and tint. Press the wheel to confirm selections and make
additional changes, and use the back’ button next to the wheel to cancel. You can also use the back button to move up a menu level, or exit the menu completely if you’re at the top level. The menu will automatically close after one minute of inactivity. For more information on setting status text and the controls available, see the
touchscreen controls’ and monitor settings’ sections of this manual. 5 Lock Toggle this switch to lock all of the controls on the forward control panel to prevent them from being accidentally adjusted while shooting. Move this switch to the lower position to lock, and the upper position to unlock. TIPWhen shooting in busy or uncontrolled environments, you can lock your URSA Broadcast G2’s forward control panel when you leave your camera unattended. This ensures that your settings are not changed unintentionally by others. 6 ISO, Shutter and White Balance Switches These small switches are used to adjust your ISO/Gain, white balance, and shutter settings. They are helpful when you want to make fast adjustments without taking your eyes off the shot. Gently push the switches up or down to make setting adjustments. The switches are spring loaded so they always return to a neutral position. ISO/Gain Push this switch up or down to adjust your camera’s gain setting. Pushing up will increase the setting by 1/3 stop, and pushing down will decrease by 1/3 stop. The available settings range from -12 to 36dB. Shutter Use this switch to adjust the camera’s shutter speed. Pushing up will increase the shutter speed to the next available preset, and pushing down will decrease to the next available preset. Holding the switch up or down will move more quickly through available values. There are twelve shutter speed presets between 1/24 and 1/2000. TIPYour URSA Broadcast G2 can also suggest flicker free shutter speeds based on the power frequency in your region. These must be selected through the LCD touchscreen menu. For more information see the
touchscreen controls’ section
in this manual.
White Balance This switch is used to adjust the camera’s white balance.
Pushing up will increase the color temperature by 50K, and pushing down will
decrease it by 50K. Holding the switch up or down will move more quickly
through available values.
7 Auto White Balance Pressing this button will reveal a white auto white balance’ box in the center of the LCD for five seconds. This box will also appear on any SDI output that has
status text’ enabled in the menu settings.
The white box indicates the specific area of your image where the white
URSA Broadcast G2 Controls
49
balance will be calculated from, so your gray card should be positioned within
this box. Pressing and holding the Auto W/B’ button for three seconds will perform an
auto white balance’, and the square will change from white to
green to confirm that this has been performed successfully.
For more information on enabling status text for your URSA Broadcast G2’s
front or main SDI outputs, see the monitor settings’ section in this manual. 8 F1 and F2 The F1 and F2 keys are
function’ keys that can be programmed to a
variety of commonly used functions using your URSA Broadcast G2’s setup’ menu. By default, F1 is set to toggle
focus zoom’ on the LCD and front SDI
output, while F2 is set to toggle false color’ on the LCD. For more information, see the
touchscreen controls’ section of this manual.
HFR Use the HFR or high frame rate button to toggle off speed frame rates. To
use this button, simply set the off speed frame rate you’d like to use in your
URSA Broadcast G2’s frame rate’ menu. Pressing this button will toggle between your chosen off speed frame rate and project frame rate. It’s worth mentioning that this setting can only be adjusted when the recording is stopped. The HFR button can also operate as a function button that you can program to a variety of commonly used functions, or can be disabled. For more information on project and off speed frame rates, see the
touchscreen controls’ section in this manual.
9 Record The record’ button is marked REC on your Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2’s left side. Press the record button to start and stop recording. Refer to the
recording’ section for more information.
Ergonomic Control Panel
On the outside of your URSA Broadcast G2’s touchscreen monitor, you’ll find an
LCD status monitor and a variety of monitoring controls. This panel lets you
see all of your camera’s status information at a glance, as well as monitoring
and adjusting audio levels. Automatic focus can be set using compatible lenses
and the transport controls let you playback clips.
10
11
12
13
14 16
15
URSA Broadcast G2 ergonomic control panel
URSA Broadcast G2 Controls
50
10 Monitor Speaker The small speaker built into the outside control panel lets
you monitor audio when in playback. It is located where your ear would
normally be when shooting with the camera on your shoulder.
To adjust the volume of the speaker, simply rotate the settings wheel as
described in the URSA Broadcast G2 Controls’ section. 11 Monitor Channel Select Your URSA Broadcast G2 supports two channels of audio. 12 Lock Use this switch to lock all of the settings on your URSA Broadcast G2’s ergonomic control panel. The only controls that will remain active while the lock switch is
on’ are the monitor channel select switches.
13 Status LCD This display shows you your URSA Broadcast G2’s essential
settings at a glance, without needing to open the internal touchscreen. This
screen is designed to be visible even in bright daylight. The following
information is available:
Timecodes
Battery indicator
FPS, Shutter Angle, White Balance
Record Low record indicator time remaining
Dropped frame indicator
ISO/Gain
Iris
Card indicator Audio meters
Timecodes
Your URSA Broadcast G2 displays three timecodes. If you have an external
timecode connected, this will be shown under the ext’ indicator in the top left of the status LCD. Your camera’s internally generated timecode is shown next to this under the
gen’ indicator. Both the external and generated
timecodes are shown in hours, minutes, seconds and frames.
The larger, main timecode indicator displays your current timecode as either clip duration or timecode. You can switch between these two display modes by pressing the `timecode’ button underneath the status LCD.
Battery indicator If your URSA Broadcast G2 is running on battery power, this indicator displays remaining battery life in 25% increments. Each of the battery indicator’s four bars corresponds to 25%
URSA Broadcast G2 Controls
51
battery life remaining. When your battery drops below 20% charge, the color of
the status LED, near the record button begins to flash. It will alternate
slowly between red and orange during recording and alternate between white and
orange during standby mode.
If the mains power connector is plugged into your camera, the battery
indicator shows as full.
FPS, Shutter Angle, White Balance The FPS,’
SA,’ and WB’ indicators display your camera’s current frame rate, shutter angle and white balance. The
fps’
indicator shows the current sensor frame rate.
For more information on sensor and project frame rates, see the touchscreen controls’ section in this manual. ISO/Gain Displays your camera’s currently set gain. Iris Displays your current lens aperture. Depending on your lens type, this will be displayed as an
f’ or T’ stop. Card Information The
card 1′ and card 2′ indicators will appear on your URSA Broadcast G2’s status LCD when these slots are occupied. The
SD’ indicator appears if you are recording on SD cards, and disappears if
you are recording on CFast cards.
Record Indicator While recording, a circular indicator will appear under the
card or cards being currently written to.
Low Time Remaining A low’ indicator will appear under the relevant card when you have approximately 5 minutes of record time remaining. Audio Meters The peak audio meters display audio levels when using the internal microphone, or via external audio when connected. The display is calibrated to dBFS units and features peak hold indicators which stay visible for a short time so you can clearly see the maximum levels reached. To achieve optimum audio quality, ensure your audio levels do not reach 0 dBFS. This is the maximum level that your camera can record, meaning that any audio that exceeds this level will be clipped, resulting in distortion. Dropped Frame Indicator This indicator will flash when your camera detects dropped frames. Once you stop recording, the indicator will remain on the screen to let you know that the previous clip detected dropped frames. This warning disappears the next time you start recording, or if you power cycle the camera. For more information on avoiding dropped frames, see the
storage
media’ section in this manual.
NOTEYou can set your URSA Broadcast G2 to stop recording if dropped frames are
detected. See the record settings’ section in this manual for more information. This feature is user selectable as you may be able to get away with brief periods of
burst’ recording at higher frame rates or resolutions
when shooting to slower media.
URSA Broadcast G2 Controls
52
14 Status LCD Controls
URSA Broadcast G2 status LCD controls
Still Press this button to capture a still image as a single uncompressed DNG
frame. Image files will be saved to the stills’ folder in the root directory of the media you are currently recording to. These will follow the file naming convention for video clips but the filename will have an
S001′ representing
the still number’ as the last four digits of the filename. To confirm you have successfully saved a still, an image of a camera will show in the top right corner of the URSA Broadcast G2 touchscreen, and the record indicator on the status LCD will flash three times. Hold Use this button to temporarily hold the main status LCD timecode when the timecode is in free running time of day code. The timecode will continue to run in the background and return to its actual position when you release the
hold’ button. While holding you can take note of the timecode for a
particular event. This can be useful in electronic news gathering or
documentary situations for noting key timecode points.
Reset The reset button allows you to reset the timecode to 00:00:00:00 when
you are setting your preset timecode.
Timecode Press the timecode’ button to toggle the main timecode display’s format between clip duration and timecode. By default the timecode will be free running time of day code as this is the most frequently used. If you press and hold the
timecode’ button for five seconds it will switch the
camera into record run timecode and the timecode generator will flash as well
as the first two digits of the large timecode display. This indicates that you
are now editing your preset timecode and allows you to set a specific timecode
number for your preset timecode.
Pressing reset’ at this stage will zero the timecode and then you can turn and press the menu wheel to set the desired value starting with hours, minutes, seconds and then frames. When you are happy with the timecode, press and hold the
timecode’ button again for three seconds to set this as your
preset timecode point. You will notice that the timecode generator now shows
this value and will only increment when the camera is recording giving you
continuous ascending timecode values. To switch your timecode back to free
running time of day code, press the timecode’ and
hold’ buttons
simultaneously for three seconds.
Bright Press the bright’ button to cycle through four brightness settings for your URSA Broadcast G2’s LCD status display. The settings are
off,’ low,’
medium’ and `high.’
URSA Broadcast G2 Controls
53
15 Control and Playback Buttons
URSA Broadcast G2 control and playback buttons
Iris The iris’ button activates the automatic aperture setting on compatible lenses. When using video dynamic range settings, a single press of the iris button will set an average exposure based on the highlights or shadows in your shot. When using film dynamic range settings, pressing the iris button sets your exposure to the brightest highlight in your shot. This button works with compatible EF lenses and PL lenses connected with a compatible broadcast lens controller. To set your aperture manually, press the forward and reverse skip transport buttons. Focus When using a B4 or EF lens that supports electronic focus adjustments, press the
focus’ button to activate auto focus. A white focus square will
appear on any viewfinder or monitor connected to your URSA Broadcast G2.
Anything within the square will be correctly focused. When the lens is
focused, the square will disappear.
NOTETo use the focus’ button, your B4 lens must have servo focus control, with the servo activated. See the
getting started’ section for more
information. Some EF lenses have both manual and auto focus modes. If using
the optional EF lens mount, in order for URSA Broadcast G2 to be able to auto
focus with your lens, you need to ensure that your lens is set to auto focus
mode.
Program The program button is marked PGM and lets you switch the LCD and front
SDI output between the camera view and any signal plugged into the 12G-SDI
input on the rear panel. This means if you’re using the camera in a live
broadcast, you can plug in the switcher’s program output and monitor it during
the shoot. Press and hold the program button to see your program feed. The
program feed will continue to display whilst the program button is being held.
If you want to lock the LCD and front SDI output to display the program input
feed, then double press the program button to lock to the program feed.
Pressing the program button again will exit the program feed and return to the
camera view.
Playback Control Buttons The playback buttons let you start and stop playback,
plus skip to the next or previous clip. When using an EF lens, the forward and
reverse skip buttons can also be used to open or close the iris when using
compatible lenses. Refer to the `playback’ section for more information on how
to use the playback buttons.
URSA Broadcast G2 Controls
54
16 Audio Level Adjustment Knobs
URSA Broadcast G2 audio adjustment knobs
Use the built in adjustment knobs to set the recording levels for audio
channels 1 and 2. Turn each knob clockwise or counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the recording level for each channel of audio. Monitor the
corresponding on screen audio meters as you adjust each knob so you can see
the best level to set it to.
Internal Control Panel
With your URSA Broadcast G2’s foldout monitor open, you can access the
internal control panel. Use the controls here to set your audio inputs as well
as phantom power settings, iris, focus, menu and playback controls and more.
17
18
19
URSA Broadcast G2 internal control panel
17 XLR1/XLR2 Use these switches to set how your URSA Broadcast G2’s XLR inputs
behave when selected as an input source. The options available are mic audio,
line level audio and AES digital audio.
18 Phantom Power The camera’s XLR inputs can provide 48V phantom power so you
can use microphones that aren’t self powered. Move this switch to 48V’ to enable phantom power for any microphone connected to the XLR above, or
off’
to disable phantom power.
It is standard practice to plug in your XLR cable before switching phantom
power on. It is also important to switch phantom power to off’ when you no longer have a phantom powered microphone connected. Connecting devices that don’t have phantom power protection built into their AES XLR outputs whilst still sending phantom power from the camera’s XLR audio inputs may damage your equipment. Always ensure that the +48V switch is turned
off’ when you
disconnect your microphone.
URSA Broadcast G2 Controls
55
19 Control and Playback Buttons Focus When using a B4 or EF lens that supports
electronic focus adjustments, press the focus’ button to activate auto focus. A white focus square will appear on the fold out monitor. Anything within the square will be correctly focused. When the lens is focused, the square will disappear. To use the
focus’ button, your B4 lens must have servo focus control, with
the servo activated. See the getting started’ section for more information. Some EF lenses also have both manual and auto focus modes. In order for URSA Broadcast G2 to be able to auto focus with your lens, you need to ensure that your lens is set to auto focus mode. Peak Press the
Peak’ button to activate focus peaking. Your camera has two
focus peaking modes, traditional focus peaking, which artificially sharpens
areas of the image that are in focus, and colored lines’ with overlays the sharp areas of your image with black, white, red, green or blue colored lines. See the
monitor settings’ section of this manual for more information.
TIPIf you are recording your video output to a Blackmagic Video Assist or
HyperDeck Studio HD Mini, you may want to ensure that you don’t have peaking
switched on for that output. This can be done by using our clean feed’ feature on your front SDI or main SDI. For more information on outputting a
clean feed’ see the monitor settings’ section in this manual. Program The program button is marked PGM and lets you switch the LCD and front SDI output between the camera view and any signal plugged into the camera’s 12G-SDI input on the rear panel. This means if you’re using your camera in a live broadcast, you can plug in the switcher’s program output and monitor it during the shoot. Press and hold the program button to see your program feed. Double press the button to lock the program feed on. Press again to turn the program feed off. To display a switcher’s program output, your camera and switcher must be set to the same resolution and frame rate. Menu Press the
menu’ button to open the dashboard. Refer to the settings’ section for more information about the dashboard feature and how to adjust settings. Record Press any of the record buttons marked REC to start and stop recording. Refer to the
recording’ section for more information.
Playback Control Buttons The playback buttons let you start and stop playback,
plus skip to the next or previous clip. When using the EF mount, the forward
and reverse skip buttons can also be used to open or close the iris when using
compatible lenses. Refer to the `playback’ section for more information on how
to use the playback buttons.
URSA Broadcast G2 Controls
56
NOTEYou can power your URSA Broadcast G2 on or off via a combination of
internal control panel buttons. Holding the rec’ and
forward skip’ buttons
will power up the camera if it is turned off, or power it off if it is turned
on. If your camera’s power switch is set to on’ but your camera is powered down, it may have been powered down via the control panel. Toggle the power switch to return it to normal operation. Camera Video Outputs HD Monitoring Output Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2’s down converted 3G-SDI out connector always outputs 1080 HD video so you can easily connect to routers, monitors, SDI capture devices, broadcast switchers and other SDI devices. This output is labeled
front SDI’ in the touchscreen settings menu.
12G-SDI Output
The 12G-SDI out connector on the rear panel supports HD and Ultra HD video
including high frame rate progressive formats such as 2160p50, 59.94 and 60 on
a single SDI cable. Interlaced HD formats are also supported including
1080i50, 59.94 and 60. You can use the 12G-SDI output to connect to any SDI
monitor as well as Ultra HD switchers such as ATEM Production Studio 4K. This
output can be switched between HD and Ultra HD by selecting 1080p or 2160p in
the SDI output’ setting for the
main SDI’ on the monitor’ tab on the touchscreen. For more information please refer to the
monitor settings’
section later in this manual. Connecting to Video Switchers The SDI outputs
allow you to use your camera for live television production. You can connect
the rear panel SDI output directly to production switchers for live production
work, or to ATEM Camera Converters to convert your signal to optical so you
can send it hundreds of meters to a broadcast truck on location. When
connected to a switcher, you can easily view the switcher’s program output on
your Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2. To do this, first connect the switcher to
your camera’s rear 12G-SDI input. Now press the `program’ button marked PGM on
your camera’s fold out monitor. To switch back to the camera image, simply
press the PGM button again.
Camera Video Outputs
57
You can connect the 12G-SDI output to any 1080 HD or Ultra HD live production
switcher or monitor. The HD monitoring output can be plugged into an external
viewfinder, such as the Blackmagic URSA Viewfinder, or plugged into an
external monitor when mounted to production equipment. For example a jib arm
or crane
Connecting to Monitors SDI monitoring can be really helpful when accessing the
fold out monitor is impractical, such as when secured high on a jib arm, on a
crane, or mounted on a vehicle.
Monitoring information is displayed via your HD-SDI monitoring out connector
by adjusting the settings for the front SDI’ on the
monitor’ tab on the
touchscreen. These settings enable frame guides and information such as
recording details and camera settings. If you simply want to monitor your
shots, you can always turn overlays off for a clean SDI output.
Connect the camera’s SDI output to SDI monitors or to a Blackmagic SmartScope
Duo 4K for live waveform monitoring.
NOTEThe rear SDI output and 3G-SDI monitoring output automatically flag HDR video with ancillary metadata when you are working in `Film’ dynamic range and use the Gen 5 Film to Rec 2020 Hybrid Log Gamma or Gen 5 Film to Rec 2020 PQ Gamma LUT on the SDI output. This means you can display stunning HDR images on HDR enabled screens from either SDI output.
SDI Output Formats Rear SDI Output
3G-SDI Monitoring Output
2160p23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94, 60. 1080p23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30,
50, 59.94, 60. 1080i50, 59.94, 60.
1080p23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94, 60. 1080i50, 59.94, 60.
Camera Video Outputs
58
TIPTo make a live recording with two codecs at once or a simultaneous backup,
you can feed the rear SDI out from URSA Broadcast G2 to a Blackmagic Video
Assist or HyperDeck.
Touchscreen Controls
Touchscreen
Your Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2’s fold out LCD touchscreen pivots for
shooting high and low angles. Buttons on the outside of the LCD panel let you
control your URSA Broadcast G2 when mounted on your shoulder using the URSA
Viewfinder and the LCD closed.
Touchscreen Features
The LCD touchscreen features a touch and gesture based interface that is
specifically designed for fast and intuitive user operation. By touching and
swiping on different areas of URSA Broadcast G2’s LCD touchscreen, you can
quickly access the camera’s functions while shooting. The touchscreen display
features upper and lower toolbars. The upper toolbar provides access to
commonly used settings such as shutter speed, iris and gain controls. The
lower toolbar includes storage indicators, audio meters, transport controls
and a histogram.
Your URSA Broadcast G2’s LCD touchscreen has a comprehensive head up display
and gives you easy access to your camera’s most used settings
Upper Toolbar
LCD Monitor Options
Tap the `monitor’ icon at the top left of your URSA Broadcast G2’s LCD
touchscreen to access the LCD monitor settings. These settings let you toggle
and adjust the appearance of your URSA Broadcast G2’s monitoring features,
including zebra, focus assist, frame guide, and grids. When accessing LCD
monitor options, the controls for these features appear in a tabbed menu along
the bottom edge of the LCD touchscreen.
Touchscreen Controls
59
Tap the icon at the top left of your URSA Broadcast G2’s LCD touchscreen to
access LCD monitor options
Zebra The `zebra’ setting toggles the appearance of zebra on the LCD
touchscreen, as well as setting the zebra level for all URSA Broadcast G2’s
outputs.
Zebra displays diagonal lines over areas of your image that exceed a set
exposure level. For example, setting zebra to 100% shows which areas are
completely overexposed. This is useful for achieving optimum exposure in fixed
lighting conditions.
Tap the zebra’ icon while accessing
LCD monitor options’ to access your URSA
Broadcast G2’s zebra settings
To toggle zebra for the LCD touchscreen, tap the switch icon in the bottom
left of the screen while in the zebra’ tab. Set the exposure level that zebra appears at by dragging the slider left and right, or tapping the arrow buttons next to the zebra level indicator. There are eight zebra presets available including middle gray and middle gray plus one stop, then in five percent increments from 75 to 100 percent exposure. For information on enabling zebra on your camera’s front and main SDI outputs, see the
monitor settings’
section in this manual.
TIPIf you’re shooting in variable light such as outdoors on a partly overcast
day, setting your zebra level lower than 100 can warn you of potential
overexposure.
Focus Assist The `focus assist’ setting toggles the appearance of focus assist
on the LCD touchscreen, as well as setting the level of focus assistance for
all outputs on your URSA Broadcast G2.
Tap the focus assist’ icon while accessing
LCD monitor options’ to access
your URSA Broadcast G2’s focus assist settings
To toggle focus assistance for the LCD touchscreen, tap the switch icon in the
bottom left of the screen while in the `focus assist’ tab.
To set the level of focus assistance for all outputs on your URSA Broadcast
G2, drag the slider left and right along the bottom of your touchscreen, or
tap the arrow buttons next to the focus assist level.
Touchscreen Controls
60
The optimum level of focus assistance varies shot by shot. When focusing on
actors, for example, a higher level of focus assistance can help resolve edge
detail in faces. A shot of foliage or brickwork, on the other hand, may show
distracting amounts of focus information at higher settings. For information
on enabling focus assist on your camera’s front and main SDI outputs, see the
monitor settings’ section in this manual. TIPYour URSA Broadcast G2 has two focus assist modes. You can switch between
peaking’ and colored lines’ focus assistance in the
monitor’ settings menu.
For more information, see the monitor settings’ section and the
focus
assist’ section.
Frame Guides The frame guide’ setting toggles the appearance of frame guides on the LCD touchscreen. You can also choose from frame guide options for all outputs on your URSA Broadcast G2. Frame guides include aspect ratios for various cinema, television and online standards. Tap the
frame guides’ icon while accessing `LCD monitor options’ to access
your URSA Broadcast G2’s frame guide settings
To toggle the appearance of frame guides on your URSA Broadcast G2’s LCD
touchscreen, tap the switch icon in the bottom left of the screen. Choose the
frame guide you want to use by dragging the slider left and right, or tapping
the arrow buttons on either side of the currently selected aspect ratio. The
available guides are:
2.35:1, 2.39:1 and 2.4:1 Displays the broad widescreen aspect ratio compatible
with anamorphic or flat widescreen cinema presentation. The three widescreen
settings differ slightly based on the changing cinema standards over time.
2.39:1 is one of the most prominent cinema widescreen standards in use today.
2:1 Displays a ratio slightly wider than 16:9 but not as wide as 2.35:1.
1.85:1 Displays another common flat widescreen cinema aspect ratio. This ratio
is slightly wider than HDTV 1.78:1 but not as wide as 2.39:1.
16:9 Displays a 1.78:1 aspect ratio compatible with 16:9 HD television and
computer screens. This ratio is most commonly used for HD broadcasting and
online videos. The same aspect ratio has also been adopted for Ultra HD
broadcasting.
Touchscreen Controls
61
14:9
Displays a 14:9 aspect ratio used by some television broadcasters as a
compromise between 16:9 and 4:3 television sets. Ideally, both 16:9 and 4:3
footage remains legible when center cropped to fit 14:9. You can use this as a
compositional guide if you know your project may be broadcast by a television
station that uses 14:9 cropping.
URSA Broadcast G2 LCD touchscreen with 14:9 frame guides enabled
4:3 Displays the 4:3 aspect ratio compatible with SD television screens, or to
help with framing when using 2x anamorphic adapters.
1:1 Displays a 1:1 ratio slightly narrower than 4:3. This square ratio is
growing in popularity on social media.
4:5 Displays a 4:5 aspect ratio. This vertical aspect ratio is ideal for
portraits and viewing on smartphones.
Custom Frame Guide Ratio To create your own frame guide ratio for a unique
appearance, tap on the ratio displayed between the arrow buttons. On the
custom frameguide’ screen tap the backspace button to delete the current ratio, then use the numeric keypad to specify a new ratio. Tap
update’ to
apply your custom frame guide ratio and return to shooting.
Use the numeric keypad on the `custom frame guide’ screen to enter a new frame guide ratio
Touchscreen Controls
62
TIPYou can change the opacity of frame guide overlays. For more information
see the monitor settings’ section of this manual. NOTEFor information on enabling frame guides on your camera’s front and main SDI outputs, see the
monitor settings’ section in this manual.
Grids The grids’ setting toggles the appearance of a rule of thirds grid, crosshair or center dot on the LCD touchscreen, as well as setting the overlay that will be visible on all URSA Broadcast G2’s outputs. Tap the
grids’ icon while accessing LCD monitor options’ to access your URSA Broadcast G2’s grid settings Grids and crosshairs are overlays that can help with image composition. When
grids’ are enabled, your URSA Broadcast G2 can show a rule of thirds grid,
crosshairs, or center dot. To toggle the appearance of grids on your URSA
Broadcast G2 touchscreen, tap the switch icon in the bottom left of the screen
while in the frame guides’ tab. When your URSA Broadcast G2 is set up and connected to an ATEM switcher as the current program source, and
grids’ are
set to on’, the red
program’ tally outline will automatically illuminate on
the LCD.
When connected to an ATEM switcher sending a tally signal, a red border will
appear around your camera’s image preview when grids are set to on’ To set which overlay you want to display on all URSA Broadcast G2 outputs, tap the
thirds,’ crosshairs,’ or
center dot’ options.
Touchscreen Controls
63
The rule of thirds grid automatically scales to any on screen frame guides
Thirds
The `thirds’ setting displays a grid with two vertical and horizontal lines
placed in each third of the image. Thirds are an extremely powerful tool to
help compose your shots. For example, the human eye typically looks for action
near the points where the lines intersect, so it’s helpful to frame key points
of interest in these zones. An actor’s eyeline is commonly framed along the
top third of the screen, so you can use the top horizontal third to guide your
framing. Thirds are also useful to maintain framing consistency between shots.
Horizon
The `horizon’ meter indicates when your camera is rolled left or right and
tilted up or down. This can help you keep the horizon level during handheld
shots and balance the camera tilt on a gimbal.
The gray vertical and horizontal indicators move away from the center as the
camera is rolled and tilted. The distance the lines move away from the central
crosshair is proportional to the amount of roll or tilt. After you calibrate
the camera’s motion sensor, the motion indicators will illuminate blue when
the camera’s roll and tilt become level.
Note that if the camera is tilted straight down for an overhead shot or
straight up, the horizon meter takes this into account. If you roll the camera
to shoot in portrait orientation, the horizon meter rotates its axes 90
degrees.
This table shows examples of the horizon meter indicating tilt and roll of the
camera.
Horizon meter
Description
Straight and level
Tilted down and level
Straight and rolled left
Tilted up and rolled right
For normal use, calibrate the horizon meter for straight and level operation.
If you want to use the horizon meter to help maintain a consistent dutch angle’ or a consistent tilt for a low or high shot, you can calibrate the horizon meter at an incline. For information on how to calibrate the horizon meter, see the
motion sensor calibration’ section.
Touchscreen Controls
64
Crosshairs The crosshair’ setting places a crosshair in the center of the frame. Like thirds, the crosshair is a very useful compositional tool, making it easy to frame the subject of a shot in the very center of a frame. This is sometimes used when filming scenes that will be assembled using very fast cuts. Keeping viewers’ eyes focused on the center of a frame can make rapid editing easier to follow. Center Dot The
center dot’ setting places a dot in the center of the frame.
This works in exactly the same way as the crosshair’ setting, albeit with a smaller overlay that you may find less intrusive. You can enable a combination of
thirds’ and crosshairs’ or
thirds’ and center dot’ by tapping both options in the
grids’ menu. Crosshairs’ and
center dot’ cannot be selected
together.
TIPFor information on enabling grids on your URSA Broadcast G2’s front and
main SDI outputs, see the monitor settings’ section in this manual. Safe Area Guides The
safe area guides’ setting toggles the safe area guides
on or off the LCD touchscreen, as well as setting the size of safe area guides
for all outputs on your URSA Broadcast G2.
Safe areas can be used in broadcast production to ensure that the most
important parts of a shot can be seen by viewers. By keeping the most
important parts of your shot within a central `safe area,’ you can avoid
cropping on some televisions, as well as leaving space for a broadcaster to
add bugs, news tickers and other overlays along the edges of the screen. Many
broadcasters require footage to be submitted within a 90% safe area.
Safe area guides can also be used to assist with framing your shot where you
know that the shot will be stabilized in post production, which can crop the
edges of the image. They can also be used to indicate a specific crop. For
example by setting it to 50% whilst recording at Ultra HD 3840×2160 you can
see what a 1920×1080 crop of the frame would look like. The safe area guides
also scale to your frame guides, so they will adjust to indicate the chosen
percentage of your target frame.
The safe area’ indicator set to 50% To toggle safe area guides for the LCD touchscreen, tap the switch icon in the bottom left of the screen while in the
safe area guides’ tab. To set the
level of safe area guides for all outputs on your URSA Broadcast G2, tap the
left or right arrows on either side of the current numerical value at the
bottom of your touchscreen. Alternatively, you can drag the slider left or
right.
Touchscreen Controls
65
False Color The `false color’ setting toggles the appearance of false color
exposure assistance on the LCD touchscreen.
False color overlays different colors onto your image that represent exposure
values for different elements in your image. For example, pink represents
optimum exposure for lighter skin tones, while green is a good match to darker
skin tones. By monitoring the pink or green false color when recording people,
you can maintain consistent exposure for their skin tones.
Similarly, when elements in your image change from yellow to red, that means
they are now over exposed.
The IRE false color chart on the left side of your camera’s display shows you
how to interpret the different false colors.
False Color 95%WC 80%WC MG+1 18%MG NBDL BDL
Meaning White clipping Near white clipping One stop over middle gray Middle gray Near black detail loss Black detail loss
In a well exposed image, skin tones are represented by green and pink false
colors
To toggle false color for the LCD touchscreen, tap the switch icon in the
bottom left of the screen while in the false color’ tab. The
false color’ exposure assistance tab
Touchscreen Controls
66
Screen Brightness Tap the screen brightness’ icon and drag the slider to the left or right to adjust the brightness of your URSA Broadcast G2’s touchscreen. The
screen brightness’ setting set to 50%.
ND Filter indicator
Your URSA Broadcast G2 has an ND filter indicator in the top left of the LCD
touchscreen and any SDI outputs set to show status text. The indicator uses
the format you’ve selected in the setup’ menu. ND filter setting indicator on your URSA Broadcast G2 NOTEYou can adjust the terminology used by the ND filter indicator to reflect the conventions you’re used to. The options are ND number, stops and fractions. You can set your preferred format in your URSA Broadcast G2’s
setup’ menu.
LUT indicator
A white icon will be visible on the LCD, front SDI or main SDI when status text’ is switched on and you have a LUT applied to that output. If you are recording to Blackmagic RAW and have
Apply LUT in File’ switched on in the
Record’ settings the LUT icon will be blue. The LUT icon lets you know that you have a LUT applied to the image Frames Per Second The
FPS’ indicator displays your currently selected frames per second.
URSA Broadcast G2’s frames per second indicator. Tap this to access frame rate
settings
Tapping the `FPS’ indicator lets you change your camera’s sensor and project
frame rates via a menu at the bottom of your LCD touchscreen.
Touchscreen Controls
67
Project frame rate The project frame rate is URSA Broadcast G2’s recording
format frame rate and provides a selection of common frame rates used in the
film and television industry. This frame rate is normally set to match your
playback speed used in your post production workflow. Your Blackmagic URSA
Broadcast G2 has 8 project frame rate settings including 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97,
30, 50, 59.94 and 60 frames per second. To adjust your URSA Broadcast G2’s
project frame rate while in the `FPS’ menu, tap the left or right arrows next
to the current frame rate at the bottom left of your touchscreen.
Alternatively, you can drag the slider left or right.
Tap the arrows on either side of the project frame rate or move the slider to
make adjustments
TIPYour URSA Broadcast G2’s project frame rate also sets the frame rate of the
front and main SDI outputs.
Sensor frame rate The sensor frame rate sets how many actual frames from the
sensor are recorded every second. This frame rate will affect how fast or slow
your video will play back at your set project frame rate.
With off speed frame rate’ enabled, tap a preset or the arrows on either side of the sensor frame rate or move the slider to make adjustments By default, your URSA Broadcast G2’s project and sensor frame rates are matched for a natural playback speed. However, by tapping the
off speed frame
rate’ switch icon in the bottom right hand side of your URSA Broadcast G2’s
FPS’ menu, you can independently set your sensor frame rate. It’s worth mentioning that the
off speed frame rate’ option is only available when
recording to Blackmagic RAW or ProRes codecs.
To change your sensor frame rate, tap the arrows next to the sensor frame rate
indicator in the lower left of your touchscreen. You can also drag the slider
left or right to increase or decrease the frame rate. Once you release the
slider, the sensor frame rate will be selected. Above the slider, you can tap
on a common off speed frame rate. These are based on your current project
frame rate.
Touchscreen Controls
68
You can create dynamic and interesting speed effects in your clips by varying
the sensor frame rate. Setting the sensor frame rate higher than your project
frame rate will create slow motion during playback. For example, shooting with
a 60 FPS sensor frame rate and playing back at a 24 FPS project frame rate
creates slow motion at less than half the real speed of action. Alternatively,
the lower your sensor frame rate, the faster your clips will appear. The
principle is similar to overcranking and undercranking a film camera.
Overcranking speeds up the sensor frame rate so you can stretch out moments in
time during playback to enhance emotion. Undercranking slows down the sensor
frame rate so you can increase the action in fast moving scenes. The creative
possibilities are endless and entirely up to you!
For information on the maximum frame rates available for each recording format
and codec, refer to the table in the recording’ section of this manual. NOTEWhen
off speed frame rate’ is selected your URSA Broadcast G2’s audio and
video are no longer synced. This is true even if you set the same project and
sensor frame rate. For this reason, off speed frame rate’ should never be selected if you want to guarantee audio syncing. Shutter The
Shutter’ indicator displays your shu
References
- Frame.io | Home
- P65Warnings.ca.gov
- Blackmagic Design
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- Central de Suporte Técnico | Blackmagic Design
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- 고객지원 센터 | Blackmagic Design
- Blackmagic Design
- Support Center | Blackmagic Design
- Support Center | Blackmagic Design
- Blackmagic Design
- Destek Merkezi | Blackmagic Design
- P65Warnings.ca
- P65Warnings.ca.gov
- Central de Suporte Técnico | Blackmagic Design
- Central de Suporte Técnico | Blackmagic Design
- 支持中心 | Blackmagic Design
- 支持中心 | Blackmagic Design
- Support-Center | Blackmagic Design
- Support-Center | Blackmagic Design
- Support-Center | Blackmagic Design
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