Blackmagic URSA 4K EF
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This article is about the Blackmagic URSA 4K EF camera. Specifically about the V1 version (the original big one). The URSA is a great camera and is relatively affordable but is accessories are not. The motivation to write this article is that there isn’t a lot of info available about this particular model. Most web pages are about the Blackmagic URSA mini and its variants. The sections below give a summary of my findings of the camera and the solutions I came up with. I hope it can help some proud owners of the URSA.
Let’s first state that I’m not a professional videographer and that I’m also on a budget. I’m Belgian, so most provided links are from Belgian or Dutch webshops. Most likely, any article mentioned here is available at Amazon or AliExpres.
Buying the official Blackmagic accessories is, of course, the easiest option. But alas also the most expensive option. I searched online to come up with cheaper alternatives. Here is my story:
Shoulder rig
I really like the built-in rod support from the URSA. I already had two 15 mm rods from my previous setup. The official shoulder kit from Blackmagic costs about €400,00 which is a little too expensive for just a shoulder cushion. Because of that, I searched online and came across SmallRig. I bought the following things:
- SmallRig 11" articulating rosette arm — €11,00
- SmallRig universal shoulder pad — €80,00
- SmallRig rubber shoulder support kit APRI rosette — €230,00
I am really satisfied with my purchase. The quality is the same as my previous Tilta rig (which was also very good). One side note though, the four screws on the support arms (not on the handle and not on the centerpiece) come loose very often because of no reason. Remember to tighten them every time, or you’ll use one or more screws.
Keep in mind that the URSA is a heavy camera! Using the rig handheld is tough. The advantage though is that you can hold the camera pretty steady. When filming with a wide-angle, a 24 mm, for example, it’s usable although both the camera and cine lens don’t have any optical stabilization.
The Idea for the SmallRig came from Andrewbrinkhaus’s blog post on bmcuser.