Blackmagic Design quadrupled product announcements at the world’s largest broadcast trade show, NAB 2024. First, a Pyxis 6K modular camera rivaling Sony and Panasonic for independent filmmakers; the latest version of its popular video editing platform Davinci Resolve 19 – which we consider the best free video editor; the superb Ursa Cine 12K for professionals; and finally a headline-grabbing 17K professional camera concept with a particularly large 65mm sensor – yes, 17K video.
That’s a lot of products to cover here and we’ll focus on the sub-$3,000/£3,000 Pyxis 6K, but it’s worth commenting on the 17K camera first, which is a higher resolution version of the Ursa Cine 12K. It’s not ready yet, but it’s ready to compete with the rental-only Arri Alexa 65, and it’s the kind of gear that only a select few people will be able to use for real.
That said, Blackmagic regularly offers aggressive pricing – less than $15,000 for the new Ursa Cine 12K with 16 stops of dynamic range (a first for Blackmagic) is a testament to this – and Arri will be uncomfortable with it. announcement of the next Ursa Cine 17K.
For the rest of us mere mortals, the Pyxis 6K looks like a tempting customizable alternative to the Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K, which we’ve dubbed one of the best video cameras for the money.
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6K video chops to rival Sony and Panasonic
The new Blackmagic Pyxis 6K is a “box” camera – a modular design already seen in the full-frame rival Panasonic Lumix BS1H 6K (available for $2,699 / £2,699 from CVP) which followed the BS1H with a micro four sensor third party. The concept is to equip the Pyxis 6K with compatible accessories to create your perfect setup. Before doing this, you select which lens mount version of the Pyxis 6K you want, from the options of L mount, Canon EF mount, or PL mount. The latter is a particularly popular mount for cinema lenses.
The lightweight and durable CNC-machined aerospace aluminum body is decorated with numerous 1/4-inch and 3/8-inch mounting points and side plates for attaching accessories such as mics, grips, external SSDs, screens and viewfinders. Additionally, it can easily be installed on a crane, gimbal or drone.
For filmmakers who often encounter management issues and limitations with full-featured cameras like the Cinema Camera 6K (below), a customizable box camera makes a lot of sense because it’s up to the user to configure the configuration as he wishes. Being able to remove parts you don’t need for certain shoots can also lighten and simplify your setup.
On the hardware front, the Pyxis 6K’s full-frame sensor has native “open-door” output of 6,048 x 4,032 pixels at up to 36 fps, or 2.4:1 aspect ratio 6K video at up to 60 fps, with up to 13 stops of dynamic range, plus dual native. ISO for a sharp image whether you’re in bright or low light conditions.
You can record video using the popular Blackmagic RAW color profile and simultaneously capture smaller proxy files for a faster workflow. The latter feature was recently added to the Panasonic Lumix S5 II/S5 IIX via a major firmware update.
There’s also a larger-than-normal 4-inch touchscreen with Full HD resolution, which is almost as large as some popular external displays like Atomos. You may not need to opt for an additional screen here, as you do with mirrorless cameras that have a smaller 3-inch LCD screen.
The Pyxis 6K costs from $2,995 / £2,910 (Australian pricing TBC) and it’s already available to pre-order from CVP. It goes hand in hand with the Panasonic Lumix BS1H 6K and is also a compelling alternative to Sony. For more information, please visit the Blackmagic website.
