Blackmagic Debuts Compact Color Panels & Ursa Mini Pro
Marc Loftus
March 9, 2017

Blackmagic Debuts Compact Color Panels & Ursa Mini Pro

FREMONT, CA — Blackmagic Design has introduced a number of new products that will be on display at the NAB Show in Las Vegas this April. In early March, founder Grant Petty debuted two new panel controllers that are designed to work with DaVinci Resolve, along with a next generation camera.
Petty says that editing workflows are evolving, and that the new panels are designed to work in situations where an editor switches back and forth between editing and color correction, or performs both processes nearly simultaneously. As such, the new Blackmagic panels are both compact and rugged, while still offering deep access to Resolve’s list of features.



The new DaVinci Resolve Micro Panel, is small, strong and made from aluminum. It’s USB-powered, and has a 3-track-ball interface. The unit is plug-and-play and has a similar construction to the company’s larger pro panel. Dedicated buttons allow for saturation and hue control, transport control, log, offset and bypass. A viewer button allows users to quickly switch between the GUI and full screen content. The Micro Panel is priced at $995 and is designed to run Resolve V.12.5.5. Both are now available.

The DaVinci Resolve Mini Panel is designed to add color grading to any workstation, and for freelancers that may need to take their panel with them when traveling between facilities. The Mini Panel features three high resolution weighted trackballs, 12 control knobs dedicated to primary color correction tools, 18 dedicated navigation and transport keys, and an upper deck with two five-inch screens, eight soft knobs and eight soft buttons. The panel also features dedicated keys for switching tools, working with nodes, grabbing stills and navigating the timeline. It’s priced at $2,995 and like the Micro Panel, requires Resolve V.12.5.5.

On the camera front, Blackmagic has introduced the new Ursa Mini Pro, a 4.6K camera body that features 15 stops of dynamic range and the ability to shoot 12-bit log raw or ProRes formats. The camera has an ergonomic design that many broadcasts will find familiar, and the ability to function as either a digital film camera or a studio camera. An EF mount is included for use with Canon, and optional mounts are also available. The camera features an auto white balance button right on the front of the unit, HFR buttons for high frame rate recording, and a mechanical power switch. Microphones and audio inputs have been upgraded to offer lower noise and wider frequency response. A B&W LCD allows for easy reading of settings in bright light. Lock switches help prevent changing controls. The Ursa Mini Pro has four media card slots (two SD and two CFast). A four inch color LCD can be used for monitoring.

Pricing is $5995. The unit is available now and comes with DaVinci Resolve Studio.