Director, DOP and long time DaVinci Resolve user Brett Danton reviews the new $509/ £365 Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve Micro Panel by editing 12K footage taken from a major commercial production whilst on a train going through the English countryside.
It’s a tool that is made to be portable, but this is pushing it. If Brett can make it work in this environment it can work anywhere, surely?
I’ve been using DaVinci Resolve since the days of film, when attending telecine sessions meant working with DaVinci linked to a Kodak film scanner, and a single power window was a big deal. Back then, the software was incredibly expensive, and color grading cost hundreds of pounds an hour.
With the arrival of digital, editing on personal computers became possible, and I started using DaVinci Resolve myself—initially just for color grading, not editing. The round-trip process between your NLE and Resolve could be tedious, but the quality of Resolve’s grading made it worth the hassle. Coming from a stills background, my experience with Photoshop helped ease the transition to Resolve.
Today, Resolve has caught up on the editing front, eliminating the need for that painful round-trip. Now, I do everything in Resolve, and its additional modules, like Fairlight and Fusion, are invaluable. I’ve been using Fusion more and more, especially with USD file integration, which is ideal when combining real-world footage and 3D assets.
One of the most exciting developments for me is Resolve's cloud workflow—it just works. It’s straightforward, with most tasks handled in the background. I regularly edit and grade across multiple machines on the same project, usually working in RAW or EXR. Recently, we worked on a project for Apple Vision Pro, rendering in 8K per eye and stereo syncing in Resolve, then editing and grading. Handling 16K EXR files is no easy task, but thanks to Resolve’s automatic proxy workflow, I could edit in real-time across devices, including my iPad Pro when travelling, and render out the final RAW files on my main machine.
This cloud workflow is by far the best I’ve experienced. With tight deadlines and clients across different time zones, the ability to tweak edits and grades up to the last minute is invaluable.
We recently tested the new panel on a project requiring 12K renders for a keynote presentation on an LED volume stage. The final project racked up over six million views. We were using CGI assets created with genAI , and the final cinematic renders took days. I had to travel before the renders finished, but I completed the edit and grade on the train from London to my home in Cornwall using the cloud, my iPad Pro with 5G, and the Micro Panel. Parsec allowed me to connect to my main machine and render the 12K files with the original media, uploading the 32GB finished files remotely. Regular users of the UK railway system will be all too aware that this was no mean feat! This really is a portable solution and was able to fit on the table space I was able to secure on the train. The set up was a bit more advanced than the regular Excel and Powerpoint suits around me but in terms of space and ability to work, it really was absolutely fine. The 5G on my iPad cut out a couple of time as you would expect, but not relying on train WiFi meant the whole process was incredibly straightforward and allowed me to get ahead in the time it took me to get home.
On my primary setup, I use a DaVinci Resolve Mini Panel, but as this machine was rendering the CGI, I switched to another for initial editing and grading. The Micro Panel connected seamlessly via Bluetooth, and Resolve recognized it immediately. The controls are laid out almost identically to the Mini Panel, so muscle memory kicked in, and I had no trouble finding the right buttons. For precise color grading, having a panel is essential—not only for the fine control it offers but also for the visual reminder of the available controls. A panel functions much like a pilot’s instruments, designed for quick reference, and once you’re familiar with it, it significantly speeds up your workflow. The tactile feedback from the knobs and buttons is far superior to using a trackpad or mouse.
I completed the edit and grade during the five-hour train ride. With the panel connected via Bluetooth and the cloud via 5G, I had no issues. The trackballs feel sturdy and provide smooth, precise control, while the rotary buttons have a good drag resistance, and the press buttons have a satisfying tactile feel. The backlighting is a nice touch, especially when working in dim environments.
The panel has a solid build, but it’s light enough to slip into my laptop bag without weighing me down, and the battery life is impressive. I used it for several hours on a single USB-C charge, and it barely made a dent in the battery.
One of the best features is that it works across both Mac and PC, which is crucial for me since I switch between both platforms on the same projects.
This new Micro Panel is a significant upgrade from the previous version, offering Bluetooth, a rechargeable battery, and much more control. If you’re serious about color grading, you need a panel, and the Resolve Micro Panel no-brainer. Especially at the price, currently here in the UK CVP has stock available at £365+VAT and in the US B&H has stock at $509. Seriously, this is incredible value. While other options exist, they’re often more expensive and limited to grading alone.
The previous Micro Panel was more expensive, (a lot) heavier and had less functionality. This panel delivers that additional functionality to a level comparable to larger panels, and I can see myself using it even more than my Mini Panel, especially when working on the go with the iPad and cloud workflow. Without the panel, grading on an iPad felt unachievable, but now it’s a viable solution. The iPad Pro’s screen is one of the best available for grading, turning what initially felt like a gimmick into a genuinely powerful tool for portable editing and grading.
With the added versatility to use across both iPad, laptop and desktop on Mac or PC, this panel enhances the already robust DaVinci Resolve ecosystem.