URSA gets Prores 444 (4K & HD), plus fixes for other Blackmagic cameras

Blackmagic Camera Utility 2.0

A recent global firmware update for all Blackmagic cameras boosts the top Prores recording option on the URSA and introduces other fixes and improvements for the rest of the lineup.

Last summer, Blackmagic announced that it successfully unified the code base for all Blackmagic cameras. Since then, the company has made good on its pledge to pump out new features and improvements for its cameras. The latest firmware update, dubbed Blackmagic Camera Utility 2.0, promises under-the-hood fixes, but the real headline is the addition of Prores 444 recording in both 4K and HD for the URSA. (For more information on the Blackmagic URSA, check out RedShark contributor Simon Wyndham's thorough review from December.)

This is great news for productions with end-to-end Prores workflows that would benefit from capturing more color information than what was previously possible with the camera. Of course, that extra info comes at a price: UHD Prores 444 recording clocks in at 1320Mbps, versus 880Mbps and 589Mbps for Prores 422HQ and 422, respectively, so plan your storage needs accordingly.

Here's the run-down of Camera Utility 2.0 features, as communicated by Blackmagic Design:

• Blackmagic URSA
  • Adds support for Apple ProRes 444 recording in 4K and HD
• Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K
  • Performance improvements for optical fiber output
• Blackmagic Studio Camera
  • Fixes an issue where the overlays settings are not remembered after turning off camera
• Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera
  • Fixes an issue where dropped frames are occurring during ProRes LT and Proxy recording
• Blackmagic Cinema Camera
  • Performance enhancements and improvements
• Blackmagic Production Camera 4K
  • No changes

To download Camera Utility 2.0, visit the Blackmagic Design Support Page.