Continuing its reputation as a leading innovator in the cinema camera space, Blackmagic Design announced new details and accessories for two of its leading camera models, the compact PYXIS 6K Cinema Box Camera and the groundbreaking URSA Cine 17K 65. Blackmagic waited until IBS 2024 to give us our first look at the PYXIS Monitor, a 5″ HDR-capable touchscreen monitor that can control all the features of the PYXIS. Releasing with a variety of mounting options, including an EVF-specific kit, the monitor should prove a must-have accessory for the PYXIS, with a larger image and greater flexibility than the fixed LCD on the side of the camera body. On the URSA Cine 17K front, we now know the camera will cost $29,995 at launch, with that price going up to $31,495 when bundled with the optional EVF accessory.
The PYXIS monitor can be purchased standalone if you prefer to use your own mount, as a Monitor Kit with hardware to attach it to the top of the camera, or as a Monitor EVF Kit with a robust system designed for shoulder mounting and using the screen as an external viewfinder. The screen itself includes standard ¼-20” threads on the bottom, so using it with traditional articulating arms and monitor mounts is definitely possible, but most customers will likely buy one of the kits, as Blackmagic has customed designed the extra pieces to fit in perfectly with the threading on the PYXIS body, keeping your setup streamlined and nimble.
No matter how you mount it, the monitor solves one of the major gripes of the PYXIS: its static, side-mounted touchscreen LCD. Sure, the side LCD is handy if you’re filming an interview or working with an AC, but for solo operators and smaller crews, this new PYXIS Monitor will be a saving grace, opening up countless new viewing angles and creative possibilities.
Many filmmakers had planned to use third party external monitors with the PYXIS, but the camera control included within this official Blackmagic offering should instantly catapult it above the competition. Add in the fact that it handles power, video, and control via one locking USB-C cable, and suddenly the lack of an SDI output on the PYXIS starts to make a lot more sense.
Even putting aside convenience, the monitor has multiple impressive stats, including 1500 nits of brightness, three customizable buttons, a large tally light, and an included sunshade that can be easily snapped on and off. This should make set-up super quick, especially with Blackmagic-produced mounting hardware. You can even purchase a longer USB-C cable to have the monitor further from the camera and enable remote operation. The monitor’s also compatible with URSA Cine cameras, so Blackmagic fans should be able to get a ton of use out of this affordable accessory.
But what if the 6K out of the PYXIS isn’t enough? What if you want nearly triple that resolution? Well then start saving your pennies, as the Blackmagic Design URSA Cine 17K 65 will be priced at $29,995 upon its release later this year. That is quite a chunk of change, but surprisingly reasonable when compared to similar high-end cinema cameras like the Sony VENICE 2 and ARRI ALEXA 65. In case you don’t remember all the stats from its announcement back in April, the URSA Cine 17K is a beast of a camera. We’re talking a 17K 65mm-sized RGBW 17,520 x 8040 CMOS sensor with a reported 16 stops of dynamic range.
The camera comes with interchangeable PL, LPL and Hasselblad lens mounts, as well as 8TB of internal storage. At its core is a magnesium alloy chassis with carbon fiber polycarbonate composite skin, as well as all the inputs and outputs you’d expect from a camera of this class – LEMO, Fischer, 12G-SDI, 10G Ethernet, XLRs, USB-C and more. All that plus two different 5” HDR touchscreens, an OLPF, a B-mount battery plate, and cloud storage abilities fully built in. It’s certainly not an impulse buy, but it might be a popular purchase for owner-operator DP’s and production companies making high-budget scripted content. When you’re investing in this kind of premium cinema camera, throwing in a custom-built EVF for another $1.5k just makes sense.
For more information about the Blackmagic Design PYXIS Monitor and URSA Cine 17K, including additional features, specs, and highlights, be sure to check out their detailed product pages. Or drop us a line below, and we’ll do our best to answer all your comments and questions.
