Blackmagic Studio Viewfinder

Adjustable studio viewfinders with professional features and ergonomics can often cost upwards of $10,000. Add this to a typical live camera system and users can expect to pay over $70,000 for a single setup. Costing just $1,795 the Studio Viewfinder can be paired with a Blackmagic URSA Mini digital film camera for less than $5,000. This provides independent and local broadcasters with Hollywood image quality and a full suite of professional live production tools previously inaccessible to grass-roots facilities.

The Blackmagic Studio Viewfinder is used in numerous live productions such as the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch, in which the ability to quickly adapt to changing conditions is crucial. With oversized, ergonomically positioned dials and customisable function buttons, it allows operators to access critical diagnostic settings and overlays without releasing the handles. Free from distraction, the operator can remain focused on capturing the shot at hand, confident of professional results even when following a moving subject.

Informed by exhaustive anthropometric study and realised through sophisticated mechanical engineering, the URSA Studio Viewfinder easily copes with difficult shooting scenarios and the wide physical variations of a diverse user base. Ideally equipped for live sporting events like motor racing, the Studio Viewfinder's cylindrical grab handles and refined tensioning knobs offer smooth, simultaneous multi-axis articulation. This allows operators to pan with confidence, tracking fast-paced subjects with assured, jitter-free framing and focus.

Traditional studio cameras are based on simplistic video imaging technology. The URSA Studio Viewfinder allows camera operators to pair the peerless cinematic image quality of URSA Mini digital film cameras with a full suite of professional studio camera features. A bright 7” screen accurately reproduces colour and provides exceptional clarity for precise focus and framing. Easily seen outdoors, the large, customisable front tally light identifies to on-screen talent and camera operators which camera is 'live'. The adjustable sunshade, with anti-glare inner surfaces, enhances clarity and contrast of images by eliminating ingress from overhead light sources, whether in the studio or in bright daylight.

Unlike third party devices, the URSA Studio Viewfinder is designed to fit seamlessly with the tactical, high performance DNA of Blackmagic URSA Mini digital film cameras. The result is an aesthetic that is an integrated element of the overall camera system rather than a disjointed afterthought. The athletic form of the URSA Studio Viewfinder is typified by oversized details and thick sections for optimal usability even in difficult whether conditions, while the detachable sunshade creates a truly professional studio presence. Carefully refined for optimal integration, it can be rigidly mounted to the top of the camera via a quick release v-lock adaptor plate.

The Studio Viewfinder's lightweight magnesium alloy body and robust pivot arms are formed using a cutting-edge high pressure moulding process, which produces parts with virtually no porosity. This facilitates superior structural integrity and surface finish than standard die cast or CNC machining, with much thinner wall sections for significant weight reduction. Just two major parts form the lightweight enclosure that excels in all conditions. Every other sub-assembly fixes directly to these parts, reducing build times and ensuring excellent fitment for high perceived quality. Demonstrating meticulous attention to detail, bespoke connector enclosures complete the seamless integration with the URSA family.

The on-going physical demands on live camera operators are high, particularly considering the long shooting hours and unpredictable conditions common to live events. More often than not, they are required to utilise bulky and awkward equipment, leading to long-term stresses and strains. Informed by extensive on-set observation, the Studio Viewfinder is a more empathetic solution. Lightweight and highly adjustable its considered, flexible ergonomics encourage a range of comfortable, natural viewing positions, reducing fatigue and long-term injury. Exported to 87 countries, it complies with all relevant safety standards and regulations, including AS/NZS 60950, FCC, CE, RCM, WEE & ROHS.