Blackmagic Design has released its annual NAB 2024 update and announced more than a dozen new products, including new versions of its popular DaVinci Resolve editing suite. Other key products include the DaVinci Resolve micro color panel for iPad, 17K 65mm camera and Pyxis 6K cube camera.
da vinci determination 19
DaVinci Resolve has become a popular choice for editors who don’t want a monthly subscription to Adobe Premiere Pro, and is arguably more powerful in some ways. However, the latest version, version 19, takes a page from its competitors and offers a slew of new AI features for effects, color, editing, audio, and more.
Starting with the Edit mod, a new feature lets you edit clips using text instead of video. Transcribing a clip opens a window showing the text detected from multiple speakers, allowing you to delete parts, search for text, and more. Other features include a new trim window, a fixed playhead (reducing zooming and scrolling), and a window for faster and more changes to audio properties.
The Color tool introduces “color slicing,” a way to adjust images based on six vectors (red, green, blue, yellow, cyan, and magenta) and a special skin tone slider. For example, you can adjust any specific color and easily change saturation and hue levels while viewing and adjusting underlying keys. A dedicated skin slider will certainly make it attractive for quick skin tone adjustments.
Another key feature in Color is IntelliTrack, powered by Neural Engine AI, which allows you to quickly select points to track to create effects or stabilize images. Blackmagic has also added a new Lightroom-like artificial intelligence noise reduction system that can quickly remove digital noise or film grain from images without the need for user adjustments.
“Film Look Creator” is a new module that opens up color grading possibilities with over 60 film parameters. It seems fairly easy to use, as you can start with a preset (Preset 65mm, Film, Bleach Bypass, Retro) and adjust the parameters to suit your taste. Another new trick is Defocused Background, which lets users realistically simulate shallow depth of field through mattes (unlike smartphones), while Face Refinement tracks faces so editors can adjust brightness, Colors, details, etc.
The Fusion FX editor has added some new tools to simplify the operation of 3D objects. In terms of audio (Fairlight), BMD has introduced “Dialogue Separator FX” to separate dialogue, background or atmosphere. DaVinci Resolve 19 is now available in open beta for everyone to try, but a full release date has not yet been revealed. As usual, the Studio version is priced at $295, while the main version is free.
Micro color panel
BMD’s DaVinci Resolve for iPad has proven to be a popular choice for mobile editors, and now the company has introduced a dedicated control interface with a new Micro Color panel. It’ll give editors far more control than the already decent pencil and multi-touch input, while remaining relatively unobtrusive at 7.18 x 14.33 inches.
A slot on the top front allows you to slide your iPad in, and from there you can connect via Bluetooth or USB-C. The company promises a “professional” feel to its controls, which consist of three weighted trackballs, 12 control dials and 27 buttons. With these, you can perform edits, adjust parameters such as shadows, tones, and highlights, and even perform erasures and other effects.
“Older DaVinci Resolve Micro Panel models have been popular with customers who wanted a compact graded panel, but we wanted to design a more portable and affordable solution,” said Grant Petty, President of Blackmagic Design. Pre-orders are available now, priced at $509.
Box 6K camera
Blackmagic Design has launched a new box camera, the Pyxis 6K full-frame camera, following in the footsteps of rivals such as RED, Sony and Panasonic. The idea is to start with the basic brain (controls, display, CFexpress media, brain, and sensors) and then use side panels or mounting screws to attach accessories like controllers, microphones, and SSDs. It also comes with Blackmagic’s URSA Cine EVF (electronic viewfinder), which adds $1,695 to the price.
Its specs are very similar to the Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K I tested late last year. The full 36 x 24mm sensor has a native resolution of 24 million pixels (6K), a dynamic range of up to 13 stops, and a dual native ISO of up to 25,600. It can record 12-bit Blackmagic RAW (BRAW) directly to a CFexpress Type B card or SSD.
It also supports direct streaming to YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, and more via RTMP and SRT over Ethernet or using a cellular connection. Because streaming is built into the camera, clients and customers can stream status and data rates directly in the viewfinder or LCD. The Pyxis 6K will be available in June for $2,995 and comes with three mounts (Canon EF, Leica L, and Arri PL).
Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K and 17K
In addition to the Pyxis, Blackmagic has launched two cinema cameras: the URSA Cine 12K and 17K models. Yes, those numbers represent the resolutions of both cameras, with the first offering a 36 x 24mm full-frame sensor at 12K (12,888 x 6,480 17:9) and a rather mind-boggling frame rate Confident 100 fps. The second uses a 65mm (50.8 x 23.3 sensor) with a resolution of 17,520 x 8,040 and offers up to 16 stops of dynamic range.
Both models are equipped with features such as built-in ND filters, optical low-pass filters, and BMD’s latest generation 5.0 color science. The URSA Cine 12K will come with 8TB of internal storage, or you can use your own CFexpress media. Other features include live streaming, high-resolution EVF, V battery support, wireless Bluetooth camera control, and more. The URSA Cine 12K model is available for pre-order at $14,995, or $16,495 with the URSA Cine EVF, and will be available in April. The URSA Cine 17K is in development and no pricing or release has been announced yet.
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