Blackmagic Design Micro Studio Camera 4K

Tiny Ultra HD studio camera for live production

The Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4K is an incredibly tiny Ultra HD studio camera that’s perfectly designed for live production. You get a full Ultra HD resolution camera that can be used in HD and Ultra HD video formats and it can be fully controlled from the switcher via the SDI control protocol. Micro Studio Camera 4K includes powerful features such as built-in colour corrector, talkback, tally indicator, PTZ control output, built-in microphones, backup battery, an adaptable MFT lens mount and B4 lens control output. This means Micro Studio Camera 4K is a true studio camera that is dramatically better quality than the biggest and most expensive studio cameras used today.

Broadcast quality Ultra HD that’s small enough to use anywhere

The small size and completely open design of the Micro Studio Camera 4K make it perfect for any live multi-camera production! It’s virtually invisible and can be hidden just about anywhere on set, giving you the ability to have more camera angles than ever before so you can create a more interesting program. You can even hide them on stage to get incredible shots of live performances or, because they’re so small, safely fly them overhead during sporting events. It can also be used in the studio by rigging it with a professional broadcast lens and a Blackmagic Video Assist for monitoring.

The world’s most riggable Ultra HD studio camera

The Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4K is engineered with a super tough magnesium alloy core in a body that’s not much larger than the lens mount itself! You can use affordable, high-performance MFT lenses or add a B4 adapter to work with traditional broadcast lenses. The Micro Studio Camera’s SDI program input accepts commands via the SDI connection from any ATEM the SDI connection from any ATEM switcher so you get remote control of camera settings, colour balancing, black level, gamma, lens focus, iris and zoom control and much more. The expansion port includes PTZ and B4 lens control outputs so you can remote control remote heads and broadcast lenses all from a single SDI connection.

Completely customisable remote control of your cameras with a flexible expansion port

The Micro Studio Camera is perfect for remote use because it includes an expansion port with multiple control connections such as a PTZ serial output connection so you can use motorised heads, B4 data link output for controlling broadcast lenses and you can even build customised camera control solutions using the S.Bus input. The expansion connector uses a common HD-15 connector so you can easily make your own cables or use the breakout cable that’s included. The expansion port also includes DC camera power in, LANC and reference input.

True broadcast quality high-resolution Ultra HD sensor

The Micro Studio Camera 4K includes an incredible quality broadcast grade Ultra HD sensor for amazing clarity and the finest textures. Ultra HD is even more important when you’re working in HD because the extra sensor resolution completely eliminates any colour loss from the sensor’s bayer pattern so you get full bandwidth RGB HD colour and superior sub pixel anti-aliasing for amazing fine image detail. The Micro Studio Camera 4K has a 6G-SDI connection so it works up to 30 frames per second in Ultra HD and can also be switched to 3G-SDI or HD-SDI so it can operate up to 1080p60. If you’re working in HD or Ultra HD the Micro Studio Camera 4K can easily handle both.

Use a range of MFT lenses or lens adapters

Active MFT photo lenses are designed to be small, lightweight and produce super sharp images at a much higher resolution than traditional video lenses which makes them perfect for Ultra HD. They can be remotely controlled using the return SDI program feed from your ATEM switcher or from the expansion port on the camera. You can even add a lens mount adapter to use your existing collection of Broadcast B4 lenses or even feature film style PL lenses!

Broadcast connections

The Micro Studio Camera 4K includes a full-size HDMI connector for local video monitoring so you can add a monitor to the camera or quickly plug in a local monitor when you’re setting the position of a remote camera or changing camera menus. There is a mini BNC connector for the main camera SDI output and a miniBNC connector for the camera program input which can be used to provide reference, control camera CCU settings, return talkback audio and tally status. There is a 3.5mm mic input for external microphones and a 3.5mm headphone socket that supports an iPhone compatible mic so you can use it for talkback.

Control cameras from your ATEM Switcher

The Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4K works with standard SDI camera control protocols. That means you can connect the program feed from any model of ATEM Switcher to the camera’s SDI input and remotely control any setting in the camera, colour correct or even change focus, iris and zoom on supported lenses. Broadcast cameras traditionally have basic CCU colour balance controls, however, the Micro Studio Camera 4K includes a full DaVinci primary colour corrector so you get so much more than simple CCU controls because you can also do a full-colour grade in the camera. Now the technical director can fine-tune the settings and match the looks of cameras quickly.

Blackmagic 3G-SDI Shield for Arduino

The Blackmagic 3G-SDI Shield for Arduino is an Arduino expansion board or “shield” that makes it possible for anyone to develop their own custom control solutions for Blackmagic Design cameras. UNO boards made by Arduino, Adafruit, Sparkfun, Freetronics and Seeedstudio are popular low-cost open-source micro controller platforms used by developers and enthusiasts. The Blackmagic 3G-SDI Shield for Arduino attaches to these platforms and then supports inserting camera control commands into the 3G‑SDI link to the camera. This means all Blackmagic Studio Cameras and URSA Mini can now be controlled remotely via Arduino code and you can design and build your own custom CCU or broadcast automation solutions!

Quickly access the most important settings

The built-in row of buttons along the front of the camera gives you quick and easy access to power, menu navigation and settings. Because they’re on the front, the buttons are always accessible, even when rigged into tight locations. Simply plug into any HDMI display such as a TV or the portable Blackmagic Video Assist so you can see the camera’s menus and you can easily change any of the camera’s settings. You can use the menus to set the camera up and then that allows the switcher to take control of the camera via the SDI program input.

High-quality microphones built-in or use external microphones

The built-in stereo microphones are engineered for high-quality audio and feature a mechanical design that helps reduce unwanted wind noise so you get great sounding audio. When you need better audio in windy outdoor conditions such as sporting events, you can plug in an external mic with a windsock to capture clean sound! The camera instantly switches to the external microphone when one is connected and can work with both line or mic levels. Whether you’re using the built-in microphones or attaching one from the outside, the audio is embedded into the SDI video output so you get perfect audio and video sync!

Two-way communication with the entire crew

The Micro Studio Camera 4K includes an iPhone style headphone socket with mic so you get full talkback support. You can also use standard noise-cancelling headsets, like those from Bose, Sennheiser and more to hear the technical director without distraction from the audience. Because the camera has an SDI connection to the switcher and an SDI connection from the switcher the talkback audio is embedded into channels 15 and 16 of the SDI signal and you get two-way communication. If you’re setting up fixed cameras, talkback makes it easy to walk from camera to camera and plug in your headset to communicate with the rest of the crew to get the best angles and framing.

Use DC power or removable batteries

The camera includes a 12V to 30V DC power input so you can power the camera using any standard power supply or even a simple plug pack. There is a standard LP-E6 Canon compatible battery receptacle on the back of the camera so you can add a battery to get local back up power if the power supply gets accidentally disconnected during a critical live broadcast. The power input is located on the expansion port so you can simply connect power to the breakout cable or you can make a custom cable so you can have multiple camera connections over longer distances and all down a single cable loom.

Add Popular Accessories to build the ultimate studio camera

The expansion port combined with the flexible MFT lens mount and external mounting points gives you a massive amount of options for customising your studio camera! You can use the camera remotely by itself, or you can add accessories to rig the camera so you can build your own custom studio camera! Add 3rd party lenses from companies like Olympus, Panasonic and others, or use an adapter to work with a wide range of B4 lenses or even feature film PL lenses! Two ¼” mounting points on the top and bottom of the camera so you can tripod mount the camera and add local monitor to use as a viewfinder. You can even add an external recorder to build a custom Ultra HD video camera.