The URSA Mini seems to just keep getting better with each new update. The latest beta firmware (4.0) is the biggest leap forward yet, and one of it’s flagship features offers users the ability to load and export custom LUTs from the camera. Having just installed the firmware a couple of days ago, I decided to run some tests by creating custom LUTs that could be loaded onto the URSA Mini 4.6K for future use on set.
As I was trying to decide which custom LUTs would be most useful to have loaded into the camera, I thought – why not make a LUT that is designed to emulate the Arri Alexa look.
One of the reasons I love the URSA Mini 4.6K is that it’s look can be very Alexa-like. That said, it is a different camera, and there are some notable differences in the colors, contrast, and other visual parameters, as no two cameras will ever look identical. With that in mind, my goal was to take the already filmic image from the URSA Mini 4.6K, and tweak it just slightly to get it to look more like native Alexa footage.
It took a lot of heavy lifting to do this, which might be surprising considering the results of the LUT when applied are actually quite subtle.
Using DaVinci Resolve, a ton of Alexa footage (including lots of color charts), and even more URSA Mini 4.6K footage, I slowly but surely was able to develop a LUT that I believe gives URSA Mini 4.6K Film footage a look that is closer to Alexa.
While my LUT building process initially started by lining up color chart footage shot on both Alexa and URSA Mini 4.6K and matching each color square individually, it quickly evolved from there. I later took my initial version of the LUT and applied it to regular footage, making very small adjustments to my eye. So really, the creation of this LUT was half scientific and half instinctual.
The difference between my Alexa-style LUT and the standard 4.6K to Video LUT isn’t massively different, and it’s not supposed to be. As I mentioned above, the 4.6K already has a very Alexa-like quality to it, so the differences between these two LUTs are not intended to be monumental.
Take a look at some examples below.
All of the images were shot in 4.6K 2.4:1 aspect ratio in ProRes HQ Film mode.
RAW
URSA MINI 4.6K VIDEO LUT
URSA MINI 4.6K TO ALEXA LUT
The differences between the two LUTs are subtle, but still distinct – especially in the rendering of greens and magentas, as well as the overall contrast. The two samples above have not been graded other than using the LUTs, but below are two more examples of the same shot that are slightly graded (using the exact same grade) to bring back the window detail.
URSA MINI 4.6K VIDEO LUT – GRADED
URSA MINI 4.6K TO ALEXA LUT – GRADED
What’s great about this LUT is that it’s effects will be different depending on the scene you are shooting, since there were a high volume of tiny changes made in the process of creating the LUT. In other words, depending on the color palette of any given scene, the effect of the LUT may be more or less obvious, since some 4.6K colors are natively closer to Alexa than others.
Here are a couple more examples.
RAW
URSA MINI 4.6K VIDEO LUT
URSA MINI 4.6K TO ALEXA LUT
RAW
URSA MINI 4.6K VIDEO LUT
URSA MINI 4.6K TO ALEXA LUT
You can download the URSA to Alexa LUT by clicking here.
FIRMWARE 4.0
I’ve only been shooting with the new firmware for a couple of days now, so I’m not going to write a detailed breakdown of my thoughts on it just yet. But for now, I can tell those of you that haven’t tried it out yet that practically everything has changed from a UI/design perspective on version 4.0, and for the better. At the same time, the simplistic design Blackmagic is known for hasn’t been lost in the process which is really nice to see.
There have seemingly been countless new features added in version 4.0, and I feel like I’m discovering more of them each time I use the camera. There are far too many new additions to list here, but here are a few of my personal highlights:
- Beautifully designed new operating system
- Heads up display
- Individual monitoring control for each SDI output
- Ability to load and export 3D LUTs
- Auto white balance
- Tint control
- Customizable focus peaking colors and settings
- 2.4:1 aspect ratio in 4.6K
- 3K anamorphic recording
- Custom camera settings presets
The heads up display is probably the most useful of the new features when shooting a real world project. It’s essentially a menu overlayed on your LCD screen, which makes changing basic settings like ISO or white balance way quicker. All of your settings and parameters are laid out on the top and bottom of your screen, and if you want to change something (let’s say the audio input levels), it’s as simple as tapping the audio meters and making an adjustment right there on your screen. There’s no need to step into the menu using the buttons on the camera body.
For the most part, all of the features in version 4.0 seem to have been designed to not only make the camera more functional, but more useable. Once I’m able to shoot some more substantial material with the camera using this new firmware, I’ll be sure to post some more detailed feedback. For now, I would say it is definitely worth trying out if you are a 4.6K user – even while it’s still in beta mode.
As for the URSA 4.6K to Alexa LUT, I may create an updated version of it down the line once I get a chance to shoot with the camera more frequently. So for those of you that do use the LUT, please send me some feedback so I can continue to refine it over time.
And for any of you that aren’t URSA Mini 4.6K owners, but are looking for a similar Alexa-style LUT for your camera, be sure to comment and let me know below. I may make some more of these in the future for different camera platforms…
I also recently released 6 Cinematic LUT Packs, which have been carefully designed to help you achieve an organic, filmic look in post-production. They work perfectly with footage from virtually any camera, and I highly recommend them for filmmakers and cinematographers looking to achieve bold color results, while minimizing time in post-production. Be sure to check them out by clicking here!
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