Omar Torres took the Blackmagic URSA Mini 4K camera and hand held the unit for a series of non scientific low light tests.
Blackmagic Ursa Mini 4k Noise Test from Omar Torres on Vimeo.
Yesterday was my first day with the UM4k and it wasn't too good of a first impression. Although the ergonomics of the camera, the built quality, and the flip out screen are great improvements over the previous BM cameras, (with natural light only)the image is not as impressive.
I knew coming in this was not a run and gun camera but I did not expect the image to look this bad with natural light. The grain coming out of this camera is absolutely horrid. The grain is very blocky(can't think of a better word) and its not film like at all. I shot everything handheld at 400 ASA because thats the camera's base ISO and supposedly it performs best at that ISO but it did not perform well at all in natty light.
Yes some shots were underexposed and yes I didn't use lights but my apartment was not dark. I can understand if I only had one light on or If I was lighting the scene with candles but It wasn't like that at all. I had several lights on in the kitchen and in the living room.
I will be doing some more test shoots to see how this camera performs in daylight but if that nasty grain comes up again I am returning this camera.
The lens I used was a canon 24-70 L series lens. I shot everything at F2.8.