Blackmagic Design PYXIS 12K Cinema Camera (Leica L)

Blackmagic Design PYXIS 12K L Mount Overview

The Blackmagic Design PYXIS 12K (Leica L) is a high-end digital cinema camera that packs a powerful 12K full-frame sensor into a compact, customizable box-style body. It is designed for professional filmmakers and content creators who need top-tier image quality and versatility in a lightweight form factor.

Here's an overview of its key features:

12K Full-Frame Sensor

The core of the camera is its large 36 x 24mm full-frame RGBW sensor, which is the same one found in the high-end URSA Cine 12K LF. This sensor captures an incredible native resolution of 12,288 x 8,040 pixels. This allows for:

• Massive Resolution: The ability to shoot in native 12K provides an immense amount of detail and allows for significant reframing, cropping, and stabilizing in post-production without a loss in quality.

• Flexible Framing: You can shoot in a variety of film formats and aspect ratios, including 3:2 open gate, 6:5 anamorphic, and Super 35, all without compromising quality.

• Exceptional Dynamic Range: The sensor boasts a wide 16 stops of dynamic range, ensuring rich detail in both the brightest highlights and the deepest shadows.

Leica L-Mount

The PYXIS 12K is available in three lens mount options: Leica L, ARRI PL, and Canon EF. The Leica L-mount version is particularly notable as it works with a wide range of modern full-frame lenses from Leica, Panasonic, and Sigma. The active L-mount also supports lens communication, enabling features like autofocus and iris control with compatible electronic lenses.

Customizable and Modular Design

The camera's box-style body is crafted from aerospace-grade aluminum, making it both lightweight and durable. Its design is built for maximum flexibility:

• Multiple Mounting Points: The body features numerous 1/4"-20 and 3/8"-16 threads on the top, bottom, and sides, allowing you to easily rig the camera with a variety of accessories like handles, monitors, and microphones.

• Interchangeable Side Plates: Blackmagic offers a range of side plates for the camera, including a standard plate and an SSD plate, which allow you to further customize your setup. This is ideal for building the perfect rig for a gimbal, crane, or handheld work.

High-Speed Recording and Workflow

To handle the immense data of 12K footage, the PYXIS 12K is equipped with professional recording media and a streamlined workflow:

• Dual CFexpress Card Slots: The camera features two CFexpress Type B card slots, which provide the high speed and durability needed for recording high-resolution Blackmagic RAW files.

• Blackmagic RAW and H.264 Proxies: The camera records in Blackmagic RAW, a codec designed to preserve image quality and metadata while creating highly manageable file sizes. It can also simultaneously record H.264 proxies, which are small, easy-to-edit files for a faster post-production workflow.

• 10G Ethernet Port: A built-in 10GbE Ethernet port allows for high-speed transfer of footage to Blackmagic Cloud or remote control of the camera, making it ideal for large-scale, networked productions.

Professional Connectivity and Controls

Despite its compact size, the PYXIS 12K offers a comprehensive set of professional connections:

• 4-inch HDR LCD Touchscreen: A bright, high-resolution 1920 x 1080 touchscreen allows for monitoring, framing, and on-camera control with a peak brightness of 1500 nits for visibility in bright daylight.

• 12G-SDI Output: A 12G-SDI output provides a clean signal for external monitors or live broadcast setups.

• Professional Audio: The camera includes a mini XLR input with phantom power and a 3.5mm stereo input for connecting professional microphones. It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack for audio monitoring.

• Timecode and Reference: A BNC port for timecode and reference signals allows for precise synchronization with other cameras and audio recorders on set.

The Blackmagic Design PYXIS 12K (Leica L) is a testament to Blackmagic's philosophy of bringing high-end cinema technology to a more accessible price point. It's a powerful and flexible camera for those who demand the highest resolution and quality for their projects.