The cost of the camera itself is just the tip of the iceberg. If you’re using
a high-end camera to record something, you tend to feel inclined to spend a little more double up
and do it right. This page lists the exact gear I use, but get whatever fits your budget.
I’m a solo “run and gun” kind of guy, so mobility matters.
Camera, batteries, storage
| Item |
Price |
Buy |
| Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive camera. |
$32,995 |
Blackmagic |
| Core SWX Helix Max 275 Lithium-Ion Dual-Voltage Battery (275 Wh, B-Mount) to power the camera. |
4 × $519 |
B&H |
| Core SWX GT8 Quad Charger for Helix Max Batteries (B-Mount) to charge four batteries at once. |
$1,299 |
B&H |
| Blackmagic Design Media Module (8 TB). The camera comes with one. If you plan to record more than 98 minutes of footage, you’ll need more — three modules gets you 4.9 hours. |
2 × $1,865 |
B&H |
Tripod, computer, software
| Item |
Price |
Buy |
| Sachtler aktiv8T flowtech75 MS Tripod System — supports 26.5 lbs (12 kg). Sometimes goes on sale for $2,334. It carries the weight, re-levels easily after picking it up, doesn’t wobble even when there’s movement nearby (dancing crowds), goes high or low, and the legs set up one-handed. Fluid head, but that’s incidental — you won’t pan or tilt. |
$4,384 |
B&H |
| 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Max, 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 128 GB unified memory, 8 TB SSD. A MacBook Pro or Apple Studio is required — the PC version of DaVinci Resolve cannot generate AIVU files. (If you’re a student, use Apple’s Education Store.) |
$7,349 |
Apple |
| Blackmagic Design Media Dock for URSA Cine 12K. Connects up to three media modules to multiple computers. The camera itself runs hot even just transferring footage to a computer over ethernet or USB, so a dedicated Media Dock takes that strain off the camera body. |
$2,375 |
B&H |
| DaVinci Resolve Studio. A license comes with the camera; if you’re renting, it’s $295 from Blackmagic. |
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| Cheese plate — either option A or option B. |
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| 1/4” to 1/4” screws |
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Amazon |
| 3/8” to 3/8” screws |
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Amazon |
Microphones, recorder, timecode
| Item |
Price |
Buy |
| Soundfield by RØDE NT-SF1 Premium Ambisonic VR Microphone — 1st-order ambisonic audio (4 channels). |
$999 |
Amazon |
| Zoom F6 Multitrack Field Recorder records the audio from the mics as 32-bit float. 6 channels, supports the NT-SF1 plus two mono mics. |
$750 |
Amazon |
| Tentacle Sync E mkII Timecode Generator (Bluetooth 5.0, dual set) so the camera’s video syncs to the external mic’s audio in Resolve. You can use one if you set the Zoom F6 to its own internal timecode after sync, but expect drift if you power-cycle. |
$350 |
B&H |
| Tentacle to BNC Cable (right-angle, 16”) to connect a Tentacle to the camera. The other Tentacle uses the cable that comes with it for the Zoom F6. |
$32 |
B&H |
| Sennheiser MD 46 cardioid interview microphone for street interviews. |
$191 |
Amazon |
| Sennheiser 004839 windscreen. |
$20 |
Amazon |
| Sennheiser EW-DP SKP (R1-6) — records 32-bit audio onto a microSD card as backup and wirelessly transmits the signal. |
$300 |
Amazon |
| Sennheiser EW-DP EK (R1-6) receiver. Plugs into the Zoom F6’s channel 5 or 6 so audio is timecoded. |
$349 |
Amazon |
| SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC UHS-I 1 TB + Adapter. Zoom F6 takes full-size SD, handheld mic takes microSD. |
2 × $107 |
Amazon |
| Panasonic Eneloop Pro Quick Charger. Powers the Zoom F6 (4 batteries) and two lapel mics (2 × transmitter + 2 × receiver) — 12 batteries in service. |
$40 |
Amazon |
| Eneloop Panasonic Pro AA — 16 batteries, 4 spares. |
$85 |
Amazon |
File server & archive
| Item |
Price |
Buy |
| Lots of mechanical hard drives. 98 minutes of footage = 8 TB. |
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| Lots of LTO-9 tapes — 18TB each. When
done with an event, I move the files to an LTO-9 tape to free up space on my file server. |
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My wishlist
| Item |
Price |
Buy |
| Steadicam M2 Core Stabilizer Kit with Docking Bracket, G50X Arm and Zephyr Vest (V-Mount) for smooth movement shots |
$27,775 |
B&H |
| Drone / quadcopter for carrying the BUCI in the sky. |
~$10,000 |
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