Blackmagic Design announces new, lower-cost DaVinci Resolve control panels

By Daven Mathies Published March 2, 2017

While Blackmagic Design has offered a free version of DaVinci Resolve for some time, only the highest-end users had access to a bespoke hardware interface — the $30,000 Advanced Panel. Now, Blackmagic Design is bringing the best parts of the Advanced Panel to a broader range of users with the Micro and Mini control panels.

The Micro Panel costs $995 but is made to the same degree of quality as the Advanced Panel. The casing is machined aluminum, and the control surfaces, while slightly smaller, are made in the exact same way as those of the larger panel. The Micro Panel features three trackballs for smooth changes and a number of nobs with 4,096 levels of sensitivity for making fine adjustments. The panel offers a collection of preset hotkeys for navigating Resolve more quickly.

Recommended Videos

The Micro Panel is Blackmagic Design’s solution to users who both edit and color in DaVinci Resolve and is designed to be used in conjunction with a mouse and keyboard. It can easily fit on a desk beside a keyboard, allowing users to jump between the two as they go from editing to coloring. It is also conveniently powered by a single USB-C cable.

The $2,995 Mini Panel builds on the Micro Panel by adding more nobs, more buttons, and two LCD screens for displaying menus. It makes it possible to control virtually every aspect of DaVinci Resolve without having to reach for the mouse or keyboard. This puts it more in line with the Advanced Panel, but it is also portable, giving colorists the ability to work on location with the same level of control they have in the studio.

While Thursday’s announcements, which also included the new Ursa Mini Pro cinema camera, offer plenty of excitement for both amateur and professional filmmakers, what is perhaps even more amazing is that each product is already en route to storefronts. (B&H lists availability as March 9 for the Micro Panel). Blackmagic Design has previously been notorious in the past for its inability to deliver products on time. Interested customers should probably still get their orders in as soon as possible –we wouldn’t be surprised if demand shortly outstripped supply.

Former Contributor

Daven is a contributing writer to the photography section. He has been with Digital Trends since 2016 and has been writing…

Topics

Branded Content

This award-winning phone thermal camera is 10% off for Halloween, saving you $107

Thermal Master P3 thermal camera drops with code THERMCAM10 (save $107 total): 512x384 IR super resolution, an adjustable-focus lens, and 2026 Tom’s Guide AI Award winner.

Man using thermal camera attachment with phone

A phone thermal camera is one of those tools you don’t think you need until the first time it saves you from an expensive problem, and the Thermal Master P3 just got easier to try. For Halloween, it’s discounted with the code THERMCAM10, a 10% cut that works out to $107 off the total. It’s also fresh off a win at the 2026 Tom’s Guide AI Awards for best phone thermal camera, which is the kind of third-party nod that separates a serious tool from the cheap clip-on sensors that flood this category.

Thermal Master Halloween sale

Audio / Video

I found 8 early Prime Day camera and creator gear deals I’d actually buy

Cameras, mics and webcams are already getting cheaper before Prime Day

Prime Day Camera Deals

We are nearing Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, which officially run October 6 and 7. But there is no need to wait until the sale begins to start looking. Early offers are already live, and camera gear is one category where I found enough worthwhile discounts to put together a proper creator-focused list.

I’ve deliberately gone wider than interchangeable-lens cameras here. There are pocket and action cameras, a 360 camera, an instant camera, two wireless microphone systems, and a pair of webcams covering very different budgets. Prices were checked on October 2, and as always with Amazon, they can move quickly.

Computing

Digital Trends Readers’ Choice Awards 2026: It’s time to pick your favorite tech brands

This is your opportunity to honor the brands that you trust, and whose products are a part of your daily lives.

Digital Trends Readers' Choice Awards

For years, Digital Trends has engaged millions of tech enthusiasts across the world, who trust us with their daily news brief, hot takes, and useful guides. Most importantly, our reviews section is the pillar of our expertise and helps you make informed decisions about which gadgets to buy and which appliances to skip. Now, it's time for you to pick the brands that have impressed you with product quality, after-sales experience, and basically any other aspect that makes you trust them.

The 2025 edition of Digital Trends Readers' Choice awards picked up some surprising winners, showing us that an innovative new label can easily dethrone an established one if their products wow you consistently, and their services don't leave you hanging in a sea of uncertainty. This year, there are more categories to pick and more brands to vote for. From the best in the PC segment to the sleeper hit in the robot vacuum segment, we need your experience and faith to pick the brands that deserve your hard-earned money and acclaim.