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Atomos has announced three new pieces of news regarding its Ninja V lineup. First up, the Ninja V gets H.265 codec support in a new, paid upgrade. Next, Atomos has announced the new Ninja V+, an expansion of the Ninja lineup that allows 8K/30p and 4K/120p capture in ProRes RAW. Lastly, Atomos has announced the Ninja Stream, a 5” 4K/60p monitor/recorder that includes built-in Wi-Fi and ethernet connectivity for sharing video feeds across the room — or globe.
Ninja V H.265 (HEVC) Upgrade
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The Atomos Ninja V was released back in 2018. Since then, it has consistently been updated to make the most of the new sensors from various cinema, DSLR and mirrorless cameras — all of which were free on Atomos’ end. Now, the company has announced its first paid upgrade, which adds support for ‘H.265 workflows, with up to 4K/60p 10-bit 4:2:2 full ‘i’ frame with options for 8-bit at various data rates.’
Atomos says the upgrade, which will cost $99, will be released in May 2021.
Ninja V+
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Three years after launching the original Ninja V, Atomos has announced its successor is on the way in the form of the Ninja V+. The new device features roughly the same form factor as the original Ninja V, but uses a new ’stealth grey bezel’ and an updated chipset to record the highest quality video possible.
Specifically, in addition to the 30 cameras the Ninja V supported, the Ninja V+ adds the ability to continuously record 8K/30p and 4K/120p footage in Apple ProRes RAW for compatible camera systems. The Ninja V+ will also feature 10-bit HEVC codec out of the box (no need for a paid upgrade as with the Ninja V).
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| A breakdown of the various capture modes/features of Atomos’ growing Ninja lineup. Click to enlarge. |
Atomos is known for consistently adding support for new cameras as they’re released, but in its press release, Atomos only mentions 8K/30p ProRes RAW recording with Canon’s EOS R5 and 4K/120p ProRes RAW recording with the Z Cam E2 and E2-M4 — all over HDMI. As with the Ninja V, the Ninja V+ has the option to use an AtomX SDI module for use with cameras that support Raw video over SDI, such as Sony’s FX6 and FX9 (with the XDCA-FX9 Extension unit).
The device features the same 5” 1000-nit display and is powered by AtomOS. Atomos says the Ninja V+ is coming ‘later in 2021’ for $1,499. The ‘Pro Kit,’ which includes the AtomX SDI adapter and likely other accessories, will retail for $1,699.
Ninja Stream
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Atomos has also announced the Ninja Stream, a new monitor/recorder that Atomos says ‘has been designed specifically to overcome the challenges of today’s socially distanced productions.’ Atomos says the device, which features the same 5” 1000-nit display found in the Ninja V and Ninja V+, ‘offers simultaneous recordings of both ProRes and H.264/5 proxy with shared file names and timecode, whilst sending video feeds to other Ninja’s, smart devices or web-based platforms simultaneously.’
Video feeds from the Ninja Stream can be shared with others on set via Wi-Fi or over Ethernet 1Gbe at up to 300m without the need for it to be connected to a PC for data transfer. Atomos hasn’t provided any pricing or availability information for the Ninja Stream at this time.
Welcoming new members to the Atomos Ninja Family
Melbourne, Australia – 28th April 2021 – Atomos is thrilled to announce that it is expanding the Ninja family, with two exciting new Ninja products and a major update for Ninja V!
Ninja V receives the option for H.265 codec upgrade, Ninja V+ – is built for Apple ProRes RAW 8K productions, and Ninja Stream – 4Kp60 HDR for a high-quality social distancing production environment.
The Ninja V receives H.265 (HEVC)
The original Ninja V, launched in 2018, remains the most popular Atomos product and receives the ability to add the H.265 (HEVC) codec. The 5” 1000nit 10-stop HDR-monitor allows users to accurately monitor and record from either HDMI or SDI. Atomos continues to expand Apple ProRes RAW support on all partner cameras over HDMI and SDI. The Ninja V will continue to receive updates for cameras and additional functionality via AtomX modules whilst remaining at the price of $595.
The popular Ninja V is the workhorse and creative tool of choice for the wider film and pro-video industries and will now benefit from the addition of H.265 workflows, with up to 4Kp60 10-bit 4:2:2 full ‘i’ frame with options for 8-bit at various data rates. Atomos will be adding these features through a simple one-click $99 upgrade from my.atomos.com in May 2021.
Welcoming the Ninja V+
Atomos is excited to reveal the new Ninja V+ and Ninja V+ Pro Kit, building on the foundation of the Ninja V, coming to you in May 2021. The Ninja V+ delivers high quality accurate monitoring and extended recording capabilities for your camera of choice. Delivering support for continuous recording of 8Kp30 and 4Kp120 in Apple ProRes RAW adding to the great workflow of Ninja V, that bring together the great partnerships with camera manufactures and the world’s leading editing systems for our customers.
Included in the codec arsenal is the ability to record video inputs using the10-bit H.265 (HEVC) codec for high quality compressed recordings with small file sizes, which is perfect for the world we now live in, where streaming and sharing online has dramatically increased.
Ninja V+, sports a new stealth grey bezel and expands the processing power to deliver for 8k and high-frame-rate RAW recording. Using the latest chip technology, this premium Ninja has plenty of grunt to be able to record ProRes RAW at even higher frame rates and higher resolutions than the Ninja V. The extra horsepower under the hood allows the platform to add other ‘plus’ features when combined with future Atomos products and upcoming AtomX modules. The efficiency of ProRes RAW opens the possibility for creativity with the increase in resolution or frame rate whilst maintaining a workflow that can seamlessly slide on to the timeline of your existing ProRes RAW projects.
Ninja V+ and 8K workflow
We are also delighted to announce that the Ninja V+ will be able to record 8Kp30 ProRes RAW when connected to a Canon EOS R5 mirrorless camera.
Atomos and Canon are delighted to be bringing customers a world first for capturing stunning pristine 8K images with such an affordable, capable and compact camera system. This will be a true game changer in content creation.
The ProRes RAW format is a perfect vehicle for an 8K workflow, from ease of use natively on the timeline within Final Cut Pro, to the flexibility of the image processing with full adjustment of WB and ISO control.
Coupled with the proven Full Frame Canon EOS R5, this combination will propel content creators to a whole new level of production values. Coming later in 2021.
Ninja V+ and 4Kp120
Capture and visualise the unseen with 4Kp120 recording at up to ProRes RAW from the Ninja V+ and the Z CAM E2 and E2-M4 models. Fully harness the dynamic range of the sensor and capture every aspect of motion and movement directly via RAW over HDMI. Add to this the benefit of being able to play back the high-frame rate video captured on the Ninja V+ with your choice of over cranked framerate for real-time preview.
Ninja V+ Pro Kit and 4Kp120
To support SDI users, we are also introducing the Ninja V+ Pro Kit which comes packed with additional accessories and enables 4Kp120 ProRes RAW recording mode from the SDI RAW output of the Sony’s FX9* and FX6*. Customers of both Atomos and Sony will now be able to experience the benefits of working with images at a high frame rate and resolutions, whilst recording in pristine ProRes RAW directly from the Ninja V+ Pro Kit monitor-recorder for maximum flexibility in the edit.
*The FX9 requires the XDCA-FX9 Extension unit and both the FX6 and FX9 require the AtomX SDI module with RAW activation (or the Pro Kit).
H.265 (HEVC) 10-bit 4:2:2 Recording
The expanded codec family is included with the Ninja V+ and Ninja V+ Pro Kit, enabled via the codec activation in the my.atomos.com portal. Existing and future owners of the incredibly popular Ninja V and Ninja V Pro Kit can also upgrade to the highly efficient H.265 codec to expand their codec options This feature will be available in May 2021 for $99 and allowing future Ninja users to explore traditional streaming, broadcast and proxy workflows.
Ninja V+ and Ninja V+ Pro Kit
The extended family members to the Ninja V line-up come readily enabled with ProRes RAW recording from 30 different cameras via HDMI and selected RAW over SDI cameras, which provides users the option to select your preferred choice of camera body and lens optics. Combine your style and camera operational know-how with Ninja’s precise 5” 1000Nit display. Utilise the built in 3D LUT box function with your own custom LUTs or enable the AtomHDR processing engines for built in Log to HDR transforms. The bright and accurate Ninja V display allows you to lock in your LOOK on set and realise the same image in post-production with the same LOOK and options for HDR in your preferred NLEs. Users are now equipped to deliver their creative intent with higher frame-rates of 4Kp120 and 8Kp30 in ProRes RAW, edit ready codecs in ProRes and Dnx and the ability to also deliver highly efficient codecs like H.265.
Introducing the Atomos Ninja Stream – Social Distance Production Tool
In addition to the above we are also excited to introduce the Atomos Ninja Stream, which has been designed specifically to overcome the challenges of today’s socially distanced productions, offers simultaneous recordings of both ProRes and H.264/5 proxy with shared file names and timecode, whilst sending video feeds to other Ninja’s, smart devices or web-based platforms simultaneously – all from one tiny package.
The incredibly powerful Ninja Stream is a 5” 4Kp60 Connected HDR Monitor-Recorder with Wi-Fi, Ethernet and USB-C to usher in a new era of streaming on productions without a computer in sight. Video feeds are shared with others on set via Wi-Fi to devices and Ethernet 1Gbe at up to 300m and livestream your content around the world without the need for a PC – all at the same time.
The Ninja Stream provides users with a device that delivers everything they know and love about the Atomos Ninja V and adds features that have been designed for the Covid-19 world.
Author:
Gannon Burgett
Source: Dpreview
