Atomos has announced the latest generation of its immensely popular Ninja line of camera-mounted monitor recorders – the Ninja and Ninja Ultra.
These latest Ninja recorders build on the previous versions, with new and improved headline features including a 5-inch HDR screen and ProRes RAW recording up to 8K. Atomos is also making a big claim that its latest recorders can connect to almost every camera in the world.
• Check out the best on-camera monitors to elevate your videography
Video recording internally on your camera has never been the best way to get the cleanest and richest footage possible. Only recently have camera companies finally started to include the latest RAW codecs to unleash the full dynamic range and color profiles available from a camera sensor – but still not all cameras are up to the task.
Atomos has built its tremendous success over the years by providing videographers with the tools to get the most from their footage, by using its range of external recorders that can output clean video via a camera's HDMI output.
The Atomos Ninja V and V+ were the manufacturer's latest recorders in this series, and are both incredible external recorders. It's a big Apple-esque statement to ditch the numbering from the name, so what's new with these updated models?
Starting with the new standard Ninja, it can record in 4K60p in Apple ProRes and also in the latest H.265 – which offers smaller file sizes than H.264 without compromising on quality. The new Ninja Ultra steps it up a notch in professional recording, and now includes more codecs as standard – including 6K ProRes RAW, ProRes, DNxHD as well as H.265, which were previously only available as paid add-ons for prior Ninja models. The Ninja Ultra is also able to record in ProRes RAW including 8K 30p.
The new Ninjas are also debuting an entirely new and overhauled operating system, with AtomOS 11 promising a cleaner and faster experience while also incorporating brand new features including EL Zone exposure referenced colorized image, Arri False Color, and new scheduled playback and recording tools.
With the Ninja Ultra, Atomos is going hard on pushing camera-to-cloud features. Camera-to-cloud might well be the next frontier in creative workflows, as work becomes more remote and collaborative across the globe, with lots of companies offering their own systems (with Adobe's frame.io being the most notable).
To help with this, the Ninja Ultra can be combined with the optional Atomos Connect module to enable super-fast WiFi 6E, with lower latency and higher throughput. Furthermore, you can add the Atomos Connect expansion module to either a Ninja or a Ninja Ultra to enable Atomos RemoteView, whereby you can wirelessly share your camera view not only with other Atomos screens but also with iPads, Macs and Apple TVs anywhere in the world.
For cloud workflows, the Atomos Ultra can also locally record full-quality files to ProRes RAW up to 4K 60p while at the same time recording H.265 in HD60p in the cloud. H.265 is half the size of H.264 but still is high enough quality for social media or news reporting.
The Ninja Ultra also supports automatic matching filenames, timecodes, and records from Arri, Canon, and Red cameras, with additional cameras being added over time.
For existing Atomos users, you'll be relieved to know that the new Ninja and Ninja Ultra are backward-compatible with the Ninja V and Ninja V+, so all Atomos and third-party accessories can be used with the latest Ninja and Ninja Ultra monitors. The Ninja and Ninja Ultra will be shipping from early September 2023, priced at $599 / £629 and $799 / £809 respectively (Australian pricing to be confirmed).
You can preorder the new Atomos Ninja right now at B&H or Adorama in the US, or in the UK from Wex.
If you're looking for a great screen on which to watch your content back, take a look at the best video editing monitors. You might also be interested in the best video editing software and the best free video editing software.
