The Ninja Phone might just revolutionize on-camera monitors. While we are still waiting to get our hands on one at DCW for testing, we are one step closer, as the Ninja Phone has officially started shipping ahead of IBC2024 in Amsterdam.
Early signs point to this being an incredibly exciting device for filmmakers – announced back in April of this year, the Ninja Phone allows iPhone users to use the latest iPhones (iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max) as on-camera monitor-recorders, although Atomos is promising more smartphones will be compatible soon. Personally, I would love to see the Ninja Phone paired with the larger unfolded screen of a Pixel 9 Pro Fold or Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.
The Ninja phone utilizes Apple's latest Bionic chipset in the iPhone 15 Pros, plus a video co-processor built into the Ninja Phone itself to record in up to 10-bit Apple ProRes and 10-bit H.265 from professional cameras with an HDMI output. The Ninja Phone can then use the iPhone's 5G and WiFi 6E connections to beam footage straight to the cloud or FTP servers including Atomos' own Cloud Studio (ACS).
Recording is accomplished via the iPhone's USB-C connection and the Ninja Phone app (available in the app store), which can coordinate syncing recording with external devices like wireless microphones.
“We are excited to deliver Ninja Phone to market in advance of IBC 2024,” says Atomos CEO and Co-Founder Jeromy Young. “Ninja Phone is the perfect tool for video professionals who want to adopt a cloud workflow without a complex and expensive technology footprint. And it’s great for the thousands of content creators who capture, store, and share video from their iPhone 15 Pro but aspire to work with professional cameras, lenses, and microphones. This is a real TikTok, Instagram and YouTube enhancement tool for creators!”
Costing $399/£409/AU$699, the Ninja Phone looks set to pit your iPhone against established monitor-recorders like the Atomos Ninja and Blackmagic Video Assist 7 as one of the world’s portable and connected professional HDR monitor-recorders.
