Atomos Power Station

The new Atomos Power Station is designed to solve the problem of running out of power in the middle of a shoot and having to change batteries on cameras, lights and other equipment. It can also be used for anything that can be powered using a USB port (it has two), such as iPhones or even iPads.

It can deliver up to 48W of power, which limits the size of lights or complex camera rigs that it can be used with, but for 80-90% users this should be more than enough.

Canon EOS-1D C DSLR for 4K video

Canon has announced a new full frame DSLR, the EOS-1D C, that can shoot 4K video (4,096 x 2,160 pixels) at 24 frames per second, or HD (1920 x 1080) at up to 60fps. It should ship in October with a list price of $15,000 or £10,000/€12,300 (including VAT).

Designed for movie and TV production, it is claimed to offer “advanced low light performance and film-like dynamic range”. In 4K, it records 4:2:2 colour sampling (compared to the 4:2:0 typical of DSLRs), but using only 8-bit Motion JPEG compression (the same as the widely praised C300 camcorder, but 10-bit would give better fidelity). For HD it records 4:2:0 internally.

The camera records internally to Compact Flash cards at all resolutions up to and including 4K, but video (excluding 4K) can also be output to an external recorder via HDMI for an uncompressed YCbCr 4:2:2 signal.

It also features Canon Log Gamma, which can allow users to maximise the exposure latitude and dynamic range – claimed to be comparable to film (which should mean about 13-14 stops dynamic range – similar to the Arri Alexa and one or two stops more than the C300).

“The EOS-1D C is a fantastic addition to the Cinema EOS System,” said Kieran Magee, Marketing Director, Professional Imaging, Canon Europe. “Since the introduction of Cinema EOS we’ve had an excellent response from professionals who are hugely excited by the image quality and creative freedom the system offers. The new EOS-1D C will expand those creative options further – it’s a unique camera, supporting 4K video recording in a highly compact body that can be used in a number of different ways. We’re very excited to see what the professional community can achieve with it.”

It uses an 18.1-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, although this is cropped to an area equivalent to an APS-H sensor (with a crop of 1.3x) for 4K work, so that there is no need to resize or scale the image, to ensure maximum image quality. For HD, it can use either the full 35mm frame for the shallowest possible depth of field or a Super 35mm (APS-C) crop – as used by almost all current digital cinema cameras.

Sensitivity of up to ISO 25,600 is on offer with “reduced noise in low-light situations”.

There is support for 24, 25, 30, 50 and 60p frame rates in HD, plus timecode, and a choice of compression methods to fit in with most post-production workflows. As a stills camera it can shoot 12fps (and there is a 14fps burst mode). It has a 61 point auto focus system, and uses dual DIGIC 5+ processors.

It has a built-in headphone jack for realtime audio monitoring, and the ability to view the camera’s 3.2-inch (8.1cm) LCD when the HDMI port is connected to an external monitor. It uses the same LP-E4N battery pack as the EOS-1D X (due to ship in mid June), and can also be powered by an optional AC adapter.

The EOS-1D C will come with software that allows 4K/Motion JPEG and 60p HD video to be output on an external monitor (via a PC equipped with an SDI port) with no loss of image quality. It also enables video shot with Canon Log Gamma to be output on a monitor with standard video gamma applied.

Additional applications include Picture Style Editor and EOS Utility, which enable adjustments to various camera settings to be conducted from a PC. Realtime procedures, such as the editing and registration of picture styles or checking results on a monitor, can be performed on-set using a PC or Mac.

The EOS-1D C is compatible with more than 60 EF lenses, with focal length options ranging from 8mm to 800mm. Over 70 million EF lenses have been manufactured since the EOS system launched in 1987. Canon has also introduced a range of 4K EF Cinema Lenses.

Related posts: New Sony NEX-FS700 4K camcorder; JVC HMQ10 handheld 4K camera; Canon EOS 5D Mark III launched + Canon EOS C500 4K camcorder launches
By David Fox

Canon EOS 5D Mark III launched

Three-and-a-half years ago, Canon kick-started the large sensor revolution with its full-frame DSLR, the EOS 5D Mark II. Since then it has been used on numerous TV dramas, such as House, and other productions to achieve shallow depth of field. Now Canon has introduced the 5D Mark III, which addresses most of the Mark II’s problems.

While the 5D Mark III isn’t the huge leap forward that some users had expected, it does have all the video features previously announced for the up-coming EOS-1D X, but at about half the price, and adds a headphone jack for audio monitoring.

It can record using either interframe or intra-frame compression. The interframe IPB AVC H.264 compression is apparently about 31Mbps (according to the Canon USA website figure of 235MB/min - the 5D Mark II was about 38-40Mbps). However, it has been reported elsewhere as 50Mbps (variable bitrate). The ALL-I intra-frame codec has been reported variously as being 78Mbps, 91Mbps (from the 685MB/min on Canon's US site), and even 300Mbps+ (although maybe that was just the recommended specification for the Compact Flash card). It too is a variable bit rate, and also varies depending on frame rate (going to 81Mbps for 720/60p). However, if we take 91Mbps as correct, that is not necessarily sufficiently better than the Long GoP (group of pictures) interframe compression for broadcast work. The BBC/EBU recommendation for minimum bit rate for interframe is 50Mbps, while for intra-frame recording it is 100Mbps (see What makes an HD camera?) - interframe recording is a lot more efficient than recording all the frames individually, although intra-frame should be easier for post production as the computer doesn't have to look at half-a-second's worth of video just to decode a single frame.

It will shoot 1080 at 24, 25 or 30p, plus 720 at 50/60p (at variable frame rates). There has been a lot of griping that it doesn't do 1080 at 50/60p, but there aren't many professional video cameras that do 50/60p at a decent bit rate, so it's a bit much to expect a relatively low-cost DSLR to do it.

According to Canon, “the new full-frame sensor combines with the vast processing power of DIGIC 5+ [processor] to improve image quality by virtually eradicating the presence of moiré, false colour and other artefacts,” which was the principle problem with the Mark II. In the initial videos released by Canon, these artefacts don’t appear to be noticeable (although the sample online videos are too compressed to make an accurate judgement). There still seem to be some rolling shutter effects (jello), but this appears to be much reduced compared to the Mark II.

Other video related changes include the addition of a movie mode switch and a recording button (similar to the 7D), which enables users to begin shooting immediately when movie mode is engaged (and also allows two completely different settings for movie and stills modes), and locks to prevent accidental exposure changes (something that was a paid upgrade for the Mark II). The rear control wheel is now touch sensitive, so you can make light-fingered adjustments as you are shooting without potentially knocking the camera. Users can also check and adjust audio during recording via the camera’s Quick Control screen. It also adds free-run and rec-run timecode support.

The camera is also considerably better in low light than the Mark II (which was itself a pretty good performer in low light), by about two stops.

There are two card slots (for SD and Compact Flash cards) and users can record to both cards simultaneously, or automatically switch from one to the other when the first card is full. Instead of the 4GB limit per recording (which amounted to about 12 minutes on the Mark II), the Mark III can record up to 29 minutes 59 seconds without pause, as the camera seamlessly connects the 4GB files.

The magnesium body is apparently more weatherproof and durable than the Mark II. It also has a better LCD, using the 3.2-inch 1.04million-dot screen from the 1D X.

One problem with the Mark II that wasn’t addressed was the HDMI output, which still doesn’t produce a clean signal, so can’t be recorded on an external recorder, although the Mark III no longer reduces the resolution to 480p via HDMI when recording starts (which will be better for anyone using an add-on monitor).

Canon now faces a lot more competition than it did in November 2008. The Nikon D800, which should start shipping before April, is the obvious full-frame, full-HD rival, and it will allow a clean HDMI feed for external recording – although not the adjustable audio levels, frame rates above 30fps or higher bitrate in-camera recording of the Mark III (the D800 is limited to 24Mbps).

Canon’s own EOS C300 is a much lauded large-sensor (APS-C/Super 35mm size) video camera, which looks good in low light. And there are now a wide range of large-sensor video cameras that are relatively inexpensive (at least by the standards of a few years ago), from Arri’s Alexa to Sony’s F65, F3 and FS100, and Panasonic’s AF101. At the lowest budget end, Panasonic’s GH2 DSLR can produce lovely-looking video (once it has been loaded with the independent Driftwood hack that allows it record at up to 176Mbps).

At the C300 launch, Canon also promised to introduce a new 4K Cinema EOS full-frame DSLR camera by the end of this year, which may be a further consideration.

“The EOS 5D Mark III represents a big step forward for the EOS 5D series,” said Kieran Magee, Marketing Director, Professional Imaging, Canon Europe.

It “is an exceptional camera and we’ve listened carefully to feedback from its passionate community of users to improve performance in every area. This camera has been designed to meet virtually any creative challenge – it’s faster, more responsive and features the tools to adapt to everything from studio photography to creative videography, while producing results of the highest quality,” he claimed.

The EOS 5D Mark III will be available from end of March 2012, with a list price of £3,000 / €3,570 including VAT, or $3,500.

By David Fox

Canon EOS-1D X filmmaker’s DSLR

HD DSLRs have been hugely popular, partly because of their low cost, but also because of the creative possibilities of the large sensor and shallow depth of field. Now Canon has announced its next generation DSLR, the EOS-1D X, which is positioned as "the film-maker’s DSLR" and addresses most of the main problems video users have with its 5D Mark II and 7D cameras.

It will allow users to record full HD movies from its full-frame 24x36mm CMOS sensor with a full range of manual settings to control exposure, focus and frame rate - 1920x1080 at 30 (29.97), 25 and 24 (23.976) frames per second, or 1280x720 at 60 (59.94) and 50fps, plus SD video in PAL or NTSC.

Sound levels can be displayed on the 3.2-inch 1.04million-dot LCD screen and adjusted during a take. It also has SMPTE Timecode (Rec. Run and Free Run), so you can synch it with other cameras or audio recorders.

It will use a new H.264-based intra frame (ALL-i) video codec to maintain higher video quality (and to be more edit friendly), limiting compression to retain more information for post-production – although it appears that it is still 8-bit video (.MOV files). Canon hasn't yet revealed what bitrate it will use, but anything less than the 50Mbps required by most broadcasters for HD (and offered by Canon's XF range of video cameras) would be a disappointment (and the only, unconfirmed, report there is about the bit rate is that it will record six minutes on a 16GB card, which is about 44Mbps). There is also an interframe IPB long-GoP compression option.

Dual Digic 5+ processors

It has dual Digic 5+ processors that work to reduce moiré artefacts, rolling shutter effects and chromatic aberration. There is no line skipping, which will also help deliver a cleaner picture. The new Digic 5+ processor is 17x faster than the Digic 4.

The camera also offers longer recording, automatically creating a new file once the 4GB file limit has been reached, which allows it to record for up to almost 30 minutes at a time (up from about 12 minutes before the 4GB limit kicked in). The new 29 minutes 59 seconds limit is due to EU levies on video recorders, which would result in about a 30% price increase if it recorded for 30 minutes or longer. It has two Compact Flash card slots for recording.

The sensor has much improved light gathering capabilities and wider dynamic range (the individual pixels are 0.55 microns larger than those on the 5DMkII's sensor, with gapless microlenses for enhanced light gathering efficiency, higher sensitivity and less noise at the pixel level). 

The ISO range for movie shooting now runs from ISO 100 to 51,200 (for stills it can be expanded to go from 50 to 204,800). In the sample EOS-1D X movie on the Canon website, the video was recorded at ISOs up to 25,600 with no appreciable noise – at least not viewable at the resolution the video is shown at.

There is also a dedicated Digic 4 processor for the metering system, which also handles face detection and colour to ensure correct exposure levels and improved auto-focus tracking, using a redesigned 61-point focusing system.

It has a Gigabit Ethernet port (above - top right), which could mean it can download video remotely and enhance its remote control capabilities, but exact details of what this might enable for video weren't revealed.

The EOS-1D X is also Canon's top-end stills camera, replacing both the 1Ds Mark III and 1D Mark 4, and shooting 18.1-megapixel images at up to 14 frames per second. It will cost about $6,800/£5,299/€6,299 when it ships at the end of April [UPDATE - now expected mid June 2012].

EOS milestone

Canon produced its 50-millionth EOS-series SLR camera in September (having made 10 million EOS cameras in just 16 months), and expects to have manufactured 70 million of its EF lenses by the end of October (producing 10 million in a mere nine months) – it started manufacturing both ranges of cameras and lenses in 1987.

Related posts: Canon EOS-1D C DSLR for 4K video + Canon EOS 5D Mark III launched

By David Fox

FCPUG IBC SuperMeet on Sunday

The Fourth Annual Final Cut Pro User Group Amsterdam SuperMeet takes place next Sunday (11 September), to coincide with IBC. It will be at the Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky in Dam Square, with talks and demonstrations from filmmakers, colourists, and editors. 

Speakers include: Michael Wohl, one of the creators of the original Final Cut Pro and an authority on Final Cut Pro X, which he will demonstrate; Adobe's Jason Levine (pictured above at a previous SuperMeet) talking about Adobe Premiere Pro 5.5 for FCP editors; film editor Eddie Hamilton describing the workflow on X-Men: First Class and Kick-Ass, using Avid Media composer; and Autodesk's Jim Geduldick with the latest on Smoke on Mac OS X.

London-based colourist, Dado Valentic, who graded BAFTA winner Flying with Monsters, and the world’s first 3D opera Carmen in 3D, as well as 3D commercials for Panasonic, Red Bull and Nintendo, will discuss his workflow using the latest DaVinci Resolve 8, from Blackmagic Design. He will talk particularly about his work on fashion promos for the likes of Christian Dior and Zara. "The SuperMeet events are always really exciting and it will be great to show how I’ve used Resolve 8 to grade my latest projects," said Valentic.

DSLR Guru, Philip Bloom (pictured above at a previous SuperMeet), will show his best creations from a year that has seen him work for George Lucas, and shoot with many of the most talked about cameras, such as Panasonic's AF101, the Sony PMW-F3 and Red's Epic. Bloom will also be holding an Amsterdam DSLR Meetup, on Saturday (10 September), at 19:00, to talk about filmmaking, DSLRs, and anything else that comes up. RSVP at his Facebook Meetup Event Page. 

Tickets cost €15 online, or €20 at the door – if they are still available. SuperMeets have always sold out.

Doors open at 16:30 with an exhibition of more than 20 software and hardware developers, plus free food, and there will also be the traditional World Famous Raffle, with more than €37,000 worth of prizes from Blackmagic Design, AJA, Atomos, Adobe, Avid, nVidia, Zacuto, Red Giant Software, Telestream, Maxon, Artbeats, Boris FX, Glyph Technology, MotionVFX, Noise Industries, Imagineer Systems, Tiffen, and others.

By David Fox

Gekko lenslite DSLR mount

Gekko Technology will introduce a new DSLR mount for its established lenslite at IBC. The mount will allow direct attachment of the colour-stable, robust ringlight to Canon 5D, 7D and Nikon D3 cameras.

It will fix directly to the base of the camera via the tripod screw and secures 15mm bars that hold the lamp head on axis around the lens. The base of the mount has an additional fixing so the camera/lenslite combination can still be mounted on a tripod, but with the centre of gravity moved forward for stability.

“DSLR cameras such as the Canon 5D have become very popular tools for video content acquisition and look likely to remain so given their versatility,” commented Gekko founder and MD, David Amphlett. “The new lenslite DSLR mount provides all the benefits of a high-quality solid-state fixture that was once only the domain of much larger professional cameras."

Designed for studio or location production, and with a colour temperature of 5600K, lenslite delivers 260 foot candles of intensity at a distance of 1m. It can be used as a primary light source or as soft fill, and powered by any 12-volt to 40v power source. Accessories include filter stages, gel holder, gel cutting template, adjustable French flag, wireless or cabled dimmers and a remote DMX interface.

By David Fox

Gold Mount power for F3 + AF101

Anton/Bauer has introduced new battery packs for the Arri Alexa, Sony PMW-F3, Panasonic AG-AF100/AF101 and DSLRs.

The new additions to its Gold Mount system will include the QR-HotSwap-AR for Arri's Alexa digital camera system, the QR-Locaster for the Arri Locaster light, the QRC-Dual-PT for the Sony PMW-F3 camera, the QR-C80P for the Panasonic AG-HMC80 professional AVCCAM HD shoulder-mount camcorder, and the QRC-VBG for the Panasonic AF100/AF101 series HD camera.

Also new is the QR-DSLR for Canon's EOS 5D Mark II, 7D and 60D digital SLR cameras, which will run monitors, lights, transmitters and other accessories not possible with a standard OEM battery. It uses the Logic Series batteries and can mount to most third-party support rigs, such as Redrock Micro, Zacuto, Genus and Cinevate. It can also be configured in a pouch pack for handheld production.

“The key to our success and foundation of all of our technology begins with the Gold Mount System,” said Shin Minowa, VP of marketing and business development. He called the Gold Mount "the most secure mounting system available for professionals. The last thing Anton/Bauer Gold Mount users will have to worry about is a power failure because of a bad battery connection when shooting on location.”

The Gold Mount, which is claimed to be the industry's most widely used battery mount, is forward compatible to allow for new cell chemistries as they develop, allowing today's battery to perform seamlessly on a charger purchased ten years ago, with only a simple firmware upgrade. Central to the Gold Mount’s performance are three solid mechanical connections that lock into place, providing secure contact, with self-cleaning gold-plated pins rated for high current. It includes an InterActive Viewfinder Fuel Gauge communicating directly with the camera’s viewfinder.

By David Fox

Atomos Ninja Review

The Ninja, by Hong Kong/Australian company Atomos, is one of a growing group of on-camera recorders. These devices enable you to bypass the camera’s compression and record at a higher bitrate on those cameras that have non-compressed HDMI outputs (in the Ninja's case) or HD-SDI. [UPDATE: Atomos now has HD-SDI to HDMI and HDMI to HD-SDI Connect convertors that make it easy to add HD-SDI inputs to Ninja] [UPDATE 2: The Ninja 2 has been launched - better display, HDMI output, compatible with new AtomOS 3.0 firmware]

After a couple of delays due to software problems, the Ninja is now shipping and will be joined eventually by the Samurai, which will record using HD-SDI and have a larger, higher-resolution screen.

The Ninja comes in a handy hard carry case. The kit includes two hot-swappable hard drive caddies, two batteries with a dual charger and a docking station for the drive with FireWire 800, USB 2.0 and 3.0 and eSata connections.

PROBLEM 1 

All of these field recorders have three problems they are trying to solve.

First of all: image quality. For example the new Canon XF305 records 50Mbps 4:2:2 while Sony's EX1 and EX3 record 35Mbps 4:2:0 onto their solid-state memory cards. But, they are more than capable of exporting pictures of higher quality via their HD-SDI and/or HDMI sockets (the EX3 doesn't have HDMI, but the newer EX1R does). Field recorders allow you to tap into those higher quality images.

The Ninja records 10-bit ProRes HQ at 220Mbps, ProRes 422 at 150Mbps or ProRes LT at 100Mbps in hardware, and Apple has checked that it is "bit-for-bit accurate" (and gave its approval) according to Atomos CEO, Jeromy Young.

Most DSLR cameras record in H.264, a great codec for a video project ready for upload to the web, but not much fun to edit with. A separate recorder using a more edit friendly codec should make your editor happy and mean less time hanging around waiting for video to render or be transcoded.

PROBLEM 2

Storage capacity. A 32Gb Compact Flash card will hold around 40mins of video at 50Mbps. Most professional cameras can hold two cards, but if you need to shoot a lot of video you will have to keep swapping cards throughout the day. Plus, you typically only have one copy, which can be worrying, especially if you are new to tapeless recording.

With the Ninja you record to a 2.5-inch 9.5mm-high laptop-sized hard drive – disk or solid state. These are not included in the kit but they are readily available. A 500GB drive will give you around five hours of recording time in ProResHQ, 7.5 hours in ProRes422 and 11 hours in ProResLT. Now you can shoot all day and/or have two copies, just in case.

Atomos recommend fast (7200rpm) hard disks rather than 5400rpm ones. If the disk is knocked during recording you may see the Skippy icon – a kangaroo in a yellow diamond – to let you know there is a problem.

If your shoot involves a fair bit of rough and tumble, you should consider buying the more expensive solid-state drives (SSD). At the moment Atomos only recommends Intel SSDs, but new drives come out all the time so it is a good idea to check its checked and approved list.

The drives fit inside the supplied master caddy for protection. If you buy extra drives you way want to buy an extra pack of five caddies for around £25.

screen grab showing 3.99Gb files

During my test of the Ninja I plugged it into a Canon XF105. With its infrared function I wanted to leave it recording the wildlife in my garden all night. With a large battery on the camera and two large batteries on the Ninja, I managed to record for up to ten continuous hours. When I looked at the drive the video had been chopped into 4GB sized files (around 4min 35sec in ProRes 422).

PROBLEM 3 

Power management: Having 11 hours of recording time is no use if the batteries can’t keep up. The Ninja has a dual battery system, using common Sony DV batteries. The two NP-F570 batteries in the kit offer around 4.5 hours of power. But, these are hot swappable, so when one depletes, it will switch to the second, and the first can be replaced. So, if you intend doing a long continuous shoot you shouldn’t have any problems. I have some spare Sony NP-F970 batteries, which still had plenty of juice to spare after being on for ten hours.

Ninja dual battery system

At the moment the Ninja only shows battery voltage remaining – not time remaining. This will be upgraded in a forthcoming firmware upgrade.

Battery info screen

GETTING ATTACHED 

The Ninja with both batteries and drive weighs in at 700g. It has standard 1/4-inch mounts on the top and base of the unit. You may want to buy a variety of 1/4-inch screw-to-cold shoe connectors – especially if they have a ball and socket joint to easily position the Ninja on the camera. I used a small articulating arm to mount the Ninja to my Canon XF305. Which allows you to position the unit exactly where you want it.

An articulating arm to help position the Ninja

You’ll also need an HDMI cable to connect the Ninja to the camera (it's not included in the package). There really is no need to spend a huge amount on expensive gold cables. If the digits go in and come out of the cable you’re fine. That said cheap cables may be OK round the back of the TV, but, might not survive the rough and tumble of being on the road. If the cable falls out during recording you will get the Skippy icon warning. If you are of a nervous disposition you might want to splash out on a locking HDMI cable.

The Ninja comes with a touch sensitive screen/monitor – so it could be used by a director as a video assist or perhaps by the sound recordist to check for a boom in shot.

DSLR users may find the Ninja monitor helpful when doing very low angle shots – when a typical DSLR screen is almost impossible to see unless you lie down on the ground. 

Ninja with Canon EOS7D

The Hague CamFrame

The monitor is there just for a confidence check that you are getting an image and composition is OK. It is not something I would use to help me with focus. But, if they add peaking in a future firmware upgrade DSLR users will find it more useful.

At the moment playback on the monitor is very blocky and stutters. But, Atomos already has that on its to-do list in a future firmware upgrade.

USER INTERFACE

The Ninja interface is easy to master. So, if you don’t like reading manuals you’ll be OK. That said the manual is well written, with plenty of photos to guide you through the set up process.

Ninja Main screen

All the controls are via the touch screen monitor. When you switch on, four round buttons appear on screen - REC (record), PLAY, MON (monitor) and MENU.

Along the top of the screen the Ninja indicates whether there is No Input and once you plug into your camera what resolution and frame/field rate it is receiving.

Next to that it tells you which ProRes codec is chosen for recording. To change it just tap on the screen and it will cycle through the options. In the top righthand side of the screen you can see which battery is being used. If you tap on this you can find out how much battery voltage each battery has left.

In the bottom righthand side of the screen you get an indication of recording time. Tap on this and you’ll get information on the make and model of the drive, its size and an option to format it. Formating will prepare the disk for recording the first time it is used – but it will also delete everything on the disk too.

Drive info screen

I tested the Ninja with several cameras. Using it with the Canon XF305 and XF105 was very simple. Both cameras have a cold shoe mount and a 1/4-inch screw mount – so you can use either way to mount the Ninja. The shortest HDMI cable I had was 2m – which was too long, half that length would have been fine.

We also tried it with our small Panasonic TM700 1080 50p (or 60p US) camcorder, which normally records at up to 28Mbps AVCHD. This non-standard AVCHD format isn't easily editable by Final Cut Pro, so being able to capture it in ProRes should make it much more practical. However, it doesn't seem that the Ninja can capture 50p, instead recording it at 50i (although the pictures are an improvement).

DSLR 

Atomos will have to disappoint Canon HD DSLR users who were hoping to be able to record perfect uncompressed video via their HDMI ports. The video should still be uncompressed (so long as you don't also record in camera at the same time on some models), but it won't be perfect, as it seems that Canon has helpfully included a white square or a red (recording) dot on a corner of the output, which will be noticeable if you try to use it as full HD.

Canon EOS 7D HDMI output with red dot in the corner of the picture

Atomos has asked Canon about this, but it seems that the spoiler may be deliberate to maintain the distinction within Canon between the photographic and video divisions. 

Canon EOS 7D HDMI output with white "zoom tool" box in the corner of the picture

Atomos hadn't detected it when they tested a Canon 7D initially as they shot some footage in a studio with a white background. It was only during beta testing that users spotted it, and further testing revealed the white square on the 7D and the red spot on other models.

Panasonic TM700 HDMI output with 'helpful' info on screen.

However, some DSLRs apparently have HDMI output that is pristine (the Sony Alpha models and Panasonic's GH2 have been reported as working, although we don't have them so can't check). The Ninja also works perfectly with any video cameras they've tested it with, such as the Panasonic AF101 and Sony's F3.

WELL CONNECTED

It has LANC input/output for control (as well as the 4.3-inch touch screen). For audio, it has a mini-jack stereo input, or can record up to six channels of digital audio via HDMI (if the camera supports it), and a headphone jack.

Ninja connections - HDMI, LANC and audio

Atomos are committed to upgrading the firmware on a regular basis. So, features will be improved and added in the coming months.

Menu screen

If you press on the Ninja's menu button and then the Ninja Info button you can check which firmware version is currently running on your unit. The Ninja we recieved for review was on version 1.02. On the firmware download page they were up to version 1.04 so I thought I'd have a go.The first thing to do is download the zip file from the download page.

Then go to the instruction page and follow the instructions precisely.

The two important things to remember are to format the drive, using the Ninja, before you start and attach fresh batteries to the Ninja so that you don't lose power during the upgrade.

Once the drive was formatted I placed it in the master caddy and copied the firmware file over, which took a few seconds.

copy the firmware file to the formatted drive

Then I placed the drive in the Ninja and switched it on. There were coloured bands flashing at the top and bottom of the screen for about and minute (to prove it was doing something) and then it switched itself off.

coloured bands flash during the upgrade

Version 1.04 successfully upgraded

When I switched back on and checked the firmware was the new version 1.04. All very simple and exactly as outlined on the Atomos website.

EXPORT TO TIMELINE

Once you’ve finished recording, you place the drive in the master caddy into the docking station, which can be powered via the mains or by the FireWire connection.

Ninja Docking station

Firewire and USB 2.0 and 3.0 on docking station

If time is short you can edit straight off the drive. In fact if a whole shoot fits on one drive it could be the editing drive and archive all in one…at least in the short term.

But, us nervous types will be backing up all that data. This is all very simple just connect the Ninja drive and drag and drop the ProRes files onto the drive you usually edit from and away you go.

ATOMOS NINJA - PROS:

• Good value: It costs €795, £695 or $995
• Well built and should be robust, especially with solid-state drive
• ProRes is wonderful to edit (not just for Final Cut Pro users, as other non-linear editors can use it too, even on Windows with a plug-in) – you can even plug in and edit from the drive
• Higher quality video, which might not be easily evident when you just compare the two side by side, but will be once you do anything to the video, especially for something like colour correction, where having the 10-bit 4:2:2 images will allow you do much more subtle colour grading
• Small – it makes the AJA Ki Pro Mini look like the Ki Pro Maxi
• Easy to use interface

ATOMOS NINJA - CONS:

• Uses HDMI, which isn't usually a locking connection
• No HDMI pass through (so you can't plug it in to a better monitor)
• No HD-SDI connection (which is coming in the Samurai)
• Low-resolution monitor (480x270 – compared to 5-inch and 800x400 on the Samurai)
• Limited playback capability – although this will be improved in future, it's a much lower frame rate than normal (not helped by the low resolution)
• No XLR audio inputs (unlike some of its, admittedly more expensive competitors)

IN CONCLUSION 

The Ninja is a well built and easy to use device. It has evolved since we first saw it at IBC2010 and Atomos has obviously listened to feedback from potential customers. If you have a Pro camera with HD-SDI you may want to wait for the Samurai. But if your camera has HDMI output this is a cost effective way to back up your video on the fly at a higher quality than your removable flash media.

If you are a DSLR owner you need to check whether your camera will work with the Ninja… or hope Canon relents and issues a firmware upgrade to remove unnecessary on-screen icons.

So, is it worth buying? Certainly, if you have something like a Panasonic AF100/AF101 (although it will only output 8-bit video), any of the Sony 35Mbps XDCAM EX range (including the PWM-F3), or the little Panasonic HCK10 point-of-view camera, all of which have been approved for HD use by the BBC, but only when they are recording to an external recorder at 50Mbps or above. It is currently the least expensive such recorder on the market, and it works well – although there are still some things to iron out.

In the medium term: There will soon be a lot more recorders for you to choose from. The newly announced Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Shuttle (see our review of the Shuttle) will only cost $345 and will record uncompressed video. If you want the best for less, this is it – however, big caveat: uncompressed images are huge. If you are recording for any length of time, you'll need lots of big, expensive, SSDs. It is a great option for certain types of work where you want the maximum quality and don't need long recording times, but if you want a compressed system, to save space and allow you to edit the pictures as quickly as possible, ProRes is a great choice.

Being able to do real-time ProRes compression in the recorder is where a lot of the extra cost of the Ninja goes. The real choice for many then will be between the Ninja and the Samurai (which could ship sometime over the Summer or maybe in the early Autumn). At £929, €1,095 or $1,495, the Samurai is still very good value (about 50% less than the admittedly excellent AJA Ki Pro Mini, with its XLR inputs, both SDI and HDMI, and Compact Flash card recording).

If you have an HDMI camera, you should certainly shortlist the Ninja. If your camera only has SDI, then the Samurai would be your value choice. If you need to do both, then look to: AJA; Fast Forward Video's $2,495/£1,695 sideKick HD recorder/monitor which also records ProRes to SSDs; or the upcoming sub-$3,000 Sound Devices PIX 240 recorder, which can also record using the Avid DNxHD video format (there will also be a PIX 220 that is HDMI only and expected to be under $2,000). And if you want even higher quality recording, then the more expensive Gemini 4:4:4 (under $6,000) from Convergent Designs will be the one to watch. However, except for the Ninja, the Ki Pro Mini, and Convergent Designs' industry-standard 8-bit nanoFlash, none of those are shipping yet.

[UPDATE: Other reviews are creeping out. Here's one by LA filmmaker, James Boyd.]

[[UPDATE: Atomos has introduced new Samurai Blade with a sharper monitor and upgraded operating system (AtomOS5) – it has also cut the price of both the Samurai and Ninja-2]]

By Christina Fox

Camtrol primes grand DSLR rigs

Camtrol has introduced two aluminium rigs for DSLRs and smaller cameras, which are particularly useful for low shots, as they have foldout legs to support them on the ground.

The $450 Camtrol Grand is suitable for large DSLRs or compact camcorders, while the $399 Camtrol Prime (below) is for smaller cameras and camcorders, including iPhones. The difference is in the size of the extension for the handle. The picture above shows a Grand with two Camtrol articulating 10cm arms, an LED light, a 7-inch monitor, and Panasonic GH1 camera.

A thumb-controlled remote can be mounted on either rig. The $99 Camtroller is a LANC-based remote control, and coupled with a V-Slope Bracket, puts start, stop, and zoom functions directly under your thumb for single-handed shooting. It works with Sony, Canon, and some Panasonic video cameras and LANC-enabled DSLRs. Its wires can be run through the hollow grip to avoid them snagging in anything.

With three locking ball joints and its vertical stabilizer bar, the Camtrol rigs can be set to numerous customised configurations that allow the user to remain standing while capturing shots at ground level, overhead or around objects.

The long size stabilizer bar on the Grand allows for cameras measuring up to almost 18cm in overall height. The Grand weighs less than 1kg and supports a payload of up to 3.2kg. The standard size stabilizer bar on the Prime allows for cameras measuring up to 9.5cm in overall height. It weighs about 800g and also supports up to 3.2kg.

Camtrol also offers a $31 neoprene-cushioned Mini Clamp for mounting an iPhone or other camera accessories, which can be used with a $60, 10cm, articulating arm.

By David Fox