Atomos cuts costs to Bare Bones

Anyone buying a recorder from Atomos has always got a lot for their money - including various accessories, such as a case, batteries, etc. For the $1,995 Shogun, there are more than $500 of accessories included (HPRC hard case, AC adapter, SSD media cases, D-Tap adapter, 5200mAh battery, battery charger, XLR breakout cable and SSD docking station).

If you already have an Atomos system, you may not need all of these items, which is why Atomos is adding a complete range (in May) of “Bare Bones” models, which reduces the price of the Shogun (with just an SSD media case, AC power supply and a soft case) to $1,695, the Ninja 2 to $395, and both the Ninja Blade and Samurai Blade to $795. The complete suite of Shogun accessories will also be available for $395, and $195 for Ninja Blade and Samurai Blade.

Tiny Blackmagic Studio Camera

Blackmagic Design must terrify the big broadcast camera manufacturers. Although its first cameras had their limitations, they were very good value. However, its third-generation cameras launched this week at NAB, look like proper broadcast and digital cinema cameras - but at budget prices.

The new Blackmagic Studio Camera, in particular, goes to the heart of the broadcast business for Sony, Grass Valley, Panasonic, Ikegami, JVC and Hitachi, and overtakes them all. At just $1,995/£1,250/€1,500 for the HD model (which is available now), and only $2,995/£1,800/€2,200 for an Ultra HD (4K) version (shipping in June), they are incredible value for anyone putting together a TV studio.

Blackmagic Ursa upgradable camera

Blackmagic Design has announced a new high-end digital film camera with a user-upgradable sensor and lens mount, larger-than-normal 10-inch fold-out monitor, and a multi-screen design that should make it simpler to use. Its feature set and upgradability cover many of the most common requests on user’s wish lists.

The Super 35-sized Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) image sensor has a global shutter (so no more CMOS sensor rolling shutter effects) and will be replaceable, along with the lens mount, which can be EF or PL, or even, with a broadcast video sensor, a B4 mount.

Atomos Shogun 4K recorder launched

Atomos has announced a new 4K AppleProRes and RAW capable recorder, the Shogun, which uses new 12G-SDI and 4K HDMI connections.

The Shogun is the first 12G-SDI and 4K HDMI I/O monitor recorder, and features a 1920x1200 SuperAtom IPS 7-inch touchscreen (with 325 pixels per inch), 179º viewing angle and 400nit brightness. The monitor can also automatically switch frequency (48/50/60Hz) depending on video input, to give smoother monitoring and playback. [UPDATE: It also won an award from the IABM at NAB as one of five Game Changers - see end for details].

Atomos Samurai Blade looks sharp

Atomos announced its latest field recorder, the Samurai Blade, at NAB, which it promises will answer demand for a recorder that is also a fully fledged on-camera monitor.

It competes with the larger Convergent Design Odyssey7 monitor-cum-recorder on base price ($1,295), but unlike the Odyssey the Blade includes recording capability from the start, and will be the less expensive option if you don’t need the raw and higher-speed recording capabilities and extra screen size of the Odyssey.

Convergent Design Odyssey7 + 7Q

A full-featured 7.7-inch OLED monitor that can also be a high-quality recorder (for Avid DNxHD, raw and 4K formats) is the attraction of Convergent Design’s adaptable new Odyssey7 and 7Q products.

As a monitor, it costs from $1,295, with the recording capabilities available as optional upgrades (online licenses for the various formats, such as DNxHD). Given that some users might only need a format like Arrirraw for a few days shooting, the licence for this will also be available for daily rental.

Datavideo MS-3000 production unit

A new, low-cost modular production unit that can be used as a flyaway or be quickly fitted in a van has been unveiled by Datavideo. The MS-3000 Portable Production Unit will cost from about £12,000-13,000 for a full, turnkey system.

It sold the first one at BVE for live events production with eight cameras, and the system will be available as a completely customisable package, including free fitting of equipment a buyer already has, according to Allan Leonhardsen (pictured), sales and marketing director of Holdan, the Datavideo distributor, which will assemble the unit at its UK facility.

The PPU is based around the SE-3000 8- or 16-channel 2M/E broadcast vision mixer (which costs from about £9,000 and has two mix/effects channels, full 3D effects, transitions, picture-in-picture and sophisticated keying, including chromakey effects), and will almost certainly include talkback, hard disk recorders, vectorscope and waveform monitors, and power distribution sensors.

It is designed to be easy to install in a small van or temporary studio. As a single cased unit, running on caster wheels, it can be rolled in to place to provide instant television and AV facilities.

“We want it to be that you turn up, plug it in, and be live in seconds,” explained Leonhardsen. “We’re not using systems like embedded computers that take a long time to boot up. We want to make sure that if you lose power, you are back on line in five to ten seconds, maximum. It’s very much aimed at the live market, or anyone who wants stability.”

Holdan hopes to create set configurations, to make it easy for customers to specify and check price points, and talked to prospective users at BVE to find out what they’d need in such a package (one item being coffee cup holders – so users are less likely to spill drinks on it), but he expects that almost everyone will want to choose their own configuration. As it will be created from a kit of modules, it will be possible to keep prices low despite the customisation.

“We can create integrated solutions but we don’t believe in it,” he added. “We don’t want it to happen that one item goes down and the whole system goes down, which is why we are using independent modules. We believe in stability and non-embedded functionality, so that independent items do independent jobs. If a hard disk recorder goes down, you can simply replace it rather than sending the whole thing back.”

Although Datavideo manufactures all the items, customers won’t have to specify them and can have a unit from another manufacturer fitted instead.

At BVE it showed a flyaway-style configuration with two 17-inch LED HD monitors, the SE-3000 switcher, dual-screen vectorscope test devices, a 16-way intercom, audio mixer and hard disk recorders. Units for live encoding, real-time graphics or additional media playout facilities can simply be inserted into the rack enclosure. Power for the PPU is supplied by a Datavideo central distribution system, which operates from 110-260v. This can have power outlets on the back for the cameras, tally, talkback and prompter (through a single multicore cable), and can be fitted with up to three redundant power supplies.

For use in a van, it has a system that clicks into the normal seating rail system, so that a people carrier can be turned into an OB van (and back) in about ten minutes – it has already used this system for a few vans in Europe and the Far East, which Leonhardsen sees as being ideal where an OB van is only needed occasionally, or to allow the system to be moved between studio and OB use.

Holdan has put up a video of the Datavideo equipment, in the Mercedes Sprinter van shown at BVE (and seen in the background of the first photo), giving more details on its benefits and how it works.

Studio in a briefcase

Also new at BVE was the Datavideo HS-2800 portable integrated production studio (pictured). The briefcase-style HD production switcher can be up and running on location in a matter of minutes, and has eight digital inputs, a built-in multi-view video monitor and 10-bit video support.

It supports multi-camera shoots, blending video sources, audio feeds, logos and graphics, and is designed for small-scale live production, or AV use for events or corporate production.

“With HD-SD conversion, downstream keying and dual picture-in-picture functionality, producers can deliver very polished TV for multiple audiences,” said Leonhardsen.

Features include high-quality digital video effects, multiple XLR inputs, a 17.3-inch monitor to display input sources, programme preview and the live programme, and an eight-way intercom system complete with headsets and tally lights.

By David Fox

Sony PMW-F5 + F55 4K cameras

Sony has announced two new 4K cameras (the PMW-F5 and PMW-F55), plus the impending arrival of the 4K upgrade for the NEX-FS700, as it begins to get serious about moving beyond HD. The new cameras will use a new codec: XAVC. All the cameras use single Super35-sized CMOS sensors.

Sony started its move into 4K (4096x2160 pixels) with the F65 last year, and now has a range of 4K-capable equipment, including domestic and professional LCD and projector displays.

The high-end F65 is well regarded in the film industry, and the camera has been used on such movies as Oblivion and After Earth.

In fact, the F65 is now going beyond 4K, following its version 3.0 upgrade it will also be able to shoot 6K and 8K Raw (it uses a full 8K/20-megapixel sensor). It will also be able to shoot at up to 120 frames per second in 8K. It can be fitted with a new 0.7-inch OLED viewfinder (the first such for this type of camera), and has received several other film-related additions, such as anamorphic lens support.

However, as the F65 moves even further upmarket, the F55 and F5 should slot seamlessly in underneath it.

Open codec architecture

The cameras will support four codecs: XAVC, for high frame rates and 4K, MPEG2 at 50Mbps, MPEG4 SStP (Sony’s SR Master codec) and Raw 4K “by the switch of a button, depending on what job you want to do,” said Olivier Bovis, Sony’s Head of AV Media.

The F5 and F55 will need the new AXS-R5 recorder for Raw, but everything else will be recorded internally on a new, faster, memory card: SxS Pro+, which will support higher frame rates and bit rates – it is about 20/30% faster than an SxS Pro card at writing/reading and comes in 64GB and 128GB versions.

The F55 will be able to simultaneously record both MPEG2 50Mbps and XAVC 4K to the same SxS Pro+ card, which means you can have a readily usable 50Mbps version for offline editing in a 4K production, or just hold an archive of 4K shots for the future while shooting for today’s broadcast standards. You should also be able to record Raw 4K at the same time to the R5 recorder.

Internally, the F55 will be able to record HD (1920x1080), 2K (2048x1080), QFHD (Quad Full HD - 3840x2160), and 4K, while the F5 will be limited to 2K and HD, but once you add the R5 both will record Raw 4K and higher frame rates.

The F55 “has a very wide colour gamut [same as the F65] and high frame rates: up to 180fps in 4K and up to 240fps in HD,” said Bovis. It also has a Global Shutter to avoid any rolling shutter skew effect or flash banding. The F5 will shoot at up to 120fps in HD. The F65 can shoot at up to 180fps at 4K and up to 240fps in 2K Raw.

The cameras are promised to offer a wide dynamic range (14 stops), high sensitivity, and low noise.

Viewfinders + monitors

Thanks to a new digital interface, the PMW-F5 and F55 will also be able to use the new DVF-EL100 1280x720 OLED viewfinder. There is also a new 3.5-inch 960x540-pixel LCD viewfinder (DVF-L350), offering 10x the contrast of previous Sony LCD viewfinders plus a flip-up eyepiece for direct monitoring, and a 7-inch 1920x1080 LCD on-camera monitor (DVF-L700).

The PMW-F55 can also connect to Sony’s new 4K 30-inch 10-bit LCD monitor (PVM-X300) for on-set monitoring, dailies and editing using four 3G-SDI interfaces to monitor pictures at 4096x2160 resolution at up to 60p while recording and playing back XAVC 4K images. It can also be connected directly to the 84-inch BRAVIA 4K LED TV for monitoring, but at a resized horizontal resolution of 3860 pixels.

Batteries + rigs

The F5 and F55 also use compact new Olivine (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries that promise twice the lifetime of conventional Lithium Ion cathodes and provide an hour of power for Raw recording when using the R5 with either the F5/F55 (Raw is more power hungry than the other codecs). There is also a new 2x faster battery charger.

The cameras will also have a new shoulder rig, “so you can easily use it shoulder mounted. It’s very modular in how you want to use it,” said Bovis.

PL-mount lenses

The F55 and F5 cameras come with a PL lens mount, for use with high-end cine-style lenses, but Sony is also launching six new CineAlta T2.0 PL-mount lenses for the cameras (20, 25, 35, 50, 85 and 135mm).

Each is certified for 4K and is designed to minimize geometric distortion, vignetting and breathing. A 9-blade iris should deliver pleasing bokeh (out-of-focus effects), and the focus rings rotate 240°. For easy lens changes, each has the same external diameter, matte box diameter, and gear locations for follow focus and aperture. All are the same lenght except for the 135mm. 

The cameras are fitted with a native FZ mount (but the PL-mount adaptor is supplied), so users will also be able to fit other adaptors for Canon EF, Canon FD, Nikon DX, Nikon G, Leica M and even 2/3-inch B4 lenses.

Availability

The F5, F55, F65 upgrade, and lenses should be available by the end of January, but 2K and QFHD recording for the PMW-F55 and 2K for the PMW-F5 will be available through a firmware upgrade. Frame rates higher than 60fps will also require a firmware upgrade.

Prices should be announced in November.

NEX-FS700 + HXR-1FR5

At its introduction, last April, Sony promised that the NEX-FS700 would be able to record 4K, and soon it will, using the new HXR-1FR5 interface unit, which has 3G HD-SDI input, to deliver Raw data, and the new AXS-R5 recording unit – which uses a new generation of Access Memory Card with 512GB of storage. It will also require a firmware upgrade.

Although the FS700 can already record high frame rates in HD, it won’t have that feature in 4K, where the available frame rates will be 23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p and 59.94p.

The HXR-IFR5 and firmware upgrade should be available between April and June 2013.

By David Fox

Review: Atomos Samurai recorder

In April 2011 I reviewed the Ninja from Atomos. If you have a DSLR or video camera with a clean HDMI output the Ninja is still a great option for recording at a higher bit rate than your camera can achieve by using its own internal compression and flash memory. In fact a new Ninja has just been launched at NAB.

There are an increasing number of field recorders on the market. The Atomos Samurai, which can record from an HD-SDI output, started shipping a few months ago, but has been in such demand that it was only recently that we could get our hands on it for a comprehensive review.

The Atomos Samurai is a 10-bit portable field recorder with HD-SDI inputs and outputs. It records in Apple ProRes (and very soon will be able to record Avid DNxHD) onto a removable 2.5-inch drive (SSD or hard disk). It has a touch screen interface that doubles up as a simple field monitor.

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

Fast Forward's sideKick recorder

The rise of the high-quality SDI solid-state on-camera recorder will continue at NAB 2011 with the launch of Fast Forward Video's new sideKick HD combined recorder/monitor.

The $2,495/£1,695 sideKick HD includes a 128GB solid-state 2.5-inch (laptop sized) drive. It joins: the recently-introduced AJA Ki Pro Mini (which uses CF cards and costs about £1,400); the new Atomos Ninja (SSD or HDD, and about £680, but HDMI only, although an SDI version, the Samurai will launch at NAB); the Convergent Design nanoFlash (CF cards, about £2,250) and its new Gemini 4:4:4 (SSDs, about £5,000); and a new SDI-based CF card recorder from Datavideo also expected at NAB.

Like the Ki Pro Mini and Ninja, the sideKick HD records Apple's 10-bit ProRes 422 codec (at 145Mbps to 220Mbps), which can be imported straight to the timeline in any non-linear editor running on a Mac (or on Windows with a QuickTime plug in).

Additional codec options are promised in future, in purchased firmware updates.

The sideKick includes a 480x272 pixel resolution 4.3-inch TFT display for live and playback monitoring (including scrub and jog).

It has both HD-SDI and mini HDMI inputs (so can be used with DSLRs and budget camcorders without SDI), and it has automatic recording and frame rate/resolution sensing functions. It can record: 1080p at 29.97, 25 or 23.98, 1080i at 59.94 or 50, and 720p at 59.94, 50, 29.9, /25 or 23.98. It can also record eight channels of embedded audio at 24 bits/48 KHz, and has an analogue mini-jack microphone input.

It measures about 16x10.5x5.3cm, and weighs about 285g without the drive. There is also a USB port, which FFV says is for future use.

The sideKick HD comes with an AC power adapter, has a Mini XLR power connector (9-16v DC), and requires 16-21W of power. It can also be fitted with an Anton/Bauer or V-Lock battery adapter cable or have an optional external battery with charger.

By David Fox

Marshall monitor makes HDMI loopy

Marshall Electronics' latest 7-inch monitor is claimed to be the "world’s first camera-top field monitor with HDMI loop-through" avoiding the need for HDMI splitters, additional power sources and other requirements necessary to split the signal.

The V-LCD70XP-HDMIPT allows users to pass-through the HDMI video input to another monitor, or electronic viewfinder, for a client, director, focus puller or others to view on-location.

The monitor also includes composite and component inputs, adjustable backlight, HDMI Auto Colour Space and Ratio detect, manual gamma adjustment, Image Flip, pixel-to-pixel display, 1/4-inch mounting on all sides, and a robust power switch.

Other features include a wide variety of screen formats and markers, four user- configurable front panel function buttons, RGB Check Field / Field Detect, and RGB gain and bias control.

It also has False Colour (an exposure aid) and Peaking (for focusing), plus a new DSLR Ratio Adjustment feature for Canon DSLRs. This allows users to scale video that does not completely fill the monitor's screen when connected via HDMI in Record mode on some Canon DSLRs - choosing between Normal, 3:2, 16:9, and Full Screen.

The $1,199 V-LCD70XP-HDMIPT has an 800x480 LCD panel and can be used with nine different battery configurations for mobile operation. This option provides flexibility when using different cameras. All battery configurations can be swapped by the end-user.

By David Fox