Please head to our full DJI Osmo Action hands-on review by clicking here. Today, DJI has announced the Osmo Action – their first acion camera and a direct competitor to the current “King of action cams”, the GoPro HERO7. What are the differences between these two cameras? Which one is better? You will find the answers in our comparison video and the following article. First of all, if you want to know more details and specs of the DJI Osmo Action, check our hands-on review of this camera. Last year when the GoPro HERO7 was announced, we tested the camera and its very capable HyperSmooth stabilization – more on that in our hands-on review of the HERO7. Now, which camera is better? DJI Osmo Action Versus GoPro HERO7 Our action cam specialist Gunther Machu took both the Osmo Action and the GoPro HERO7 for a spin on his mountain bike. He filmed a couple of side-by-side comparison videos as well, when he mounted both cameras on top of each other on his chest mount. You can see these comparison shots in the video above. DJI Osmo Action Versus GoPro HERO7 – 240fps 1080p modes Comparison. When we compare the stabilization of both cameras, the new Osmo Action’s RockSteady even outperformed the very good HyperSmooth of the HERO7. It is hard to believe, but the Osmo Action really does have better stabilization, which is visible in the side-by-side POV shot from the mountain bike. For this shot, the cameras were both set to manual exposure – GoPro at -0.5 and Osmo Action at -0.7. When it comes to angle of view, GoPro has a slightly wider lens, which fits the image more than the Osmo Action. When we then turn on the de-warp feature of the Osmo Action, the angle of view becomes even narrower. DJI Osmo Action Versus GoPro HERO7 – 240fps 1080p modes Comparison. When comparing the slow motion capability, both cams top out at 240fps in 1080p. As you can see from the footage, GoPro produces more pleasing images whereas Osmo Action’s image is over-sharpened with a bit more noise, especially in the shadows. All slow motion shots in Gunther’s test were shot in 240fps on both, the Osmo Action and HERO7. Color was set to D-Cinelike on Osmo and Protune Flat on GoPro. Generally speaking, the image from GoPro is slightly more pleasing. This is partly thanks to a higher maximum bitrate. GoPro’s HERO7 tops out at 75Mbps in H.265 whereas the Osmo tops out at 100Mbps, but only in H.264. DJI Osmo Action has a slightly larger battery than GoPro. Very important information and perhaps one of the best advantages that the Osmo Action has over the GoPro HERO7 is battery life. Osmo’s battery is only slightly larger (80mAh more), but the camera does a better job at power management and offers a significantly longer battery life. DJI Osmo Action Back Display is significantly larger than GoPro’s. When comparing the displays of both action cams, the Osmo Action has a larger 16:9 back screen, as opposed to the 4:3 of the GoPro. It also features a full-color front screen, which is great for vlogging or in general, when filming action scenes with a selfie stick, for instance. Last but not least, it is much easier to change the front glass element with the Osmo Action than it is with the GoPro HERO7. The Osmo features a simple thread to screw the filters on and off whereas GoPro’s system can be very hard to detach or attach, at times. Conclusion DJI did a really good job with their first action camera and they even offer it for a lower price than the HERO7. The GoPro HERO7 still remains the king of action cameras when it comes to image quality, but the new Osmo Action introduced very interesting features, including the HDR mode, de-warp feature, and the full-color front display. It even beats the GoPro when it comes to stabilization, which is very impressive. Which camera is better depends on what you are looking for. For image quality, the GoPro is better, for other features I would prefer DJI’s Osmo Action. If DJI polishes the image a bit with a future firmware update, it might actually become the overall winner. What do you think of our comparison? Which action camera left a better impression? Are you considering switching from GoPro to DJI? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

Please head to our DJI Osmo Action Versus GoPro HERO7 video by clicking here: DJI has just announced the Osmo Action, their first action camera and a direct competitor to the GoPro HERO7. It brings some innovative and unique features, like RockSteady stabilization, HDR, De-Warp, and dual full-color screens. Let’s take a close look at the Osmo Action in this hands-on review! DJI is currently one of the most innovative camera gear companies in the market. They have been dominating the drone market in the last few years and are also very successful with their line of gimbal stabilized cameras, called Osmo. Many filmmakers have been waiting for this and today is the day – DJI announces the Osmo Action – their first action camera and a direct competitor to the current king of action cams, the GoPro HERO7. If you are interested in a side-by-side comparison to the GoPro HERO7, we are publishing a separate article with a video on this exact topic very soon. In this article, I will focus on all the specs and features of the Osmo Action by itself. DJI Osmo Action – How Good is it? First of all, the DJI Osmo Action has dual full-color screens – one large touchscreen at the back and one smaller front screen right next to the lens. This is the first action cam that actually lets you see yourself when you turn the camera around. This is perfect for vloggers or action sports enthusiasts, who point this back at themselves while doing some crazy stunts. The front screen is square and you can select if the image should fill the screen – of course by cutting of the sides – or if it should show a 16:9 version of the video, with black bars on top and at the bottom. DJI Osmo Action has full-color front screen Another innovative feature is the HDR mode. When switching it on, the camera gives you considerably more details in the shadows and especially highlights. This is a great feature to have in an action cam, because very often, you will deal with bright sunlight and harsh shadows within the same shot, or quickly changing circumstances. The colors in HDR mode are nice and vivid, and you can really see a lot of details that are not visible in standard mode, even if you use the “flatter” Cinelike-D mode. Big downside with HDR mode, however, is that the image stabilization does not work in this mode at all. This makes it less suitable for point-of-view action scenes, as the image will be quite shaky. To make matters worse, the rolling shutter distortion is considerably worse in HDR mode, compared to normal filming mode. DJI Osmo Action has a small tally light on top. Talking about image stabilization, that’s the third huge innovation of the Osmo Action. DJI calls its image stabilizer “RockSteady”, and the name really does the technology justice. When you switch RockSteady on, the need for a gimbal literally disappears. It’s clear that DJI is leveraging their experience from drones and gimbals in this technology, and they do it very well. You can take a look at our side-by-side comparison video of the Osmo Action and the GoPro HERO7 to see how the stabilisation technologies compare. I can already tell you that GoPro’s Hypersmooth is very good, but RockSteady is better. DJI’s stabilization comes at the expense of some wide angle, and you can clearly see the difference in field-of-view once you switch RockSteady on. Having a less wide image has its down- and upsides, but with action cams you usually want a wider image to get close to the action. The image distortion can be repaired with the in-camera de-warp function. Because of the wide-angle lens, action cameras suffer from massive image distortion. It is the typical fish-eye look, which can be corrected in post-production. To tackle the distortion automatically, the DJI Osmo Action has a so-called De-Warp feature built in. That’s very convenient and it saves the time of doing image correction in post-production. The de-warp effect can be combined with the RockSteady stabilizer, which is nice, but it again crops the image slightly. DJI Osmo Action – Image Quality Image quality in general is very decent and appealing, and the Osmo Action supports a range of resolutions and frame rates. It can shoot at up to 4K 60p, 2.7K resolution for up to 60p, and up to 240 frames per second slow motion in 1080p. However, because the video bitrate never goes higher than 100Mbps in H.264 codec, you can see considerable artifacts – especially in the super slow motion modes. DJI Osmo Action tops at 60fps in 4K. In general, despite the available D-Cinelike mode of the Osmo Action, the image looks a bit over-sharpened in high contrast situations. The over-sharpening also amplifies noise in the shadows, in some situations. Unfortunately, there is currently no way to decrease the sharpening in the Osmo Action. In fact, there are no additional image control features apart from changing from a contrasty, colorful “Standard” to a flatter, less saturated D-Cinelike picture profile. You can, however, change the shutter and ISO and set those manually. DJI Osmo Action tops at 240fps at 1080p. I hope that DJI will give us controls over these settings – like in the Osmo Pocket or their Mavic drones – via a firmware update soon. It’s really needed and I think there is room for optimization with the overall image, especially the sharpness settings. The Osmo Action can connect to a smartphone via wi-fi. In the DJI Mimo app, which was updated to support the Osmo Action in addition to the Osmo Pocket, you get a nice preview screen of the camera. There are, however, no additional camera settings that you can’t already access via the camera itself – except for a Denoise option. The DJI Mimo app gives a live preview image. DJi Osmo Action – Build Quality As for the build quality, the DJI Osmo Action lets little to be desired. It has almost the same size as the GoPro, and the design overall is quite similar. It feels very rugged and is shockproof, dustproof and waterproof down to 11 meters depth. What’s also great, is that it shares the same accessory ecosystem with GoPro. So, if you were to upgrade from a GoPro, you are able to use the same mounts. I would have preferred to see a default 1/4″ tripod thread to be freed from custom accessories, though. The glass element in front of the lens can be unscrewed and replaced with a custom filter of choice. DJI will offer ND filters (ND4, ND8, ND16, and ND32 density) as well as orange seawater and purple freshwater filters to use with the Osmo Action. Unfortunately these filters were not yet available for our review, so we could not test them in the field. DJI Osmo Action front glass element can be easily unscrewed. Apart from the square-shaped front color screen, there is also a quite large 2.25″ touchscreen at the back of the camera. It uses the whole width of the body because it’s 16:9 (different from the GoPro screen which is 4:3). The touchscreen interface works quite well, although not every function can be found easily at first try. Good news is that the Osmo Action uses a custom battery with 1300 mAh, and in our test, the battery lived up to the manufacturer’s claims. We were able to get almost 90 minutes of battery life out of one fully charged battery (when shooting 4K/25p or 30p with RockSteady stabilization enabled). However, if you use higher frame rates in 4K, expect battery life to be reduced. DJI Osmo Action – Key Specs Sensor: 1/2.3″ CMOS, 12Mpx Lens: FOV 145° f/2.8 ISO range: 100-3200 Maximum photo size: 4000×3000 (12Mpx) Resolution and frame rates in standard mode: 4K (16:9): 60, 50, 48, 30, 25, 24fps; 4K (4:3): 30, 25, 24fps; 2.7K (4:3): 30, 25, 24fps; 2.7K (16:9): 60, 50, 48, 30, 25, 24fps; 1080P: 240, 200, 120, 100, 60, 50, 48, 30, 25, 24fps; 720P: 240, 200fps Resolution and frame rates in HDR mode: 4K, 30, 25, 24fps; 2.7K: 30, 25, 24fps; 1080P: 30, 25, 24fps Codec and Maximum bitrate: 100Mbps at H.264 (with MOV or MP4) Supported SD cards: microSD up to 256GB Battery: LiPo 1300mAh Dimensions: 65 x 42 x 35 mm Weight: 134g Front screen: 1.4″, 300ppi, 750cd/m² Back screen: 2.25″, 325ppi, 750cd/m² Conclusion All in all, DJI truly impressed us with the Osmo Action, which is their first attempt at an action camera – an area where GoPro, despite all its problems in recent years, is still the market leader. For the first time, with the DJI Osmo Action, I have a feeling that GoPro is getting a contender that can truly be problematic for their core business. The Osmo Action is not perfect, and despite the fact that I still prefer the image from a GoPro, there are a series of mighty impressive innovations in the Osmo Action that could convince a lot of existing GoPro users to upgrade to the new DJI camera, rather than another GoPro. If DJI manages to optimize image processing, GoPro will have a very serious contender with the Osmo Action. Price and Availability As with other DJI products, the Osmo Action is available right now at the moment of its announcement. Links to our partner shops can be found below the article. By buying via our links you support cinema5D in creating reviews like this one. The MSRP for the Osmo Action is US$349 (€379 including VAT in Europe). If you are considering getting the Osmo Action, you might take a look at DJI’s Trade up program. It can get you a discount on new DJI gear when trading-in your old equipment. You can check more details here. Last but not least, DJI Care Refresh is now available for Osmo Action. For a certain additional fee it offers comprehensive coverage as well as up to two replacement units within one year. More information about this program can be found here. Music Courtesy of MusicVine.com Get 25% off your next music license with code C5D25 (valid for one use per customer). What do you think about DJI Osmo Action. Get it give a fight to GoPro HERO7? Let us know in the comment section below

Ahead of NAB 2019, Atomos announced the Atomos Shogun 7 which we reported about here. This workhorse can record in ProRes RAW up to 5.7K resolution, it features live switching capabilities, and the 1500 nits HDR display can show you up to 15+ stops of dynamic range. We had the chance to talk with Atomos’ CEO Jeromy Young about their new flagship recorder and the main differences with the Atomos Inferno. Atomos Shogun 7 Tech Specs and Features The Atomos Shogun 7 is one of the most powerful external recorders in the market. Here are some of the highlights: Accepts RAW signals and records it to ProRes RAW, ProRes, CinemaDNG and Avid DNxHD. Recording up to 5.7K at 30fps, 4K at 120fps and 2K at 240fps. Color sampling in 10-bit 4:2:2 available in ProRes and DNxHD up to DCI 4K at 60fpd and 2K at 240fps. Four 6G/3G-SDI or dual 12G-SDI inputs, two 4K-SDI 12G or HD-SDI 3G/6G outputs. One HDMI 2.0 input, and one HDMI 2.0 output with HDMI-SDI cross-conversion. Optional audio breakout cable available for XLR audio input, with phantom power. Also, there is a 3.5mm mini-jack output. It is powered via Sony L-series batteries. Two slots support hot swapping for continuous power. Record to 2.5″ SSD/HDD media. This can be approved SATA SSD drives, using the included Master Caddy II, or AtomX SSDmini drives. Four ARRI anti-rotation mounting points on the top and bottom for secure mounting. If you are producing HDR content, the Shogun 7 claims to display 15+ stops of dynamic range. Also, the Shogun 7 has a new 7″ 1920×1280 display over the Shogun Inferno, with a Direct LED 360 zone backlight. The monitor should be viewable in daylight with a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, a 1500 nits brightness, and 10-bit processing (8+2 FRC). Also, the Atomos Shogun 7 is now capable of multi-camera recordings, like the Convergent Design Apollo, with quad-ISO camera recording. You can record up to four 1080/60p inputs separately, as well as the master program output too. You can use the touch screen to switch between the different cameras and select the input, which is recorded as marked cut points in XML metadata. There is a Genlock input/output so it can integrate perfectly into any configuration. Finally, the Atomos Shogun 7 runs on the latest AtomOS 10, which is currently present on the Ninja V. But, how does the Atomos Shogun 7 compare to the Shogun Inferno? Atomos Shogun 7 vs. Shogun Inferno The Shogun Inferno, which has been their flagship recorder until the Shogun 7 announcement, was already capable of recording in many of the same formats as the Shogun 7, however they enhanced the display technology to offer these (claimed) 15 stops of dynamic range. Jeromy Young explains in detail how it works in the video you can see above. There are separate LED areas behind the display that can be made brighter – not on a pixel level though, but in larger areas. Other than that, the Shogun 7 features the new AtomOS interface that the Shogun Inferno doesn’t have, and the live-switching capabilities which are also new. The Atomos Shogun 7 will be available in June, you can already pre-order it, using the links below. What do you think of the Shogun 7? Do you already own a Shogun Inferno and consider upgrading to the Shogun 7? Let us know in the comments down below!

The Atomos Shogun 7 is the most featureful recording and monitoring device on the market, capable of recording 5.7K ProRes RAW, live vision switching and an HDR display that allegedly delivers 15+ stops of dynamic range. Video Recording Up To 5.7K In ProRes RAW As cameras continue to grow in resolution, as does the recording technology. The Atomos Shogun 7 can record up to 5.7K resolution recording, up to 4K 120fps and 2K 240fps for super slow motion action in ProRes RAW (dependant on camera capability). At present, there isn’t a recorder on the market that is capable of capturing those resolutions and frame rates in RAW, which is an incredible advancement in recording technology. The Shogun 7 seems to replace the Shogun Inferno as Atomos’ flagship recorder. 10-bit 4:2:2 recording is available up to 4K/60p and 2K/240p in ProRes or DNxHR formats, for richer color. The Atomos Shogun 7 is not restricted by inputs like in previous incarnations; four SDI inputs support support Quad Link, Dual Link or Single Link cinema cameras. There is also one HDMI input and one HDMI output for tethering to additional monitors and making use of the Dolby Vision HDR output. Audio inputs have also been considered in the Shogun 7, which can take 48V stereo microphone inputs through a balanced XLR breakout cable (optional). The mic or line levels can be selected and gain adjusted on the device and monitored via the 3.5mm mini jack output. The frame delay can also be adjusted. Atomos Shogun 7 Capable Of Multi-Camera Recording The Shogun 7 is also capable of transforming into a multi-camera switcher, with quad-ISO camera recording. Up to four 1080/60p inputs can be recorded separately, as well as the program output too. The user can select the input to switch to via the touch screen, which is recorded as marked cut points in XML metadata. This is ready to edit, and can be imported into an editing system with the cut points in place. Audio from a separate mixer is recorded within each ISO channel, with an additional two channels of embedded audio from the camera or source. With Genlock I/O too, the Shogun 7 will fit into many existing multi-camera and live event setups, without the need for a separate vision mixer. The Atomos Sumo19 will also receive this feature via a firmware update. Improved HDR Display and Dolby Vision HDR Output The full HD (1920×1080) HDR display on the Shogun 7 claims to display 15+ stops of dynamic range, which is more than any other Atomos monitor, or high-end production monitors. That is a truly revolutionary, albeit bold claim, as some of the most expensive HDR displays on the market in fact can barely show more than 10 stops of dynamic range (very different to the dynamic range that modern cinema cameras are capable of recording). It is rated at 1500nit (the same as the Shogun Inferno), but has a completely new 360 zone backlight consisting of 360 individual LED’s. This makes the monitor super bright in daylight with a contrast ration of 1,000,000:1, and capable of displaying millions of colors and shades. Dolby and Atomos have joined forces to create ‘Dolby Vision HDR live’ which enables true, on-set analysis of Log or RAW footage for the best possible playback on an HDR screen. This is particularly beneficial for a DoP and director on set who wish to monitor the footage in HDR while it’s being shot. This feature is available when the Shogun 7 is connected to a Dolby Vision TV via HDMI. AtomOS 10 Interface Update The Atomos Shogun 7 is receiving the latest operating system and user interface, which is currently present on the Ninja V. Four ARRI anti-rotation mounting points have been included on the top and bottom of the device for secure rigging. Two hot-swappable NP-F type batteries can be mounted onto the device, with the recording media also mounted on the rear of the device. This can be approved SATA SSD drives or AtomX SSDmini drives. Here are the key specifications of the Atomos Shogun 7: Up to 5.7K/30p recording in ProRes RAW (camera dependent). Up to 2K/240p recording in ProRes RAW (camera dependent). ProRes RAW, ProRes, CinemaDNG (up to 30p) and DNxHD formats supported. 1500nit true HD display capable of 15+ stops of DR. 1 x HDMI input, 4 x SDI inputs. 1 x HDMI output, 1 x SDI output. Live multi-camera switching and ISO recording up to 1080/60p. HDR monitoring in many supported Log profiles. Dolby Vision HDR capable for on set HDR monitoring. 2 x, 1.5x, and 1.33x anamorphic de-squeeze. Genlock In/Out Balanced audio inputs with phantom power via optional breakout. Takes NP-F type batteries. Records onto AtomX SSDmini or approved SATA SSD drives. The Atomos Shogun 7 appears to be the all in one solution for external video recording and HDR monitoring. Ultra high-resolution recording and frame rates that record in rich ProRes RAW way surpasses the internal capabilities of many cameras. Additionally, a separate vision mixer is no longer needed for capturing multi-camera filming or live events. Atomos appears to have considered so many options to include in the Shogun 7, making it a top choice for video makers right now! The Atomos Shogun 7 will be available from June. Our team will try to get their hands on a review unit as soon as possible to compare with the existing Shogun Inferno, and we will shoot a video about the device at NAB in Las Vegas in the coming days. Will you be upgrading your Atomos devices to the Shogun 7? Let us know in the comments.  

TVLogic announced two new full HD monitors which will be presented at NAB 2019. The F-7H mk2 is a second generation of the world’s brightest 7″ field production monitor with 3,600 nits maximum luminance and many professional features. F-5A is a new compact 5.5″ on-camera monitor. Both monitors feature SDI and HDMI inputs and outputs with cross conversion. Two new monitors from TVLogic. TVLogic is based in Korea. The company was established in 2002 and quickly became one of the leading monitor manufacturers in our industry. A couple of days prior to NAB 2019 they announced new products to be presented at the show. Among those, there are two new monitors – the F-7H mk2 and the F-5A. Let’s take a brief look at them. By the way, if you want to learn more about how monitors are made, make sure to check our TVLogic factory tour video. We had exclusive access to their factory and they showed us how they are producing these products. TVLogic F-7H mk2 The first generation F-7H from TVLogic came out during last year’s NAB. Since then it became a very popular monitor, especially among 1st ACs. The reason is its whopping 3,600 nits of maximum luminance, which made it the world’s brightest 7″ field production monitor. Such a bright monitor, of course, makes pulling focus in bright sunlight much easier. The TVLogic F-7H mk2 is the upgraded version of this monitor. It features the same 7″ IPS LCD screen with full HD resolution (1920×1080) and maximum luminance of 3,600 nits. Combined with reduced surface reflection it allows nailing focus even in bright sunlight. TVLogic F-7H mk2. What is new for the new version of it though? There are now new touch keys on the front bezel to provide faster and easier access to frequent settings. The new monitor is also equipped with enhanced sharpness and a new peaking boost function for focus pullers. The TVLogic F-7H mk2 supports multiple video formats via 3G-SDI and HDMI 1.4 input and output interfaces including SDI↔HDMI cross conversion. All the professional features known from the first generation are still included. The monitor features include Waveform, Vectorscope, Focus assist, Anamorphic desqueeze, Split zoom, H/V flip, Auto flip, Arri metadata, Zoom, Luma(Y’) zone check, Camera LUTs, HDR emulation, and more. Here is a quick glance at key specs of the TVLogic F-7H mk2: display size: 7″ IPS LCD resolution: 1920×1080 color depth: 16.7M viewing angle: 160°(H) and 160°(V) maximum luminance: 3,600 cd/m2 (nits) contrast ratio: 1200:1 weight: 0.8kg (1.76 lbs) powering: DC 12V / 34V or optional V-Mount battery plate inputs: 1 x SDI, 1 x HDMI outputs: 1 x SDI, 1 x HDMI – both with cross conversion TVLogic F-5A The F-5A is TVLogic’s brand new compact and lightweight on-camera monitor. Its 5.5″ screen also features full HD resolution, but the maximum luminance is only 500 nits. The monitor has dual SDI and HDMI 1.2 input and output interfaces with HDMI↔SDI cross conversion. TVLogic F-5A. It includes a handful of useful professional features such as Waveform, Vectorscope, Focus assist, Anamorphic desqueeze, Camera LUTs, HDR emulation and more. For better focusing, the monitor incorporates enhanced sharpness and a new peaking boost function. It also has a headphone jack for audio monitoring. I summed up the key specs of the TVLogic F-5A: display size: 5.5″ IPS LCD resolution: 1920×1080 color depth: 16.7M viewing angle: 160°(H) and 160°(V) maximum luminance: 500 cd/m2 (nits) contrast ratio: 1000:1 weight: 0.42kg (0.92 lbs) powering: DC 12V / 34V or built-in Sony L battery plate inputs: 1 x SDI, 1 x HDMI 1.2 outputs: 1 x SDI, 1 x HDMI – both with cross conversion Pricing and availability The monitors should be available for pre-order soon. When it comes to pricing, the smaller F-5A seems to be priced around $850 USD. The bigger ultra-bright F-7H mk2 is priced at around $2,300 USD. This is only slightly higher than the first generation, which is now selling for around $2,000 USD. These two monitors are not the only fresh products announced for NAB 2019. The Korean company has more up its sleeves and the other products will be covered in a separate article. All new products from TVLogic will be shown at NAB in booth C3639. If you plan to visit the show, make sure to stop by and check them out. What do you think of TVLogic monitors? Do you have experience using their products? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

The NEW Atomos Shinobi SDI is a 5″ super-lightweight 4K/HD HDR camera-top monitor with HD-SDI input/output and a 4K HDMI input connection interface.  Atomos Shinobi SDI It seems like the guys at Atomos don’t really sleep much. Last month they announced the Shinobi – an HDMI connection interface-only monitor, and today, its more professional sibling has just been announced. The new monitor prides itself of being compact, durable and ultra clear/ultra bright in daylight (1000nit display). The anti-reflection as well as anti-fingerprint screen has a pixel density of 427 PPI (pixels per inch) and is factory calibrated for color accuracy. Users owning a camera with SDI can greatly benefit from this new monitor. Weighing just 226g/7.8oz (exc. batteries), the Shinobi SDI is light enough to sit comfortably on top of a camera, or on an arm out in front of the operator, in place of a viewfinder. Atomos Shinobi SDI A full suite of scopes – waveform, RGB parade, vectorscope and audio-level meters, combined with focus peaking, 4:1 / 2:1 / 1:1 zoom, customizable zebras, false color, frame guides and broadcast safe markers are of course also included, as part of AtomOS 10. A complete picture of what is going on in the image at once can be achieved by engaging the new multi-tool ‘Analysis mode’. The Atomos Shinobi SDI should is now available for pre order for $499 / €499 plus local taxes. Are you  an owner of the Atomos Shinobi HDMI? Please share with us your experience with using that monitor. 

At MWC 2019, Sony just announced a couple of new smartphones including the new Sony Xperia 1. For the first time, the Sony Mobile team worked together with the Sony Alpha, Sony Bravia, and Sony CineAlta teams. The result is an impressive smartphone furnished with a three lenses camera, and an OLED 4K HDR 21:9 CinemaWide display. Let’s take a look at it. Massive OLED 4K HDR 21:9 CinemaWide Display One of the first thing that stands out when you look at Sony’s new Xperia 1 is the big 6.5″ 21:9 screen. The screen resolution is 1644 x 3840. A 21:9 display is not a “world premiere” as smartphones like the Huawei Mate 20 RS also features this screen size. This extra-wide format of the screen is especially useful if you want to watch contents shot in a 2:35 aspect ratio without any black bars on your screen. However, what is unique about the Sony Xperia 1’s display is that it is the first OLED 4K HDR screen in a smartphone. You can tell that the Sony Mobile team teamed with the Sony Bravia team. The Xperia 1 has a 10-bit display that should be able to display contents without any banding. With a high contrast ratio of 1000,000:1, it should represent “deeper” blacks. Also, the screen supports various color spaces like ITU-R BT2020 and DCI-P3/D65 White Point. Otherwise, no words from Sony about color calibration or an average DeltaE. Finally, the X1 brings an interesting HDR remastering technology. The smartphone will be able to analyze everything you watch and display it “HDR-like,” with more clarity/contrast/colors. I’m curious about this. On this beautiful screen, you’ll be able to watch contents in various stills and video formats, including JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, HEIF (iPhone), DNG, CR2, NEF, RW2, MPEG-4 Video, H.264, H.265. Triple Lens Camera System The Xperia 1 features three cameras with different lenses: a 16mm f/2.4 super wide-angle, a versatile 26mm f/1.6 and a 52mm f/2.4 lens with 2x optical zoom. A three lenses setup is not revolutionary, but the real magic is the processing behind the sensors. On the photography side, a new BIONZ X image-processing chip brings Sony’s Alpha technologies to Xperia. A new RAW noise reduction technology is applied to the picture before saving it as a JPEG. Also, it is the first smartphone to feature Eye AF and a burst mode up to 10 frames per second with auto focus and auto exposure. The Xperia 1 allows you to take full manual control over your shutter speed and ISO, like any other Sony Alpha camera. For filmmakers, you can record in 4K HDR and benefit from an extended dynamic range. The camera also features a Steady Movie recording option with optical and electronic image stabilization to help with handhelds shots. The real technology inside this camera looks to be the CineAlta video application. Cinema Pro powered by CineAlta – 21:9 movie recording. Sony’s digital motion picture camera engineers implemented features like LOOK color settings, 21:9 aspect ratio, 4K HDR and 24fps. The LOOK color page allows you to choose between eight different colors presets to apply a look and mood inspired by the CineAlta cameras directly to your videos. For slow-motion, you can go up to 960 frames per second in FHD/HD. No other info from Sony about the various resolutions and frame rates available. To store everything, the Xperia 1 has 128GB of UFS memory and supports microSDXC cards up to 512GB. Sony Xperia 1’s Other Features Sound wise; the Sony Xperia 1 is equipped with Dolby Atmos technology to deliver multi-dimensional immersive sound. The smartphone is also compatible with High-Resolution Audio and DSEE HX. The Xperia 1 has Corning Gorilla Glass 6 – like the iPhone XS/XR – on the front and back. This glass is sturdy and should protect your smartphone against small drops. It is also IP65/68 water and dust resistant. The smartphone measures 167 x 72 x 8.2 mm and will be available in black, purple, white and grey. The Sony Xperia 1 runs on Android 9 Pie. It will be available in select markets from late Spring 2019 — no words on pricing from Sony yet. What do you think about the Sony Xperia 1 and do you consider buying it? What do you think of the camera related features? Let us know in the comments down below!

Now that the new Atomos Ninja V Monitor/Recorder is available for just over a month, the company pushed hard to deliver a huge upgrade for their devices underlying operating system: AtomOS 10 offers some very handy improvements for the new 5″ Ninja V. Let’s have a quick look, shall we? newly designed Atom OS 10 If you’re new to the Atomos Ninja V monitor/recorder, catch up here and here. AtomOS 10 (10.01 to be exact) comes as a free-to-download piece of software. Once you’ve installed it, you’ll be rewarded with a familiar, yet very different user interface. Since the Ninja V is all about HDR recording and monitoring, Atomos chose to make the different UI elements less distracting and therefore reduced their saturation quite a bit. It’s all about the actual image you’re monitoring, really. But there’s more, obviously. AtomOS 10 Apart from the less saturated UI elements (a nice touch, much more pleasing to the eye I think), Atomos also changed the arrangement of these elements and even reworked the whole menu system in order to make it easier and more accessible. If you’re updating from an earlier version of AtomOS, it’s pretty clear that this new version is really about cleaning up the user interface. It’s also about keeping the actual image in view at all times, without having many overlaying pages and menus. The entire user interface has been carefully reworked to cater for the smaller 5″ screen of the Atomos Ninja V. Improved Features Once you’re done setting up the unit for your given shot you can easily get rid of all the overlays by just tapping the screen. That’s fine but this will also disable all the crucial information you probably want to keep an eye on, such as audio meters or a HDR waveform. That’s where the newly designed shooting page comes in. Once you’re done with your monitor settings and tap “MON” again, a discrete status bar is the only thing that appears beneath your current image. That status bar includes useful information such as battery status, recording status, an HDR waveform, audio meters and access to all the well-known REC, PLAY, MON and EDIT settings. One of the major changes AtomOS 10 addresses is the way you select the type of input signal coming from your camera. This setting used to be part of the Monitor page of the menu. Now it can be found on the Input page and that is -at least to me- a much more appropriate place for this particular setting. Jeromy Young, CEO of Atomos, has put together a in-depth walk-through of all the new Atom OS 10 features, make sure to sit back and watch it here: HDR – Slider vs. Buttons Another major change addresses the HDR slider of previous versions of Atom OS. Actually, as Jeromy Young states in the video, at the time they developed their first HDR capable monitors/recorders, there simply was no industry standard which determined how to deal with different HDR modes for different delivery scenarios. But now there are and that’s the reason the company decided to replace the HDR slider with 4 different buttons, each reflecting a dedicated standard: Native -> just the plain, unprocessed Log image from your given camera is being displayed Rec.709 -> a basic LOG to Rec.709 curve is being applied to the image (a.k.a. SDR – Standard Dynamic Range) HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) -> a HDR standard which is also compatible SDR displays, a good compromise so to say PQ (Perceptual Quantizer) -> a higher HDR standard which allows for HDR video with a very high luminance level (up to 10,000 cd/m2). It also supports Rec. 2020 color space. The introduction of these fixed standards allow for a much more precise preview of the actual result once the recorded Log footage went through post-production. Remember: Everything which is displayed on the Atomos Ninja V’s screen is just a representation of the actual Log footage which is being recorded. Think of it as a kind of preview. Nothing is being baked into the actual recording, so even if you’re switching from beautiful looking HLG to awfully blown-out Rec.709 while you’re recording, nothing is lost! It’s just a preview which helps you (and your client, of course) getting the most out of your given camera and Log profile. Conclusion All in all the features and improvements found in AtomOS 10 really make the new Atomos Ninja V shine. The new layout of the menus improve the usability and are way less distracting. The less saturated buttons are a nice touch, too. Even if the old HDR slider seemed cool, the new standardized buttons are much more accurate in order to nail your exposure for a certain delivery format. So I think this new firmware is really a no-brainer and you definitely should give it a try! Atomos Ninja V with some (but not all) of the most popular recent mirrorless cameras. Links: Atomos.com Do you already use the new firmware? What do you think of these changes? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!