Atomos Firmware Update 7.1 has been announced for the Flame monitor/recorder line. The update brings support for JVC and Red log signals, as well as PQ in/out and improved HDR features.  The Flame line are the latest in-field monitor/recorders from Atomos. Check out our Atomos Shogun Flame review here. Atomos has improved the feature and support list for the flame recorders/monitors with firmware 7.1, with now the entire RED camera range covered as well as J-log from JVC cameras. PQ in/out is now supported meaning the Flame recorders can accept a ST2084 signal from compatible HDR camera or computer, and Color Mapping has been improved, increasing performance in the blacks. In terms of new features, the update mostly surrounds the AtomHDR mode of the Flame recorders. Previously AtomHDR was an on/off function with a slightly ambiguous ‘viewing environment’ slider. This has been replaced with a Scene Brightness Range which is meant to increase/decrease the dynamic range of the HDR view, starting from Rec709 up to full HDR mode (graphics display in percentage how much you are over Rec709). The new slider is accessible in the menu and on full screen view, with the addition of a clipping graticule (yellow line) on the waveform to signify where the additional dynamic range view is placed. You can also hit Auto HDR to set the clipping graticule to the maximum luminance level of your scene. Other additional features include slow motion playback. This is a nice feature and one I hope takes advantage of native higher speed recordings such as 50/60p from the Sony Alpha Cameras and plays them back in smooth slow motion (great when a client asks to watch that back and you have to explain that you can slow it down in post). There are 5 different speeds to this mode. Atomos has added back in a missing feature from their previous recorders; the ability to prioritise your power source (top/bottom battery or DC input). This is great for organising your power mode, specifically if one is powering an accessory like a wireless transmitter and you want to reserve as much juice from that particular battery as you can. Atomos Firmware Update 7.1 is available for download now from the Atomos website.

Atomos has announced its next generation of monitor recorders. The Atomos Shogun Flame and Ninja Flame arrive in a more robust, dual battery form sporting 1500 nits of brightness and new 10-bit processing. Slotting inline with the existing Atomos line up, the yellow branded Atomos Shogun Flame is the flagship model supporting SDI, HDMI & raw whilst the red branded Ninja Flame is the cheaper HDMI only version. So, what’s new with the Flame line? Daylight Viewable Display Atomos has jumped on the SunHoodsAreSoLastYear trend* and produced their first daylight viewable field monitor. We’ve seen this gain popularity with other monitor manufacturers; it’s nice to see this feature pop up in a field recorder also. Both Flame monitors will feature 1500 nits of brightness. Before you all grab your nit meters, for reference the SmallHD 702 is 1000 nits and the SmallHD DP7-PRO High Bright is 1500 nits. *A daylight viewable feature is not something that should replace the conventional sun hoods,, just another tool to add to the box, particularly where sun hoods are impractical (when using a gimbal for example) 10bit processing is also now supported. This is an upgrade from the previous 8 bit panels used on the Atomos Shogun/Ninja Assassin and will help with a more accurate display and less banding. Please note, this does not increase the bit depth of your 8-bit camera to a 10 bit one. AtomHDR for Log Recording Announcement of the Flame monitor/recorders brings a brand new feature from Atomos. AtomHDR offers a new a way of viewing log footage. “Activate AtomHDR to resolve the brightness detail of Log camera signals with the color accuracy of HDR images mastered in post production. This means that the usual complications of exposing Log signals on a washed out image (i.e. LUTs for LOOK management but compromise on detail or complicated calibration card and “rule of thumb” calculations) are eliminated – you simply frame, expose, focus and shoot.” This sounds like a new viewing platform for log recording that operates in a similar way to a conventional LUT, using the benefits of the high dynamic range capture of log and the 10 bit processing of the panel to produce polished looking images on-set, rather than simply converting the image to an existing standard like rec 709. Sounds like this could be a very handy feature for client viewing and, if you learn how this translates to the finished look in post would also be a very good tool for gauging exposure & focus. Nino had an exclusive presentation of the Atomos Shogun Flame and Ninja Flame at BVE and this does indeed look like an interesting feature: “The AtomHDR feature looks brilliant – it seems a perfect way of displaying the full latitude of LOG footage while actually recording, and this is something I haven’t seen before. It’s a very smart way of using the potential of a high brightness display other than simply being able to have a brighter image when shooting in bright sunshine. You basically see all the detail that is recorded in a LOG image while not having to look at a very grayish image any more, it looks like a properly finished image if you want it to, applying the LUT you want.” S-log 2, S-log 3, C-log and V-log are listed immediately as supported as well, expect a few more regulars to be added to that list too. Footnote: It looks like AtomHDR and 1500 nits of brightness will be available as separate features (e.g you won’t be able to view AtomHDR at full, daylight viewable brightness). Enhanced Powering Solutions The Atomos Shogun and Atomos Ninja Assassin both had a single Sony NP-F battery slot on the back. Speaking from experience of shooting with these monitors it was a little disconcerting to say the least (The Atomos Shogun is thirsty beast). The new Atomos Shogun Flame and Ninja Flame now support two battery slots and you’ll be able to hot-swap allowing continuous battery power. What’s more, included in monitor packages is a “coiled DC to D-Tap cable for connection to larger battery systems” as a self confessed cable nerd I love the sound of this. More Robust Form The Atomos Shogun Flame and Ninja Flame will feature a built in bumper design. This offers more protection over the previous naked 7″ panels. An add-on bumper kit was added to the Atomos Shogun and Ninja Assassin, but I felt these were a little clumsy in design; it’s great to see a more robust in-built clad that will no doubt increase the lifespan of the Flame duo in the field. DC in for both Flame models has been relocated to the rear in a much safer, recessed location. The Shogun Flame BNC ports (SDI in/out and sync) are arguable more recessed also. What’s Not New There are many key features that translate from the older Shogun and Ninja Assassin recorders that aren’t classified as new, but if you’re not familiar with Atomos products then may be of great interest to you. 10 bit Apple ProRes (422,LT,HQ) and Avid DNxHD (36,145,220,220x) 1920X1080 up to 50/60p 4K up to 30p Records to approved, universal SSD drives via cheap caddies. Customisable focus aids – Peaking, Focus Assist, False Color Customisable exposure aids – Waveform, Zebras, RGB Waveform Image Flip, Crop/Centre/Safe Margin Overlays, Anamorphic De-Squeeze Metadata tagging for editor notes (favorite/reject etc..) LUT support including custom load and send downstream SDI/HDMI cross conversion (Shogun Flame only) As an operator, I have vast experience in Atomos recorders having owned the Atomos Shogun and Ninja Blade for years and tried out all others within the line up. I think the new Flame line looks great. One of the big drawbacks for me with the original Atomos Shogun was the power solution – it was far too thirsty, the charger was exceptionally slow and a single battery slot meant you couldn’t hot swap batteries. The dual battery slots was a much needed upgrade, you can now get continuous power even if they don’t improve the consumption, what’s more the new Flame recorders will ship with a x3 faster battery charger, nice. I’m not a huge fan of completely migrating to a 7″ panel across the line. My feelings were the same when the Ninja Assassin was announced. The Ninja Blade is a fantastic on-camera form factor with its 5″ display; it’s a shame to not see this with the Ninja Flame, especially as it’s marketed at DSLR and mirrorless systems. I can only assume the costs for designing two completely separate panels were not worth it. I’ll warmly welcome the daylight viewable display; this was a feature I’ve been looking for a while (particularly gimbal work where a hood is not practical) as well as AtomHDR, which I think will be fantastic for client viewing at the very least.

Atomos has released a list of videos showcasing new features that users can expect in coming firmware upgrades as well as information on BareBones packages and their Power Station. Updates for the Shogun include RAW, V210 and 4K DCI support. Pre-Roll, Timelapse and Anamorphic features as well as enabling Genlock and 3D LUT recording. New Codec and Resolution Support Since release of the Shogun we’ve been promised support of certain cameras. It seems we’re almost there now, with support for Arri Raw, Canon C300/500, and Sony FS7/FS700 all set to feature in upcoming updates. In order to fulfil this list Atomos has also announced 4K DCI support. This means the Shogun will receive resolutions of 4096X2160 as well as previously supported 3840X2160 UltraHD. For those seeking completely uncompressed information from a non-raw output can rejoice as V210 is now supported. V210 is a popular codec used throughout post production workflows, providing an uncompressed 10-bit 4:2:2 image. Of course you are limited with what the camera can physically provide, but for the rare cases where you require absolutely no compression (Atomos uses greenscreen work as a credible scenario) this will be a useful feature. Anamorphic Monitoring Support Those who’ve used anamorphic lenses before will know, when using them your image appears squashed on screen. This feature stretches the image out and displays the correct aspect ratio on screen, but does not affect the recorded file. Pre-Roll A pre-roll function will be included the upcoming firmware update. With this feature enabled the Shogun will keep a constant cache of data allowing 2-3 seconds (when recording in 4K) or 8-10 seconds (when recording in FullHD) of extra footage prior to the point when you hit record. Playlists Atomos has advanced the ability to “edit in-camera” on the Shogun. Playlists can now be constructed by selecting clips or parts of clips and playing them back on screen or using as an edit guide when in post. Atomos highlights some interesting examples of where this can be used: Timelapse Last of the completely new features is video Timelapse. Firmare 6.2 will enable you to capture a video timelapse by assigning the amount of frames, interval and durations of the clip. The Shogun will then simple capture this timelapse using the sustained the output of the camera. It’s a great little feature to add to the recorder, but as a user of the device I can cast one caution – battery life; I’d recommend using AC power or a hot swappable system for heavy use like this to ensure you don’t run out of juice. 3D LUT recording and Genlock support Imminent updates for the Shogun will include revisiting a few existing features. First up is support for Genlock. The Shogun was initially released with the hardware for this function, with the software side promised in a future release. It looks as if it will come in the very next update, enabling users to sync multiple cameras to the frame quickly and simply. Firmware version 6.2 brought 3D LUT viewing support for the Shogun, the next firmware update will allow the user to record any selected LUT also. I can’t see myself using this, but some users may find it useful to record a pre-defined look as your recorded footage, particularly if you are working in a fast workflow with little or no time in post. Atomos has offered an overwhelming amount of free support and updates to the Shogun past the point of the initial release. It’s great to see this, in what has become a highly fast paced and almost disposable era of camera technology. Judging by previous Atomos announcements, I wouldn’t expect all of these features to roll out in the very next firmware update. This is more a teaser of what to expect over the next few months from them. As a keen user of the Atomos Shogun, one thing I’d love to see in an upcoming firmware is better power management for increased battery life. The Shogun supports notoriously slow charging Sony NP-Fs natively and the recorder currently goes through them faster than they can be charged! Atomos BareBones News of this surfaced just prior to NAB 2015, Atomos has clarified the BareBones line with the above video from Jeromy Young. If you’ve bought an Atomos recorder before, you’ll know it comes packed with a whole host of accessories (apart from the all important sun hood!). However there are regularly times (especially if you have multiple Atomos recorders already) where all you simply need is the recorder. Atomos has acknowledged this and will be releasing their recorders at a cheaper price with just a soft case, AC adaptor and single hard drive caddy.  The result is a $300 saving on the Atomos Shogun, and $200 saving on Ninja and Samurai Blade recorders.  Pre-order BareBones links of each recorder below. Atomos will release accessory-only packages also if you require the reverse. Atomos Shogun 4K Recorder BareBones Atomos Samurai Blade SDI Recorder BareBones Atomos Ninja Blade HDMI Recorder BareBones Atomos Power Station The Atomos PowerStation has been on the radar for some time and has been summed up here by Atomos CEO Jeromy Young. Providing dual DC outs as well as dual USB ports the power station is as comfortable operating as a power source as it is a charger. The Atomos PowerStation has two hot-swappable slots for Sony L-series batteries and is designed to not only power your recorder but your camera simultaneously. Here’s the spec list: Dual battery system Compatible with Sony L-series batteries; optional adapters available for Nikon EN-EL15 or Canon LP-6 batteries Batteries are hot-swappable 1/4″-20 Camera screw Dual DC power outputs provide 8.2 V, 5A power on DC input power, and 6.2 to 8.4 VDC on battery power Splitter cable to powering two devices from single DC output Optional DC adapter cables available for popular cameras Dual 5V DC USB power outputs; charge a single high-powered 2A device or two 1A device Independent 5-step battery level meters Includes two 2600 mAh batteries Works with Atomos monitor/recorders I can’t see this being of great use to Ninja and Samurai Blade users, both recorders offer dual battery slots and require little power consumption, the only advantage would be the ability to power your camera off the same device thus consolidating battery solutions. This does open up some options for the Shogun however. The flagship 4K recorder only has one battery slot and is very power hungry; adding another two battery slots makes a huge difference and although Atomos don’t recommend it for critical use, it does enable hot swapping. Two versions will be released the Atomos PowerStation – Photo and Video, the difference being the size of the two batteries supplied and $100 in price.

Atomos just added a new product to their existing lineup of widely used hard disk recorders and camera converters. The power station is a small brick that helps power all devices on your rig including the camera itself. The Atomos power station seems like an intelligent approach. The common solution to powering a whole camera rig is to use v-mount or other third party batteries as base stations, but they are heavy and can complicate your rig. The Atomos solution uses adapters to accommodate your native camera batteries (2 at a time) as a power source for your camera and any additional accessories. We like the idea. The Atomos power station will be available at the end of next month October and cost $295.

  Atomos Press release NAB 2014: The Ninja Star is the next break through HDMI recorders based on core technologies that have made Atomos the leader in camera mounted solutions. Its small, self contained size and flexible mounting options allow DP’s and cameramen to mount it to just about any POV set-up and offer edit ready format recording with Apple ProRes. 

Atomos has been one of the leading companies for on-camera external recording solutions. The sleek design and large front panel of the Ninja and Samurai paved the way to a new market of products, converging an external recorder and on-camera monitor.

Atomos just announced a firmware update for their harddisk recorders that brings the long awaited Avid DNxHD codec support. People who have been using the Atomos Ninja 2 and Atomos Samurai field recorders were limited to the use of the Apple ProRes codec the devices support. Last year Atomos announced the addition of Avid DNxHD, but up until this point people have been waiting for the upgrade to happen. The new firmware is already available for download here: LINK

We thank our sponsor B&H who has made cinema5D’s news coverage of IBC 2012 possible. Get your gear through B&H to support this platform: www.bhphotovideo.com Atomos had something else nice to show us. We really like how this company reacts to market needs and listens to the customers. The Ronin is just what I would’ve needed on my shoot with the Alexa two weeks ago ;) Description from the website: The Ronin portable Recorder/Player/Monitor is a smart solution for both fixed-facility and on-location video production. Based on the award-winning Samurai field recorder, the Ronin features touchscreen ease of use, capture to Apple ProRes® or Avid DNxHD◊, professional monitoring and edit review. Like the Samurai, it can operate on location with battery or DC power, but it can be used in a fixed facility, rack-mounted environment using AC power. More info on the Atomos website: http://www.atomos.com/ronin/