Atomos Ninja V+ brings 8K ProRes RAW support to Canon’s EOS R5

Atomos has introduced a new external recorder/monitor that makes 8K or 4K 120p ProRes RAW recording possible on select mirrorless and pro cameras. At $1,499, the Ninja V+ is the first recorder to support 8K recording at 30 fps on the Canon EOS R5, unlocking more potential for that model and possibly others like Sony’s A1 or the future Nikon Z9 down the road. 

The Ninja V+ has the same 1,000 nit HDR screen of the Ninja V, but adds a new stealth grey bezel plus extra processing horsepower for 8K 30p and 4K 120p ProRes RAW recording. That capability will allow Atomos to add extra features, modules, codecs and other firmware features. It also supports HEVC (H.265) 10-bit 4:2:2 4K recording if you need far more streamlined files. 

Atomos didn’t mention other mirrorless camera support for the Ninja V+ apart from the EOS R5, and it only mentioned 4K 120p HDMI support for the Z CAM E2 and E2-M4 professional cameras to start with. (It also offers 4K 120p support via professional SDI connections on Sony’s FX6 and FX9 models). It’s likely to support that high frame rate on HDMI for other cameras down the road, once manufacturers release their own updates. 

On top of the Ninja V+, Atomos launched the Ninja Stream, a recorder/monitor “designed specifically to overcome the challenges of today’s socially distanced productions,” it said. It again has the same 5-inch 1,000-nit display as the Ninja V and offers both ProRes and H.264/5 proxy recording. The idea is that it can send and receive video feeds to other Ninja models, smart devices or web platforms simultaneously over ethernet and WiFi at up to 300m with no need to connect to a PC. It will only be sold to big production companies to start with, but “the technology underpinning it will be cut down and incorporated in future Ninja platform products for the pro video and consumer markets.”

The company also introduced an HEVC codec upgrade for the Ninja V for more efficient recording at a cost of $99. It offers up to 4K/60p 10-bit 4:2:2 I-frame recording with options for 8-bit at various data rates and arrives in May 2021. As mentioned, the Ninja V+ will cost $1,499 when it arrives at an unspecified date later in 2021, while Atomos has yet to release any pricing for the Ninja Stream. 

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