After a the promo video leaked on Sunday, the cat was out of the bag – Atomos was going to soon announce a new 4K recorder, and earlier yesterday the announcement became official – the Atomos Ninja Assassin is the latest low-budget addition to the 4K recorder family. The new Ninja Assassin can record 4K and HD only via HDMI (it looses the SDI input to save you $$$) but shares the form factor, awesome 7-inch IPS screen with all professional monitoring features such as Zebras, Weaveform monitor, Vectorscope, False Colour, 3D LUT’s as well as close to 90% of the functionality of the full version Shogun ($1,995) and the cheaper bare bones Shogun ($1,695). The Ninja Assassin looses features such as the 12G-SDI input/output, Raw recording, Genlock, and the balanced XLR inputs.
Ninja Assassin Key Features:
• Record more accurate, higher chroma sub-sampling (4:2:2, 10-bit) direct to visually lossless editing formats (the only brand to do both ProRes and DNxHR).
• No Record time limits – Recording externally to the camera puts an end to the traditional 30-minute recording barrier and allows larger media capacity.
• Professional shot setup you can trust on a calibrated high resolution 7″ monitor with over 320 pixels per inch.
• Anamorphic de-squeeze, the perfect companion for Panasonic’s GH4 and affordable Anamorphic lenses/adaptors.
• Easy to use professional monitoring tools including Focus Peaking Assist, 1:1 & 2:1 Zoom with silky smooth image pan & scan, False Colour (skin tones), Zebra and Waveform/Vector Scopes for in-depth image analysis.
• Go back in time with Pre-Roll cache recording, up to 8 seconds of HD or 2-3 seconds of 4K so you’ll never miss that shot
• Video Time-lapse with up to 10 different sequences, speed ramp and scheduled start and end times over 24 hrs.
• 3D LUT’s allow you to create a specific signature look or even recreate classic film stock instantly, with 50:50 split / LUT on / LUT off view, you can compare effects and make creative decisions on the fly.
• Playback for instant review and editing on the fly with a choice of 10 tags in both record and playback mode. Our NLE support means that whether you are Mac, PC, Apple, Avid or Adobe we support you.
The Ninja Assassin is available in stores from September 1st for a MSRP of:
US: $1,295 ex. TAX (B&H)
EU: €1,295 ex. VAT
GBP: £899 ex. VAT
AUD: $1,899 Inc. GST
So you may be asking – is it worth to get the full version Shogun when I can get the Ninja Assassin? Well, the way I see it for shooters with multiple cameras, who would need to feed XLR audio into their 4K recordings from the Shogun, and also have a Sony FS700/FS7 then the full Shogun is clearly the way to go. It is $2K, but it does offer significant advantages over the lower cost and HDMI only Ninja Assassin.
Atomos have cleverly segmented their 4K recorder line-up, with a full version, a bare-bones version (which looses the accessories) and now an HDMI only version for Sony A7s shooters or those who have most recently jumped the gun and got an A7R II. Let’s not forget that now that the Panasonic GH4 has V-Log L the Ninja Assassin would seem like a no-brainer for those with one HDMI based 4K camera who are strapped for cash (and frankly, who isn’t these days). The Video Devices PIX-E series recorders resemble a similar segmentation and tiers with the PIX-E5H (HDMI but is $100 cheaper at $1,195) only and the PIX-E5 (SDI) however those have 5 inch monitors, and you have to step up to the PIX-E7 for a 7-inch display (at $1,595).
Something to bear in mind when you are considering the Ninja Assassin is that although it ships with a free Red silicone bumper, which does add some protection, it will only ship with 1 x Master caddy SSD (you have to buy the SSD media drives separately) a soft travel case, and an AC adapter. So you would have to purchase additional NP-F Sony style L-series batteries or 3rd party ones to power the unit when mobile, and also some SSD drives plus maybe some extra Master Caddies.
The existing Shogun sunhood () and the HPRC hard case, both of which are available to buy separately,
See more below from Atomos:
Ninja your 4K/HD camera, Assassinate limitations
Ninja Assassin delivers 325ppi monitoring functionality and the 7″ size needed to truly master 4K, it’s the only true 10-bit 4:2:2 professional recording solution for Apple, AVID & Adobe workflows and all with a price & weight amongst the lowest on the market – Ninja Assassin is available today from Atomos’ extensive reseller network.
Melbourne, Australia – 1st September 2015: In 2014, Atomos revolutionised the HD to 4K transition with the announcement of Shogun. Now, with their commitment to delivering powerful creativity weapons for professionals, they bring you the Ninja Assassin.
The Ninja Assassin extends the legacy of the Atomos Ninja line up in to the realms of 4K UHD and 1080 60p. Combining professional 4K/HD recording, 7″ 1920×1080 monitoring, advanced playback and editing in a compact, lightweight, affordable add-on to existing DSLR, Mirrorless and Video, Cinema cameras.
The Ninja Assassin boasts the screen size, screen resolution, advanced recording capability and scopes of the premium Shogun model, but forgoes the 12G/6G/3G-SDI connectivity, RAW recording functionality, in-built conversion, Genlock and balanced XLR audio connections. The main benefit – a 10% weight reduction to an incredible 430g and an incredible $1295 price point including Soft Case, SSD Caddy and AC Adaptor. This firmly targets 4K DSLM cameras such as the Sony a7s and a7RII, Canon XC-10 and Panasonic GH4 bypassing their known limitations such as compressed MPEG/h.264 recording, 4:2:0 color compression, 30-minute time limits and the disadvantage of monitoring on a small 3″ screen.
“The Ninja Assassin eliminates creative barriers and unleashes the true power of the worlds best sensors into the hands of creative pro’s over one single HDMI cable. We are truly proud to deliver professional monitoring, video production tools and recording capabilities to assassinate camera limitations,” said Jeromy Young, CEO and co-founder of Atomos. “Seeing an image on the Assassin’s 7″ screen and feeling the low weight is when you truly believe it’s the only choice for 4K high-res production.” added Young.
The Ninja Assassin has HDMI focused audio/video connections and ships with a brand new vibrant red Armor Bumper for increased protection. The Shogun of course is still the flagship product for high-end production that require SDI Raw, Balanced XLR, Phantom 48V and HDMI/SDI conversion.
Product Links:
B&H: Ninja Assassin 4K HDMI Recorder and 7″ Monitor – $1,295
Adorama: Ninja Assassin 4K HDMI Recorder an 7-inch Monitor – $1,295
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate partner and participant in B&H and Adorama Affiliate programmes, we earn a small comission from each purchase made through the affiliate links listed above at no additional cost to you.
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This is great, but why don’t they build in a sun hood, or at least design this to make the add-on sun hood easier to attach?! You can’t see the screen on these outside *at all* and even their add-on sun hood is really clumsy.
Hey Tony, good points. Love your show btw 🙂 I built in visor-like sun hood is a good idea definitely. I always found the Atomos Sun Hood too bulky