Atomos
ESSENTIAL NINJA With its large, high-quality screen, the support of SSD and extensive feature set, the NINJA V+ is an essential device for moviemakers wanting to take their work to the next level
I am quite patient when it comes to gear, and had waited for another groundbreaking camera to emerge from the fog of kit. This came to me in the form of the mirrorless EOS R5. The NINJA V+ lets me take that camera to another level of image quality. I can, of course, film incredible 4K to a memory card – but why would you, if you can produce an even higher standard using a bigger monitor, and have the support of SSD?
The monitor playback is superb, helping me make sure the framing is right. Seeing what should be (and shouldn’t be!) in shot is so much easier on the larger screen. Tutorials on the ATOMOS site are a must – and there are many out there on YouTube; some are more helpful than others, so the online community is a big help for sure. My main tip is to test, test, test. It’s best to go into any filming situation without worrying about the camera, lens choice, and how that all feeds into your recording device: in my case the NINJA V+. All other technical, logistical and creative choices are done in pre-production, plus on-the-ground shooting. If plan A doesn’t work, plan B needs to kick in. Advance testing and taking time to triple-check your technical set-up is what it should be on the day of filming is an absolute essential. The NINJA V+ can run dirtily off your hotshoe, a camera cage, or even
For me, the NINJA V+ is essential equipment, not a luxury add-on. It’s as important as the lens on the camera. Some add-ons I do cherish include the SmallRig cage and shotgun/stereo Azden SMX-30V mic. I run a separate Azden SGM-250 shotgun mic into a Zoom recorder too, and have the PRO-XRe lav set available. I will build on kit to wrap around the camera in the coming months, just so long as it adds to my craft.
My workflow from camera to final edit starts with the format and resolution. I record in Apple ProRes RAW and take footage into Apple Final Cut Pro X, knowing that I will edit in 4K. The NINJA V+ is at the centre of it all. It has features any filmmaker or photographer could use in their own unique way. Monitor image quality is stunning, and I shoot with assist, focus peaking and vectorscopes. Having the safe area and runtime on-screen with an LUT are my go-to features. All this gives me greater confidence in the set-up, leaving me to worry about cinematography and sound. Knowing I can deliver 8K ProRes RAW up to 30fps is just incredible, albeit memory-hungry. I was known for shooting and framing with no cropping in editing, but this has changed. Now, I can shoot in 8K and crop into the frame for any 4K edit with no quality loss.
the camera itself when it needs to be placed in a tricky situation, and running a longer HDMI lead is allowing that to happen. Keep the kit as light and tight as possible – that is part of the beauty of filming to such high levels using something like a Canon EOS R5. Don’t update software the night before a shoot. Be patient and check it out when you have time to see what it offers, then test after. Finally, the most important tip is to continually learn. I am always asking myself: ‘Is this best it can be with the constraints of my kit versus the budget?’ Getting out of your comfort zone is an important reminder of what can be achieved.
TOP GUN Ideal for mounting on the camera, Azden’s SGM-250CX comes complete with a shock mount
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Issue 98 | Photography News 19
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