ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder

Comments about ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder:

would have been the most useful filmmaking accessory if not for canon's self preservation, by skimping on clean hdmi signals. works on the camcorders but useless on canon dlsrs

Comments about ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder:

We do some run-and-gun stuff and it always pained me to make clients wait around for us to ingest footage from our 5D mk II and then render it out later...not to mention going thru the whole plural eyes thing. Sure, we could use other camcorders but I loved the 5D look and so did our clients. Well, it just got to be too much for us, time-wise. So we bought an FS100UK and married it to a Ninja, and after futzing around with the firmware updates and the Lion linking update (which allows you to mount the Ninja as an external hard drive via FW800; a production MUST, in my view) we have used it on a couple shoots with zero glitches.The big pros: no more ingesting, no more transcoding to ProRes (the Ninja does that on the fly); instant access to your footage in the Final Cut Pro timeline. For run-and-gun situations, how can you overstate how important it is to be able to edit footage immediately? Until there's an HDSLR that can record natively to ProRes on a card, this looks like it's gonna be our solution.The big cons: it's heavy (although it's reassuringly rugged, so I don't really mind the extra kilo of weight); it's a little balky with playback (more than once it has given us a "error upgrading firmware" message when we tried to play back files, but a quick reboot solved the problem); it records files into a maddening system of subfolders (I hope there is a firmware/software solution to this problem in the offing). Also, clips exceeding 4gb are auto-split because (according to the manual) of a FAT32 file size limitation, so that means you have to reaassemble long interviews in your timeline, but they do match up exactly, so that's not a deal breaker. These "cons," cumulatively, cost the Ninja one star, in my opinion, so I'm giving it four out of five, but it's an admiring 4-star review. All too often people are willing to nitpick at new technology rather than recognize what an important advance a device like the Ninja represents. I would rather buy a camera that goes straight to ProRes, but until that day comes--if it ever comes, which is by no means a certainty--I'll be a Ninja guy.

Comments about ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder:

Purchased this to use with my Nikon DSLRs for videography, definitely useful to have in the workflow. Can be used with any Nikon DSLR that has live view and HDMI out, even if they don't have the movie recording function built into the camera.

Comments about ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder:

I've had a ninja for a week now ... and is VERY VERY PLEASED .. the pictures on my sony z5 has a new life ... Can really recommend Nija 2.0. And thanks for dropping and, using MiniDV. THANK YOU .....

Comments about ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder:

This thing records flawlessly but when I push PLAY button all I have is 30 sec of black screen and then massage:firmware upgrade fail......Only 2 of 10-15 tries Ninja plays clips.I tried to contact people at Atomos and after 3 days they told me to contact the seller.
Inside:WD Scorpio black 500G which is suggested by Atomos.

Comments about ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder:

This is a great external recorder using Apple Prores 422 codecs. 8-bit to 10-bit uncompressed footage for fast editing into final cut pro 7. This is a great product to get the most out of your camera. Long lasting and durable.

The cons of this product is the recording, as using 1080p60i this is not able to use 24p on the FS100.

Comments about ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder:

I use my Ninja to record church services from the HD-SDI output (converted to HDMI) of a Panasonic AV-HS400A. I currently use a Toshiba MK3265GSXN 320GB hard drive. This drive gives me just over four and a half hours of record time using ProRes 422. I also plan to use my Ninja to record from handheld cameras as well. I have tested it with Panasonic AG-HPX170PJ (HD-SDI converted to HDMI) and with consumer version Panasonic HDC-TM900. Both worked fine (use the EXT DISPLAY button on the TM900 to get rid of the OSDs). I edit using Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD V11.

There is only one thing I don't like about the Ninja: FAT32. Each file is broken into 4GB chunks which can be problematic in post-production (files on the timeline in the wrong order is a big one).

!!!Really looking forward to exFAT or other firmware solution!!!

Comments about ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder:

Compact but heavy product, Does not include support for what we had to buy a camera stand adapter does not work for moving jobs, but static, no discs inlcudes have to buy a part but the package is great, comfortable in work field or for film in which you take your time to work comfortably.

Comments about ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder:

I purchased the Ninja because I wanted a device that could record to Apple ProRes and let me back-up footage on hard-drive fast and easy. I mostly use it on an AF100 and I'm glad to have this as I can back-up to both SD card AND hard-drive. Footage looks great and the device works well enough. I only have two things to say against it. First, there's no way to watch footage back (playback is choppy) as it needs a firmware update and the file naming system is really annoying (lots of folders with 0000.mov file names, a real pain to work with in post prod). Oh, and the hard drive caddy plastic seems a bit flimsy but fits well and snug in the Ninja, so no real issue here for me. The firmware update is coming really soon though to fix these two issues so it's not such a big deal breaker. All in all, great device and with the firmware update coming soon, this device is a really nice investment for the price point!

Comments about ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder:

If you have the right camera (more on that later), the Atomos Ninja does *exactly* what it claims to do, it does it well, is well built, has fantastic battery life, has a great screen, is the perfect size, and comes with every single thing you need to use it out of the box. I have not used such a great little product since the ADVC-55The screen requires a little *extra* push so that you don't accidentally stop or start recording. I think its just the right amount. It can be *very* bright, which will be helpful in daylight.The battery life is amazing - i set it up to run until it filled a 500 GB WD Black (more on that later) - and it dutifully recorded 4 hours 41 minutes of footage without a single problem. I left it on monitor live view, and it still had about half a battery left.They thought of the little things - the power button is indented, and requires 5 seconds of push until it shuts down - so accidental pushes don't cause problems. Top and bottom 1/4' screw mounts. Cool and easy to read screen font, locking mechanisms for both the batteries and the hard drive, you don't *actually* have to screw the hard drive into the caddy ( i can't see why i ever would) because it is perfectly shaped. Plug port for the HDMI feels like its welded into steel and won't ever get loose. Firmware updates are stupid easy, and can be done from a Mac or a Micro Soft WINDOWS computer.You *MUST* go to Atomos' website, where they list a list of DSLR cameras that DO NOT HAVE full quality HDMI ports if you can't tell on your own. If your camera doesn't have a full quality HDMI port - that isn't Atomos' fault. For [$], I would like to think you'd do a little research on your own camera.Also - MANY cameras shoot 24p, but telecine the footage into 60i. This is not Atomos' fault again! If you don't know how to use Compressor to reverse telecine your 60i footage to get pure 29.98p footage, that is your fault and you have no business buying a[$] recorder to begin with. Atomos is going to make some software to do reverse telecine, but really, who cares? If you are using iMovie or WINDOWS movie maker, you should probably not buy this.Atomos' has released a number of software updates, and each has brought more capability. 24p (from cameras that will send you 24p) works now. The only thing that still doesn't work is full-quality playback. Atomos has said that they are working on this and that it is coming.Here are the list of hard drives and SSDs that have been tested: [@] short, the Ninja is fantastic, does everything it says it does, couldn't be easier to use, was well thought out, and is built like a tank. I couldn't have wanted anything more.

Comments about ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder:

Using the Ninja with the Sony NEX-FS100. Works like a charm. Very robust, dropped the unit from eye level twice and the unit still functions without skipping a beat. Playback is bad though, but I'm told by Atomos that a firmware will fix it.

Comments about ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder:

We use the flexibility of the small device as an additional recording tool. With the possibility of easy integration of Final Cut, it brings us a big advantage. In addition, the device has a nice look ...

Comments about ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder:

I bought this as a backup recorded to the in-cam recording on my Sony NEX-FS100U.

This is a complete product now that the V2.01 firmware has been released. It fixes major flaws in the product: full speed/quality playback, full timecode options including TOD, renaming of the drive, sequential file naming, and more have all been added.

It records for hours at ProRes 422 on a 500GB Hitachi drive, and is fairly rugged. The resultant 422 files have more latitude than the built in codec in both color reproduction (2x at least) and much less compression on rapid movement. I am finding significantly more detail on things like foliage and other detailed backgrounds that even the excellent codec in my camera can't quite reproduce perfectly.

I have had three minor issues:

1) One battery was DOA. Atomos support has been outstanding and is working to get me another.

2) I was not able to get the included (by B&H) Magic Bullet Grinder to properly reverse telecine 60i footage. Compressor, however, worked fine. (I didn't test anything else). If you don't know, on the FS100 and many other cameras, if you set your recording to 24p, for compatability reasons the HDMI output still is set to 601. But the 24p progressive frames ARE still in that 60i stream; they just need to be extracted by a process called reverse pulldown or reverse telecine. The Ninja doesn't do this in hardware; it has to happen afterwards.

The good news is this process is very quick; and if you are recording 25p (non US) or 30p (US/Japan) you can skip this step.

3) The battery holding mechanism is extremely solid. Perhaps too much so; it's very hard to extract batteries. I scratched the back of the unit where the batteries mount pretty badly just removing a battery. I can't imagine chnaging batteries while recording; the recorder would be jostled pretty severely doing that. The included batteries are the worst in this regard; other Sony batteries I used are easier to remove.

The drive caddy extraction isn't obvious. The slide mechanism to remove it isn't spring loaded as you'd think; but once you finally understand how it works you'll have no issues.

The caddy case itself is plastic and scratches very easily as it goes in and out. The rest of the body (except the battery mount) is metal and well-built.

Overall, for the price a highly recommended product that needs a few tweaks in physical design. It does lack HDMI passthrough, which would be nice as well.

Comments about ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder:

Nice solution to Prorez conversion and recording. Firmware upgrade big improvement.

Comments about ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder:

I gotta say, I love this, I use along with my GH2, I'm currently using as a back up to the SDHC cards that can go wrong. But keep in mind that the HDMI of the GH2 is crippled, and in order to use the ninja's footage if recorded with a GH2 you will have to do some work to de-interlace the footage. it's working beautifully, the batteries last a long time, I love it.

Comments about ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder:

The product is easy to use and produces records good looking footage. I was about to ditch my old HDV Sony V1U until I saw that this device came out. Recording through HDMI off of my camera allowed to delay a purchase of a new camera and the stuff I've shot with this looks excellent.

Pro:

-Small, easy to use and very long operational time on batteries.

-Uses regular 2.5" HDD so I can record tons of material for cheap. Takes quite a jolt for the unit to go into shock protection mode.

-Good enough monitor for a director to see framing and such. (Not color correct and not good for pulling focus though)

-Everything you need, besides HDMI cable, is in the box! (I disagree with the people that believe it should come with a HDMI cable because I use right angle very long cables so providing a cable is pointless to me. The thinking was probably that HDMI cables are prevalent, cheap and people require different lengths and connectors.)

Cons:

-File hierarchy that is used to organize files is annoying for Adobe Premiere users. (Awesome if you are a FCP user)

-ProRes codec not awesome for Premiere users either would have been nice to have a couple of other choices.

-FAT32 for HDD format is annoying. The files have a maximum size of 4GB so it splits your takes in multiple parts.

Bottom line: this unit is production worthy and I plan to use it with my new and old rigs.

Comments about ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder:

This is an amazing product for any HDMI output Camera. I get 10 Bit 422 from any source which is perfect for compositing and editing with grahics, no banding!!I have used it with the FS100 and my old Z7 - No Tape, long recording and direct to ProRes ready to edit. Instead of logging and capturing footage by tape or memory card I edited directly from the $50 500GB disk form the Ninja. 5 Hours of HQ ProRes - sweeeeeeet, this saved me 75% of my production time and I didn't have to make a coffee while a transcode happened.It's really light and strong, anyway I just love it and love the time and money it saves me....I used 24p on one shoot and then used "Grinder" from Red Giant included in the B&H bundle to reverse Telecine the 24p that's wrapped in 60i from the camera.The Accessories are killer also, its great to see a manufacturer including everything for one price!

Comments about ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder:

I'll be trying this product out as a mini video village/ daily review device with a Red One and Red Epic camera.

The hardware itself is great. Screen is a little dim, and the mechanics are a bit clunky- otherwise it does exactly what is says, and the price is great. The downfall is everything else

1. Drive enclosures are plastic! which means they can warp in heat, and an overzealous grip could over-tighten the screws preventing the drive from mating with the device

2. The cables are basically rubbish. I can already tell they will not last, and shipped pre-bent into tight little knots.

3. Dual charger and battery is nice- the mechanical action of placing and removing the batteries in not nice. it seems like the release button for the batteries doesn't do anything.

4. No manual, but fairly self-explanatory.

5. The case is complete garbage. Ok- I get it, you wanted to name the product Ninja and have a little marketing sticker (that was peeling off when i opened the box) that says Ninja. Fine. However when your 1000 dollar product is stuck inside the cheap case because the glue for the foam wasn't dry yet you can bet your customer will not be too happy. I literally had to scrape off brow crusty glue from a brand new device.

Just ship us the product without all the extras. I would gladly trade the case, cables and plastic sleeves for two aluminum sleeves. In fact- if you sell them as upgrades, then I will buy them, just don't try to fool anyone into thinking a knock-off pelican case is anything other than what it is- a bad marketing idea.

Comments about ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder:

I bought the Ninja for my Af100 camera, the images that the camera outputs to the ninja are fantastic. the device is easy to use of any HDR on the market. the quality of the Monitor is O.K. have little control of color on monitor so it does not represent the quality your getting. does not match the color from even the AF100 on board monitor. In my case i had a few things missing and i called b&H and they offered either for me to receive a new power supply for the battery charger or just bring it back for a new one, good customer service.

What falls short? Time code issues... yes the device records timecode but only internal not external, you can not sync the TC in your camera via HDMI to the Ninja, it does not slave TV on both devices, the best bet is to set Time of Day on both camera and Ninja and hope it works, it did to me about 50/50.

Also no external power source to the ninja so you can not plug in power to Ninja in the long interviews that i do. So one advice is get longer batteries for the Ninja or get a Sony power adapter about another $100.00.
There are no HDMI cables in case so dont forget to get a 3 foot cable, anything longer will just look bad on camera and makes it hard to work Hand Held with it.
one last thing you need is the on camera mount, ask bH for it they will tell you which one will work.

Oh and lastly, NO SUPPORT FOR OSX LION, DRIVE WILL NOT MOUNT ON DESK TOP. AND TECH SUPPORT FROM ATOMOS IS ONLY EMAIL AND VERY SLOW.

Comments about ATOMOS Ninja 2.0 Video Hard Disk Recorder:

There's lots to love and a little to dislike about this item.

Love:
1. Record quality HD footage direct to hard drive. No SSD needed. What could be better? I was going to toss my Z5U, but this unit allowed me to keep it relevant.
2. Comes with (almost) everything you need including a hard case.
3. For the price I don't think there's a better alternative out there. (You could go with the Blackmagic Design solution, but the SSDs offset the price disparity, and you need to be sure your system can handle the HD the Blackmagic records.)

Don't love:
1. Doesn't come with an HDMI cable. (!!!??!) This is surprising because they included EVERYTHING else you could possibly need to get going. I suspect they did this to keep the unit cost under $1000
2. The LCD built into the unit is neither sharp nor is it particularly bright. In a bright environment you should get an additional monitor. Again, I'm sure the monitor manufactured into the unit was dictated by the end cost they hoped to pass on to their potential customers.
3. My unit wasn't shipped with a US power adapter which was a big inconvenience for me to get. I'm sure yours will come with it and that that was just a mistake in packaging at the factory.

Over all, for the price this is a good deal and I would recommend it. Being able to record ProResHQ direct to disc is fantastic. I gave it 3 stars instead of 5 because they didn't include an HDMI cable, the LCD quality is low and they shipped me an incomplete package. If they put in a better LCD I'd give it 5 stars despite the other (small) issues.