It seems like every filmmaker on the block is giving smartphone videography another chance after Apple added the ProRes recording codec to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, but many may still find themselves frustrated that their phone can’t match the image quality and feature set of their favorite mirrorless camera. Atomos is here to build a bridge between these two devices with the release of its Ninja Phone, a 10-bit video “co-processor” that takes the HDMI output of your camera and sends it into your iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max for monitoring, storing, and sharing in ProRes or H.265. The unit works in tandem with Atomos’ new Ninja Phone iPhone app to give you total filmmaking control at the tap of a finger.
After getting used to the iPhone 15 Pro’s 1600 nit, 446ppi, 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, HDR-compatible, OLED display, it makes sense that content creators don’t want to go back to the small flip-out LCD screens on their mirrorless and cinema cameras. The Ninja Phone allows Atomos to harness the power of these Retina displays and utilize its extensive experience taking HDMI outputs from modern cameras and converting them into ProRes. Putting this product in the Ninja line is Atomos’ first hint of what it’s truly capable of, since you’re not just able to monitor your camera feed, but also record in multiple codecs, stream to your platform of choice, and send it to a camera-to-cloud workflow for remote editing. No matter where you’re sending it, you’ll have in-app access to Atomos’ professional suite of monitoring and exposure tools to make sure the image looks just how you intended.
The Ninja Phone is comprised of two interlocking parts—an Adapter Case that protects your iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, and the co-processor unit that snaps off and is compatible with future smartphones and tablets. Click the processor into the back of the phone case, run an HDMI cable from your camera to the Ninja, run a USB-C cable from the Ninja to your phone, and you’re good to go. The Ninja Phone can be powered via NP-style batteries, a battery eliminator, or its USB-C input. The Ninja will feed video and power to the phone while in use, protecting you in case of longer record sessions. Atomos even has new locking HDMI and USB-C cables for maximum safety.
Similar products from other manufacturers have been able to record heavily compressed mirrorless camera feeds onto a phone, but never has a smartphone been able to record in ProRes from a standalone camera. That alone will entice many creators, yet Atomos has also added a bunch of quality-of-life features including a 9:16 portrait mode, a quiet, fan-less design, and support for external mics via the USB-C input. The ProRes feed from the co-processor can be stored as .mov files while simultaneously being transcoded into 10-bit H.265 by the iPhone’s A17 chip. That H.265 file is sent to cloud workflows or streamed out via the phone’s network connection, be it 5G or Wi-Fi. Atomos’ Cloud Services (ACS) users will be especially happy, because they can expect full compatibility for live production, cloud editing, and remote file management.
Whether you’re an influencer or a filmmaker, the Ninja Phone packs a ton of features that could step up your production game, getting the best out of modern smartphones and mirrorless cameras with a compact, reliable, latency-free system. It does cap out at 1080p60 for now, but hopefully 4k isn’t too far into the future.
Atomos also unveiled the Sun Dragon, a first of its kind five color HDR LED light strip 16ft in length. Light strips are incredibly useful for colorful accents, set dressing, fills, and adding character to a scene, but most suffer from poor color accuracy and limited control options. Atomos has solved those issues with the Sun Dragon, boasting an impressive CRI of 99 and TCLI of 98, as well as IP68 weatherproofing, and full control via an included remote, AirGlu, or Bluetooth. The light is battery or AC powered and super lightweight, able to be integrated into any production scenario to provide dependable strips of color that take your shots to the next level.
For more information on the Atomos Ninja Phone and Sun Dragon, including features, specs, and highlights, be sure to check out the detailed product page. How do you think you’ll use your Ninja Phone and Sun Dragon? Drop us a line below, and we’ll do our best to reply to your comments and questions.
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