Atomos Ninja V Gets ProRes RAW Support for Panasonic BGH1, Sony Alpha 1, FX3, and SIGMA fp L

External Recorders

by Jakub HanMarch 31^st, 2021

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Atomos releases the new AtomOS 10.63 firmware for the Ninja V. It now supports ProRes RAW from Panasonic LUMIX BGH1, Sony Alpha 1, Sony FX3, and SIGMA fp L cameras.

It is quite clear that the Australian company Atomos focuses a big chunk of its attention on the Ninja V – compact 5″ monitor/recorder. Since the Nikon Z6 and Panasonic LUMIX S1H pioneered the raw output over HDMI, we have seen many updates of the Ninja V bringing ProRes RAW support to more and more mirrorless cameras. With the latest version AtomOS 10.63, the company is introducing ProRes RAW support for Panasonic LUMIX BGH1, Sony Alpha 1, Sony FX3, and SIGMA fp L. Let’s take a look at the details.

Panasonic LUMIX BGH1

The BGH1 is Panasonic’s latest Micro Four Thirds camera and it features the company’s first box-style body. Sharing the same dual native ISO image sensor with the GH5S, the Netflix-approved camera introduced some new connectivity options for the LUMIX series. Make sure to check Johnnie’s review and Gunther’s Lab Test to learn more about the BGH1.

After the AtomOS 10.63 update, Ninja V will be able to record the raw video signal from LUMIX BGH1 in 4K DCI and 3.7K Anamorphic ProRes RAW. Please note that this will work only after the camera body has been updated with the firmware v2.0. The available recording modes in ProRes RAW are:

• 4K DCI 4096 x 2160 at 24p
• 4K UHD 3840 x 2160 at 23.98p, 25p, 29.97p
• FHD 1920 x 1080 at 23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p, 100p, 119.88p
• 3.7K Anamorphic 3680 x 2760 at 23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p

The Ninja V and LUMIX BGH1 combination can also work in sync for multicamera productions. This is facilitated by the LTC and Genlock inputs complemented with the Atomos UltraSync ONE wireless sync system. When configuring the UltraSync ONE Genlock mode, you have to set output type to 1080i-PSF mode regardless of camera resolution setting.

Sony Alpha 1

The Alpha 1 is Sony’s 8K mirrorless flagship camera that surprised everyone when announced at the end of January 2021. It offers interesting specs such as 8K30 and 4K120 10-bit internal video recording. We are currently working on the review and Lab Test of the camera, so please stay tuned for that.

With the new AtomOS 10.63, the Sony Alpha 1 and Ninja V combo will be able to record 4.3K (4332 x 2446) ProRes RAW at 23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, and 59.94p. According to Atomos, the 16-bit linear raw signal is converted to 12-bit log, so it should be a visually lossless process.

Sony FX3

The FX3 is Sony’s most-compact cinema line camera. It basically features the same internals as the Sony a7S III minus the viewfinder. Make sure to check our our Sony FX3 review to find out more about the camera.

With the new update for the Ninja V users can now record 4.2K (4264 x 2408) ProRes RAW at 23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, and 59.94p. Similarly, to the Alpha 1, the 16-bit linear is converted to a 12-bit log, meaning that it is a visually lossless process. In addition to this with the FX3 and Ninja V users can use cropped metadata mode (4240 x 2385) which provides a simple way to transform the RAW data to a 16:9 aspect ratio that closely represents the internally recorded 4K UHD files. 

SIGMA fp L

Announced only a few days ago, the SIGMA fp L offers a high-resolution alternative to the original SIGMA fp. From the specs, it is geared more towards photographers, than filmmakers. Take a look at our SIGMA fp L review to know more about it. With the new update, Atomos Ninja V will be able to record 12-bit ProRes RAW up to 4K30 from the SIGMA fp L.

Other Fixes and Availability

Last but not least, Atomos also introduces some bug fixes with the new AtomOS 10.63 update. Panasonic Type 3 trigger should now work for all recordings from supported SDI Panasonic Cameras (AU-EVA1 and VariCam LT) in ProRes RAW, ProRes and DNx.

The new AtomOS 10.63 update is available for free download on the Atomos Support Page. Please keep in mind that with the release of AtomOS 10.61 there has been a change to the activation process for Apple ProRes RAW and Avid DNx. You need to register at Atomos website to complete the activation process.

Known limitations of the new firmware according to Atomos are:

• In rare cases, the Ninja V may not lock to a RAW video signal from the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III for ProRes RAW, when the Ninja V is switched between playback and record modes.
• In rare cases, the Ninja V may not recommence recording automatically when momentarily losing video signal lock from the Sony Alpha A7sIII or Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III due to a faulty cable connection.
• Non-RAW Dual Link SDI video cannot be monitored when in ProRes RAW mode. To monitor and record Dual Link SDI modes please use either ProRes or DNx modes.
• In some cases, dual-link video from the Panasonic Varicam LT may not lock when switching from a single link video mode. Please reboot the Ninja V if this occurs.

Do you use Atomos Ninja V for your work? How do you like working with ProRes RAW? Let us know in the comments section underneath the article.