Sony a7S III Gets ProRes RAW Recording Option

A couple of months ago, along with the launch of the Sony a7S III – you can watch our review here – Atomos announced that they will support Apple ProRes RAW recording over HDMI output.

Our colleague Philip Bloom made a beautiful launch video that you can watch above and that shows the true potential of this Sony a7S III plus Ninja V combo.

In a nutshell, the Sony a7S III can output a 16-bit linear RAW signal from its full-size HDMI port. The Ninja V can record that signal as a 12-bit ProRes RAW file at up to 4K60p. Also, on the Ninja V, you have the choice to record this signal as a 10-bit 422 Log or Rec.709 video at up to 4K60p in either ProRes or DNx “editing-ready” codecs.

Image credit: Atomos

Recording Modes and Limitations

According to Atomos’ AtomosOS V10.54 release note, here are all the recording formats and framerates you can get with the Ninja V and Sony a7S III combo:

4.2K ProRes RAW recording:

Uncropped metadata mode 4264 x 2408 at 23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p.
Cropped metadata mode 4240 x 2385 at 23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p. The Metadata crop provides a simple way to transform the RAW data to a 16:9 aspect ratio that closely represents the internally recorded 4K UHD files.

ProRes RAW 12bit Log recording: 16bit linear converted to 12bit Log (visually lossless process).

ProRes and DNX Recording (10-bit 422):

4KUHD (3840x2160p) recording at 23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p
HD (1920x1080p) recording at 23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p
HD interlaced (1920x1080i) at 50i, 59.94i

Image credit: Atomos

This is great, but there are some limitations:

Larger recordings on a 2TB SSD may occasionally not play back correctly on the Ninja V. This is related to playback on the Ninja V only and the recorded file is unaffected.

The Ninja V may not recommence recording automatically when momentarily losing video signal lock due to a faulty
cable connection.

White Balance and ISO adjustments are currently not available in Final Cut Pro X

RAW to HDR HDMI output – PQ / HDR10 output conversion may appear slightly incorrect.

While these limitations are “minor,” you better know them if you plan on purchasing this combo.

Price and Availability

The free AtomOS update for the Atomos Ninja V monitor/recorder is now available to download directly from the Atomos website here.

What do you think about ProRes RAW recording from the Sony a7S III? Did you already receive your camera? Are you planning on trying this lightweight ProRes RAW recording combo? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!