Atomos Ninja V vs. Blackmagic Video Assist 12G - What's the best off-camera recorder?

[@cameralabs]

Gordons always make the best gear reviews. We are irritating attention seekers though.

[@imabigsandwich1292]

ah yes the never aging vampire Gordon is here!

[@rudolfabelin383]

LMAO!!!

[@supertaufiqr]

Yes to the Gordons!

[@falxonPSN]

Hahaha! This is the best comment I could have hoped for!

[@OhShiraz]

For he next week I will argue with myself if Jordan has a real twin brother called Gordon. If Jordan had said Gordon Laing was his long lost brother.... that I would completely believe.

[@Durio_zibethinus]

I'm sorry jordan, but gordon is a new star in this channel.

[@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss]

Gordon is like the hot Chad version of Jordan.

[@fellowcitizen]

Just wait 'til you meet Nick Christels ;)

[@perilthecat]

Lol, cutting in the clip of Gerald was perfect

[@rudolfabelin383]

Just surprised it wasn't purple...

[@KevinJamesVideo]

Christ, that got me.

[@patrickchase5614]

I have the Ninja V and the 5" and 7" VideoAssists. The 2500 nit displays on the Blackmagics are a lifesaver outdoors, though you'll be needing those dual batteries if you try to use it at that brightness for very long. I also personally prefer Blackmagic's UI layout. Focus peaking is a bit nicer on the Atomos unit as it enhances both horizontal and vertical edges. The VideoAssists seem to only detect vertical edges. It's not clear what version of the VideoAssist firmware you tested, but the calibration/consistency of both of my units improved noticeably in the 3.4.1 update. My Blackmagics are now closer to my calibrated 6500K desktop display than are my Ninja or Shinobi.

[@trueblack6760]

Thank you for your help, Gordon. Also I want to see the twin sister of Chris as well. Come on Christina!

[@ericmeter8269]

Jordan has been killing it lately. This and his intro to the iFootage monopod review are classic. Topped only, perhaps, by Gordon Laing's comment earlier. The three, well four, of you rock.

[@WonderBoggle]

You don't talk about the Atomos Ninja's fan noise? I find it pretty distracting. Is the BM Video Assist as noisy?

[@sb4photos]

nope

[@WonderBoggle]

@Prince Dune yes it's noticeable, surprised no reviews seem to mention it. I wouldn't use it for an indoor shoot if the sound matters

[@candyartstv]

Fan noise is the biggest deal breaker with external recorders, especially the ninja v. Too many complaints out there for it to not even get a mention.

[@CallMeRabbitzUSVI]

Hmmmmm I've never had it interfere with any recordings, my blackmagic would prolly compete with it but it's not on 100% of the time since I'm doing lower budget stuff and do not have to shoot my video off to a wireless display or a video village

[@candyartstv]

@@CallMeRabbitzUSVI I record interviews and dialog most of the time and the ninja v fan was too loud. Not tried the black magic.

[@MarkBennettCameraCrisis]

I find the Ninja V too loud. I often use it to set up a shot and check settings, but then I turn it off. I only use it to record if the mic is far away from the device

[@candyartstv]

@@MarkBennettCameraCrisis If you care about sound it's definitely too loud.

[@MarkBennettCameraCrisis]

@@candyartstv it really is - in my little studio the mics pick it up easily. With Chris and Jordan - they’re always far away from the camera with lavs usually so I can see how it’s not an issue for them.

[@goddyab]

Dpreview has always been informative and educative but the Entertainment is on a different scale...lol

[@luisa9628]

The blackmagic "raw" adds some post denoising, and their color balance control from the recorder doesn't work the same as the internal braw on their BMPC. The Prores Raw is more of an "raw" image in the sense that it doesn't add any processing of the image and gives you straight from the sensor data. The DP Journey did a good video about it.

[@teknotheef]

Can we vote to keep Gordon permanently?

[@goddyab]

I agree He brings the best out of Jordan....hahaha

[@Nayson]

But he’s always on set!

[@DustinBairdsolo]

This was the great comparison I was looking for and loaded with all of the facts. After watching this I’ve definitely decided that I still can’t decide which one to get! 😂

[@vasiliilvovichpetrovskii-k6871]

🤣🤣🤣

[@thatcherfreeman]

Nice to finally see a real filmmaker like Gordon Blake on this channel

[@genjii931]

He's got nothing on their cousin Bordon Glake, though. That guy is a legend.

[@DAVISION-YT]

Great Video! I really wondered why you havn't said more words about Audio, thought you are pretty much an Audiophile in terms of Cameras. I used a Ninja V for Years and a Shogun 7 for more then one year. I tried to switch to a BMD Video Assist 7" HDR lately just to find out that there is no way to delay the Audio, what makes the XLRs and onboard Line/Mic Input basically useless when you use a HDMI Connection to your Camera, just because SONY and Canon in my Case are allways, 3 frames behind the Audio over HDMI. On Atomos I have the option of putting a delay and even can it be figured out automatically. BMD basically lacks this feature. Also a pretty good point is that SD Cards are Slow, to slow for RAW Recording and take way longer to transfer the files to your PC. While SSD is an option for the Video-Assist it means heaving the SSD Mounted anywhere on the Recorder. One point in Favor of BMD VA that you havn't mentioned it that you can use it as a Capture Card, what is Pretty damn awesome. Also there are 3D Printed Files for mSATA SSDs with Adapter Plates that Mimic the AngelBird Ones Size. I know because I made them. So you can have one TB or more for less then half of Angelbird in the same Size without the Hump. I with Atomos, Apple and Blackmagic Come together One Day and Make Resolve ProRes RAW Ready and FinalCut BRAW Compatible. It's a pain in the Ass that your Camera Manufracturere wants to decide on your Editing Software nowadays. Also I could see the Argument beind made that you should have compared the 7" vs the 7" because the Shogun 7 has no SSD Hump, has even more SDIs, has Dual Batteries and so on. :-) Hope to hear Back from you!

[@emilbrothersmedia2533]

Thank you very much for this comment as it prevented me to buy the wrong product

[@DAVISION-YT]

@@emilbrothersmedia2533 you are welcome! 😊

[@randizzle99]

We’ve had our differences DPReview… But I am here for this video. Priceless

[@gereral1_jackofalltrades]

I opted desview r7p with atomos ninja 2 for my 1080p setup. Opted for canon g30 as the lens was the selling point. Works perfectly in Davinci resolve studio. No need for 4k. Run rode wireless go 2 system and have a zoom h5 recorder. If I could do it all over I would have bought a canon c100 and scrap the atomos, kept the monitor and kept the rode wireless go 2 and scrap the zoom h5. Oh well.

[@cammackey]

That was fun and informative 🤘🏽 thanks for all the info guys!

[@fellowcitizen]

You should really get back in touch with your estranged brother Sam Mackey. I hear he's a model... ;)

[@kyrkish]

this is the best way to do a review. Very entertaining, full of info and just a fun to watch with.

[@VivaMediaInc]

We use to Ninja's for external recording on our FS5's. We also have the 2 5 inch Blackmagic Monitors and a 7 inch. But now we shoot exclusively on BMPCC 6K Pro's and just record straight to CFAST cards. The Ninja is a great product though! Highly recommend!

[@daycreek]

Thanks for the creative comparison. I wish however your comparison went into more details about the Blackmagic Video Assist 12G and what cameras its supports or will support in the future. Being a Davinci Resolve user and owner of Sony cameras I am frustrated by the fact that the A7SIII and A1 are not supported by the Video Assist recorder. Currently I am using the Atomos Ninja V to record ProRes Raw but I have to transcode the ProRes Raw footage first before using it in Davinci Resolve. This sucks and there is no way around this. I would much prefer to use the Video Assist recorder using Blackmagic Raw directly edited in Davinci Resolve. IMO, Blackmagic needs to step up to the plate and either support ProRes Raw or make their recorder(s) able to record Blackmagic Raw from Sony and other camera manufacturers.

[@genjii931]

I think it's up to the camera manufacturers to add support for Braw.

[@gerrypi51]

i have the same problem! with A7s3 only this is possible for the time being!?: Recording with S-Log3 in XAVC S-I 4K format, right? or is there more?

[@MrWillJS]

I have both.... Video Assist 5" all the way love using it Showing the playback to clients is 👌

[@WonderBoggle]

Which one has a noisier fan? I find the Ninja V to be a bit loud

[@shem44]

Is it easier to show video playback on VA than ninja? My main purpose is playback and live monitoring during shoot and not about raw or prores recording.

[@AndersSteenHansen]

@@WonderBoggle Ninja without a doubt...Bought both and kept the Video Assist..It's not silent, but definately better

[@KeithBab]

This video was clearly edit by Jordan, because he 'forgot' to give Gordon's social media a plug at the end.

[@roryonabike5863]

Fun video. I use a Blackmagic camera, but I would not purchase one of its monitor/recorders. They're poor value for money and the colour rendition issues are real (see the many threads about colour problems on the Blackmagic forum). On its last monitor/recorder launch, I think that Blackmagic treated initial purchasers as beta testers. As a codec, I see no evidence that Blackmagic Raw is a serious threat to ProRes. If all one needs is a monitor, I think that the future is using the monitor to control one's camera. As has also been discussed on the Blackmagic forum, don't count on this coming to Blackmagic in the near future. Personally, I'll buy monitors from companies that make them as part of their core business (SmallHD, Atomos) rather than as a sideline.

[@mwaithephoto]

Here after watching the videos i missed video you guys put out ! awesome video might actually get the ninja for my z7II

[@MarkBennettCameraCrisis]

Quick tip for anyone reading - on the Ninja V if you press the power button twice it powers up without having to hold it down. Still have to hold it to turn it off though!!

[@MrCozien]

One super important point that you forgoten to mention is that with the new update it’s now possible to stream your footage direct to KZbin. A huge plus....

[@tonyamartin1425]

update on which one?

[@henrik_worst_of_sinners]

Black Magic if you're listening, please add DCI 4K 50/60p 10bit recording (spec sheet only shows 24/25/30p or something like that). The Ninja V has it and I would buy a Video Assist 12G tomorrow if it had this feature. This is relevant to cameras such as GH5S which I own. That said I also hope the BRAW is already in the pipeline for GH5S. I am a Resolve user so this would help me a lot. Cheers :)

[@EricLouisYoung]

I have both. My ninja v is currently listed on ebay.

[@patrickchase5614]

One thing that didn't come up here that I think will be important to a lot of folks is that the Atomos has preview support for a wide range of camera manufacturers' LOG spaces "out of the box", which is very useful when not shooting RAW. In contrast, the Blackmagics only come with LUTs for Blackmagic film (~= modified Cineon) and VLog. If you're shooting one of the SLogs or CLogs you have to import your own previewing LUTs, which isn't as easy as uploading the appropriate manufacturer-provided LUT because of full- vs legal-range issues. The easiest way to do it in my experience is to obtain a preview "look" that you like in Resolve using any combination of LUT and adjustment nodes, export that to a LUT (again via Resolve), and load it onto the VideoAssist.

[@rendermanpro]

Worked on both and Assist 12G 7" is way better by any point, metal construction, dual SD + USBc, dual batteries, brighter screen, xlr.... I would say if you don't have money on Assist, save and wait, and buy it instead of Ninja. And interface is better as well on BM Assist...

[@MattDragovits]

Great review. Couldn't ask for more. You provided great information and were very entertaining. I rarely get to laugh when watching product reviews, so this was awesome. Keep up the great work.

[@norfilmshetland]

Brilliant way to compare the two - most helpful.

[@247.mp4]

3:52 "Professional, like me - a Professional" has the battery door open

[@jiffijoff9780]

lol, you guys are hillarious...!! SO much fun/and nonsense and still HUGE amount of very valid and spot on product information. For me, thats the perfect mix, spot on fellas. And welcome Gordon to the DPReview famiiy. You're presence will be requested often I guess... overall: great video and thanks for sharing.

[@JohnDrummondPhoto]

Gordon: I'm sure no one else is seeing this magenta cast. Gerald Undone: Honestly, the display is a little bit -- pink. Highlight of the video. That plus the slight self-ID slip at the end. And, as a DaVinci editor, very informative. I don't need an external recorder right now, but if I do, I know which way I'm leaning.

[@fkr760]

Make sure when you buy Blackmagic VIdeo Assist 12G that your camera is in that list: Blackmagic RAW Supported Cameras Canon EOS C300 Mark II, FUJIFILM GFX100, FUJIFILM GFX100S, Nikon Z 6, Nikon Z 7, Nikon Z 6II, Nikon Z 7II, Panasonic AU-EVA1, Panasonic LUMIX GH5S, Panasonic LUMIX BGH1, Panasonic LUMIX BS1H, Panasonic LUMIX S1, Panasonic LUMIX S1H, Panasonic LUMIX S5, SIGMA fp

[@gerrypi51]

… or Sony cameras (A7S3) max. with XAVC S-I 4K (BRAW perhaps later)

[@TheUnMarketingGroup]

That was great guys. All three of you. Didn't really miss Chris ... don't tell him... I know he's a little sensitive about these things...

[@MrTaco-ei5hl]

The Jordan Gordon show!! All those years in front of the camera have paid off... I guess Chris buys lunch. Great review!

[@kianostad]

Quick question, I was thinking of buying a Blackmagic Video Assist 12G for recording on Sony a7III/IV and thought to do some research; however, I couldn't find any result for this combination. Is there any specific reason for this? Why does no one (as far as I can see) use Blackmagic?

[@gerrypi51]

Black Magic Video Assist 7 12G: can it capture XAVC S-I 4K from a Sony A7S3? BRAW is not supported for Sony cameras till today.

[@Stargaze79]

I'm siding with Gordon Blake. I trust true professionals. He also seems like a nice guy...

[@dglatz01]

Well done and informative. And yeah funny as hell. Thanks for the time and effort of putting it together.

[@josephryan5448]

Whats the cost difference with media added to the Ninja V? It seems to me that with everything you need to get started, they are closer to the same price point.

[@pjw2000]

Always the best balance of information and entertainment, gents. Cheers.

[@dallatorretdu]

if I press record on the A7SIII, does the external recorder start to record?

[@thecringe_tv]

Loving the intros lately! 👍

[@simonc4764]

As of yesterday Blackmagic has added a monitor calibration in its firmware update the magenta colour cast on the Video Assist has been resolved.

[@CallMeChato]

Wonderful.

[@DarkPa1adin]

wow, surprised to see you here!

[@CallMeChato]

@@DarkPa1adin Ha, why? They are Canadian. They are crazy. We have lots in common.

[@modrisklingenbergs]

Great comparison review. Thanx a lot! 👍👍👍

[@nickolasmazzara127]

Awesome! I was just looking for videos on the new video assist.

[@andersistbesser]

How did you mount the ssd on the back of the video assist?

[@dracleirbag5838]

Jordan can you please compare the canon r5 4k footage to the s1h? Thanks

[@TheJenShow]

Loved the @geraldUndone cameo at 8:35

[@kennethgooswit3697]

Can you record prores raw with the video assist of blackmagic. The specs are saying prores.

[@vasilisman78]

Great video! One question only. Somehow you hooked in the Samsung ssd above monitor(6:15)How you did that?

[@kqschwarz]

FANTASTIC review. Thank you.

[@circuitsandcigars1278]

The DPReview has the best comment section. Every photo and video ubernerd shows up there and they fight like Treknerds vs Starwars nerds and the reader’s win

[@juanlechuga9200]

Quick question - Do you know if the Blackmagic Video Assist can be operated from the Atem Mini Pro like other Blackmagic cameras? (Recording, tali light…) Nice face to face by the way, I’m in this doubt and the video answered a lot of questions

[@albancousinie9455]

Great review and good humor. Thank you !

[@irkallaxeynoxshen8777]

Chris: let's make a subscriber challenge to get Gordon back to the show Jordan: You betrayer

[@genjii931]

How much is the SDI module for the Atomos? That's a more fair comparison, but the 5" to 7" difference is still a problem.

[@WiseGuy.2013]

Ive mentioned that along with another thing in a comment nobody wanna bump up :)

[@BicinViaggio]

Very informative with a touch of fun, simply awesome video! You guys (all three I mean) are great! Thanks!

[@peternavanac9310]

Solid review of gear that I am interested in. Thanks for the comparison. Braw and resolve is truly amazing for grading. Using it more and more and FC less and less. Truly appreciate the good content.

[@gerrypi51]

Black Magic Video Assist 7 12G: can it capture XAVC S-I 4K from a Sony A7S3? BRAW is not supported for Sony cameras. Apart from that, I didn't find any ProRes in the settings in DaVinci Resolve 18 Studio. An answer would be helpful.

[@tony2m233]

@@gerrypi51 I am a user of BM equipment, but I think BM cannot afford to produce camera sensors, maybe it was Sony that provided them. Includes a number of anti-competitive provisions. Proresraw is not directly supported on Dr, it is always available on Final Cut of the Apple ecosystem. You can convert it to DNG so it can be used on Dr. 1 wish you good day.

[@AndyKunkel]

Your intros have been gold lately hahaha

[@ThoriumHeavyIndustries]

To me the most important question: Which device is more noisy. And that is for many producers and important topic and you sadly didn´t gave any info on that.

[@adamdrakestudio]

Ooo I can get Q0 out of my BMPCC 6k Pro with the 12G? I picked one up last week and didn’t realise it gave me more functionality on my 6K Pro too!

[@SliwkaProductions]

Best review of these 2 monitora ever 🔥

[@TheMrawesomest]

Gordon seems like a very chill dude.

[@DavWoe]

What if you already have a Blackmagic 6k. Can you operate the camera with the screen?

[@osoriony]

I got the Blackmagic Video Assist 7 HDR 12 SD1 and it doesn't display false color with my Canon R5 C. Is this this monitor compatible with Canon cameras?

[@geoffreybassett6741]

Hope those big fancy sets don't mind the lack of LUT on the SDI out of the Blackmagic or the insane SDI delay. I will be holding onto my PIX-E7 till it dies.

[@WiseGuy.2013]

Shouldnt this for comparison sake be vs BM VA 12G 5" variant which is $795 ? Then the price difference is pretty much the cost of SDI module for the Atomos. Also... can Video Assist record 6k24, cause theres also that. Lumix S users may appreciate that. Price difference aside... right now it all comes down to what you are going to be editing in(on), as for all i know ProresRAW on windows (Adobe) has only exposure slider and its even less fun for Resolve users. What im mostly interested in when shooting RAW is all the detail that can be recovered from highlights (and shadows). So for now it looks like that if youre a Mac user youre good to go with ProresRAW. If you're on WIndows you might be better off with BRAW as it offers a bit more flexibility/recovery. Correct me if im wrong. What happened to CinemaDNG? I noticed that from latest devices only Sigma fl has this option. Sure the files are huge, but the possibilities. EDIT: OK, ive just noticed 1 thing. BM VA whether its HDMI or SDI has 10-bit color precision. Atomos is up to 16 bit with RAW input (12-bit is the output from most cameras with raw mode, Sony delivers 16-bit linear). Any BM manager here to clarify BM Video Assist RAW input color precision ? ;) If their www spec sheet is accurate then it's Atomos all the way... and I was starting to like the idea of BM and BRAW.

[@sifren2491]

I like how Jordan is trying to pretend to be mean as Gordon, but he still comes off as a really soft spoken nice guy.

[@genjii931]

That's the Canadian version of mean.

[@sifren2491]

@@genjii931 I'm also from the land of Canadia, I used to go to The Camera Store back in Calgary and see Chris and Jordan there. Genuinely nice people.

[@lo.taminu]

is it possible to record with the blackmagic video assist using the s1h a 5.9K 10bit 422 in H265 format or only braw?

[@ReginaldEsque]

I jus wish one of these monitors recorded raw with the Sony FS700r

[@themathdj9797]

Can you do a dual SD card recording or dual SD and SDD recording on the 7inch 12G model?

[@daniellove162]

How did you know I was researching which system to get?

[@kjltube]

Upping the level again guys 👍🏻 Quite an ego on that Gordon Blake Drake guy!

[@aghielahmadi2539]

I have been watching your videos for years...and I really like your leather jacket Jordan. Where can I buy one? Seriously!

[@garypranzo9334]

I got ninja V for 399 now but yeah if the price is not an Issue then BlackMagic all the way but I am very happy with the Ninja V

[@ENSOTAVES]

Wonderful! Awesome script!

[@GMFER]

Can I record the raw from gh5s with firmware 2.5 to Atomos ninja v (which would be apple raw)?

[@ScottJWaldron]

Interesting comparison, thanks! I've been looking for a small mobile HDMI recorder to capture the live view of a camera for tutorials and such (quality of the output isn't too important). I might check out that 5" Black Magic one, though it still seems kind of big. I wish Atomos still made the "Ninja Star" recorder.

[@stereo.camera]

VideoAssist supports full Rec.2020 colorspace, Atomos only BT.2020 Gamma. Atomos does RAW up to 12 bit color, VideoAssist seems to me -if I read correct- only 10 bit.

[@CanditoTrainingHQ]

Video assist supports BRAW, which is 12 bit. It just also has other options.

[@gerrypi51]

@@CanditoTrainingHQ can I record XAVC S-I 4K from Sonys A7S3 ? BRAW is not yet possible with Sony Cams.

[@mannydrives]

Can you create a video with the Panny BGH1 and BM Video Assist using the 3G cable?

[@alantuttphotography]

Just wish there was a 7-inch version of the Ninja V. It seems every camera maker talks about how their RAW can be recorded on the Ninja V, but I would much prefer a 7-inch screen. Looks like the BMD Video Assist is almost there, except no support for ProRes RAW.

[@matth2673]

Hi. I had a little question about the Video assist : wich is the best external ssd to record in all codec available and in 6k as I have a LUMIX S1 ? Samsung T5 1to or the Scandisk extreme portable 1to ? Thx a lot !! And great video by the way :)

[@RaquelFoster]

The only thing that makes me excited about the Video Assist is those XLR inputs. I use Resolve, and I don't know why I should care about using BRaw instead of ProRes. But the Video Assist gives you the option of upgrading your camera to something that might not have XLR inputs. But I'm happy injecting XLR audio into the camera and recording on a Ninja V. And the AtomX Sync modules are great. They just automatically share timecode between both my Ninjas and I can just hit record on one of them and they both start in sync.

[@chippy511]

The moment I started to watch this I just started to laugh you guys are terrific - especially at what you do,your expertise and fun make your videos great to watch - keep en coming guys. 😂

[@ewtriplett]

Well done! I enjoy your creativity.

[@gerrypi51]

I would like to connect an external battery with a higher capacity to the 12V socket of the BM Videoo Assist monitor (thus 12V/3A like the power pack). At least 20-30 Ah would be desirable for the use of a 3-hour non-stop video recording. Changing the rear 2 FP batteries while recording is out of the question.

[@thebossnocompetition8757]

i ask the same question as i did with the other reviews of this monitor. how accurate is it for HDR10? does it follow PQ exact? the short question is can you use this monitor as an reference monitor or not?

[@alexanderverdoodt]

This was a crazy idea. I loved it. Especially the hostile attitude. I can’t get the idea of Jordan talking to himself out loud out of my head.

[@DarkPa1adin]

a few negative points, you didn't mention battery life, and fan noise!

[@KyleClements]

I want to see more of Gordon in the future!

[@liamdanielmcevoy6622]

Does the Blackmagic have Bluetooth and RF Timecode Sync?

[@truthkeeperfilms]

Z6 II takes that these recorders very well.

[@nicolasthonnerieux]

hey question : how do you attach the ssd on the bmd video assist ? :)

[@remektekmedia6641]

I think you should also invite your often forgotten 3rd bro', Morgan. You should have mentioned the Shogun 7, which includes SDI, dual battery and switching to boot.

[@aintnobodygottime4dat]

Can that camera hotshot safely hold that 7" with battery(s)!?

[@BillNessworthyPhotography]

A bit of a mismatched comparison - I'm considering the 5" version of the Blackmagic vs the Ninja V for shooting weddings... I think the 7" version is closer to an Atomos Shogun, isn't it?