This week we’re looking at the Atomos Ninja V and the Blackmagic Video Assist 5″ 6G to evaluate quality external video recorders on a budget. Taking into account the practical side of working with large files and removable media, I decide which one makes the most sense for my workflow in 2020.
Tested.com has a great article that goes into detail on the arbitrary and out of date 30 minute record time limit mentioned in the video. It is an issue we we run into on almost all handheld cameras these days that are not specifically ‘video cameras’ and a common reason for wanting to take your recordings external. My Sony a6500 has this limitation, as well as an unfortunate reputation for overheating at times.
Another issue that needs regular attention is keeping up to date with current SD card technology. It seems like they are always changing, evolving and being tweaked to get more performance, but with little attention paid to backwards compatibility and how older hardware will continue to perform. The option with the Ninja to move to an all SSD workflow, and reduce transfer bottlenecks has the potential to save you real time.
If you’re going from a camera like mine to shooting Apple ProRes, eliminating the trans-code step at import should also be a significant boost in workflow improvement. You can get to work with your files faster when you’re under a deadline or just trying to get some rest after a long day.
Which video recorder would you choose for your next project?
Check out the DcSoundOp archive on PSW here.
