Atomos Ninja Star Pocket-Size ProRes Recorder & Deck

This is a great device, it is fast and the end quality is stunning, I use it with a Nikon D750 to get pro-res video it mounts to the shoe with an adapter and it does exactly what it says. since it uses the video out it allows simultaneous recording of H.264 (camera) and pro-res (ninja star). it is compact and the batteries last

I suspect the target audience for this slick device is the GoPro/Drone crowd. I am using this with my DSLR to record ProRes HD rather than the more-compressed AVCHD. I selected the Ninja Star rather than one of the recorders with a monitor since I already have a great field monitor. The camera is connected to the HDMI-IN of the Ninja Star and the monitor is connected to the Star's HDMI-OUT port.I have been using this device heavily for the past week. Some observations:- Build quality seems excellent- Very simple, intuitive interface. As I write this, the User Manual is not yet available.I can't imagine anything I could learn from the manual that isn't intuitively obvious from a few minutes of playing with the device.- As expected, the ProRes files recorded on the CFast card are much bigger than AVCHD files written to an SD card in the camera. A minute of footage using the Ninja Star created a file that was 1.15GB. The same scene recorded to the SD card was 161MB. Once in Premiere Pro CC, I have detected no delay when scrubbing through the ProRes file, even with effects applied (e.g. Colorista II).- This is the first device I have owned which uses micro-HDMI cables. I ran into a bad batch of cheap cables that I had purchased here at Amazon. One was DOA and the other went bad after a few days. I'm now using Pearstone cables (also from Amazon) and all connections are now rock solid.- In comparing the ProRes footage with AVCHD of the same scene, as expected there is not a noticeable difference with well-lit, static subjects. Detail in moving shadows or sky are more visible with ProRes . For me, the biggest difference is when keying or color grading. The AVCHD footage falls apart much quicker.- It is very easy to unintentionally turn the device on just by grabbing it and accidentally pressing the REC button. You should have to press the REC button for a few seconds to turn it on.- Battery life is better than what is claimed by Atomos.In summary, I'm very pleased with the Ninja Star and would recommend it for recording clean HDMI from a DSLR.

The Atomos Ninja Star makes beautiful, extremely flexible video. As a stills photographer accustomed to the flexibility of RAW photos, I'm glad to have similar quality on video footage now that I'm shooting more motion. There is a noticeable increase in video quality vs. shooting in-camera compressed footage on my Nikon D750. Just like RAW vs. JPEG still images, this is by far the most noticeable when you "push" the files in editing. In other words, if you need to push exposure up or down or color grade the footage, shooting in ProRes vs. in-camera H.264 makes a huge difference. If you don't grade your video, the quality difference will be much less noticeable.It has intuitive controls and a very compact form factor. This product comes with a number of useful accessories such as a mounting bar, battery, a car charger, and a wall charger with a number of different plugs for use in different countries. It also comes with a nice case and a C-Fast card reader.In short, this was a great product has great potential for a stills photographer who also needs to shoot professional looking video on occasion. It would also be great for those just getting into professional videography or who are enthusiasts or YouTube producers with smaller budgets.HOWEVER. I have several issue with this product that mean I'd advise you to explore alternatives before deciding that this is indeed the best solution for your needs.1. Most problematically, the HDMI input into the device came out after less than a few days of use, rendering it inoperable. I did not drop or abuse the product at all, it simply came out when I was pulling out a cable as I normally would. Now this could absolutely be a fluke but I was glad the product was so new so that I could easily return it. Still, I'd recommend that you do fill out the warranty for this product and insure it if possible.2. The C-Fast cards are hard to find and incredibly expensive. They are, in fact, the most expensive form of storage per Gigabyte that exist in the photography world. You can find off-brand cards that enable you to record around an hour of storage for $50 or so depending on the codec you use. (Normally I don't pay much attention to brands, but for memory/storage I DO because the potential for losing client footage due to memory failure terrifies me). For a reputable brand of C-Fast card that has recovery software in case of failure, you'll be paying 3x that amount. If you need to shoot more than a couple hours of footage, the price for storage cards will exceed the price of the Atomos Ninja Star itself. This is unworkable for me personally, and I should have done my research before buying the product. It might very well be the case that C-Fast card costs will come-down in coming years - especially since Canon is rumored to be using the format for it's upcoming 5D Mk IV, which will no doubt be massively popular. But at the time being this might mean other options are better.As for myself, I will be replacing this product with the Atomos Ninja Blade recorder. It costs $200 more than the Ninja Star but it records straight to a standard 2.5" hard drive (SSD or HDD) that are normally used in computer storage. Solid state memory being more reliable, especially in rougher conditions, I will be opting for the SSD option. I can currently purchase a name-brand 250 GB SSD for less than $100. What this means is that I will spend LESS overall for a better product when considering the price of memory storage. Moreover, the Atomos Ninja Blade can utilize Nikon or Canon batteries, on top of a whole host of other features that come with a dual monitor-recorder product.Now the Atomos Ninja Star COULD absolutely meet your needs. If you never shoot more than a a half hour of video at a time before, are comfortable using less-known storage brands, and have a very tight budget then you can get the same fantastic video quality from this recorder that you would from a much more expensive product. For an YouTube producer, for example, this might work fantastically (although if you just record in doors off a tripod I might also consider a direct-to-PC interface such as BlackMagic's Intensity Shuttle).I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions.

The first unit I received did not record in two of the formats claimed it could record in. The monitor output was intermittent (new gold cables), although it recorded video without gaps. The manufacturer deemed the unit bad and replaced it. Tried it out in the office, it worked fine. FIRST DAY OF PRODUCTION, same camera-cable setup, the unit would not record. Continued to get a failure indicator. We had earlier tried a cheap flash card, and later purchased two Atomos cards. I've spent $800 on this device and the card and was unable to use it ONE time, before TWO units failed. Now, it's not eligible for amazon return. BIG FAILURE. I will never buy Atomos anything again.

Too many issues with equipment conflicts. Monitor doesn't work, can't buy additional mounting hardware, manual is not available, only quick start guide.

Works well with my drone for recording HD arials videos while th drone is in flight

I currently have 2 atoms Ninja 2's and needed another. I am a professional in the video production industry and I shoot with C100's. I hook these up to give me ProRes (broadcast quality) out of my HDMI port on the C100. This is a great piece of gear. It comes with a battery, case and mount. A great deal. I purchased the Atoms 128GB CFast card with it, since I have learned my lesson buying "off brand" cards. together its still cheaper than the ninja 2's. Great for drone's and GOPRO cameras too.