Call us: 01444 237070

Atomos Shinobi 7 Monitor Specs Comparison

Atomos is one of the biggest names in video monitors and recorders, founded in 2010 with the world’s first video monitor-recorder. The latest addition to their range is the Atomos Shinobi 7” 4K HDMI HDR Photo And Video Monitor-Only and we take a look at the specs with a comparison with the smaller hugely popular Shinobi 5” 4K monitor from 2018.

Bigger and better Atomos Shinobi 7 Specs Comparison

Introduction

Atomos has been extremely busy lately. Not satisfied with simply releasing their new Ninja V+ 5” monitor-recorder with 8K (which took an almighty two years of development working with Canon by the way), they were also working on their immensely popular Shinobi monitor-only simultaneously.

Using the Shinobi 7 with Box camera

There’s a growing market for plug-in external monitors as they can dramatically improve on camera LCD or EVF viewing experiences, suited to a wide range of applications. Benefits of an external monitor might include:

  1. Far more accurate video monitoring
  2. Mounting on pro video cameras which don’t come with an LCD like the Sony FX6 or Panasonic Lumix BGH1 Box camera
  3. Hugely improved screen size with more detail
  4. Camera control through touchscreen
  5. Focus assist features (like zebra, zoom, punch, peaking etc)
  6. Safe areas displayed for different end uses
  7. Act like a fully articulating LCD for vlogging and selfie-style ‘to-camera’ video
  8. Large screen for director or client viewing
  9. More accurate colour with LUT’s, calibration and pre-defined Rec.709 for example
  10. Higher resolution with greater dynamic range

Large 7-inch screen for running and gunning

Atomos Shinobi 7 Vs Shinobi 5 Specs Comparison

Physical Specifications

Atomos Shinobi 7 4K HDMI HDR Photo And Video Monitor

Atomos Shinobi 5.2 Full HD HDR Photo And Video Monitor

Dimensions (W x H x D)

198mm x 133mm x 39mm

151mm x 91.5mm x 31mm

Weight

577g (excluding batteries)

196g

Mount points

1 x Anti rotation 1/4" / 3/8 top and bottom

1 x Anti rotation 1/4" / 3/8 top and bottom

Environmental

   

Ambient operating temperature

Up to 40 Degrees Celsius

Up to 40 Degrees Celsius

Construction & Control

   

Body

Polycarbonate ABS Plastic

Polycarbonate ABS Plastic

Cooling

Actively controlled fan and Heat Sink

Passive

Multi-function button

Power / lock Screen

Power / lock Screen

Power

   

Input voltage

6.2V to 16.8V

6.2V to 16.8V

Compatible batteries

2 x NPF L series

1 x NPF L series

Built in battery

No

No

Battery Run time Monitor Only

5200mAh - 2.0hrs, 7800mAh - 3.5hrs

2600mAh - 1.5hrs, 5200mAh - 3hrs, 7800mAh - 6hrs

DC in connector

Locking DC Jack 2.1mm

Via DC Jack on Optional Battery Eliminator

DTAP

Via optional D-Tap to DC cable

Via optional D-Tap to DC cable

Display

   

Touchscreen

SuperAtom IPS panel (capacitive touch)

SuperAtom IPS panel (capacitive touch)

Size

7”

5.2"

Resolution

1920 x 1200

1920 x 1080

PPI

325

427

Bit depth

10Bit (8+2 FRC)

10Bit (8+2 FRC)

Backlight Type

Edge lit

Edge lit

Brightness (cdm2 / Nits)

2200 +/- 10%

1000

Aspect ratio

16:9 Image Display

16:9 Image Display

Color Gamut

Rec.709

Rec0.710

Calibration support

Atomos Calibrator with Xrite i1 Display Pro / Plus

Atomos Calibrator with Xrite i1 Display Pro / Plus

Color Pipeline

   

Gamma

Sony SLog / SLog2 / SLog3, Canon CLog / CLog2 / Clog3,

Arri Log CEI160 / LogCEI200 / LogCEI250 / LogCEI320

/ LogCEI400 / LogCEI500 / LogCEI640 / LogCEI800 /

LogCEI1000 / LogCEI1280 / LogCEI1600, Panasonic Vlog,

JVC JLog1, Red LogFilm / Log3G10 / Log3G12, FujiFilm

Flog, PQ (HDR10), HLG, Nikon N-Log, Olympus OM-Log, Lecia L-Log

Sony SLog / SLog2 / SLog3, Canon CLog / CLog2 / Clog3, Arri Log CEI160 / LogCEI200 / LogCEI250 / LogCEI320 / LogCEI400 / LogCEI500 / LogCEI640 / LogCEI800 / LogCEI1000 / LogCEI1280 / LogCEI1600, Panasonic Vlog, JVC JLog1, Red LogFilm / Log3G10 / Log3G12, FujiFilm Flog, PQ (HDR10), HLG, Nikon N-Log

Gamut

Bt2020, DCI P3, PDCI p3 65 Sony SGamut / SGamut3 / SGamut3.cine /

Canon Cinema / DCI P3 / DCI P3+ / BT2020

Panasonic V Gamut

Arri Alexa Wide Gamut

Rec709

JVC LS300

Red DragonColor / DragonColor2 / RedColor2 /

RedColor3 / RedColor4 / RedWideGamut

BT2020, DCI P3, PDCI p3 65, Sony SGamut / SGamut3 / SGamut3.cine, Canon Cinema / DCI P3 / DCI P3+ / BT2020, Panasonic V Gamut, Arri Alexa Wide Gamut, Rec709, JVC LS300, Red DragonColor / DragonColor2 / RedColor2 / RedColor3 / RedColor4 / RedWideGamut

3D LUT Display

.Cube Format

.Cube Format

3D LUT Down Stream

Loop out - HD only

NA

3DLUT 50/50

Yes

Yes

Monitoring Modes

Native / HLG / PQ / 3D LUT

Native / HLG / PQ / 3D LUT

HDR output Conversion

HLG / PQ

NO

Video Input

   

HDMI

1 x HDMI (2.0) - 4k p60

1 x HDMI (1.4) 4k p30

SDI

1x 3G SDI - 2k p60

NO

Bit Depth

8 / 10 bit

8 / 10 bit

Video Chroma Subsampling

YCbCr 420 & 422

4:2:0 and 4:2:2

Video Output

   

HDMI

1 x HDMI (2.0) - 4k p60

 

SDI loop out

1x 3G SDI - 2k p60

 

Video Signal Conversion

   

HDMI to SDI

Yes

NO

SDI to HDMI

Yes

NO

Audio In/Out

   

HDMI

2ch 24Bit, input dependent

2ch 24Bit, input dependent

SDI

8ch 24Bit, input dependent

NO

Headphone out

3.5mm 2ch.

3.5mm 2ch.

Timecode / Sync

   

Embedded

HDMI and SDI

NA

Resolution & Frame Rates (Record, Monitor & Playback)

   

4k DCI

Monitor Only, HDMI: 23.98p, 24p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p

Monitor Only: 23.98p, 24p, 25p, 29.97p

4k UHD

Monitor Only, HDMI: 23.98p, 24p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p

Monitor Only: 23.98p, 24p, 25p, 29.97p

2K DCI 2046 x 1080

Monitor Only, SDI: 23.98p, 24p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p

NO

FHD 1920 x 1080 Progressive

Monitor Only, HDMI and SDI : 23.98/24/25/29.9/30/50/59.94/60p

Monitor Only: 23.98p, 24p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p

FHD 1920 x 1080 Interlaced

Monitor Only: 50/59.94/60i

NA

1280 x 720p

Monitor Only: 50/59.94/60p

Monitor Only: 50/59.94/60p

Supported media

   

SD

SD Card slot for LUTs / Firmware

SD Card slot for LUTs / Firmware

File System

ExFAT

ExFAT

On screen tools

   

MultiScope Analysis View

Image, selectable Waveform, Histogram Vector Scopes and Audio bars

Image, selectable Waveform, Histogram Vector Scopes and Audio bars

Waveform

Yes, 3 size / Position

Yes, 3 size / Position

Histogram

Luma and RGB

Luma and RGB

RGB parade

Yes, 3 size / Position

Yes, 3 size / Position

Vector scope

Yes, 2 size / Position and zoom

Yes, 2 size / Position and zoom

1 x Zoom

Yes. 1:1 Pixel mapping for 4k

Yes. 1:1 Pixel mapping for 4k

2 x Zoom

Yes

Yes

4 x Zoom

Yes

Yes

Focus peaking

Colour selected / threshold setting / colour/ Mono / edges only / Focus assist sharpening

Colour selected / threshold setting / colour / mono / edges only

False colour

Yes

Yes

Zebra

Yes, Adjustable

Yes, Adjustable

Isolate color channel

Blue Only

Blue Only

Cine Frame Guides

2.4:1, 2.35:1, 1.9:1, 1.85:1, 4:3

2.4:1, 2.35:1, 1.9:1, 1.85:1, 4:4

Social Frame guides

9:16, 1:1, 191:1, 4:5

NO

Safe areas

Action and Graphic

NA

Grid markers

9 grid

NA

Anamorphic desqueeze

1.25x 1.33x , 1.5x ,1.8x ,2x

1.33x , 1.5x ,2x

Display Flip

Vertical and Horizontal selfie mode

Vertical and Horizontal selfie mode

Onboard Signal Processing

   

4K UHD downscale for HD

Yes

NO

DCI Crop

Yes

NO

External Device Control

   

Serial 2.5mm Jack

Camera control for Z CAM E2 series via Optional Atomos USB-C to Serial Cable

NA

USB

Camera control for supported cameras in Future Firmware Release

NA

RJ45

Camera control for supported cameras in Future Firmware Release

NA

Pro video class

We can see from this specs comparison that the latest Shinobi 7 adds not only screen real estate but a number of completely new features and benefits. Perhaps the overall biggest benefit for some production crews is the Cross Conversion HDMI <=> SDI with Down convert. This opens up new avenues in video monitor-only capabilities, with down conversion for SDI inputs.

The 7-inch screen also adds camera control for the Z Cam E2. This is a specific advantage which will be added to over time with firmware updates as Atomos work with other video cameras.

Clearly we also get some improvements in video thanks to a new HDMI 2.0 port, namely 4K 60p IN and OUT. There’s also a huge leap in daylight viewing with NITS up from 1000 to 2200 over the 5-inch model. This is massive for outdoor filming or brighter environments. Whether you shoot vlogs, monitor a pro production or are simply using the screen to make better photographs, this will have a big real-world impact.

Pro video camera set-up

Other improvements include dual battery slots. The screen accepts NPF L series batteries including the Sony NP-F970 and by having two slots you can hot-swap one if it runs down. This is very nice indeed for continuous filming scenarios.

There are new safe areas or social frame guides on the Shinobi 7, catering to the growth in video for social media, which is especially handy if you’re shooting vlogs as a one-person production.

As the screen is larger with more inputs, we see active cooling on the 7, with a controlled fan and Heat Sink, rather than passive cooling which we have on the smaller model. There’s a lovely feature added where you can choose to prioritise reduced fan noise or peak display brightness if the screen gets hot. This could be especially useful in warmer environments where fan noise can become a problem.

Vlogging piece to camera with Shinobi 7

Both monitors display Full HD, 16:9 in 10Bit, but the smaller 5.2” screen does have a higher resolution at 427ppi. You can’t win them all, as is the case with weight, with the larger screen and cooling system making the new model a fair bit heavier and naturally slightly chunkier. That said we believe the pros outweigh these cons if you shoot in bright conditions and need a bigger viewing screen. You are getting bigger, brighter with all round improved features, SDI conversion and of course 4K 60p over 30p. That said, the compact size and gorgeous screen on the 5.2-inch isn’t going anywhere and perfect for a lighter set-up in less bright conditions. It is still daylight viewable at 1000 Nits and I want one of those too!

Check out more of our camera equipment reviews here and let us know what you think about the new monitor-only option from Atomos.

Share this post:

 

By Nick Dautlich on 26/05/2021

Trade in your old equipment

Fast and easy trade in service ensures your old gear is collected efficiently and you are paid quickly! It's very simple to trade in your unwanted photography gear. Just head over to our dedicated Sell or Part Exchange page, fill out the details, and we'll get back to you with an offer for your old gear. Take the cash, or put it towards the cost of your new gear. It's up to you! Find out more