This Atomos it is an amazing product for Field Monitoring. It has all the details in film making that will facilitate your day, batteries run smovely and cards are easy to swap. The size only is quite big for Ronin M or Ronin it is a bit big for that job, but for bigger cameras os studio or wireless Live monitoring is perfect.

So far seems good. I did notice a "hair-line" crack at the top where the 1/4 thread is but don't think it will be a problem. Adorama was very helpful with this issue and assured me I could return the unit if I wanted to but I decided not to and they gave me a credit for my account. Great folks for sure!

This is marketed as a RAW recorder. While it can ingest RAW video in, it will only save the files to ProRes or DNx codecs. If you are looking for a recorder that preserves the RAW video for post, this is not it (despite the unkept future firmware promises made by Atomos).

EDIT: 04/08/207: Atomos released firmware enabling the saving of CDNG files from select cameras. Upon testing, I will revise the above review. They also dropped the price considerably, so it is a much better value.

As much as I wanted to love this monitor/recorder, it's build quality was too poor for me to keep it. I work on a lot of rigorous productions including occasion weddings and equipment needs to be able to survive basic bumps and scratches.

This monitor was mounted on the bottom 1/4" 20 where most of the damage on the plastic shell occurred and then later on the top, it cracked after mounting it there too. A few bumps to the monitor can make the screw on the noga arm over tighten enough to damage the body, so a cage is a necessity which adds more weight.

Overall I was happy with the AtomOS as it provided a lot of features including my favorite, the 1500nit brightness screen. But at the end of the day, I need something more durable and will last.

I certainly could not be happier that at the last minute I found out about the FLAME version that I just bought last month instead of the older SHOGUN, especially now that I realize the difference to the older model. I had not used it at all, and flew to Rio de Janeiro to shoot a concert with it on the fly. I was a little worried at first that it might have a learning curve, and I'm sure the higher functions that I will learn later do, but when I experimented with it at a friend's apartment before the show, I found that all you have to do is format the SSD drive, plug an HDMI cable from the Shogun to your camera, and push the obvious red record button in the center! I already knew that you didn't need to push record on your camera from reading about it on line, and that you can record both internally and to the Shogun simultaneously if you want. You cannot, however get the same quality recording internally as recording to this MAGNIFICENT device, which I seemed to have come across the correct model for being the first version that really has it's act together.

Without having used any of the higher functions at all, and still needing to learn a lot about this device, I nailed EXCELLENT results at the concert with an A7rii, LAEA-3 adapter, and Sony A mount 135mm F1.8, which is often my favorite lens. Either that or it's the 85mm F1.4 G master (of course). They both beat each other in different situations, and they are pretty much the ones I use the most, with the A7rii, and an a6300, which is now seeing a LOT more use than I thought it was going to having an A7rii as a wing mate. I thought it was going to be something like 90% A7rii, and 10% a6300, but it's really about 75%A7rii, and 25% a6300. the 11 shots per second and that it is cropped is great for birding and sports, and the auto focus is simply faster on the a6300 as well as the a6000 even, but now, for me, the a6300 replaces the a6000, and I am going to (sadly) sell it. I have attachment to it for some reason, as it was the first REAL camera have owned, and now I am already shooting professionally doing music videos and concerts primarily. NOW THAT I HAVE THIS ATOMOS SHOGUN, it's rather like one of those bug zappers how people just can't seem to resist being drawn to this screen (which, by the way the quality is AMAZING, and it really does need this higher resolution so you can really see what it's going to look like later on a big screen, AND-- people are IMPRESSED as HELL when they see good glass on an A7Rii pumping out an awesome 4k image. I actually got more work on the spot, and I now it will lead to more.

I knew in advance, one of the best things about having an external monitor would be that clients and potential clients can SEE you and your work in action. They don't have to wait till after edit and release, it's NOW. THEN-- the whole band, and any other potential clients can review the material immediately after the show, on the VERY HIGH quality Flame monitor, or larger external monitor. The image quality on the 7 inch flame monitor beats just about every larger monitor I have plugged it in to, 1080, OR 4K!! now THAT is a statement! Clients are EXTREMELY impressed ON THE SPOT because of this amazing quality monitor. From reviews, obviously the new FLAME version SMOKES the resolution and quality of the previous Shogun A LOT, and although I have not seen the old Shogun to compare, the new FLAME is so good, it must be vastly superior.

This is GREAT!! You really can shoot what you see, as Atomos says, as in, what you see on THIS screen is really what you get. If the older model is not as good of resolution, which of course it is not, then this new FLAME version will pay for itself just because of the EXCELLENT image quality, which also demos your still photography in an excellent and portable manner. This new version, if anything, should make the older version HALF the price, in my opinion, although I'm sure that's not the opinion of Atomos.

The FLAME has 2 batteries instead of only 1, which it REALLY needs BADLY, as it is certainly a power hog, as is anything to do with 4K. What's also VERY cool and needed is that it uses the bottom battery first, and allows you to remove and recharge it when it's used. It also will remain powered from your 2 batteries if your main plug power source is extinguished or interrupted.

You really need a large battery bank(s). You need several banks for sure, the more the better. Get used to gobbling up all your batteries quick to get through 3 or 4 hours of concert shooting, you need either a large 12V battery and inverter, or a 27,000mAH bank with a 110v outlet built in (I LOVE these, but they also are limited when shooting 4K, for this monitor, your camera, and whatever else you are running from it), SO-- if you ARE using these 27,000 mAH banks, I recommend having 1 per each device you are powering, no matter what you are shooting to need a bank in the first place.

And then, I am a bit weary of constantly running out of batteries for video (I am shooting multi-camera set ups now), so I am going to go with having 12v batteries in places where I intend to shoot a lot (like Rio) that I can leave there, since you can't fly with them, and they are heavy, and you will need a quality (I recommend a sine-wave quality inverter, like $1000 starting, but they can be cheaper.) PROBLEM IS-- NEVER use lower quality inverters with audio equipment or ANYTHING like cameras, electronics, ETC. Cheap inverters will probably produce a noisy buzz, and can also DAMAGE your expensive electronics. The built in inverters on the 27,000mAH banks work great, and don't create any problems. DON'T USE ADJUSTABLE VOLTAGE battery banks, as it is a trap waiting to happen when you inadvertently select the incorrect voltage and destroy your camera, etc. Speaking of that issue the SHOGUN FLAME uses a wide range of voltages, hence protecting it from that!!

V mount batteries are a strong consideration, and can interact with your camera, and are large volume.

I understand that the FLAME is heavier and larger than the previous shogun, and actually, I prefer to use it without the 2 batteries, and use an external bank because it is rather heavy on an arm, especially if the arm is attached to your camera directly and not to a tripod. That could be an issue where you might even prefer the older version, BUT--- with only 1 battery, that thing probably lasts about a half an hour or a little more, and you will need an external source, especially for concerts or weddings if you intend to shoot continuously. You really don't want to hassle with changing batteries, in fact that's pretty much the name of the game is battery life for concerts unless you can plug in. What that does is put the camera where the power source is, not the creative spots you will come up with not being tied to the outlet.

AND THE PUDDING?? YES indeed, what matters the most, is that the footage from the Shogun Flame is REMARKABLY better than the internally recorded video on both the a6300, and the A7rii, and I am certain this is the case with the A7sii as well. (I'll have one soon. For concerts, it can't be beat! You can see the crowd with no light without being grainy. No other camera will do that, and even the A7Rii is NOT giving you true full frame in video, but the A7Sii is giving you the closest thing to that in the market, for any amount of money. ALL video cameras, except high end medium format cameras that cost you your house, use a small sensor, not a 35mm full frame, even if the sensor IS 35mm, the video mode will be cropped.

Just like in stills, cropped sensors KILL all your awesome blown out backgrounds and the option to have a super thin depth of field unless the lens is specifically made for that sensor size.

The same is to be said for recording internally. It's AWESOME that it CAN happen, for SEVERAL reasons (drones, gimbals, etc), BUT-- the quality you will get using an Atomos or other external 4K recorder is the true resolution your sensor can give you WITHOUT pixel binning or throwing away entire lines to allow internal recording.

It will be extraordinary when you can record internally with the same quality you get from the ATOMOS, but the monitor's high quality really nails focus proper, and is the ultimate professional demo that will lead to more work.

SO-- I hope this helps people a bit. I'm relatively new with doing this work, but practically over-night (as I suspected, as I am heavily involved with the music scene world wide for many years, and my work is cut out for me and only waiting for me to do it. Now, not a day goes by where I am not working on shooting or editing, so I have learned fast.

ALSO-- a word to people that feel they are in a hotbed of action that could be filmed and want to get into doing this--- the whole WORLD will tell you you CAN'T do this for a profession (at first...) Keep at it, and it will soon become obvious to yourself and everyone else that you CAN do this, and it's exciting! This toy will help you cross the line from amateur to PRO-- cha--CHING cash money. It's a bit frustrating to learn that after spending all that money on cameras and lenses that you STILL need to throw another near 2K on this recorder--- and think you are done?? oh no!! You need SSD drives, which are actually the most economical way to go, but will run you some 1 or 2K in ssd drives that are 960GB (DEFINITELY get the big SSD drives. Shooting 4K uses MAD space QUICK.)

BUT-- after shooting with THIS--- going back to internal recording looks, well, amateur compared to the pro results that will leave you grinning from ear to ear.

Nuff said. I will link my footage on you-tube after edit, and the launching of my new channel.

Long review, but come on guys, just saying "it's super neat-o" and giving 5 stars is practically a review to be avoided on top telling us absolutely nothing. The first review I read are the most negative, and you might just learn why(and WONDER why a lot of people are unboxing a product, never using it or only using it for 15 minutes and then telling us, "It's great" and giving 5 stars instead of telling you why you DON'T want it, and WHY. How do we know you aren't one of THOSE people.... hmmmmm.....