The Atomos Shinobi II HDMI Monitor Finally Gives You Camera Control
Atomos announced the Shinobi II, a new version of the company’s HDMI monitor that is brighter, thinner, and finally brings camera control thanks to USB-C.
The Shinobi II follows the original Shinobi that launched in 2019 — the first display-only Atomos product — and is different in a few key ways. Firstly, the original Shinobi featured a seven-inch display (17.8 centimeters) with a native resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (Full HD). Overall, it measured 7.8 by 5.2 by 1.5 inches and weighed 1.3 pounds. It also cost $599.
The new Shinobi II reduces the size of the display to 5.2 inches and the whole monitor is notably smaller at 5.9 by 3.6 by 0.8 inches. It also weighs a lot less at 7.4 ounces. While the display is smaller, it gets a significant boost to brightness: 1,500 nits. Atomos says this is 50% brighter than the previous display and allows it to support 10-bit HDR video and photo monitoring with no latency.
“The most common requests from Shinobi users have been for camera control and a brighter HDR screen,” Atomos CEO Jeromy Young says. “Camera control required a USB-C port for the widest possible camera compatibility and a new, brighter screen required a redesign. So, Shinobi II has been rebuilt from the ground up for modern mirrorless/DSLR cameras and HDR or SDR video workflows, as well as amazing HDR photo shooting.”
Perhaps even more useful to content creators is the ability to control the camera through the display. Thanks to a USB-C port on the Shinobi II, when connected to “most” Canon, Panasonic, or Sony mirrorless cameras, users will be able to fully control settings and manage recordings without leaving the display. It also works with the Z Cam’s E2 line. Atomos did not provide a full list of supported cameras at announcement.
“We’ve designed the camera control interface with a focus on common settings that need to be adjusted on a shot-by-shot basis,” Young adds. “The exposure triangle is an essential element of all photography, and Shinobi II has sliders for adjusting lens aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. With immediate and responsive access to these settings, getting perfect exposure on the 1500-nit HDR monitor is a breeze, especially when used in combination with our powerful monitoring tools. These include histogram, waveform, false color, zebra, focus peaking, and zoom.”
While Canon added waveform support to its new R5 Mark II, Sony is technically the last camera company to not include it in its mirrorless bodies. That said, the many Canon cameras that the Shinobi II can be used with that are already on the market don’t have it, meaning Atomos is giving a large number of Sony and Canon shooters access to the best way for video shooters to meter a scene.
Atomos adds that white balance can also be adjusted via a slider and camera recording can be triggered from the Shinobi II’s screen, making which is especially useful if the attached camera is in a rig or attached to a gimbal.
In addition to USB-C — which supports power delivery from the display to the camera — the Shinobi II features an HDMI 1.4 input that allows users to monitor signals in various resolutions and frame rates up to DCI/UHD 4K30 and up to 1080p60.
The Atomos Shinobi II is available starting today for $349.
Image credits: Atomos
