Atomos Shogun 7 – Hands-On with Jeromy Young

by Jeff LochApril 23^rd, 2019

Ahead of NAB 2019, Atomos announced the Atomos Shogun 7 which we reported about here. This workhorse can record in ProRes RAW up to 5.7K resolution, it features live switching capabilities, and the 1500 nits HDR display can show you up to 15+ stops of dynamic range. We had the chance to talk with Atomos’ CEO Jeromy Young about their new flagship recorder and the main differences with the Atomos Inferno.

Atomos Shogun 7 Tech Specs and Features

The Atomos Shogun 7 is one of the most powerful external recorders in the market. Here are some of the highlights:

• Accepts RAW signals and records it to ProRes RAW, ProRes, CinemaDNG and Avid DNxHD.
• Recording up to 5.7K at 30fps, 4K at 120fps and 2K at 240fps.
• Color sampling in 10-bit 4:2:2 available in ProRes and DNxHD up to DCI 4K at 60fpd and 2K at 240fps.
• Four 6G/3G-SDI or dual 12G-SDI inputs, two 4K-SDI 12G or HD-SDI 3G/6G outputs.
• One HDMI 2.0 input, and one HDMI 2.0 output with HDMI-SDI cross-conversion.
• Optional audio breakout cable available for XLR audio input, with phantom power. Also, there is a 3.5mm mini-jack output.
• It is powered via Sony L-series batteries. Two slots support hot swapping for continuous power.
• Record to 2.5″ SSD/HDD media. This can be approved SATA SSD drives, using the included Master Caddy II, or AtomX SSDmini drives.
• Four ARRI anti-rotation mounting points on the top and bottom for secure mounting.

If you are producing HDR content, the Shogun 7 claims to display 15+ stops of dynamic range. Also, the Shogun 7 has a new 7″ 1920×1280 display over the Shogun Inferno, with a Direct LED 360 zone backlight. The monitor should be viewable in daylight with a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, a 1500 nits brightness, and 10-bit processing (8+2 FRC).

Also, the Atomos Shogun 7 is now capable of multi-camera recordings, like the Convergent Design Apollo, with quad-ISO camera recording. You can record up to four 1080/60p inputs separately, as well as the master program output too. You can use the touch screen to switch between the different cameras and select the input, which is recorded as marked cut points in XML metadata. There is a Genlock input/output so it can integrate perfectly into any configuration.

Finally, the Atomos Shogun 7 runs on the latest AtomOS 10, which is currently present on the Ninja V. But, how does the Atomos Shogun 7 compare to the Shogun Inferno?

Atomos Shogun 7 vs. Shogun Inferno

The Shogun Inferno, which has been their flagship recorder until the Shogun 7 announcement, was already capable of recording in many of the same formats as the Shogun 7, however they enhanced the display technology to offer these (claimed) 15 stops of dynamic range. Jeromy Young explains in detail how it works in the video you can see above. There are separate LED areas behind the display that can be made brighter – not on a pixel level though, but in larger areas. Other than that, the Shogun 7 features the new AtomOS interface that the Shogun Inferno doesn’t have, and the live-switching capabilities which are also new.

The Atomos Shogun 7 will be available in June, you can already pre-order it, using the links below.

What do you think of the Shogun 7? Do you already own a Shogun Inferno and consider upgrading to the Shogun 7? Let us know in the comments down below!