Atomos announces ProRes RAW for Olympus cameras
By Adam Noyes
Olympus users who love the OM-D family for its portability and in-body 5-axis image stabilization will be able to get all the benefits of a ProRes RAW workflow soon, thanks to a firmware update.
Atomos continues its cooperation with different camera brands to extend the use of Apple ProRes RAW with a variety of models. ProRes RAW is now a firmly established as the new standard for RAW video capture and is available on a growing number of cameras, ranging from the Sony Alpha 7S III to a selected range of Z CAM cameras that output RAW over HDMI. ProRes RAW combines the visual and workflow benefits of RAW video with the incredible real-time performance of ProRes.
The format gives filmmakers enormous latitude when adjusting the look of their images and extending brightness and shadow detail, making it ideal for HDR workflows. Atomos was the first to implement the professional Apple ProRes RAW format for recording with cinema cameras and continues push the boundaries of innovation with RAW recording over HDMI. Now it is time for the Olympus OM-D E-M1X and OM-D E-M1 Mark III mirrorless cameras to get access to the feature, making the brand the eighth to use the format.
As these Olympus cameras and the Atomos Ninja V will record Apple ProRes RAW directly from the camera’s sensor, Olympus users who love the OM-D family for its portability and in-body 5-axis image stabilization will get all the benefits of a ProRes RAW workflow – creative control to adjust the color and look of the video in post-production while extending brightness and shadow detail, making it ideal for HDR workflows.
Olympus OM-D cameras and the Ninja V
Both ProRes RAW, and the higher bandwidth, less compressed ProRes RAW HQ are supported. Manageable file sizes speed up and simplify file transfer, media management, and archiving. ProRes RAW is fully supported in Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Premiere Pro along with a collection of other apps including ASSIMILATE SCRATCH, Colorfront, FilmLight Baselight and Grass Valley Edius.
The Ninja V allows users to accurately monitor the RAW signal on its daylight-viewable 5” 1000nit brightness HDR screen. Setup is simple with perfectly tuned color settings applied automatically. Users can then view the image in HDR quality with a choice of HLG and PQ (HDR10) formats. The Ninja V offers touchscreen access to tools like waveforms, 1-1 magnification and focus peaking, allowing users to perfect their shot setup. The Ninja V then records the ProRes RAW data onto a removable AtomX SSDmini or other SSD drive. When shooting is complete the drive is removed and connected to a computer via USB for immediate offload and editing.
Jeromy Young, Atomos CEO, said: “We’re thrilled to work with Olympus and their stunning mirrorless cameras to bring the power of Apple’s ProRes RAW to OM-D users. We can’t wait to see the creativity that results from this partnership”.
The firmware update to enable these features is scheduled for winter 2020.