Just when we thought that the dust had settled on the flurry of announcements that 2018 brought, Atomos has announced that it will enable raw video recording for the Nikon Mirrorless Z7 and Nikon Z6 cameras with Atomos Ninja V. 

As per Atomos, the 4K data input from the Nikon Z6 and Z7 mirrorless cameras in the Ninja V is transformed into Apple’s ProRes format once recorded via a detachable SSD drive. When the SSD drive is connected to a computer, the footage is then decrypted for editing that gives you the highest quality control. ProRes is also able to keep the RAW data from the cameras into smaller, more manageable file sizes that makes them easier to transfer; having them on a universal format also makes them future proof.

Much more is said to be revealed at CES 2019 in Vegas, but it appears that Atomos is able to achieve this by a “Closed-loop protocol” which essentially means that the ProRes rearranges the pixels from the output of these cameras into a more practical, less-heavy solution for RAW footage. And by using ProRes as the standard, it gives more camera companies to work with RAW because everybody can make use of ProRes RAW without having their processing details handed over.

Atomos also mentioned on their Instagram that Atomos and Nikon will be unveiling a ‘filmmaker’s kit’ for video creators; the Nikon Z6 being at the center of that kit; along with the Atomos Ninja V and some accessories necessary for professional video shooting and photography. There’s much more to come from CES 2019, but this seems like a great start to the new year.