EphraimP

After using the Ninja V on a concert shoot this weekend, I'm feeling the pain of the micro HDMI connection. I had used the monitor a day or two before for a corporate shoot at an acupuncturist's office, and didn't have any problems with it locked down on sticks or with a bit of handheld to get b-roll. The first evening of a two-day concert event I got booked for, the mini HDMI end of the cable came out multiple times and the metal male insert ended up bending. I think a big part of the problem the 90 degree bend in the Atomos cable. It bends in such a way that it exerts pressure on the connection and basically "wants" to break it. And is so thick that the recommended SmallRig cable clamp for my cage doesn't fit it. I can't find a clamp that will work. Luckily, I didn't pay for the damn cable, I found a package deal from Adorama on Amazon that bundled the cable with the monitor for the normal price. I'm definitely going to ask Adorama to warranty the cable. Can anyone recommend a legit to mini HDMI cable with a straight emd that will record 4k 60 and isn't 10 feet long?

Thanks for the tip, androidland. That's too bad. I thought they'd added support for the S. It would have made sense to get the SC if I was buying new, but I've had the S for a while and was hoping to get that feature. I guess it's back to the wonky solution triggering record from on top of the camera. At least I figured out how to power the camera with the rss usb cable that came with my Ronin. It's a pretty annoying work-around, but here's a link to a video explaining how to do it (using the SC as the gimbal) that I found on YouTube. Explanation starts at 8:34:

I finally updated the firmware on my Ronin S and am excited to finally be able to start/stop recordings with Ronin. However, when I plug the cable into the camera and turn it on, I get a USB symbol on the back screen and nothing else. When I go into the menu and select PC Connection USB tether shooting auto, I get a screen again, but the controls are locked off on the camera and the record button on the gimbal takes a photo, but doesn't start shooting video. Does anyone know the proper settings to get these two devices playing nice together?

I haven't used the Ninja enough to get any connections problems yet. I got a package deal from Adorama that included the Atomos cable with the 90 degree micro HDMI cable end and I do worry that the bend is in the wrong direction and may cause problems with a connection down the line. I picked up the HDMI cable clamp that SmallRig recommends for their X-T3 cage, but it doesn't work with the Atomos cable because of the bend. I definitely want to find one that works.

I just received the Ninja this weekend and started playing with it. Used it on a commercial gig tonight. It's pretty user friendly and easy to set up. The touch screen can be a tiny bit wonky at times and there are no physical buttons. It's nice to have 4K files that my computer doesn't hack up like hairballs. The biggest surprise for me is how noisy the fan can be. Even recording audio off camera with a hypercardioid mic I'm having to get room tone and scrub the noise in Audition. A lot of people think the new Blackmagic Video Assist 12G HDR will be better, buI got the Ninja instead of waiting for because I might have a job this weekend that calls for unlimited recording and because it can do DCI 4k 60. For some reason, the 12G HDR won't do more than 4k 30p in DCI. The Ninja and a 1T WD Blue SSD is still less than the Blackmagic 5 inch with no storage The 12G HDR does take both UHS-II cards and USB-C flash disks like the Samsung T-5 though, both of which almost everyone has in their kit already. Honestly, if the BM comes into stock in the next few weeks and people can confirm it's not as noisy as the Ninja, I might return the Atomos and try out the Blackmagic.

I just received a Ninja V for my X-T3 rig and I'm pretty excited about the potential for it to make some of the video making I do better. I also picked up a V-mount plate and battery to run the whole rig. The plate a Fotaga DP500III, which I picked up because it has several DC power out options, including 8V 5A, 12V 5A, and 5V 2A. Is it safe to plug the Ninja into the 12V 5A with Ninja's included continuous power adapter and an un voltage regulated DC cable? This is probably a silly question, as the point of the different power options on the plate is to serve the correct power option; however I'm really clueless when it comes to electricity (I once caused a short in my 220 dryer circuit while changing a pigtail and almost barbecued myself) and don't want to toast a brand new monitor. Atomos's info on the Ninja lists power at 10-19W and voltage at 6.2-16.8V. Where does Amps fit in. Also, the Juicebox battery I picked up isn't really playing nice with the plate. From Amazon feedback, it could be that battery's pins are out of spec width wise or out of alignment with the ports on the plate. Anyone have experience with either plate or battery? The plate's catch doesn't seem to work and it take some force to seat the battery so it powers the plate, which doesn't seem great for the long term. I'm not sure which of the two pieces of the system is the problem and should be replaced for another brand. I like the Juicebox because it seems liteweight for being an non-mini v-mount and comes with a charger. The Fotaga plate, like I said, has lots of power options, which I like. It also has an option to power continuously through an included power adapter, which would be great for event filming and also should be able to recharge the battery with the same adapter. Teething problems...

I hadn't realized that the product included a mount.

Good points.

Thanks for all the feedback. I'd seen the Gerald Undone video when the Polar Pro first came out, hence the hipster joke in my post. I find it interesting that he placed the B&W first but said it cost more than the PP version. In 77 mil, the B&W is actually less than the PP, though it doesn't have the fancy rubber cap and all the PM shwag I can live without. Anyway, I blew this month's gear budget on studio monitor cans because I was having a ton of trouble with some audio for a video I had to finish. Maybe filters next month.

Just looked at the Cinela Cosi after seeing it mentioned in the thread several times. Wow. Can someone tell me why you'd put down over $500 on a deadcat? On another note, I can feedback on using the Deity S-Mic 2 indoors. Definitely not a good first choice; it does struggle with reflected sound. I used it as a main mic in a short doc I just shot for my nonprofit and have not enjoyed dealing with it in post. Used outdoors, however, it does have a good sound. Wouldn't mind if it had hi and low cut filters, but you get what you pay for.

I'm sick of limping along with a single ND8 filter and adding on my circular polarizer when I need less light. It's time for an variable ND. Should I be the ultimate hipster and wait for the Polar Pro Peter McKinnon glass to final arrive in stock, or do some of you have suggestions for good NDs that don't cost as much a decent lens? Thanks in advance for your advice ?

Hi all, I found this thread a few weeks back and have been lurking on the forum ever since. It's been very helpful for getting more familiar with the X-T3, which I've been shooting on all summer. I'm slowly building out a mini-cine rig for it. I know some folks aren't fans of rigging small mirrorless cameras like this, but I've found it to be useful. Looking forward to swapping the Anker battery for a V-mount and adding a monitor or Ninja V.