Atomos introduces brighter, thinner new Shinobi II monitor

The new Shinobi II is a slim, lightweight, high brightness, 5-inch 1500 nit HDR monitor that’s billed as perfect for vloggers, creatives and photographers.

Available with immediate effect from Atomos’ authorized resellers round the world, the new Shinobi II monitor is very much from the ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, but do remember to improve on it’ school of thought.

The original Shinobi, launched as far back as 2019, was Atomos’ first monitor-only device and the company says it has sold more than 100,000 units worldwide in the five years since.

That’s fairly impressive. But the company reckons it can do more.

“The most common requests from Shinobi users have been for camera control and a brighter HDR screen,” says Atomos CEO, Jeromy Young. “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.”

Control for Canon cameras features at launch

At launch, Atomos says Shinobi II will control ‘most' Canon, Panasonic, and Sony mirrorless cameras over USB-C, as well as Z CAM E2 models through a separate serial cable. A program of future firmware updates is already in place to enable the unit to support cameras from Fujifilm, Nikon, OM System and SIGMA.

The touchscreen has been upgraded; at 1500 nits peak brightness it is now 50% brighter than its predecessor and supports 10-bit HDR video and photo monitoring with zero latency.

“We’ve designed the camera control interface with a focus on common settings that need to be adjusted on a shot-by-shot basis,” says Young. “The exposure triangle is an essential element of all photography, and Shinobi II has sliders for adjusting lens aperture, shutter speed and ISO.”

Monitoring tools include the usual histogram, waveform, false color, zebra, focus peaking and zoom. The camera’s all important white balance can also be adjusted via a slider. Shinobi II also conveniently triggers camera recording from its screen, which is a very useful option when the camera is mounted on a gimbal. Recording status is shown by a red edge display, irrespective of whether the recording is triggered by the camera or from the Shinobi II.

Connectivity is simple thanks to USB-C

It was adding the USB-C port that gave the company the opportunity to restyle the Shinobi. The result is a new version that is 30% thinner, which is impressive when you think about the new hardware functionality that is going in to it. Weight remains light at just 210 grams (about 7.4 oz).

The Shinobi II ships with the company’s well-thought-out locking cable connectors for HDMI and USB ports, And a useful touch is that users can even power the camera from the Shinobi II with PD in and out.

Pricing is $349 (£295, €349, AUS$545).

Cheat sheet

• The Shinobi II  supports most Canon, Panasonic, and Sony mirrorless cameras over USB-C, with future updates planned for Fujifilm, Nikon, OM System, and SIGMA cameras.
• The touchscreen has been upgraded to 1500 nits peak brightness, 50% brighter than its predecessor, and supports 10-bit HDR video and photo monitoring with zero latency.
• The Shinobi II is 30% thinner and lightweight at 210 grams, and it features locking cable connectors for HDMI and USB ports.
• It is priced at $349.

Technical Specifications

DISPLAY

Size: 5.2-inch

Touch Screen: Capacitive touch

Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Brightness (cd/m² / nits): 1500nit

Gamut: Rec.709

Bit Depth: 8+2

Viewing Angle: 178 + H & V

PPI: 423

CONSTRUCTION

Body: ABS polycarbonate

Cooling: Passive heat sink

Mounting Points: Bottom: 1 x 1/4-inch 20 with anti-rotational points

Multi-function Button: Power / lock screen

CONNECTION

HDMI in: 1 x 1.4

HDR: HDMI auto detection

USB: Camera control + USB-PD power

INPUT RESOLUTION

4K: 4K DCI + UHD up to 30fps

1080p: 1080p up to 60fps

COLOR MANAGEMENT

Calibration: Calibrator app & USB-C to serial + simple on-device

calibration

3D LUTs: Monitor

MONITORING

SDR: SDR native, 709 LUT, User LUT

HDR: HDR HLG, HDR PQ

AUDIO

Headphone In: 3.5mm jack

TIMECODE

HDMI: Embedded (display only)

POWER

DC In: Battery eliminator (optional)

Voltage range: 6.2 - 16.8v

USB PD In: < 10W

USB PD Out: > 13W

Battery: 1 x NPF

MEDIA

Main UHS-1 SD card (firmware/LUT)