With competition heating up for the 4K recorder/monitor market, Atomos responds with a tried-and-true tactic: extreme price drops.
If you've been paying attention to these pages, you've probably noted that it seems every week, like clockwork, there's more great news for anyone that owns a 4K combination recorder / monitor or is in a market for one. As 4K shooting has increasingly become the de facto norm, the recorder/monitors from the likes of Convergent Design, Video Devices and Atomos have greatly expanded their respective capabilities through a barrage of firmware updates, as the companies look to justify their price tags in the face of mounting competition.
Of course, increasing value through firmware updates is just one side of the proverbial coin. The other tactic (in lieu of introducing new hardware) is a good old fashioned price drop.
According to Atomos, effective immediately, the company's first 4K monitor / recorder, the Shogun, will carry the new price of $1,495, a sizable $500 reduction. The Ninja Assassin, which is similar to the Shogun, but lacks SDI and XLR ports (it's HDMI only), along with a few other features, is now $995, down from $1295. This is significant as it makes the Ninja Assassin the only sub-$1K 4K recorder / monitor on the market...at present.
For those thinking of purchasing a Ninja Star, Atomos' lightest Prores recorder, which capable of capturing 10-bit 1080 streams, February might be the ideal time. While the retail price is still $295, Atomos is throwing in a free 64GB CFast card, which according to the company, represents $184 in extra value.
So, again, this is great news if you're in the market for one of these devices. Of course, all of this begs the question, "what will be next week's great news?"
For more information about these and other promotions, please visit the Atomos site.