External Recorders for DSLR filming: - AJA Ki Pro Mini

[DXNMedia]

Being one of the first few to purchase the Ki Pro Mini upon release in Singapore, here's my quick review of the unit.

1) Very robustly built, not exactly small.
2) Mounting options is a bit tricky, definitely need a separate mounting plate
3) With industry standard 4-pin XLR 12vdc input connector, DSLR users may need to find alternatives to power this external recorder.
4) Due to the high quality recording, it eats up storage like nobody's business, and it's picky with what it eats: 600x or 90MB/s Compact Flash cards only.
5) Cost per 64gb CF card: $800+
6) Record time on ProRES HQ = avg. 40mins.
7) CF cards are formatted in Mac HFS+ system, PC users don't even think about it unless you have 3rd party apps to read HFS mac formatted drive
8) Quality? No doubt one of the best available next to uncompressed
9) Nearest competition: XDCAM based NanoFlash

:thumbsup:

 

[XsenseX]

Is is viable for DSLR filming at this moment? I read that the mini does not do conversion; it records the format it receives. (Like Production -> Post in a small box & on the fly)

As DSLR (7D, 5D) does not give a clear signal via their HDMI port .... Won't this whole thing be useless for DSLRs?

Everyone is still waiting to see if the next gen DSLR can record videos in raw format.

 

[DXNMedia]

Most DSLRs with video capability will output full 1920x1080 HD images from it's HDMI output. Nikon if I'm not wrong, outputs only 720p from it's HDMI output.

There's no cross conversion built in this box, but it's older brother the Ki Pro does have built in cross conversion.
However, if your device have a limited resolution on output, then there's no point going thru a round of up-conversion since there's no extra details to begin with. You'll just be wasting more storage space.

It will be quite technically limited to be able to record raw uncompressed video onboard a DSLR at this point of time, and perhaps even in the next two years.

 

[Bamboopictures]

Kind of bulky and expensive when you compare with the US$995 Atomos Ninja that is both a monitor AND a recorder.
http://www.atomos.com/

 

[DXNMedia]

Yes, no doubt about it.... but I believe in you pay for what you get.
I needed the HDSDI input & output capabilities more than the HDMI i/o.

 

[DXNMedia]

http://www.dxnmedia.net/AF102AVCHD.pct
http://www.dxnmedia.net/AF102PRORESHQ.pct
(Right click to download image)

Here's to allow fellow videographers to witness the difference in compressional quality between AVCHD vs ProRESHQ video codecs.

AVCHD still frame grab was acquired native from Panasonic AF102.
ProRESHQ Still frame grab was acquired with Ki Pro Mini using the AF102's direct HDSDI output.

Feel free to comment and discuss about your observations in the fidelity of the images.

 

[yellowpin]

I needed the HDSDI input & output capabilities more than the HDMI

me too.







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