Nikon has partnered with filmmaking aficionados, Atomos, to present the new D850 Filmmaker’s Kit. Complete with an Atomos 4K Ninja Flame 7” HDR monitor-recorder, could this be the ultimate full-frame DSLR video setup?

The Atomos Ninja Flame is a touch-controlled portable camera-top HDMI video recorder, but instead of using smaller media cards, the Ninja Flame cuts onto high-capacity SSDs.

Beautifully presented, the new Nikon D850 Filmmaker’s kit includes the camera itself, a Ninja Flame unit, and three prime NIKKOR lenses including the AF-S NIKKOR 20mm f/1.8G ED, AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G and AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G lenses; all of which are the ideal companions for creating content that exhibit the excellent sharpness that’s needed for 4K UHD video. The kit also contains an additional battery, Nikon’s ME-1 Stereo Microphone and Nikon’s ME-W1 Wireless Microphone.

Nikon and Atomos are two companies that put first the excellence of image through great products. I’m delighted that we are working together to bring photographers and filmmakers the latest full frame DSLR 4K video technology at an amazing price. Choosing between great stills or great video quality is no longer a problem; now you can get amazing high-resolution stills capture and excellent quality 4K UHD video in one package, The Nikon D850 Filmmaker’s Kit.

The new collaboration promises to unlock the full-frame potential of the Nikon D850 by taking the video image direct from its superb 45.7 megapixel back-side illuminated [BSI] CMOS image sensor and recording it in the highest possible quality with visually lossless compression.

Importantly, unlike some DSLRs, the Nikon D850 shoots video using the full width of the full-frame sensor, and not a crop. This means that ensuring accurate focus is critical, especially in 4K, and by working in tandem with the Ninja Flame’s accurate 1920×1200 res screen means users can achieve sharp images every time.

The Ninja Flame records 4K UHD video in 4:2:2 for greater colour accuracy, straight into edit-ready Apple ProRes or AvidDNxHR codecs. These formats are industry standard within film and television production, ensuring that recordings can be viewed and edited easily on almost any Mac or PC.

In addition to these filmmaking ‘musts’, you’ll find other pro video monitoring tools like waveform, vectorscope, false colour, 1-1 and 2-1 magnification, frame guides and more.  You can even use the display and tools to check critical focus for stills.

Audio

The Ninja Flame also expands the D850’s audio capabilities. Plug a microphone into the 3.5mm mic jack and users get professional audio with on-screen level meters, plus the ability to mix between audio coming from the camera over HDMI, and an external mic.

Pricing and availability

Buying the Nikon D850 Filmmaker’s kit will probably save you a chunk of money if compared to buying the elements individually. The only major issue is that it appears the kit is only available in the US market, right now at a cost of $5,499.95. We will update as we find out more about pricing and availability in the UK.

Due to be shown on the Nikon stand during NAB in Las Vegas [Booth # C6019 in the Central Hall] NAB 2018 runs from April 9 to April 12.