8K ProRes RAW on Canon R5

Since the announcement of the Atomos Ninja V+ Canon R5 users have been wanting to record 8K ProRes RAW externally. Now, thanks to firmware updates from Atomos and Canon, they can. 

A new firmware update from Canon has enabled 8K RAW output over HDMI from the popular R5 camera. Along with a new release of AtomOS (10.68) for the Ninja V+ this now means that users can access massive resolutions recorded in ProRes RAW from their mirrorless setups. But what does this mean for filmmakers and content creators? 

For one thing, huge amounts of versatility when it comes to framing options. Users will now have more latitude for reframing in post, and also for multi-aspect-ratio deliverables across social media platforms. The benefits of shooting in RAW have been covered at length across the internet, but it bears repeating: 8K ProRes RAW brings incredible depth and options for colour grading and optimising dynamic range along with more efficient editing in an industry-standard codec. And all this is over HDMI. 8K ProRes RAW over HDMI – the holy grail of run-and-gun filmmaking.  

And recording externally has its advantages. Not only will Canon R5 users benefit from Atomos’ renowned toolset – including false colour, focus peaking, waveforms and LUTs – but you’ll also be able to get around the recording time limitations built into the R5. At the time of writing, Canon’s new firmware update still limits internal recording to just under 29 minutes 59 seconds. However, by leaving the camera on and simply recording via the Ninja V+ users can bypass the cut off and keep going until their Atomos media is full. 

And what about that media? Angelbird’s AtomX SSDmini range has been certified to record 8K 30p ProRes RAW in the Ninja V+, which brings a certain peace of mind. 

All in all this is an incredibly powerful firmware update from both Atomos and Canon. Filmmakers and content creators on the go can strip down their gear and still offer a high-end deliverable at massive resolutions and quality. 

To find out more, download the release notes from Atomos.