External Recording Options On The FX9.

There are a lot of people discussing the raw output option for the FX9. In particular the need to use the XDCA-FX9 adapter. First I do understand where those that think the XDCA is big, bulky and ugly are coming from. It certainly won’t win any design awards! And I also understand that we would all probably prefer to have the raw out direct from the camera body, but that’s not going to happen.

Besides which, the raw option won’t get enabled until some time next year in a firmware update. So in the meantime what are the alternatives?

Up to 30fps the FX9 can output UHD in 10 bit 4:2:2 over HDMI. At 60fps I’m led to believe that you can output 10 bit 4:2:2 UHD over the 12G SDI, but I have yet to actually test this.  The ability to output 30fps UHD over SDI requires 6G SDI and the standards for 6G SDI are still all over the place, but once the standards settle I am led to believe that 6G SDI should be added via a firmware update.

What this means is that it will be possible to output 10 bit 4:2:2 to an external recorder from launch at 24fps all the way to 60fps using either HDMI, SDI or a combination of the two. So I will be looking at using an Atomos Ninja V with the AtomX 12G SDI adapter to record the 10 bit output using ProResHQ for those projects where I really want to squeeze every last bit of image quality out of the camera.

Don’t get me wrong, XAVC-I is a great codec, especially if you want compact files, but ProRes HQ will give me just a tiny bit less compression for those really demanding projects that I get involved in (for example shooting demo content for some of the TV manufacturers).

DSC_0281-1024x576 External Recording Options On The FX9.
Atomos Ninja V on an A6300. This diminutive little recorder will be a great option for conventional video recording from the FX9

 

10 bit S-Log3 is very gradable. Because the FX9 has much less noise than the F5, FS7 or FS5 there will be no need to offset the exposure as I feel that you need to do with those cameras. So ProResHQ from an FX9 will be very, very nice to work with and the Ninja V is small, compact and uses less power than the larger Shogun models, great for when I will be travelling with the camera.

So while the camera won’t have raw for a while and perhaps even when the raw option does become available there are other ways to get some really great, highly gradable material from the FX9. Internal XAVC being one, but if you need ProRes you have some good options.

So What Does the XDCA-FX9 add?

I do suspect that the XDCA-FX9 is more than just a pass through for the raw data from the camera to the raw out SDI. To get 16 bit raw out of a camera is far more challenging than the 12 bit that the FS7 and FS5 produce. There must be some clever processing going on somewhere to squeeze 16 bit raw down a single SDI cable and I suspect that processing will be done in the XDCA-FX9 unit. The XDCA-FX9 obviously does contain a lot of processing power as it has it’s own fan cooling system. It does help balance the camera and the FX9 with XDCA-FX9 and a V-lock battery does sit very nicely on your shoulder.

In addition the XDCA adds a whole host of streaming and internet connectivity functions allowing the FX9 to be used for live news via 4G dongles without the need for a Live-U or satellite truck. Plus it has  handy switched D-Tap and Hirose power outputs.

I do look forward to getting an XDCA-FX9 for my FX9 and look forward to the raw being enabled. But even so there will also be many cases where I suspect the convenience of the compact Ninja V with the AtomX SDI adapter will be the perfect fit. It’s always good to have multiple options.

Just to make it clear – The Ninja V cannot and almost certainly never will be able to record raw from an FS5/FS7 or FX9, only conventional component video.

30 thoughts on “External Recording Options On The FX9.”

  1. Great article as always, Alister. Just curious, will the video output via SDI and HDMI on the FX9 bypass any noise reduction? Or is there an option to include noise reduction when using the SDI or HDMI to output to an external recorder? Would be great if it was switchable, and even better if you could choose how much NR was applied. Thanks!

    1. I hope so. That would really make the FX9 an amazing camera. But I don’t know. I’ve asked and got the stock non-committal “we will consider” answer.

      1. I just did some tests recording externally to a Shogun 7 in ProRes HQ and then using Catalyst Browse to make Class300 and Class480 files. I was shocked how much of the data was retained in the 480 for just a bit more data. It would really transform the capabilities of the FX9.

  2. Thanks Alister,

    Will the Shogun Inferno be compatible with the FX9’s SDI outputs and able to record a prores file to an SSD?

    Thanks!

    1. Yes for conventional component video it will be fine. But I don’t know whether it will be able to support any of the FX9’s raw modes.It certainly won’t be able to do 16 bit raw.

  3. Hi Alister,
    Hello from Sydney, Australia! Thank you so much for all your educational content on line, it has been absolutely invaluable for me and I’m sure for countless others. Your Kodakish2 luts for slog3 are awesome – and I did make a beverage contribution to you as a way of thanks!
    Just received the FX9 (what a dream camera!!) and I have a Ninja V that I’ve connected to it.
    Pressing record on the FX9 does not trigger record on the NinjaV (I have the NinjaV on autotrigger from camera.
    Also, when i just press record on the NinjaV – it records all the overlay info from the viewfinder like WB etc. I then turn ‘display off’ on the camera but can only get a clean image when on wide focus not zone or flexible spot otherwise the small square corner points of focus area are also recorded to the NinjaV video file.
    Have you worked out a work around for this, so just the clean slog3 image is recorded by the NinjaV or perhaps i need to read the manual in more detail! I’m using an HDMI cable. Or does there need to be some sort of update on the FX9 to allow a clean video signal to be recorded? Thanks for any response you can give.
    Cheers, Ed

      1. Thanks Alister,
        I found your article straight after I posted :), so felt a bit silly! I followed the instructions and fX9 now triggers the record on the ninja V which is great. However, i’m still recording the viewfinder overlays…. I switch off display overlay but the focus corners for zone and flexible spot still get baked into the image recorded on the ninja V Prores file.
        I’m probably not doing something very simple no doubt!!

  4. I am unable to get a 4K full frame (25fps) signal via SDI to a Shogun Inferno. Has anyone been able to do this?

    FYI:

    – I can get a 4K full frame signal via HDMI
    – I can get a 4K Super 35 signal via SDI
    – I have turned off ‘Picture Cache’

    Thanks,

    Greg

    1. 3G SDI cannot carry 4K and 12G SDI can only carry 4K at 50/60fps.

      So for 10 bit 422 24/25/30fps 4K you currently have to use HDMI. For 50/60P you use the 12G SDI.

      Hopefully one day the 6G standard will be ratified and then the camera can be updated to include 6G which would do 24/25/30p 4K.

      1. Hi Greg,
        I just got a 12G 4k cable –
        In full frame – the most it outputs through this 12G cable currently seems to be HD.
        If you want 4K (UHD) at Full frame then must be via HDMI at maximum 30fps.

        In s35 mode – it outputs via 12G cable at 60fps at 4K(UHD).

        1. This has nothing to do with Full Frame v s35 as the recordings themselves are identical UHD XAVC records in each case. But the camera only goes up to 30fps in FF so there is a difference there.

          It simply that 3G SDI cannot carry 4K at all and 12G SDI can only carry 4K at 50/60fps. Those are limits of the standards as they exist today.

          6G is not a ratified standard. Thats what would be needed for 4K 24/25/30fps but the standards associations have not decided on the final specs. Until they do, Sony won’t implement it. Hopefully it will come soon.

          There isn’t really any such thing as a “12G” SDI cable. The 20 year old cables used for 1.5G SDI will work perfectly well with 12G SDI. The only difference is that 12G won’t go as far with a more lossy cable. So you want any good quality 75 ohm coax cable. You can easily go 100m with a good quality SDI cable at 1.5G and 3G but at 12G that drops to about 30-50m. The cable standards for 1.5G and 12G are identical. Unlike HDMI which does actually require significantly better cables for v1.4a and v2

      2. Thanks for the clear explanation Alistair.

        Coming from a Blackmagic perspective I’d forgotten their approach to standards isn’t necessarily followed by everyone.;-)

        Just got a set of HyperCore NEO 9 Mini 98Wh for air travel. Thanks for the suggestion.

  5. Hi!!
    I’m trying to get a signal more than 1080p from my FX9 to my Shogun Flame using SDI and it seems like I can’t. Is it possible and if so, what am I missing? My SDI cord is capable but my FX9 won’t send out a 4k signal out of the SDI.

  6. Hello Alister,
    is it possible that the Shogun 7 and FX9 actually work together well now (both on recent firmwares) in UHD, 23.98p vis the FX9’s “SDI OUT 1”?

    I am getting a signal in the Shogun 7:
    “IN” says 6G-SDI – UHD23.98 – S-Log3.

    It looks like the FX9 is actually outputting 6G-SDI from “SDI OUT 1”.

    Let em know what you think of this.

    P.S.: Did a little well deserved coffee PayPal. 🙂 Thanks for all your expertise.

    Kind regards, Philipp.

  7. Hi Alister,
    I have a question about the compatibility of the XDCA-FX9 and the Odyssey 7Q+ monitor to be able to record RAW.

    This is the equipment we had to record RAW on the old FS7 but I don’t know if it will still work the same with the FX9.

    Thank you very much.

    1. Not compatible. The FX9 outputs a completely different and much higher quality raw format than the FS7.

    2. We got the FX9 and Odyssey 7Q+ to work today on our shoot. Here are the steps we took.

      On the FX9, set Monitoring -> Output Format setting to 3840×2160 (QFHD) | Output Monitor – On

      SDI cable out of FX9 SDI OUT 1 to Odyssey SDI A In

      On the Odyssey, in the settings->Setup:
      Camera: Sony FS7
      Monitor->Record: 4k/UHD 4:2:2 ->4k/UHD PRORES(.MOV)
      Video codec: ProRes HQ

      It took about 4mins for the setting to load up on the Odyssey. Once it loaded in then everything came up normal.

      Good luck and happy shooting!

  8. Is the gamut the same via HDMI / SDI vs internal recording? Assuming no LUTs are being applied, Sgamut3 being used for the project, will the color space be the same on the internal vs the SDI / HDMI?

    Thanks!

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