How to Set Up the Canon R5 and Ninja V for Unlimited 4K Recording

It’s no secret at this point that recording times on the just-released Canon R5 are going to be somewhat limited by heat. Canon themselves even released a document showcasing expected recording times for various modes and settings. Many people still like the cameras and have needs that require a solution for extended recording with the R5. It is still a very nice hybrid photo/video camera.

No Life Digital figured out a setup that will basically let you record for almost an unlimited amount of time to an Atomos Ninja V. This means high-quality 4K recording for events and interviews is possible, as long as you can the right accessories and all the settings just right. It is certainly going to be a nice option for Canon shooters or those interested in picking up an R5.

As for kitting out the camera with the Ninja V, you’ll need some basics. A bracket or mount for the monitor to sit on the camera’s shoe and a power solution, either a battery or AC adapter will do. Pop in your storage of choice. Then use an HDMI cable to connect to the camera. That’s step one.

An option is to add a microphone to the top of the Ninja V, in this case, it is a Rode VideoMic Pro+. They opted to plug it directly into the Ninja V. And then now for your support of choice. Then you can consider AC adapters for the camera itself if you need extended record times.

To get longer recording you’ll want to remove the memory cards. You’ll only be recording to the Ninja V. Still, keep the cards on hand if you do think you’ll want some shots that require the memory cards, such as 120 fps. After all that your hardware is ready to go.

Starting with the setting changes, what you’ll want to do is enable the “4K HQ mode” on the R5. This is what does the downsampling from 8K.

Then choose your resolution (DCI or UHD) and the frame rate. Moving over to Canon Log you will need to turn it on to get the 10-bit. Then the maximum dynamic range is had with the Neutral Color Matrix option instead of Canon EOS Original. 

On page 8 of the menu you will want to set the HDMI display to camera plus external display to avoid current issues with the settings. Also, set Overheat control to off.

Moving over to the Ninja V now you can check all the video is coming through properly. Should say 4K with an HDMI 2.0 standard. The device and name should be good too. Make sure the Log/HDR is turned on and set to C-Log gamma with your choice of gamut. For record settings, ProRes is always good.

The default is your regular 422, which is likely just fine for most needs. LT will help save space, and HQ is good for graphics and green screen work. That’s pretty much it.

An alternate option is to turn on HDR PQ – disabling Canon Log in the process – and then you can do a direct HDR image to the Atomos for quicker HDR.

This should be it for getting effectively unlimited recording. Their testing put it at 4 hours at least without any issues. Live streaming is another reason you might want to use this. Definitely want some external power solutions for this type of use.

[source: No Life]

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