Navigating high seas and stories with Ninja TX

Charlotte’s journey with Atomos monitors began while studying for her master’s degree in Cinematography in 2021. “The Shinobi was my introduction to Atomos, and it quickly became a reliable companion in the studio,” she recalls. “But it wasn’t until I worked with the new Ninja TX that I realised just how powerful a monitor that also records could be.”

Ninja TX is Atomos’ all‑new 5‑inch monitor‑recorder, featuring a 1500‑nit bright display, camera control with touch‑to‑focus, and the ability to record up to 8Kp30 ProRes RAW. Charlotte’s first major opportunity to put the monitor to the test came during The Mystery of the Pirate King, a documentary following Dr. Sean Kingsley and filmmaker Chris Atkins of Wreckwatch TV. The project documented their search for the ‘Fancy’, the long‑lost ship of pirate Henry Avery, believed to have sunk in Nassau Harbour. Avery’s exploits were so legendary that he is often cited as one of the inspirations behind Captain Jack Sparrow in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean.

“It was an ambitious production that took me from land to sea, testing my creativity and my equipment in some of the toughest conditions I’ve faced,” Charlotte explains. “The weather was unpredictable – blazing sunshine one moment, heavy rain on a moving boat the next. In those situations, reliability is everything, and the Ninja never let me down.”

Her main setup paired a Sony FX3 camera with Sigma 24-105mm f/4 lenses, a variable ND filter, and Ninja TX recording to Angelbird’s AV PRO CFexpress Type B 2TB card via HDMI. Power was supplied by a V‑lock battery through a dummy adapter, while audio was captured by a Sony ECM‑637 shotgun microphone and RØDE wireless mics. The project was largely run‑and‑gun, shot mostly handheld with occasional use of a tripod. “The Ninja’s lightweight yet durable build meant I could shoot long takes handheld without fatigue,” she says. “That makes a huge difference after a long day on location.”

One standout feature was Ninja TX’s built‑in Camera to Cloud functionality, which enabled direct uploads to ATOMOSphere – Atomos’ free cloud platform for storage and sharing. “Knowing that footage was uploading automatically to ATOMOSphere or Frame.io while I was still shooting gave me huge peace of mind,” she says. “When you’re working in environments where gear can be damaged or even lost, having that kind of remote backup is priceless.”

The Bahamian climate presented further challenges, with temperatures soaring to 37°C, long hours under direct sunlight, and the constant motion of the boat. “Many monitors would struggle in those conditions, but the Ninja never faltered,” Charlotte says. “Its 1500‑nit display was a lifesaver – even in harsh sunlight I could see everything clearly, without glare or colour loss – and it never overheated once.”

“Whether on land or at sea, Ninja TX delivered the performance and reliability I needed to capture every moment of this adventure.”