Atomos Shogun ATOMSHG701 Black 2019

The Atomos Shogun 7 is a 7.2 inch HDR monitor, ProRes RAW recorder, and 4 camera live switcher in one. Its 1500 nits brightness and 99th percentile color accuracy make it a standout for on-set work. Pricing ranges from $1,199 in the US to EUR 1,268 to EUR 1,505 in Europe, with a EUR 237 spread between German and Italian listings. It's a terrible desk monitor, but for multi-cam production it's a serious tool.

The Shogun 7 records ProRes RAW up to 4Kp60 and 2K at 240p, which is a big deal for slow motion work. The 60Hz refresh rate is fine for video monitoring, but it's not a gaming panel. The real story is the display itself. Atomos combined LED and LCD tech with a 360 zone backlight, and the result is deeper blacks than comparable OLEDs, higher brightness, and more vibrant colors. In our database, the color score is at the 99th percentile, which means it's one of the best panels we've seen for color critical work.

The 1500 nits of brightness is a standout. That's bright enough to use outdoors in daylight, which is exactly where a lot of video production happens. The 1920 x 1200 resolution on a 7.2 inch screen gives you a very dense image, and the 16:10 aspect ratio gives you a little extra vertical room for menus and scopes. The display score overall is middle of the pack, which sounds odd until you remember that most monitors in our database are 27 to 32 inch desktop panels. For a 7 inch production monitor, the image quality is exceptional.

The Shogun 7 doesn't really compete with the LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B or the ASUS ROG Strix XG27UCDMG. Those are gaming monitors with high refresh rates and adaptive sync. The Shogun 7 is a production tool. The MSI MAG 271QPX QD-OLED E2 and Samsung Odyssey G60SD are also gaming focused OLEDs. They'll beat the Shogun 7 on refresh rate and gaming features, but they can't record video, switch between SDI feeds, or hit 1500 nits.

The Dell UltraSharp U4025QW is the closest thing to a professional comparison, but it's a 40 inch ultrawide desktop monitor for office and creative work. It has better connectivity and ergonomics, but it's not a field monitor and it can't record anything. If you need a desk monitor for editing, the Dell makes more sense. If you need a monitor on set that can record and switch, the Shogun 7 is in a different league.

Pricing is all over the place depending on where you live. In the US, you're looking at $1,199. In the UK, it's £1,299. In Canada, it's a steep CAD 2,314. The EUR spread is the most interesting part. German and Italian listings range from EUR 1,268 to EUR 1,505, a difference of EUR 237 for the same product. If you're in Europe, it's worth checking both storefronts before you buy. The lower end of that range is the best deal we've seen.

For what it does, the price is actually reasonable. A dedicated 4 camera SDI switcher alone can cost more than this, and you're also getting a recorder and a color accurate HDR monitor. But if you only need one of those three functions, you're paying for a lot of hardware you won't use. This is a value only if you need the full package.

The Atomos Shogun 7 is not your average monitor. It's a 7.2 inch HDR monitor, recorder, and live switcher aimed squarely at professional video work, events, documentaries, and cinema productions. If you're shopping for a desktop display to play games or edit spreadsheets, this thing will confuse you. If you're running a multi-cam shoot and need to monitor, record, and switch between four HD SDI feeds at once, it starts to make a lot of sense.

The headline specs are wild for a 7 inch panel. You get 1500 nits of brightness, a 360 zone backlight, 105% DCI-P3 coverage, and support for Dolby Vision HDR. Atomos claims 15+ stops of dynamic range and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. In our database, its color performance sits at the 99th percentile, which is about as good as it gets. The feature set also lands at the 99th percentile, which tracks, since this is really three tools bolted together.

But here's the catch. This is a specialized production tool, not a general purpose monitor. Its connectivity score is low because it's built around SDI and HDMI video I/O, not USB-C docks or DisplayPort. Its ergonomics are basically nonexistent, and there's no social proof to lean on. For the right buyer, none of that matters. For everyone else, it's a very expensive niche device.

If you're looking for a desktop monitor for office work, photo editing, or gaming, skip this entirely. The 7.2 inch screen is too small, the single HDMI input is limiting, and there are no ergonomic adjustments. Our office score of 26.5 out of 100 tells the story. For desk work, look at the Dell UltraSharp U4025QW or a proper 27 to 32 inch panel instead.

Also skip it if you only need one of its three main functions. If you just need a field monitor, there are cheaper 7 inch options with similar brightness. If you just need a recorder, Atomos makes dedicated recorders for less. If you just need a switcher, a dedicated switcher will have more inputs and better controls. The Shogun 7 only makes sense when you need all three in one portable unit.

If you're a solo shooter or a small crew doing multi-cam events, the Shogun 7 is a compelling all-in-one. You get a bright, color accurate HDR monitor, a ProRes RAW recorder, and a 4 camera live switcher in one box. The ability to record four HD SDI ISOs plus a program stream and then load an XML into your NLE is a huge time saver. The 1500 nits brightness means you can actually see the screen outside, which is more than most field monitors can claim.

But if you're a desktop user looking for a monitor to edit on, this is the wrong tool. The single HDMI input, lack of ergonomic adjustments, and 7.2 inch screen size will drive you crazy. The office score of 26.5 out of 100 is one of the weakest we've seen. Buy this because you need to record and switch video on location, not because you want a nice screen for your desk.