MISC Announcements
The Chronos 1.4 high speed camera is chugging along in it’s production process to backers of the project and also now to purchases outside the project which you can find here. There is a lot of info on the update that you will find interesting including the pictures that show parts of the machined case.
Ambarella has introduced two new SoC chipsets for portable electronics that shoot video. The H3 capable of up to 8k video or dual 4k 60fps streams for 360º VR video and also the H22 which is a souped up version of the H2 found on cameras like the Yi 4k+ that will be shooting 4k 60p and up to 120fps 1080p video.
No real leads were given into what specific cameras will be incorporating the new chipset but from indications of past releases it is safe to say that the best action cameras, some high end phones and drone centric cameras will be sporting this new SoC in their specs by the end of this year. If we had to bet we will probably see a Hero 5+ using the H22 before the H3 as 8k video seems a huge jump for a refresh model.
The Xiaomi Yi 4k+ Camera announced today at CES is revolutionary just barely by it’s 4k 60fps spec which is ahead of all other action cameras in the market. However 1080p and 720p resolutions have not seen a bump in frame rates with the cameras still doing the same specs as last year’s Yi 4k camera which is in turn the same spec as the GoPro Hero 4, 5 and Sony X3000 Action cameras.
The YI 4K+ uses the newest Amba H2 SOC, the first 14nm video processing/encoding SOC part which is quite fast and on the spec list fast enough for 120fps at 4k on AVCHD encode. This pixel rate is fast enough for 240fps at full 1080p or 480fps at 720p without maxing the system. Yi 4k+ however has remained conservative due to hardware limitations in other areas like imaging sensor and memory allocation to just 4k 60p recording.
In what could be called a very tight circle of people in the know with no severe leaks until yesterday the Panasonic GH5 was a pretty well controlled launch. No one was really sure about the maximum frame rate at 1080p until a couple of days back when some leaks in Asia started to circulate 180fps in FHD as the number and sure enough the final spec did just that.
The GH4 was and continues to be a camera of choice for many video enthusiasts and film-makers so it was a tall order to best the camera and force a loyal following to upgrade and continue the cycle of continued improvements and sales. The GH4 was a success for Panasonic’s Lumix division more than any GH camera before it and they have listened to professional users and have made it even more of a powerhouse.
Warning: The parent company of FPS cameras “The Slow Motion Camera Company Ltd.” went out of business and entered liquidation proceedings. No further development of cameras is expected. More information here on Google Search!
The second fps1000 Kickstarter campaign the fps1000HD has reached a milestone with full production and all backer cameras to be shipped by mid January 2017. The camera design was finalized before the campaign so no unforeseen technical problems would impede it’s production.
The Xiaomi Yi 4k Action camera was one of the biggest breakthroughs in quality over price when it came to action camera clones. It is literally a direct GoPro Hero 4,5 and Sony Action Cam rival with very close specs and performance but with a price tag of $199 it really is in a category all by itself.
The current Yi 4k camera is no slouch in the specs department but recently leaked information shows that the Yi 4k+ will have at least twice the processing power for 4k video and some hint at even faster frame rates.