Category Archives: Development

Google Phone SDK 3.0 Hints at 240fps!

GoogleCamera3

The website Android Police has done a pretty robust tear down of the new android Camera SDK v3.0 giving a sneak peak of what is to come for many android phones that support the camera module application.  The SDK v3.0 comes bundled with the Android 6 release which means all compatible devices upgraded to the new OS will have a chance to try some or all of the new features planned for the camera release.  Your mileage depending on your phone manufacturer may vary but it could mean support for many new features like 240fps slow motion video which will compete favorably with the iPhone 6 and 6s in these high frame rate modes.

Top features in the SDK 3.0:
  • Smart Burst- Fast burst of images if supported by hardware!
  • Creations: Includes animated images and Auto Awesomes.
  • Slow Motion:  120fps or 240fps User selectable!
  • Auto HDR+ Plus: HDR images from a rapid burst.
  • Dirty Lens detection: Tells user if lens is smudged!
  • Improvements to the interface.
Code regarding slow motion settings in SDK 3.0!
<string name="hfr_mode_120fps">Slow motion is set to 120 fps</string>
<string name="hfr_mode_240fps">Slow motion is set to 240 fps</string>
<string name="hfr_mode_off">Slow motion is off</string>

Note:  Regarding  “Google Phone SDK 3.0 ” be aware that if your sensor and portable device combination do to limitations is not able to do higher frame rates these new features will not be accessible.  It will be interesting to see which phones are upgraded with the capability as the Android 6 marshmallow updates roll out!  → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Panasonic Responds to V-Log L Activation Issues!

VlogOops

Yesterday a group of users of the Panasonic GH4 noticed that you could get V-Log L activated on the GH4 camera without paying for it by use of the Wifi Mobile device app and some tinkering.   At first it seemed like too good to be true but as some tests already have shown it is the real deal. However Panasonic already is working to correct the issue and has issued a statement on the matter.

While it was possible to do it be aware that the activation of this feature was not intended to be available this way and as Panasonic points out it can have repercussions in the operation of the Zebra and Histogram functions behaving erratically or not as expected. While many users were disappointed about the $99 price tag for the feature it is also encouraging to see many early adopters of the feature or the workaround buy the actual product as they like to support Panasonic in adding features to their cameras that are needed by professionals as in the case of V-Log. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

fps1000 Update Shows Near Finished Camera!

fps1000BetaBackTwo

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 latest fps1000 update has something that buyers of the Kickstarter project have been waiting for months; this wait is over and we can now finally see the first images of the new camera iteration with a turned on screen and included 50mm C lens for C mount models.  What is clear is that the little camera has evolved into a real and tangible piece of gear with a lot of features apparent in the initial software release. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

fps1000 Interview With Graham Rowan!

fps1000Interview

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 creator of the fps1000 camera Graham Rowan carved out some time to answer a few questions posed by our readers and us about the upcoming camera release and what went into the development. The answers are thorough and paint a good image of what the process from idea to build has been like; along with pitfalls and industry insights.  The interview is a bit long so grab a donut plus coffee and dig in! → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Canon ME20F-SH Records 4,000,000 ISO!

Canon_me20fsh_3qlens

The newly announced Canon ME20F-SH Camera besides it’s overly unpronounceable name and a price tag of $30,000 USD has what could be a record for any sensor to date. The ISO 4 million mark on this camera/sensor is able to record footage in full color at night. It over exposes footage only lit by a full moon.  The Sony A7s last year was a revelation of where sensor technology is going with it’s close to 1/2 million ISO at 409,600 . It could shoot in near complete darkness and could do a good job at it.  What Canon has done with the ME20F-SH is build their peak sensor technology into a 35mm Full Frame Sensor but with only 1080p Full HD resolution. The Sony A7s can shoot 4k footage with the HDMI output on an external recorder. This makes the pixel size on the Sony more constrained even with a Full Frame Sensor.

The pixel pitch size on the Sony A7s  (12MP on a full frame CMOS Sensor) is around 8.4 µm; in contrast the new Canon ME20F-SH has a  19 µm pixel size in a Full Frame Sensor.  This is an amazing performer in low light and probably the most sensitive sensor ever made for commercial purposes. At 2.26 Megapixels this is the state of the art for large pixels with impressive dynamic range and low light. It is unclear how the low resolution in such a large sensor will behave when it comes to moire and aliasing artifacts. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

fps1000 July 2015 Update!

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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 awaited update on the status of the fps1000 cameras has been posted on the Kickstarter page and once again it is twisting things up a bit by adding things, improving others and fixing some issues. The most important part of the update relates to what most backers are interested in which is the ship date and this update also starts to set a near time frame for building the first cameras and shipping them as soon as August 2015.  While this date can move as it has in the past it seems that the hurdles for getting the improved from original design camera to buyers hands have been surmounted.  It will be interesting to see how these cameras perform once in the field and what the software is like. → Continue Reading Full Post ←