Z Cam the relatively new Camera company from Shenzhen, China has announced the Z Cam E2 at NAB 2018 MSRP $1,999.00 USD. It is not a direct replacement for their ambitious but half-baked Z E1 m4/3 camera which costs $399. The new camera is a beast specs wise with up to 120fps 4k and full HD 1080p at 240fps. The codecs will be H.264 and H.265 at 10 bit but no RAW support so far which might be acceptable if the codec is clean enough and their promised Log Flat curve preserves the estimated 13.5 stops of dynamic range.
The camera is still being developed for a June 2018 estimated ship date. It lacks a back screen and relies on a Wifi or Gigabit Ethernet link to their dedicated control application. They intend to support iOS devices and or a PC client. No mention of Android support or Mac which should be included in order to maintain the widest compatibility. We feel lacking Android control is a big deal and should be promised in a future update. It is also unclear if the camera will be possible to use by using a touch screen field monitor which probably will not be the case. Using an iPhone or an iPad as the control interface is probably the best use case.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
Yes the BMPCC 4k looks like a DSLR crossed with a late 1990s digital camera but it’s insides are not only powerful but could also mean that you can essentially afford two units of this camera instead of a Panasonic GH5s for example and get similar quality with the added ability to shoot RAW and power an XLR microphone directly from the camera with phantom power. Bang for your buck!
As for fast frame rates the camera can shoot 4k 60fps & 120fps 1080p in full RAW or Apple ProRes codec options. We sure wished the camera could shoot 240fps in full HD and 120fps in 4k even while time limited. It would have placed the camera in a much better position on our list due to its $1,295.00 USD price tag which is really the best value for money in a camera today. Well for September 3rd which is the actual ship date which may or may not derail your purchasing plans.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
There is an aura over the Panasonic GH5s that has not been seen in a m43 camera possibly ever. It is mainly due to the outstanding low light quality in 4k 24, 30p and 60p that beats full frame cameras like the Canon 5D Mark IV and competes head to head until ISO 25,600 with the king of low light the Sony a7s Mark II. But as always, our focus is on the high frame rates which the camera also does quite good on.
The 4k 60fps quality is very close to the 30p quality which means excellent and you can shoot at 60p at night without worrying about noise. The 240fps mode which is a first for a Lumix camera in full HD means that the camera aims to compete with Sony RX series cameras that have stacked sensors. We believe the quality to be acceptable but not good enough to be broadcast quality as stair stepping jaggies are all over the frame with the occasional moire pattern on fine detail that can break a shot.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
On Semiconductor has launched two new 4k ready CMOS global shutter sensors with new technology for reduced noise and improved image quality. The parts are geared to surveillance, automotive, consumer devices and industrial applications. Both sensors are able to do high frame rates at 4k at full resolution.
The XGS 8000 is an 8.8 Mp (4096 x 2160) 4k / UHD resolution Global Shutter CMOS image sensor in 1/1.1 inch optical format capable of 120fps at full 8.8MP resolution. This first one geared for smaller devices. The XGS 12000 is a 12.6 Mp (4096 x 3072) CMOS image sensor in 1″ inch format, supporting up to 90 fps readout at full 12.6MP resolution. This sensor is better for higher resolution solutions.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
The Z Cam E1 which delivered excellent quality 4k footage from a tiny package and was able to do 720p 240fps frame rates “at less than ideal quality”, however, a new Rumor from 4/3 Rumors here shows a Twitter message that hints at a new Z E2 m4/3 camera that is able to do 120fps at full 4k resolution. If this turns out to be true it could yield further performance improvements in 1080p and 720p along with higher quality that could be usable.
As far as linear specs go a 120p 4k pipeline could in theory yield 480fps 1080p and 960/1000fps 720p without going out of spec. As we have come to know over the years, however, it is usually wrong to extrapolate these specs to the maximum possible metric as the sensor or memory could be bottlenecks that limit the performance. So this rumor could have some legs to it and NAB 2018 could be the show that makes 4k 120p a regular feature for cameras.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
Sony made a headline splash with the Xperia XZ2 last week but samples of the slow motion or HDR were not widely available to really see what the phone could do. Even today they are few and far between but we were able to find some to make a pretty good assessment of the quality offered in video mode.
We were quite impressed to find a resolution gain that it is quantifiable in 1080p 960fps Full HD mode slow motion that is greater than previously thought. It is still not true 1080p quality but it is slightly higher from 720p which in turn makes this XZ2 Phone the best 960fps phone out there for quality. The Galaxy S9 is close behind but with a severe aliasing increase by reducing the data captured.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
