Tag Archives: 24p

Sony FS5 Firmware 4.0 Unlocks 120fps FHD!

Sony FS5 Firmware 4.0

As it was announced back in early April 2017 the Sony FS5 firmware 4 was just released for the camera. It is of note because it unlocks the ability on the camera to shoot 120fps at full HD 1080p continuously without time limit.  Of course, you will have to pay the extra $500 USD for the right to do so by unlocking a license code.

The firmware itself which is free for camera owners does give you some really good free goodies like HDR video shooting in Hybrid-Log gamma which should make highlight and shadow retention much better in this new profile.  As an extra as well you will now be able to use ISO 3200 for S-Log2 and S-Log 3 recording up from ISO 2000. Making it more capable in low light. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Sony a9 Slow Motion Has Impressive Quality!

Sony a9 Slow Motion

The Sony a9 impressed with its full frame 20fps Stills shooting at  24.2 Megapixels.  It is probably the most groundbreaking camera performance wise we have come across for sports shooters in a decade.  The AF performance is second to none and as recent samples show it is just as good in video mode. Sony has cracked the continuous AF for video performance threshold where it can be used for production. That is no small feat.

What was totally unexpected was that the 120fps slow motion mode at full HD, which has a full sensor downsampling without crop of the 35mm FF sensor, is not only good; but probably the most detailed full HD slow motion mode we have seen in a DSLR or Mirrorless camera to date. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless Has Full HD at 120fps!

Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless

Sony is taking straight aim at Canon and Nikon’s Professional sports photography market with the new Alpha a9 Mirrorless. It shoots 20fps full frame at 24.2 Megapixels RAW 14 bit up to a maximum  241 raw frames or 12 seconds before writing to the card. This is not only impressive but world class leading. Furthermore the camera is able to do it with full AF using a new 693 point system and without frame blackout in the viewfinder.

The Camera has a now standard slow motion mode in Sony cameras of 120fps at Full HD 1080p resolution with great detail. This is done with the help of a new stacked full frame sensor which is the technology perfected in the Sony RX series and now the Xperia Phones. However the lack of any professional video profiles like S-Log3 will put off the video centric crowd. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Slow Mo Quality!

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

We have gotten a few questions about the EOS 5D Mark IV when it comes to it’s 120fps 720p slow motion mode.  We covered it back in August but samples were hard to find back then; all that has changed and now we can rate and position the camera in our HSC Camera Guide ranking.  While it will not win any contests for resolution or frame rate we think it is a good all around camera with useful features for video enthusiasts.

The negatives like high price,  Moire & Aliasing prone slow mo resolution, huge inefficient 4k bit rates on an old codec, 1.74x crop in 4k recording and big system bulk still apply for this camera.  The Panasonic GH5 for instance destroys the 5D Mark IV in the video spec department but that is ok considering the 5D Mark IV is a stills workhorse with a full frame sensor first and an excellent AF and high ISO performance package. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Canon 5D Mark IV Slow Motion Samples!

Canon 5D Mark IV

For many the EOS 5D Mark IV was to be the resurrection of the DSLR camera as a video professional’s tool of choice. However just looking at the reactions online and the spec sheet itself it looks like Canon missed the mark by a mile in this aspect.  Several camera shortcomings like the codec, crop factor in 4k and lower resolution for higher frame rates come to mind.

The over four year wait which was about the same between the Mark II and Mark III models is extremely long for a product class that needs to evolve constantly in order to remain competitive. With Sony and Panasonic doing real innovation in the video space in a much smaller time frame usually 18 months, Canon needed a product that could withstand to scrutiny for a few years. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Canon 5D Mark IV disappoints with 120fps 720p!

Canon 5D Mark IV

We have been following the rumors on the next version of the Canon 5D with some subdued but hopeful enthusiasm. However, as many rumor sites now claim the final specs for the camera to be released next month probably at Photokina; it is clear that there is a big disconnect in performance from the common DSLRs in the Canon line and the mirror-less competitors from Sony and Panasonic.

There is a lot to like in the camera specs but also a lot of disappointing things for the video enthusiast or professional.   The camera has always been primarily a stills powerhouse and it is clear that this pedigree is maintained in the Mark 4. Auto Focus with dual pixel tracking support, pixel count and sensor should be heavily improved along with dynamic range as seen in the 80D and the impressive 1DX Mark II. → Continue Reading Full Post ←