Tag Archives: 4k 60p

Blackmagic PCC 4k is Powerful & Cheap!

Blackmagic PCC 4k BMPCC4k

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 ←

Panasonic GH5s Slow Motion Samples 240fps!

Panasonic GH5s Slow Motion Samples

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 ←

Galaxy S9 Super Slow Motion Leaks!

Galaxy S9 Super Slow Motion

The Galaxy S9 leaks are coming and we are glad to see super slow motion prominently displayed on the box spec list. However, there are no real specs when it comes to frame rates apart from a set of rumors we have received.  The frame rate supposedly shipping with the S9 paired with the “Exynos 9 Series 9810” SoC will be capable of 120fps 4k and up to 960/1000fps 1080p video recording.

One problem, however, is that in the USA the phone will not ship with the Exynos 9 Series 9810 but the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 which may not support the slow motion frame rates. In other places in the world, however, the  Exynos 9 Series 9810 will be on the phone.  This is the fault of a 1993 agreement between Samsung Qualcomm which forbids them from releasing phones with their own chips. More info about it here at Forbes. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Panasonic GH5s Boosts High ISO dumps IBIS!

Panasonic GH5s

So the rumors proved to be accurate on the GH5s and now we have a low light version of the GH5 that can shoot cleanly up to ISO 12,800 with up to 100k ISO and by then a much noisier picture. It is claimed by Panasonic that there was a 1.5 stop improvement in noise performance.  Judging by the initial video samples it is clear that the new 10.28MP sensor along with dual native ISO circuitry for each photosite “one at ISO 400” and “one at ISO 2400” make a huge performance leap if low light is desired in a m43 camera.

All is not rosy in Lumix land however as the camera now lacks IBIS or In Built Image Stabilization on the sensor which was a main selling point of both the GH5 and the G9.  Panasonic claims that it was a decision made to cater to filmmakers that need no wobble or vibrations in a shot that can be produced when the stabilizer fails. But why not just add an On-Off switch? 1080p 240fps is also included in the camera but as initial samples show it reduces quality substantially. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

GH5 Firmware 2.2 Update for VFR And More!

GH5 Firmware 2.2 Update

Panasonic has released an updated firmware that claims to fix some instability issues while recording video at higher frame rates using VFR. The Firmware Version 2.2 Available here aims to reduce or eliminate instances where the camera could stop recording video or in some instances refuse to record in VFR mode. Some users have reported rare incidents of corrupted files, recording stops and some camera lockups that could be related to the VFR function buffer and write to SD card procedure.  It will be a matter of testing this new firmware to see if it resolves these issues.

In some instances, it was narrowed down to slow SD cards that could not keep up with the data rates necessary or cards that had internal fragmentation that could cause corruption on clips.  Glad to see Panasonic addressing this issue. The camera also adds a new menu item for customizing the function button on the new Leica H-ES200 200mm 2.8 lens to different parameters.  Firmware Link! → Continue Reading Full Post ←

BEST SLOW MOTION CAMERAS OF 2017!

BEST SLOW MOTION CAMERAS

The end of 2017 is upon and its time to look back through the year’s camera releases and see which delivered quality at an affordable price in slow motion.  HD quality slow motion options took a big leap this year in the phone space and on new entrants in the semi-professional camera fields. It was quite a year in many respects!

Many promised cameras still have not seen the light of day which means they will not be counted in the running. Only cameras that are shipping in quantity with a reasonable wait time and available now are being considered for this post. We will still make note of what may be coming soon for high-speed enthusiasts. → Continue Reading Full Post ←