Tag Archives: camera news

Chronos Camera m43 Lens Adapter with Speedbooster Support!

The two existing Chronos cameras, the 1.4c 720p at 1502fps & the Chronos 2.1 -HD 1t 1080p 1000fps are identical when seen from the outside but very different inside as they contain different sensor and memory boards. However one constant is that both use the C mount as the default for lens adapters. The camera usually comes with a Canon EF or Nikon F mount adapter depending on the buyer preference which screws on the C mount thread and allows for support of classic lenses from Macro to telephoto. 

One request from the community has been the support for other lens mounts like Micro 4/3ds which lets you adapt a variety of lens mounts and the much coveted speedbooster adapters which allow a 1 f-stop improvement in light gathering for micro 4/3ds systems. Today Krontech, the company behind the Chronos high-speed camera is introducing a passive Micro 4/3rds adapter for both the Chronos 1.4c and 2.1-HD and uses the body screw terminals near the lens thread mount to place a solid connection that allows such lenses. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Cheapest slow motion camera for $6 does 660fps!

Cheapest slow motion camera

We just received a video link for a Raspberry Pi imaging platform that allows for 660fps slow motion video capture using the computing unit along with it’s memory and a $6 USD camera to record slow motion video with better than expected results. The video from 2019 by RobertElderSoftware explains the way the camera and R-Pi were able to capture the footage using some scripting and writing a windowed wide but not tall imaging rectangle directly to memory to create the cheapest slow motion camera.

Of note is the apparent low resolution of less than VGA at 640 x 64px and the somewhat appraisal of rolling shutter artifacts on some of the coins. However, RobertElderSoftware also has a step by step instruction video set on how to get a $40 Raspberry Pi computer and a  $6 USD camera module to build your own homebrew slow motion camera with some scripting.  After a lot of scripting and patience, you should be able to mimic his results.

Cheapest slow motion camera using a Pi Unit:

It is literally amazing what a dedicated engineer with an extremely limited set of tools and cameras is able to do on a project like this. Now imagine RobertElderSoftware using something like a more powerful ARM-based Mac M1 or similar with way more RAM disk for capture along with a better camera and sensor combination.

You can visit and subscribe to Robert Elder’s Channel here and learn many more from his cool projects and coding guides!

Maybe in the future, we could see some homebrew project kit that could be able to shoot 500fps or even 1000fps in 4k for a limited investment. In any case, we feel that you should take a look at the project below and get inspired.  We thank our reader Nacho Simon for the heads up on this awesome project and Mr. Elder for his creativity and drive! -HSC

Video Sample and Step by Step Guides Below:

World’s Cheapest High-speed Camera For $6 With 660FPS!? by RobertElderSoftware:

Part 1) How To Record Video At 660 FPS On A $6 Raspberry Pi Camera – Part 1 by RobertElderSoftware: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12k Camera Setup 7 new Frame Rates!

Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12k Camera Setup 7

Blackmagic Design has released Camera Setup 7.0 which upgrades the URSA Mini Pro 12k camera in several areas including improved frame rates at different resolutions.  At 12k the maximum frame rate has increased to 75fps from 60fps and at 4k we now have up to 240fps in BRAW format from 220fps on a Super 16mm crop of the sensor. We also get 8k at up to 160fps from a maximum before of 110fps which is improved by leveraging the fast pipeline in the camera and delivering usable frame rates with good multiples.

While the camera is not cheap at $9,995, it is certainly a bargain considering the resolution and frame rates you have access to in BRAW RAW-Like format.  It may be essentially the most powerful camera you can buy today for this price range and available with an F, EF, or PL mount the flexibility is there if needed.  Blackmagic Design are also the owners of DaVinci Resolve and usually bundled it with their cameras. It makes for a hard to beat all in one system for shooting, editing, and postproduction. Dig in for more details…

Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12k – Full High Speed Frame Rates After Update:

12K 17:9 full sensor up to 60 fps
12K 2.4:1 up to 75 fps
8K DCI full sensor up to 120 fps
4K DCI full sensor up to 120 fps
8K 2.4:1 and 4K 2.4:1 up to 160 fps

6K Super 16 up to 120 fps
4K Super 16 up to 240 fps

Ursa Mini Pro 12K Unboxing & Footage by Epic Light Media: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Panasonic Lumix DC-G100 120fps Slowmo Full HD and why to avoid it!

Panasonic Lumix DC-G100 120fps Slowmo

The new trend this year is the selfie mirrorless camera being bundled so that Youtube and other social media Vloggers get a camera that can easily capture what they need with little fuzz. It is no secret that camera sales are in free fall and companies will try to market anything and everything to get some sales. Such is the case with the Panasonic Lumix G100. It has a very nice microphone, a diminutive body, a terrific bright day screen, and a very portable and good enough image from a micro 4/3 sensor.

So why all this negativity? Well for a camera that wants to compete with the smaller 1″ sensor but better overall featured Sony ZV-1 with excellent dual pixel tracking AF; the G100 is limited in a variety of ways. The 5x stabilization will only work in 1080p and be only electronic in 4k.  4k itself only lasts 10 minutes which is very constrained for 2020, maybe for 2016 as a spec but not 4 years later. Dig in for more info!

Panasonic Lumix DC-G100 Main specs:

  • 20.3MP Digital Live MOS Sensor  m4/3
  • 5184 x 3888 maximum resolution
  • UHD 4K30p Video, Pre-Installed V-Log L (10min limit)
  • 5-Axis Hybrid Image Stabilization (1080p Only)
  • OZO Audio with Subject Tracking
  • ISO 200 to 25600 (Extended: 100 to 25600)
  • Video Modes: MP4 4:2:0 8-Bit
  • UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 23.976p/29.97p (10min)
  • Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 29.97p/59.94p
  • Slow Motion 120fps Full HD Mode-
  • 12 to 32mm Lens kit included
  • MSRP: $747.99 with lens and tripod included

For a camera and lens combo under $750 USD it may seem like a pretty good package but when you dig in the details it becomes apparent that you are getting a subpar kit that could have been so much better.

What about Slow Motion?

The video below by Gordon Laing shows a sample of the slow motion on the camera that is very good and will give you a good indication of the per-pixel quality. It is also a very complete review with AF tests and the audio modes.

Panasonic Lumix G100 review vs ZV1 M50 G90 G95 by Gordon Laing:

The full HD 120fps looks to be on par with other Lumix cameras which is not bad but it is also way below others in their line of cameras like 180fps and 240fps which is not even a choice here.

As a slow motion camera, it is competitive with other 120fps cameras in full HD but not much else. We cannot recommend it over other options like the Sony RX series that can do 240fps in near full HD (See Here) with pretty good results.

Other things:

The stabilization which is essential for blogging is limited in the 5 axis mode to 1080p which is ridiculous, you get electronic image shift stabilization for 4k and a 10-minute recording limit on that mode which is very much a non-starter for vloggers.

Ozo audio in the video above is really the most interesting feature of this camera and something we hope to see in the Lumix line from now on. The omnidirectional microphones allow the camera to estimate the location of the person speaking and link the face detection autofocus algorithm so it stays sharp during recording even when you move out of the frame and back in.

The AF technology used is DFD or Depth from Defocus which is used in the Lumix line of cameras and while excellent for still images it still can’t compete directly with dual pixel AF from other brands that use contrast and Phase detection along with object and animal/people tracking to be very consistent in the video modes. DFD has a hit and miss that is hated by many and a clear let down by today’s AF standards, especially for Vlogging.

Panasonic G100: Hands-on look at a lightweight multimedia powerhouse by imagingresource → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Slow Motion Fractions From the Web June 2019

Slow Motion Fractions

To better encapsulate the slow motion happenings of the web we are starting a new post type called Fraction/s as in “Fractions of a Second” that shows anything and everything related to slow motion that has happened recently.  This is based on the fact that high speed imaging hardware releases have been stabilizing and slowing down compared to previous years.  This way we can better cover anything small or large related to this craft.

Thanks to our readers who have submitted a lot of this information which sometimes escapes us. There is a lot of interest in slow motion related information but it is easy to get buried in the mountain of daily information. We hope that we cover many of these occurrences so you get to see them.

Slow Motion Fractions June 2019:

New One Plus 7 Pro Video Sample:

OnePlus 7 Pro Slow motion 480 fps by TechBeLike:

We can clearly see the same resolution loss as in the OnePlus 6 but with slightly better compression which is ok but still far from ideal. If OnePlus could clean this image and make it 1080p many slow motion fans would find it near incredible as it records 480fps for 3.75 seconds. This is already good enough to analyze your golf swing for example but hardly broadcast ready.

How to activate slow motion camera mode on Galaxy A30 and Galaxy A40:

This Article by Sammobile shows you how to activate a slow motion mode on these devices after a software upgrade.

https://www.sammobile.com/2019/06/10/galaxy-a30-galaxy-a40-activate-slow-motion-camera-mode

Top 15 Slow Motion Video and Camera Apps for Android 2019:

This article by jihosoft lists 15 apps and methods to get slow motion on your android devices. Note that if your hardware does not support it you will not get real slow motion frames.

Top 15 Slow Motion Video and Camera Apps for Android 2019

 

All 40 early bird units of the Chronos 2.1 HD camera have been sold out. Congratulations to krontech.ca on their early success.  If you need a 2.1 HD 1080p 1000fps camera from them you can still get one of the regular cameras from the next 200 unit batch after the early bird units have been delivered.  Go to their website for more info: krontech.ca

10 Sick Whips in Slow Motion from the Crankworx Innsbruck 2019 Whip-Off:

“Riders were absolutely sending it at this year’s Crankworx Innsbruck Whip-Off presented by Spank . Check out 10 of the sickest whips (and tricks) in slow motion.”

Help Someone by Buying his Chronos Slow Motion Camera:

This post at the Chronos Camera forum offers a near brand new camera for $2500 USD due to the terrible news of the owner’s wife having cancer diagnosed.  If you need a camera you could help someone while getting cool gear for a discounted price.

Post here: http://forum.krontech.ca/index.php?topic=472.0

More cool videos from The Slow Mo Guys:

Sony Venice gets more frame rate options at 6k resolution!

Cine Gear 2019: Sony VENICE Firmware Updates with HFR and more

 

Optimized slow motion for the DJI OSMO Action:

New Osmo Action firmware released by DJI – v01.03.00.10

 

Xiaomi Mi 9T to have 960fps slow motion mode:

Xiaomi Mi 9T is all set to debut in the Asian market on June 20

 

Creating Beautiful Slow Motion in Adobe Premiere Pro

 

There you have it,  thanks for reading our post. Be sure to send anything you deem worthy our way related to slow-mo stuff – HSC

ZENMUSE X7 By DJI has 3.9k 60p!

Zenmuse X7

DJI has announced the Zenmuse X7 camera for the Inspire 2 Professional Drone.  The camera shoots in Cinema DNG RAW which allows for the utmost quality for the demanding videographer with up to 60fps at 3.9k resolution. Interestingly it does not support 4k at that frame rate as probably there is a hardware limitation for that last few rows of pixels to be saved at that quality.

Of note is the 4k DCI spec up to 30p and ability to shoot and save in Apple ProRes in 4k and 2k with more option in H.264 and the newer H.265 codecs.  The biggest deal, however, is the ability to shoot 6k in DNG format at 6K: 6016×3200, 23.976/24/25/29.97/30p, 12-bit, full FOV.  This is a first for a drone camera of this size and should be the ideal format for ultra resolution seekers.

Zenmuse X7 Main Specs:

  • Inspire 2 Compatibility
  • 5.2K Apple ProRes
  • Super 35 Sensor (ARRI Alexa Size)
  • 14 Stops of Dynamic Range
  • 6K Cinema DNG
  • 24 MP Stills
  •  introduces the New DL-Mount & Lenses

Zemuse X7 Still Camera Specs:

Sensor Sensor Size (Still): 23.5×15.7 mm
Sensor Size (Max video recording area): 23.5×12.5 mm
Effective Pixels: 24 MP
Supported Lenses DJI DL-S 16mm F2.8 ND ASPH (with lens hood and balancing ring/filter)
DJI DL 24mm F2.8 LS ASPH (with lens hood and balancing ring/filter)
DJI DL 35mm F2.8 LS ASPH (with lens hood and balancing ring/filter)
DJI DL 50mm F2.8 LS ASPH (with lens hood and balancing ring/filter
Supported Micro SD/SSD Cards MicroSD: Class 10 or UHS-1 rating with a writing speed of 15 MB/s required; Max capacity: 64 GB
SSD: DJI CINESSD
Photo Sizes 3:2, 4:3, 16:9
Photo Formats DJI CINESSD: DNG
Micro SD: DNG, JPEG, DNG+JPEG
Operation Modes Capture, Record, Playback
Still Photography Modes Micro SD: Single Shot, Burst Shooting (3/5/7/10 shots), Auto Exposure Bracketing (3/5 bracketed shots at 0.7 EV bias), Interval
SSD: RAW Burst (3/5/7/10/14/∞ frames), up to 20 fps when using RAW Burst (exact quantity is determined by storage card capacity and battery power level)
Shutter Speed Electronic Shutter Speed: 1/8000 – 8s
Mechanical Shutter Speed: 1/1000 – 8s (DJI DL-S 16mm F2.8 ND ASPH not supported)
ISO Range Photo: 100 – 25600
Video: 100 – 1600 (EI mode on); 100 – 6400 (EI mode off)

Zenmuse X7 Video SPECS:

Video Formats CINESSD: CinemaDNG, ProRes
Micro SD: MOV, MP4
Video Resolution Aspect Ratio 17:9

CinemaDNG

6K: 6016×3200, 23.976/24/25/29.97/30p, 12-bit, full FOV
4K DCI: 4096×2160, 23.976/24/25/29.97/30p, 12-bit, full FOV
3.9K: 3944×2088, 47.95/50/59.94, 12-bit, narrow FOV

ProRes
4K DCI: 4096×2160, 23.976/24/25/29.97/30p, 10-bit, HQ, full FOV
2K: 2048×1080, 47.95/50/59.94p, 10-bit, HQ/XQ, narrow FOV

H.264
4K DCI: 4096×2160, 24/25/30/48/50/59.94p

H.265
4K DCI: 4096×2160, 24/25/30p  Aspect Ratio 16:9 CinemaDNG

6K: 5760×3240, 23.976/24/25/29.97/30p, 12-bit, full FOV
4K Ultra HD: 3840×2160, 23.976/24/25/29.97/30p, 12-bit, full FOV
3.7K: 3712×2088, 47.95/50/59.94, 12-bit, narrow FOV

ProRes 4K Ultra HD: 3840×2160, 23.976/24/25/29.97p, 10-bit, HQ/XQ, full FOV
2.7K: 2704×1520, 47.95/50/59.94p, 10-bit, HQ, narrow FOV
FHD:1920×1080, 47.95/50/59.94p, 10-bit, HQ/XQ, narrow FOV

H.264
4K Ultra HD: 3840×2160, 24/25/30/48/50/59.94p
2.7K: 2720×1530, 24/25/30/48/50/59.94p
FHD: 1920×1080, 24/25/30/48/50/59.94p
HD: 1280×720, 24/25/30/48/50/59.94p

H.265
4K Ultra HD: 3840×2160, 24/25/30p 2.7K: 2720×1530, 24/25/30/48/50/59.94p
FHD: 1920×1080, 24/25/30/48/50/59.94p
HD: 1280×720, 24/25/30/48/50/59.94p

Aspect Ratio 2.44:1

ProRes
5.2K: 5280×2160, 23.976/24/25/29.97/30p, 10-bit, HQ, full FOV

H.264/H.265
4K Ultra HD: 3840×1572, 30p, full FOV

As you can see there are a plethora of video codecs and recording options for the camera. 1080p and 720p video maxes out at 60fps and does not go to 120fps like in other cameras of the same breath. The Zenmuse X7 seems to be geared toward 4k and 6k shooters that need maximum resolution in a video format with enough latitude and grading ability for high-end film and TV production.

We would have liked a bit higher frame rates at lower resolutions from the camera but the product segmentation seems to be in conflict with delivering resolution rather than frame rate output.  There is no question this camera is a big leap for professional drone shooters which demand ever higher resolving power.

Pricing & Availability:

Starting at: USD $2,699  (You will also need an inspire 2 drone sold separately)

 

20-25 business days from Today October 12th, 2017

More info at the DJI Page here!