Tag Archives: development

Nikon Stacked CMOS Sensor Will do 1000fps in 4k!

Nikon Stacked CMOS Sensor

Nikon Japan has been busy creating the next generation of 1″ stacked sensors.  The latest is a 17.84 Megapixel stacked design with hyper-fast memory interconnect that shoots up to 1000fps at 4k resolution which is no slouch. The sensor is still in development but it will be a possibility to see it in a camera that could compete head to head with the Sony RX series which now dominate prosumer P&S sales.  It was announced at ISSCC (International Solid-State Circuits Conference) held in San Francisco, February 15, 2021.

The sensor works by shooting in buckets of 16 x 16 pixels as one block, and then subsequently 264 x 264 pixel blocks (4224 x 4224 pixels) are conformed to form the final image at nearly 18MP.  It is unclear at this time if 4k video will be a windowed resolution or a supersampled then reduced final image from the full sensor.  The market for this sensor goes beyond consumer cameras as it is aimed at other applications like self-driving cars and production lines. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Samsung Exynos Camera Rumor With Super Slow Motion!

Samsung Exynos Camera

The folks at Mirrorless Rumors have a new story based on an anonymous source that claims to know information about a super camera being tested at Samsung’s labs that can do among other things 480fps at 1080p resolution.  Its also claimed to be 4k 120fps ready and using the Exynos 9810 SoC which is reserved for their high-end phones up to now.

These claims are too detailed and too extraordinary to be believed but the Exynos Chip should be able to process all of that data.  The Rumor also states that it will be an APS-C chip with ISOCELL Technology on a stacked design capable of 30.1 Megapixels or 6720*4480px at 30p frame rates. The camera is a prototype according to the source and it is not known if it will be released as a real product in the future.

Samsung Exynos Camera Rumor Highlights:

  • – Full sensor (6720*4480) @ 30fps
    – 5376*3024 @ 60fps
    – 3840*2160 @ 120fps
    – 2688*1512 @ 240fps
    – 1920*1080 @ 480fps
  • – full width of the sensor is used up to 480fps 
  • -Dual Pixel AF System with Phase detection
  • Accelerometer-based shutter
  • H.265 codec
  • Up to 120fps should be full sensor read-out, 2.7K and 1080p at higher frame-rates is 2×2 pixel binning and then down-sampling
  • Full rumor specs here: https://www.mirrorlessrumors.com/good-true-high-end-samsung-aps-c-camera-based-exynos-9810-soc/

Our Take:

When you get outlandish rumors with a list of features that leapfrog everything in the current camera landscape you have to remain a skeptic.  However, the frame rates touted are already possible my much lesser processors out there but they have to be paired with super fast RAM buffers in the several GB range and record for very limited time frames.

Super Slow Motion Movie Taken by 3-layer Stacked CMOS Image Sensor with DRAM by Sony:

A Samsung camera with those specs would need a huge stacked sensor cache module and a secondary memory module in the 16-32GB range for just a few seconds or record time.  We also have to expect a sensor with that many pixels to be full of rolling shutter distortion unless they have implemented a Sony RX like electronic shutter 1/32000 which could be also possible.

What is the Exynos 9810 – Gary explains by  Android Authority: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

RED Hydrogen Phone for High Speed?

RED Hydrogen Phone

So we have gotten a lot of speculative emails regarding the RED Hydrogen phone teaser announcement.  There are no real specs listed, only pricing which for Aluminum  $1195 and Titanium $1595 USD is no bargain.  It will be an Android phone with a revolutionary Holographic display capable of doing 2D-3D and holographic multiview which will be a mixture of the two.

The phone will also be a possible monitoring device for RED camera owners which will be able to control the cameras from the device.  If you are a RED owner it makes sense to have this as your phone and we expect most RED camera owners to own the device or pre-order. After all the phone will be the same cost as a breakout module for the RED camera which costs up to 70k ready to shoot in the highest spec configurations.

RED Hydrogen Frame Rates?

While no detailed information is presented we expect the phone to have a really good camera sensor and processing pipeline. What does that mean for slow motion? Well, we expect it will at least match the iPhone 7 and or Google Pixel at 240fps 720p and 120fps 1080p.

Knowing RED however we expect the phone to be able to trounce other phones by possibly recording video in a REDCODE RAW codec that is dumbed down but still plenty useful. After all RED invented the modern compressed RAW video revolution. If the phone is capable of recording in RAW mode even while compressed it will eclipse the output of all other smartphones when it comes to production worthy footage.

The biggest clue comes from this snippet on the press release:

“The HYDROGEN SYSTEM incorporates a new high-speed data bus to enable a comprehensive and ever-expanding modular component system, which will include future attachments for shooting higher quality motion and still images as well as HYDROGEN format holographic images.”

So it will have probably dual cameras to be able to do 3D video separation. The higher data bus which will allow for recording attachments means that the phone will be able to output RAW data for recording media and will be unencumbered by the phone’s limitations. This, of course, will mean a higher cost for your pocket which as RED users know is a common occurrence. Even some RED interface cables cost upwards of $200 USD. See the funny video below of a RED Weapon 8k camera being unboxed by Linus Tech Tips:

This Camera Costs HOW MUCH?! – 8K RED Weapon Unboxing, HOLY $H!T Ep. 17 by Linus Tech Tips:

We also expect higher frame rates to be possible in 4k with the Phone, maybe even 120fps at 4k with possible RAW output to a secondary module. All is up in the air but the modularity promised by the phone could do for phones what the original RED Camera did for professional-quality cinema capture for digital producers.   It pushed an entire industry forward to get us DSLRs, cameras like the Sony F5 and F7 and basically improve the way video is recorded around the globe with aesthetic qualities that up until recently were only in the realm of big TV and Hollywood productions.

So in the end what the RED Hydrogen could do is to push high end smartphone makers to offer increased features, modularity and capture higher quality footage among other things. We are all for RED pushing them forward and make them sweat a little.

RED love it or hate it continues to push the envelope with 8k recording and now a modular smartphone that could one day be your B camera.  What is not to love?

We will follow the Hydrogen information closely to see if slow motion is in the cards for the device slated to ship in January 2018, cross your fingers. -HSC

RED Hydrogen Phone PDF Info:

  • The HYDROGEN ONE is a standalone, full-featured, unlocked multi-band smartphone operating on Android OS that just happens to add a few additional features that shatter the mold of conventional thinking.
  • GLASSES OBSOLETE Wearable displays not spoken here. It is no longer necessary to carry (or charge) another device to enjoy multi-dimen­sional content. Experience “look around depth” in the palm of your hand, no glasses or headsets in sight.

5.7″ PROFESSIONAL HYDROGEN HOLOGRAPHIC DISPLAY

This incredible retina-riveting display advancement features nanotechnology that seamlessly switches traditional 2D content, holographic multi-viev,1 content, 3D content, and interactive games … both landscape and portrait modes sup­ported.

• View all traditional 2D content normally at full-screen resolution• View all traditional 2D content normally at

• View all traditional 2D content normally at full-screen resolution• View holographic RED Hydrogen 4-View content (H4V)• View stereo 3D content• View 2D/3D VR, AR and MR

• View holographic RED Hydrogen 4-View content (H4V)• View stereo 3D content• View 2D/3D VR, AR and MR

• View stereo 3D content• View 2D/3D VR, AR and MR

-ASSAULT YOUR SENSES
Embedded in the OS is a proprietary H30 algorithm that converts stereo sound into expansive multi-dimensional audio. Think 5.1 on your headphones. The perfect match for holographic H4V or just listening to your favorite tunes. The differ­
ence this makes would be enough to justify the entire system.
-MODULARITY
HYDROGEN ONE is the foundation of a future multi-dimensional media system. The HYDROGEN SYSTEM incorporates a new high-speed data bus to enable a comprehensive and ever-expanding modular component system, which will include future attachments for shooting higher quality motion and still images as well as HYDROGEN format holographic images.
-COMMAND CENTRAL
The HYDROGEN ONE will not only be the control center for the HYDROGEN system, it will also integrate into the profes­sional RED camera program, working together with Scarlet, EPIC and Weapon as a user interface and monitor.
-RED CHANNEL
One channel to find all 4-View holographic content. Create .h4v (or convert 3D to .h4v) content and upload. Download or stream to view. Movies, documentaries, games, shopping and other apps all found with one click.
PRICE. $1195 Aluminum. $1595 Titanium.
Orders placed today will ship from my own personal first production batch. I can also assure you that after this initial release we will NOT be able to fill all orders on time due to display production limitations. We will NOT guarantee these prices at the time of release. Taxes and shipping not included in the price.
WHAT DO YOU GET?
The HYDROGEN ONE Media Machine with a USB-C cable and charger, an expandable Micro SD card slot plus a “special small token” for ordering early. All other accessories available at launch will be available at an additional price. Additional modules will NOT be immediately available at the time of this first production launch.
WHEN DO YOU GET IT?
The HYDROGEN ONE is targeted to ship 01 2018.

Nikon DL is Killed Off, Now What?

Nikon DL is Killed Off

The Nikon DL was really the only strong contender in the pro-sumer compact camera line from Nikon to offer fast frame rates if it had shipped.  The only other remotely considerable high speed option by the company is the Nikon 1 series in their V and J options which haven’t been updated in a while.

The cancellation of the Nikon DL series was due mainly to technical issues with the image processor which made the company miss the June 2016 target ship date & second, a  restructuring effort after the company reported a net loss of ¥831 Million Yen or 7.3 Million US Dollars .  This is no small predicament as the company had reported in the same time frame last year a net profit of  ¥=&0=&

The Nikon company cites market pressures as well as retirement benefits costs for it’s employee base as main culprits for the capital loss in the 9 month time period. See this official Nikon Document for more details!

Nikon DL is Killed Off – What now, why should I care?

The loss of the Nikon DL camera line strikes a deep blow to pro-sumer fixed lens imaging products. The Sony RX100 and RX10 camera lines are the dominant products in the category today with some Panasonic and Fuji cameras making some inroads. For slow motion fans the Nikon DL was supposed to bridge the gap and compete with the Sony RX series and offer similar features.

Now with less competition the drive to innovate further might be eroded as other camera lines become just another casualty of the cellphone adoption trend which has severely eroded profits and the bottom lines of established camera companies.  And sadly to say it will only get harsher from here on out as the market transitions to even more portable image capturing devices like Snapchat like glasses, AR and wearables.

However the fact that the Sony RX line continues to be a best seller in the compact camera market goes to show that if you innovate and offer performance and value the customers will come. Nikon DL never shipped or had an opportunity to be a crowd pleaser. It still was below the Sony RX in features but it did offer competitive frame rates as a secondary option.   Sony also controls most of the camera CMOS sensor market in compacts and most Phones.  Their recent announcement of a 1000fps capable sensor for cellphones makes that advantage even wider since we really can’t see competitors stepping up to the plate anytime soon.

Nikon 1 Series?

The Nikon 1V and 1 J series are still breathing with rumors last year of being killed off as well.  However the J series is very popular in Asian markets with 10% market share in the segment. The V series however with it’s higher price tag is much less so and that is where the rumors suggest that the next iteration of the Nikon 1 V line maybe a 1 V4 will sport a larger sensor and stronger capabilities to get some market share away from Sony and justify a higher price tag and profit.

We like the Nikon 1 line with it’s 400 and 1200fps slow motion modes which at low resolution cannot compete today with Sony’s RX series but with a few tweaks and technology improvements could in theory go the distance and offer an alternative.

The problem with less competition is that the drive for innovation slows down and with no pressures to create new technologies; camera lines might stagnate for many years and offer few improvements.  We want to see continued progress in frame rates and resolution and while Sony is delivering marked improvements every year; we really can’t be sure if that will continue with lower sales and lower competition.

Overcrowding in a camera space is bad for all participants but a full share of the market is also bad for consumers and innovation.  Nikon did the right thing by killing of the DL line since it really was not class leading or profitable; however we believe they should really push the envelope on the Nikon 1 series and deliver the features that consumers now expect thanks to the Sony RX line.

While the DL did reach some professional photographers to create some great promo pieces as the one below; it was never to see the light of day. All the development cost and technology is now officially a write off.

Nikon’s DL24-85 f/1.8-2.8 Premium Camera | Drew Gurian byNikon Europe:

Nikon image quality and glass are world renowned; the company still has the mojo, technology and know how to build the next generation of cameras. Even if that means using Sony stacked sensor technology! -HSC

fps1000 Project Update July 2016!

fps1000 High speed Cameras

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 fps1000 affordable high speed camera has hit several milestones recently such as shipping the platinum fps1000 and some users actually producing first footage with them. The focus now is on shipping the rest of the gold and  silver models which were lower spec and cost versions which were part of the original Kickstarter campaign in 2014 here. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

fps1000 Platinum 500fps first user footage!

fps1000 DragonflyPlatinum_byPeterCarsten

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 fps1000 Platinum camera capable of 500fps at 720p resolution has started arriving at the doorstep of Kickstarter backers this week. Production is continuing to fill the backlog of orders and should proceed later on with other models like the fps1000 4k which we are expecting.

One of the first people to get the camera is Peter Carsten an early backer and he has started to post some footage tests of birds in flight with the camera. Peter was kind enough to share his footage and even a sample frame for us to test in our RAW DNG Converter.

The way the fps1000 works  is by recording RAW image data to flash memory and then saving it to a file format. In this case it is DNG which is an open RAW format from Adobe Labs.  By using DNG the files are widely compatible with all RAW converters that can handle DNG which means easy tweaking in just about any application from Adobe Light Room, Apple Aperture or DXO just to give a few examples.

Video Samples by Peter Carsten:

Peter has posted a few samples at his Youtube channel here! We highly recommend that you Subscribe in order to keep up with his camera samples and testing. The samples are shot with the included lens  which is a 35 mm C mount lens and or with a Canon 24 to 70 mm at the 70mm end according to Peter. Probably using a C Mount to EF adapter we believe.

We show two of the samples here which show the 500fps camera in action. You can see the rest here if needed.

Birds on feeder including a woodpecker:

Dragonfly taking off and landing:

DNG Image Sample:

In the Sample below you will see that the image straight from the DNG file has a greenish tint. We color corrected as best as we could to bring out more natural color.  The camera can only improve from here by having better color science and or a grey or white balance routine to calibrate the color table.  There could also be a LUT library made to color correct the output directly.

Roll over Image to see Before and After Color Correction:

It is clear that the camera is sharp and does offer true 720p HD resolution at 500fps.  This was one of the main points to address around the early image samples; that of softness and the DNG implementation retains the detail that the sensor outputs. This is a very welcome development which means that the fps1000 platform is delivering on the promise of resolution right off the bat.

Color science should improve or at the very least, calibration of color space should be in the cards for a future firmware upgrade.

You will also notice that there is some motion blur on the video images which means the shutter speed was not high enough to offset the motion of the subjects. This can be easily corrected by increasing the setting before shooting.  a shutter speed of 1/2000 on a 500fps camera should yield very good and sharp results.

Good developments!

Congratulations for Graham Rowan creator of the fps1000 on shipping the first Platinum units and achieving the resolution spec, this bodes well for backers of the Kickstarter project and of higher end performing models. Looks like the fps1000 brand is now a hard reality and this should improve your high speed options going forward.

If you are interested in an fps1000 camera and or the project you can visit the official page here!

Many thanks to Peter Carsten for sharing his first imagery with the camera with us. Danke Schoën!