Tag Archives: Flash

ASUS ZenFone 5Z Firmware Improves Slow Motion Quality!

ASUS ZenFone 5Z Firmware

The ASUS ZenFone 5Z (ZS620KL) Phone is a new addition to the company line but seems it was a little rushed in the camera department. IT has just started shipping to customers worldwide and there is already a firmware update. The phone is a flagship device with a starting price of $499 which is not bad at all considering it sports some of the best hardware features in Android land. With dual cameras, 6GB of RAM and the latest Snapdragon 845.

The 5Z Phone is a midrange slow motion performer with 120fps and 60fps 1080p recording and the super slow motion mode capping out at 720p 240fps.  The improvements in the new firmware improve the recording quality overall and codec bit-rate of the 240fps 720p mode. Since ASUS does not give out the particulars in the bit-rate department it is hard to say how much better it will be. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

HTC U11 Plus Does 120fps Full HD 1080p!

HTC U11 Plus

The HTC U11+  is a refined version of the U11 which was one of the better spec android phones of 2017. The new iteration boosts speed and a screen that goes from 5.5 inches to 6 inches. Space was accommodated for a larger screen without making the phone itself much bigger which is a feat of design and engineering.

For many, the big disappointment will be that it seems HTC is not making a US version of the U11 Plus and leaving it only for Asia and Europe at this time.  The US market is very competitive and HTC has had a hard time penetrating the sales ranks of the Samsung, Apple and Google phones. If you indeed are able to get an HTC U11 Plus the Slow motion component has a 120fps full HD 1080p spec that should be competitive. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Panasonic GH5 Firmware 1.1 Allows 10 Bit 60p 1080!

Panasonic GH5 Firmware 1.1

The Panasonic GH5 ushered the era of 10-bit video recording on a portable prosumer interchangeable lens camera for the first time. Panasonic promised some features which at launch would not make the cut but would be added when firmware was released that would improve the spec sheet.  The new 1.1 version of the Firmware will enable 10bit recording on 1080p 24p, 25p, 29.98, 29.97p, 59.94p & 50p all at 100 Mbps.

While the camera offered 10 Bit recording at 4k from the get go it was not available above 29.97fps which left the 60fps 4k mode out in the cold for the increased color space. The update and all subsequent ones will also do not allow 10 Bit to be used above 30p in 4k so the 60fps UHD spec will remain at 4:2:0 8 Bit color. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

GH5 Slow Motion New Quality Footage!

GH5 Slow Motion

The Panasonic GH5 has been the camera darling of early 2017 for video enthusiasts and the addition of 120fps, 150fps and 180fps full HD was one of the most awaited features for the camera. Earlier footage showed a decrease in image quality when using higher frame rates on the camera and the appearance of moire and aliasing was evident. It was still far better than what the GH4s 96fps mode was able to do.

Recent new footage has re-examined the slow motion VFR mode and while there is a drop in quality the 180fps mode is still usable for many applications due to it retaining a lot of detail compared to other cameras.  The image is loosing quite a lot of resolution in the vertical so it will not be true full HD when you compare with the up to 60fps mode. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Strobe Alley Birth of High Speed!

Strobe Alley

Doc Edgerton was the scientist behind the modern high speed camera and imaging techniques. His experiments made slow motion and the possibility of freezing incredibly fast phenomena a possibility.  The principles many decades later remain the same such as extreme amounts of light and ultra fast shutters along with a highly sensitive film or sensor for modern photo and video.

As a piece of history, Strobe Alley is a repository of technology and information from the early days of high speed and what it took to get us here. We found an old video that goes through the place with explanations about these aging strobes and gadgets. You can visit this place at MIT’s Edgerton center if you are ever there but you can also take a look through this footage. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

GH5 Slow Motion Pre Production Samples!

GH5 Slow Motion

The Panasonic GH5 is gathering attention all over the camera world by making inroads into the professional video production space with it’s truly professional image quality 4:2:2 10 bit and video oriented workflow. There is already talk of the BBC being able to use it for productions and that is no small thing considering how demanding their image quality needs are.

We have gathered the few Full HD 180fps GH5 samples posted so far from pre production cameras so you can judge for yourself the quality delivered in this mode.  From what we can see it is quite good at holding detail and sharpness compared to the GH4 but it still suffers from some moire and aliasing due to line skipping happening at some stage in the capture process. → Continue Reading Full Post ←