Ever wondered how super slow motion in the past was capable of multi-thousand fps performance with just film exposures? Well, they used customized camera rigs that combined multiple rolls of films, mirrors, and synch cables to essentially get a result beyond what the limitations of the equipment forced upon the shooter.
In a very cool video by Camera Tech on Youtube from 2015 they were able to get a custom mirror rig to shoot simultaneously on two GoPro cameras with a semi-translucent angled mirror that splits the light to each camera lens by 50% making it possible to sum both frame rates in post by alternating the frames captured by both cameras with a very slight time difference equivalent to 1/frame rate expected.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
After a few weeks of iPhone XS ownership, we can already gage the quality of the video coming out of the device in 1080p slow motion mode. We have a dozen samples for you too look at and make a decision. It is, however, a bittersweet realization that last year’s iPhone X is pretty much just as good as the XS in slow motion with just a tiny difference in per-pixel quality and dynamic range.
If you own an iPhone 8, X or Samsung Galaxy S8 or S9, for example, the slow motion feature on the iPhone XS should not be a factor in your decision to upgrade. The new XS has the best 4k video the iPhone has ever produced and the image stabilization is also much improved. The XS camera shoots pretty amazing still images and regular frame rate video but it is competitive with the best out there. The phone still is the best 240p 1080 mobile device today, see why below.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
Fujifilm continues to further evolve their high-end mirrorless offerings by releasing the X-T3 which is a souped-up X-T2 with much of what was missing like 4k 60p and a new X-Trans Sensor now with 2 more megapixels and lower base ISO of 160. The new camera also has a touchscreen with the ability to use up to 425 Phase and Contrast hybrid Autofocus points which is their most advanced AF yet.
Others will point out to the new blackout-free burst shooting much like that in the Sony high enda9 for example. What is really remarkable here is that the 4k 60p mode is 10 bit 4:2:0 vs 8 bit on competitors, as to what big advantage that will be remains to be seen considering 4:2:0 is not exactly ideal. For slow motion fans, the camera now records 120fps 1080p at 200Mbps bs 100Mbps on the X-T2→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
GoPro has released 3 new cameras including the Hero 7 Black which is now the flagship product for the company. The key feature is HyperSmooth which is a predictive stabilization technology based on scene analysis and sensor telemetry to accurately anticipate motion and correct the image to generate a gimbal-like smooth appearance to the video. When you see the footage it is clear it is a huge improvement compared to even the Hero 6 Black which had a pretty good stabilizer.
The Stabilization, however, is limited to 4k 30/60p and other resolutions below 120p but anything above 120fps will use the previous stabilization feature which is not predictive and have no stabilization support at all at 1080p 240fps which is the highest slow motion mode. No 480fps or other higher fps settings are available as the camera uses both the same Hero 6 Black sensor and the same GP1 system chip for this new camera.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
Blackmagic Design may have just solved the problem of RAW video capture for any camera and every type of user. In essence, it gives the benefits of RAW capture while allowing flexibility in file size depending on production needs. It is a compressed format but by using a clever demosaic algorithm that happens in-camera, it shrinks the file size much more than other formats while preserving quality and RAW features like White Balance, ISO, exposure, NR, clarity and color bit depth.
For Slow motion cameras, it may be the codec of the future as it will allow the best quality without the enormous file sizes associated with image sequences like DNG or other RAW formats. Being open source and free of licenses it aims to be adopted by the entire industry faster than other formats and will be free of the platform-specific nature of codecs like Apple’s ProRes which only works on Mac OS X. The Blackmagic RAW beta is already available here!→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
People waited with extreme patience for the Canon Full Frame Mirrorless line for several years. The Verdict? Pretty good start but feels like a mid-range product. It lacks IBIS stabilization on the body sensor which has become one of the most coveted features for camera enthusiasts. It lacks dual card slots and most important of all for us it is 2014 frame rates for a camera of this class.
The camera does shoot 4k up to 30p but it has the same crop that has made the Canon 5D Mark IV a bad proposition for videographers that want 4k footage. The crop is 1.7x which is essentially a Micro 4/3rds sensor size with a speed booster but without all the benefits of those bodies like IBIS and very low rolling shutter with the added benefit of better frame rates. This feels for all intents and purposes like a base product for a line that needed to be released to compete but is still evolving technologically.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
