Tag Archives: full frame

Panasonic Lumix S1 180fps Slow Motion Is Pretty Good!

Panasonic Lumix S1 180fps Slow Motion

As it was initially unveiled at Photokina last year, the Panasonic Lumix S1 and S1R cameras are their answer to the domination of larger sensors in stills and video mirrorless cameras. Is there any reason now to buy a Full Frame DSLR when mirrorless is so advanced? The only thing we can think of is to have marginally longer battery life. The mirror is on its last legs and fans better start offloading their lenses if they don’t want to mess with adapters. In the case of Panasonic however, it is not possible to use Lumix  Micro 4/3 lenses on the Leica/Sigma/Panasonic Full Frame L-Mount.

The S1 and S1R will both shoot up to 180fps 1080p video with a crop that may or may not be impactful. Seems the S1R has less crop on 1080p than the video geared S1 which is an odd spec. We will have to wait for more samples and info on the HFR mode to see which of these cameras offers the best slow motion performance. From the limited samples, we can say that the quality looks very good and at least on par with the Lumix GH5 at 120fps. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

i-SPEED 726 Becomes Fastest HD Slow Motion Camera Today!

i-SPEED 726

Not too long ago the Vision Research Phantom v2640 was amazing us with 4MP capture at 6,600fps with incredible quality. Now iX Cameras with offices in the UK, USA and Shanghai China is turning heads with an extreme spec sheet of 3 Megapixels 2048×1536 at 8,512fps and a Full HD 1080p frame rate of 12,742fps which is just 242fps higher than the Phantom v2640 at 12,500fps.

The relative camera memory speed and pixel capture rate is very similar between these two behemoths but you have to give the crown to the i-SPEED 726 for the 3 megapixel 8,512fps which brings in a whole new level of temporal detail at above Full HD resolution.  Of course, these cameras do not share their pricing unless you request a quote which you cannot share publicly. However, expect to pay high 5 figures for the best the technology has to offer. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Panasonic S Series Could Taper Slow Motion Curve!

Panasonic S Series

The announcement of the Panasonic S series is a complete acceptance that smaller m4/3 sensors are not the future but the past. As now Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Sony, Leica and now Panasonic have shifted priorities to Full Frame Sensors as mirrorless has allowed the smaller form factor without compromising low light performance and absolute stills image quality.  Fuji is also going strong on Medium Format stills oriented cameras like the new portable GFX 50R which meshes a rangefinder camera with a huge MF sensor.

The move by Panasonic, which had been leading in mirrorless frame rates in continued recording with their Lumix GH5 and GH5s Series up to 240fps 1080p,  will now focus on larger sensors that produce more heat and may be much slower to read at high speeds.  Sony has so far been able to only have 120fps 1080p recording in their a7 series for example.  If the Panasonic S1 at 24MP can only do 120fps 1080p which is still unknown, it will not bode well for slow motion frame rates for some time. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Nikon Z7 and Z6 Mirrorless Have 120fps Slow Motion!

Nikon Z7 and Z6 Mirrorless

The slumbering Nikon has awakened to the mirrorless present and future and has shown their cards in a very strong but not class-leading mirrorless product line.  The Nikon Z7 & Z6 are nearly identical bodies with changes in the sensor and AF. The more expensive and higher resolution Z7 screams pixels with a 45.7MP Full Frame sensor  ISO 64–25600 range which should be a direct replacement for D850 users. The other Z6 is a better low light camera geared more at wedding shooters and videographers at 24.5MP which should produce outstanding low light  ISO 50–204800 with ISO expansion.

There is a lot to like in these cameras like a real 5 axis (5 Stop) IBIS stabilizer on the full frame sensor which also works on adapted lenses and works with Nikkor VR lenses from DSLR cameras to increase the 3 stops to a real 5 stops hybrid stabilization feature. The video modes offer 4k at 24, 25 and 30p which is so 2014 as is the 120fps full HD 1080p slow motion mode.  AF also changes between models at 493 points on the Z7 and 273 on the Z6. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Canon C700 FF and RED EPIC-W Dual ISO do High Frame Rates!

With NAB 2018 getting near, new announcements are starting to trickle in.  The two newest are the Canon EOS C700 FF Full-Frame Cinema Camera & the RED DIGITAL CINEMA EPIC-W BRAIN with Gemini 5K S35 Sensor.  These two are serious cinema cameras aimed at recording in high-end codec formats and supporting RAW codecs.  Both cameras support higher frame rates but do not offer extreme high speeds like dedicated slow-motion cameras.

In the case of the RED EPIC-W with Gemini S35 sensor, it is the first time RED has used a dual Native ISO sensor like the ones seen on the Panasonic EVA1 and GH5s which have two different native sensitivities to deliver extremely clean footage with the widest dynamic range. Witha claimed 16.5 stops of dynamic range in standard mode & a gain of approximately two stops of light, from 800 to 3200 ISO without increasing the image noise. DPs of all kinds will savor these advances to shoot in dark situations knowing the output will be dependable. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Canon Sensors at CES 2018 With Impressive Specs!

Canon Sensors

Canon at CES 2018 was showing three CMOS sensor products that can be used in a variety of devices like DSLRs, Mirrorless, Surveillance, Manufacturing and Scientific experimentation. These new parts feature massive improvements in resolution, class-leading low light ability and a Global Shutter in one instance.

While none of the sensors could be named a really slow motion capable part, the 5 Megapixel 2/3″ sensor can scan the full chip at 120fps which may mean higher frame rates if using windowed resolution.  The small size of the sensor also means it will need a lot of light to deliver a noise-free image.  This sensor also sports a global shutter design which is perfect for high-speed applications. → Continue Reading Full Post ←