Tag Archives: handset

Samsung ISOCELL GN2 does 480fps!

The hegemony of phone sensors has been the purview of Sony with their Exmor sensors for many years but now Samsung has started making inroads in the space with their ISOCELL chips. The latest is currently mass-produced and shipping in handsets already which is not a paper launch, but a real thing. The chip is capable of massive low light improvement compared to other sensors because it is essentially a near 1″ sensor with 1/1.12-inch measurements. This is close to what Sony RX cameras use as a main sensor, and a first for a phone.

As to how they are able to fit this sensor on phones, it is a dance between a protruding camera bump that is a little larger than usual and also a lens system that creates a full imaging circle from a minute distance. The GN2 is capable of recording 480fps in HD 720p, 4k 120fps, 30fps in 12.5MP windowed size and 10fps in 100MP mode which uses a clever algorithm and three RGB exposures to derive a 100MP image from the 50MP source. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

P40 Pro Super Slow Motion extends Huawei’s reign!

P40 Pro Super Slow Motion

Last year the Huawei Mate 30 Pro was our slow motion phone of the year with its real 1920fps 720p with interpolated 4x mode to 7680fps and real 960fps at full 1080p. Now Huawei has again brought back the same performance with an even better optical system and what looks like better interpolation algorithms to the new P40 Pro and Pro Plus phones.

The phones have gathered little attention outside of China as Android cannot be updated and the Play Store is not accessible due to US restrictions on Huawei as a technology company that poses a risk to national security. Most of these phones are acquired by the use of importers or the pre-owned market and no US carriers offer them. Still, it is the amazing hardware design and the best slow motion performance on any phone to date that makes it impossible to ignore.

P40 Pro Plus Camera Specs:

Back Module Five on Plus

4x on Pro

50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/1.28″, 2.44µm, omnidirectional PDAF, OIS
Periscope 8 MP, f/4.4, 240mm (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom
8 MP, f/2.4, 80mm (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom
40 MP, f/1.8, 18mm (ultrawide), 1/1.54″, PDAF
TOF 3D, (depth)
Features Leica optics, LED flash, panorama, HDR
Video 2160p@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 720@7680fps, 1080p@960fps, HDR; gyro-EIS
SELFIE CAMERA Dual 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8″, 0.8µm, AF
IR TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
Features HDR
Video 2160p@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps

It is important to note that only The Pro and Pro Plus will have the full slow motion capability. The regular P40 has 3 camera modules and a top slow-mo spec of 960fps at 720p, missing the best features. The best value in our opinion will be the P40 Pro non-Plus version but if you can afford the Plus, by all means, it may be the phone to beat.

The Phone largest sensor is 50MP at 1/1.28 inches but that is reserved for stills and regular video. The sensor used for Ultra slow motion is the 40MP 1/1.54″ sensor which looks similar to that of previous phones.

We see improvements in processing and the AI interpolation is doing an incredible job of extrapolating 1920fps of real 720p data and slowing that by 4x to 7680fps. The end result has much fewer artifacts than the Mate 30 Pro especially in occultation background objects.  It is of course not flawless as interpolation as of now is no match to real captured frames.  Anything with a busy enough detailed background will create distortion and mush artifacts that are not valid for any scientific experimentation. You will have to cap the phone at 1920fps 720p or 960fps 1080p for real frame capture.

We were able to find very cool samples of the phone shooting slow motion below:

Huawei P40 Pro Slow Motion Video Initial  Samples:

Huawei P40 Pro Ultra Slow Motion – 7680 FPS Slow Motion by TheFonoGuy:

Huawei P40 Pro Plus Ultra Slow Motion – OMG 7680 FPS ULTRA SLOW MOTION IS SUPER by MKP Captain: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

OnePlus 6 Slow Motion Teaser Released!

OnePlus 6 Slow Motion Teaser

The short but to the point footage shows what will be slow motion clips produced with the new OnePlus 6 handset. You can see that a lot of care has been taken to shoot professional looking footage that will showcase the high frame rate capabilities. We are not sure if the resolution aliasing we are seeing is from the phone quality or the video compression.

Considering Sony and Samsung have similar artifacts OnePlus will look good on smaller screens but not ideal blown up on a monitor or TV.  Professional lighting is no substitute to real line resolution for footage.   We should know more as May 16th launch date approaches and we will be gladly surprised if the phone is capable of higher resolution slow motion recording than the competition with better recording time which has been the Achilles heel for these slow-motion phone features. 0.2 and 0.1 seconds is just not long enough for having a usable span of time.

OnePlus 6 Teaser Slow Motion Twitter post below:

https://twitter.com/oneplus/status/993475540563587073

Comment below on your expectation but be aware that we simply don’t think it will be a high res footage high-speed feature.  The colors and quality do seem to be excellent in that respect. -HSC

OnePlus 6 Will Have Super Slow Motion Mode!

OnePlus 6 Slow Motion

The folks at OnePlus have been busy and by the looks of the recently leaked images of the OnePlus 6, it seems the phone is almost an identical looking handset to the iPhone X design with notch included.  The invitation to the event on May 16th, 2018 for the unveil mentions “Live Life in Super Slow Mo” which we believe will be a 960fps slow-motion mode akin to that in the Galaxy S9 & S9+ or the Sony Xperia ZX2.

OnePlus has been one of the best performing handsets for Android users due to their use of the best components out there along with a streamlined ROM that does away with most bloatware on the main install. Users of these phones also routinely claim huge battery life due to the optimized nature of the background tasks. For Slow Motion, they have only been competitive on the mid-range but that will probably change if Slow Motion is a big feature on this new phone.

OnePlus 6 Newly Leaked Images of the  Hint at Apple Like Design:

Rumored OnePlus 6 Specs:

  • 6in 2880×1440 QHD+ 18:9 display.
  • Glass notch design On  Screen Top!
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC
  • 8GB RAM, 256GB Flash storage Included
  • Android 8.1 Oreo OS
  • Dual-lens 20MP/16MP rear-facing camera
  • Super Slo-Mo feature 960fps
  • Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner with Face Unlock
  • Dash Charge support
  • Waterproof IP68
  • Alert Slider
  • Blue, White and Black color body options
  • Wireless charging support
  • 16 May Launch Event in London.
  • Rumored MSRP: $599 – $699 Price Range!
  • 64GB, 128GB & 256GB options!

These leaks seem to imply that the OnePlus 6 will be the best performing phone for the price in the high-end smartphone market.  It will be a matter of testing the camera capabilities to see just how good and capable it will be and if the slow-motion mode will be able to compete or exceed the Sony and Samsung implementations in side by side testing.  We remain cautious with some reservations due to the past releases doing less than competitive slow motion. The Huawei P20 disappointed us by interpolating their 960fps mode from a lower source we believe it to be 480fps or possibly lower. If OnePlus with their new 6 handset is able to deliver real frame rates it will be the phone to beat at high speed this year. Somehow we remain unconvinced but hopeful. We will know more by May 16th when we have a direct spec sheet and possibly a plethora of samples to look at.  Stay tuned – HSC! 

OnePlus 6: First Ever Hands-On Leaks !! by DroidMonster Inc:

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→ Continue Reading Full Post ←

LG V30 Best Video Recording Phone?

LG V30 Best Video Recording Phone

Move over Apple, the LG V30 recently released might be the best available video recording smart-phone ever.  In fact the LG V30 is not high on slow motion frame rates, topping at 240fps 720p and does not have 60fps 4k like the latest iPhones but has an ace up it’s sleeve that might catapult the phone to be #1 among video recording professionals that want a phone they can use alongside their expensive dedicated video gear.

The LG V30 has 10 bit color for starters recorded to its flat profile called LG Cine-Log format which is very close to implementations from Sony, Canon & Panasonic Log formats.  The other big feature is that it has probably the best manual control video interface in a phone to date with peaking for easier focus, manual shutter, aperture, ISO and a variety of frame rates.

LG V30 Rear Camera Specs:

Dual Rear Cameras

  • 16 MP Standard-Angle Lens f/1.6
  • Field of view: 71 ̊
  • Image sensor: 1/3.09″
  • Resolution: up to 4656 x 3492 pixels (default); 1.0 μm pixel size
  • Glass Camera Lens – minimizes light dispersion for superior sharpness and color
  • 10-bit HDR Image Sensor – captures up to 211% more colors for improved accuracy
  • OIS+2.0 and EIS

Video Recording

  • 4K Video Recording at 30 FPS
  • Resolution: up to 3840 x 2160 pixels (1920 x 1080 default)
  • Cine Effect – choose from 16 different color grading presets to add a cinematic look
  • Point Zoom – zoom in on any selected area within the frame for more stability and control
  • Manual Video Mode* – adjust audio focus, manual focus, white balance, frame rates, and more
  • LG-Cine Log – when in Manual Mode, capture 211% wider color gamut (Rec.2020) for enhanced video
  • Steady Record 2.0 – record smoother, clearer videos on the move
  • Slow-Motion Rec – 1280 x 720 resolution, 120, & 240 FPS
  • Time-Lapse Video – record a video that plays back faster than normal
  • Quick Video Editor* – merge up to 50 photos or videos; trim and add title/text, background music, and theme effect overlays
  • Snap Movie* – capture and combine a series of short video clips

Frame Rates/Resolutions Available:

  • 4k UHD 26:9 3840×2160 / 1, 2, 24, 30fps
  • FHD 21:9 Cinema 2560×1080 / 1, 2, 24, 30, 60fps
  • FHD 18:9 2160×1080 / 1, 2, 24, 30, 60fps
  • 1080p FHD 16:9 1920×1080 / 1, 2, 24, 30, 60fps
  • HD 21:9 1680×720 / 1, 2, 24, 30, 60fps
  • HD 18:9 1440×720 / 1, 2, 24, 30, 60fps
  • HD 16:9 1280×720 / 1, 2, 24, 30, 60, 120fps, 240fps

As you can see above the new 10 bit abilities of the LG V30 allow it to record HDR Video with up to 1.07 Billion colors instead of the 16.7 million restricted to 8 bits. This allows for more dynamic range values captured and color fidelity that rivals many professional cameras.  10 bit video is replacing 8 bit more and more these days with cameras like the Panasonic GH5 now being able to shoot it even in 4k.  The LG V30 can use this feature to exploit the features of HDR TVs which are in their own right taking over the entire mid-range TV market in 2017.

The LG V30 has a nearly unmatched interface that has a plethora of options to apply color profiles that are akin to LUTs to footage in real time. The LG V30 with 10 bit color and Cine Gamma can apply color profiles for a variety of situations on the fly giving the footage an extremely professional and cinematic look.  In theory, you could match the V30 to almost any professional camera out there today by shooting in Log and applying the correct LUT corrections in post.

Video Samples: 

In the excellent video below by Parker Walbeck you can see how well the LG V30 stands out to a $50k US Red Weapon camera using a similar focal length.   You can see some rolling shutter affecting the LG V30 in some scenes but it is astounding for the keen observer the sheer amount of quality able to be extracted from such a small device.  The Cinema Log does lend itself to post processing but as the video show it can be done quite easily for impressive results:

LG V30 vs. $50,000 RED Weapon – Replicating the Walter Mitty Longboard Scene by Parker Walbeck:

What about the Slow Motion?

Sadly the slow motion feature on the LG V30 is not comparable to the iPhone 8 and 8+, X in resolution, quality or artifact suppression. As you can see in the samples below there is a lack of bit rate on the files and detail is lost, creating a stair stepping effect. As a slow motion phone you are better off with Apple, Samsung, Sony and or Google.

Lg v30 slow motion video test, cine log, cinematic , 720p slow motion. by IamAce:

LG V30 – sev7en – SlowMotion: 1/8x speed – Morning Time. by Fabrizio Degni: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Samsung 1000fps Sensor and GoPro Hero 6 240fps FHD!

Samsung 1000fps Sensor

A new Samsung Rumor estimates that Samsung has been working on a 1000fps capable sensor for years now but the latest aims to have it present on their next 2018 flagship phones. These will be able to compete with the Sony Stacked Mobile sensors present on the Xperia XZ Premium and XZs Phones.   The Korean Site ET News has the information on a 3 layer stacked sensor that will allow for 1000fps frame rates on the next generation imaging systems for the Samsung flagship smart-phone line.

If Samsung’s Galaxy S9 debuts with this new stacked sensor technology it will be a first for Samsung to get really serious about slow motion performance on mobile phones.  Apple, Google and Sony have been far above Samsung in Performance for many years and this will be a way for the Korean manufacturer to get the foot in the door and compete with Sony on their own turf.

Article Quote by ETNews Korea:

Full article here at their site!

“Samsung Electronics developed and is going to start mass-producing super-fast image sensor that can take up to 1,000 pictures in a second. With this sensor, Smartphone camera will be able to implement images such as ‘Slow Motion’ that is used to decide whether or not a referee made a correct decision in pro baseball. It is expected that Smartphone camera equipped with this sensor will be useful in capturing an object’s movement in detail such as fixing posture of a person who is swinging a golf club.

According to industries on the 17th, Samsung Electronics is going to start mass-producing ‘3-layered image sensor’ in November. This image sensor is made into a layered structure by connecting a system semiconductor (logic chip) that is in charge of calculations and DRAM chip that can temporarily store data through TSV (Through Silicon Via) technology. Samsung Electronics currently ordered special equipment for mass-production and is going to start mass-producing ‘3-layered image sensor’ after doing pilot operation in next month.”

HSC- As you can see we will probably see a Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus sporting this chip in early 2018.  The fact that they will ramp up production before year’s end bodes well for slow motion enthusiasts that need a dependable top performing Android phone.    As to the recording time

As to the recording time, buffer size and quality of the recording we cannot really speculate at this time but since Sony has a 1000fps 1080p smartphone chip in the pipeline; Samsung should be at least working on a 1080p solution that could record crisp resolution.  Recording time on the Xperia XZ phones was not ideal at 0.27 seconds which is really limiting. If Samsung can break the 1-second barrier it would become the new king of mobile phone high-speed imagers.  We will be watching closely as this develops.

Go Pro Hero 6 Leaks:

GoPro Canada leaks images of Hero 6

Looks like the GoPro Hero 6 will have 4k 60fps like the Yi 4k+ camera and as you can see below 240fps 1080p recording will also be present. At this stage with Best Buy leaks flowing with finished packaged cameras showing up it is fair to say this Rumor is pretty much fully cooked.

It will be interesting to see the quality delivered at 1080p 240p and if 720p 480fps is present in the camera considering it shoudl have the bandwith performance to do it.  As an interesting tidbit; the Ambarella SoC is not part of the new Camera with GoPro ending the relationship to create their own chip “codename GP1”.  This makes sense since Ambarella has been providing competitors in China like Yi Technology the same exact SoC chips which in turn yield the exact same imaging performance. This, in turn, erodes GoPro sales and creates a climate of over-supply of copycat action cameras.

Pricing estimated at: $499 US and $649 Canada

If GoPro can create a performance gap with the Hero 6 it will be on their own merit with leapfrog specs that should not be easy to copy. What they now have to watch is Sony with their stacked sensor technology and what we saw on the RX0 last week may just be the beginning.  If the Hero 6 delivers what is promised in the packaging it may become our action camera of the year recommendation.  Many will point out that Sony’s X3000 Action Cam is due for a refresh and Sony stacked sensor will probably be included in some way.   It is a win-win situation for high frame rate enthusiasts when companies are one-upping each other to generate high-speed performance. What’s not to love?

We will be covering this and all other high-speed camera releases as they are released. -HSC