Tag Archives: High resolution

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 ←

SONY IMX586 Stacked Sensor 48MP and High Frame Rates!

SONY IMX586 Stacked Sensor

Sony has released specs for a new IMX Cellphone oriented sensor that has a whopping 48 Megapixel photosite grid with a new Bayer altered pattern of quad pixel colors that aims to quadruple the dynamic range of the signal and increase detail retention significantly by supersampling every photosite and creating a final 12MP image with excellent characteristics.

As far as frame rates go we were glad to see very high-end read-out speeds for this sensor as full 4k video can max out at 90fps and other high fps settings include 1080p 240fps full area downsampling and 720p 480fps but with a cropped windowed frame extraction.  At 48MP or 12 regular De-Bayered then we expect the crop to be quite extreme at the 720p mode unless they do a 4 or 6MP downsample. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Phantom v2640 Launches with 6600fps at 4MP!

Phantom v2640

The folks at Vision Research creators of the Phantom line of superfast high-resolution cameras have unveiled their latest and greatest with the v2640, which takes the line to unprecedented levels of resolution and frame rate combinations. At a maximum res of 6,600fps at full resolution of 2048 x 1952 & 1080p Full HD @ 11,750 fps it makes your eyes water with time detail never before seen.

Of course, as it is customary, the camera is not listed with a price tag but expect it to be in the range of 100k USD if you venture out to get one.  It is still a great deal for labs, engineers and imaging studios but surely out of reach for most lone experimenters.  The sample video shows a water balloon being struck by an arrow at 17,000fps at HD 720p resolution which is mind bendingly cool. We will not list this camera on our guide as it exceeds the low cost threshold by a large margin. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

GH5 Firmware 2.0 Has Huge Improvements!

GH5 Firmware 2.0

The just announced Firmware for the Panasonic GH5 offers the promised improvements when the camera was launched like 400Mbps All-I compression for 4k 10 bit recording and or 200MBPS 1080p.  Also promised was near 6k Anamorphic shooting and HDR Ready Log Recording Gamma. All of that is in the firmware but the surprise comes from all the extra improvements that made the way into the 2.0 firmware release.

The new unexpected features range from a full tethering option for Mac or PC with free downloadable software to improved autofocus recording which was one of the weakest features of the camera.  As far as slow motion related improvements it seems the firmware is not making any headway there. The bitrate improvements do not mention the VFR mode. → 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 ←