Tag Archives: phantom camera

Slow Motion Videos You Have to See!

Slow Motion camera releases are slow at this time of year but that doesn’t mean we have to be deprived of cool stuff to see. We have gathered a few slow motion videos that warrant your time and attention and surely push the art of capturing snapshots of time forward.

Even when these high speed cameras that in most cases are worth a lot more than the typical luxury midsize car, many creators are getting their hands on them and being creative in ways that could not be imagined in an earlier timeframe. From natural phenomena to technological feats, the footage has that mesmerizing quality that only this type of footage can instill on the viewer.  → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Nikon Stacked CMOS Sensor Will do 1000fps in 4k!

Nikon Stacked CMOS Sensor

Nikon Japan has been busy creating the next generation of 1″ stacked sensors.  The latest is a 17.84 Megapixel stacked design with hyper-fast memory interconnect that shoots up to 1000fps at 4k resolution which is no slouch. The sensor is still in development but it will be a possibility to see it in a camera that could compete head to head with the Sony RX series which now dominate prosumer P&S sales.  It was announced at ISSCC (International Solid-State Circuits Conference) held in San Francisco, February 15, 2021.

The sensor works by shooting in buckets of 16 x 16 pixels as one block, and then subsequently 264 x 264 pixel blocks (4224 x 4224 pixels) are conformed to form the final image at nearly 18MP.  It is unclear at this time if 4k video will be a windowed resolution or a supersampled then reduced final image from the full sensor.  The market for this sensor goes beyond consumer cameras as it is aimed at other applications like self-driving cars and production lines. → 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.

i-SPEED 726 Main Specs:

  • High-resolution 2048×1536 pixel sensor
  • Full resolution to 8,512 frames/second
  • 1080p resolution at 12,742 frames/second
  • Up to 288 GB of on-board memory for long recordings
  • Internal or external SSD drive for fast data transfer
  • Class leading 26 GP/sec throughput
  • Microlens sensor for exceptional light sensitivity
  • Wide Dynamic Range recording
  • Global electronic shutter to 1 µs
  • 1 hour battery life
  • Compatible with all Nikon F and Canon EF mount lenses
  • Maximum frame rate – 1,000,000 fps
  • Flexible frame synchronization from 10 Hz to 200 kHz
  • Environmentally rugged package available
  • 32 point integrated real-time health monitoring system
  • 96 / 144 / 192 / 288GB RAM Memory
  • Mono ISO 5,000D(sat) / 40,000D(sat)
  • Color ISO 1,800D(sat) / 14,400D(sat)

IMAGER Specs:
Sensor type Custom CMOS
Sensor resolution 2048 x 1536 pixel
Sensor size 27.972 mm x 20.736 mm
Sensor diagonal 34.82 mm
Pixel size 13.5 μm
Bit depth 12 bit (36 bit color)
ISO (12232-2:2006, D, sat) Mono 5,000 / 40,000 (max)
Color 1,800 / 14,400 (max)
Maximum frame rate 1,000,000 fps
Shutter type Global exposure
Shutter time, standard 1 μs minimum
Shutter time, fast mode 277 ns
WDR Wide Dynamic Range

Lens mounts available:

F mount (Nikkor D) / F mount (Nikkor G)
C mount / EF mount

With a large sensor at 13.5 μm pixels and near 35mm diagonal it becomes a very good low light performer which is essential for high-resolution cameras that shoot high frame rates but don’t want to sacrifice image quality due to the artifacts caused by smaller pixel sizes.  The mounting support is very good with both Canon and Nikon F+G mounts supported and the C mount option if needed.

This is an ideal camera for wildlife documentarians and filmmakers who need the next level of frame rate performance for their productions.

Video Samples:

Bloodhound SSC rocket test 2,000 fps and 4,000 fps mono and color by iX Cameras:

High-Speed Liquid Atomization, Particle Image Velocimetry and Spray System Compilation by iX Cameras: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Blackmagic RAW Codec Opens the Future!

Blackmagic RAW Codec

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!

Blackmagic RAW Codec Features:

  • Compression: 3:1, 5:1, 8:1 and 12:1
  • Constant Quality Encoding (Best Quality)
  • Constant Bitrate Encoding (Lower File Size)
  • Up to 12 Bit Color
  • ISO, Exposure, White Balance adjustable
  • Real Time Playback and Editing (DaVinci Resolve Now)
  • Platform Agnostic
  • Mac and Windows .BRAW Players Available now
  • License free and Free SDK

As you can see from the 4k frame size graph above expressed in Megabytes/sec, the codec allows for incredible compression levels close to the best H.264 out there at 12:1 while retaining RAW capabilities. The higher quality levels allow for up to 274 MB/sec if needed for production. Contrast that to regular RAW uncompressed at 548MB/sec and you can see the huge benefits this codec has to offer.

Introducing Blackmagic RAW by Blackmagic Design:

Blackmagic RAW Explained by LumaForge: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Lawn Mower Cutting Grass at 50,000fps is Amazing!

Destin from SmarterEveryDay has posted an incredible video explaining how a lawn mower cuts grass. It is way more interesting and memorable than you might think. The killer feature of mowers turns out to be the air flow generated by the machine which makes it possible to cut the grass even.  The clip goes into detail on how it works and in an excellent series of clips, shows how it looks like at 50,000fps using a Phantom Camera.  Highly Recommended to watch and subscribe to SmarterEveryDay for more great content! -HSC

Slow Motion News March 2018!

Slow Motion News March 2018

After several camera announcements where slow motion was a main feature instead of an afterthought, things have been calming down until the next wave which will break closer to NAB 2018 from April 7th to 12th in Las Vegas.  There will probably be quite a few announcements in the professional space which is mainly where things heat up when it comes to higher quality resolution at higher frame rates.

We expect Sony to steal the show with probably the a7s Mark III which by any measure will probably retain the low light king title for the foreseeable future. If the a7 III released recently is any indication then a lower megapixel sensor anywhere between 12-16MP Full Frame with the same technology in a stacked sensor will give us a camera so capable that room for improvement will be mainly on the ergonomics, interface and higher frame rates going forward.

Phone Slow Motion Tutorials Posted Online:

Now that Sony and Samsung have been touting their 960fps slow-motion modes it was only a matter of time until tech & phone sites started exploring the slow-motion modes in more depth. Here are two guides that explore the new features and gives tips on getting the shot:

1) Galaxy S9: Everything you need to know about Super Slo-Mo videos by CNET

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/galaxy-s9-everything-you-need-to-know-about-super-slo-mo-videos/

2) How to shoot better slow motion video at 120fps, 240fps, and 960fps by Android Central:

https://www.androidcentral.com/how-shoot-slow-motion-video

Phantom HD Gold Camera Sold For Parts on eBay for $6,999:

ITEM DESCRIPTION – Link Here

** Please Note: SDI Output is Defective, Will Drop Image Every Several Seconds; Missing 4 out of 6 mounting screws for PL mount; Missing 2 body screws; Unable to Fully Test Camera **

1,052 frames per second in 1920 x 1080

=&0=&

  • Power Supply
  • PL Mount
  • Top Handle
  • Mag Cover
  • Body Cap
  • Ethernet Wire
  • Custom Pelican Case ** Please Note: SDI Output is Defective, Will Drop Image Every Several Seconds;

HSC – Our Take:  This camera was worth 118,000 when launched in 2011. If you are a technical expert that can repair this camera and bring it back to full working condition it may be worth a try. However, for everyone else, this is best to avoid as there is no telling what is wrong with this camera.  

If you could repair it then it is of note that you will not get a warranty of any kind and will be using a camera that could, in theory, be worth much more.  If anyone out there is able to fix it then let us know to feature your progress on getting this camera to work and produce great images.

GH5s vs G9 Video Comparison:

This is an excellent review by Camerahoarders on the video quality and capabilities of both cameras.

HSC- We still believe that the standard GH5 delivers the best slow-motion quality of these three cameras at up to 180fps due to the oversampling capability. The G9 codec is much lower bit rate on slow motion and allows fewer frame rates choices. The GH5s has up to 240fps Full HD but aliasing, moire, and softness negate the frame rate advantage.

More Galaxy S9 Video tests:

SAMSUNG Galaxy S9 Super Slow Motion 960fps! Video test by All mobile:

Samsung Galaxy S9 Super Slow-Motion Camera Test by Miklas Manneke: → Continue Reading Full Post ←