As predicted the newly announced Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will not improve on the Note 7 or Galaxy S8 phones when it comes to slow motion capabilities. It maxes out at 1080p 60fps and only allows 720p 240fps for slow motion. Missing is the 120fps 1080p modes of competitive flagship phones like the iPhone 7 or Google Pixel.
The Phone has delivered in most other fronts however with probably the best screen yet on a phablet phone at 6.3″ Quad HD+ Super AMOLED (2960 x 1440) 521 ppi resolution. There is also an extra attention put on the battery safety which according to Samsung is not only safe but amply tested to rigorous conditions. It is 3300mAh which should last for a full day of use even with the gigantic screen.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
Leica has announced the TL2. It is an APS-C camera with a milti-touch capable LCD screen, 4k video at 30fps and interfaces like USB 3 and HDMI for monitoring or playback to TV. It caught our interest because it also offers 1080p 60fps and 1280 * 720p HD at 120fps which is a real slow motion spec.
The camera is spartan but in the Leica Style, elegant and sharp. It is built to use Leica L Mount lenses but can also use the enormous array of Leica glass out there in the M and R mounts using optional adapters. As to why you would buy a $1,950 Leica pocket camera and then attach a lens that is as expensive or several times the cost of the TL2 for a less than ideal combination, is left for further discussion. However, if you are a Leica M owner with the craving of a smaller body; the TL2 may just fit your needs.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
Nearly 5 years after the original 6D Mark 1 camera was released, Canon has now unveiled the EOS 6D Mark II which is a big update from that camera when it comes to a new vari-angle LCD touch screen, AF points now 45 all cross type vs the old one at 11 with only 1 center cross type, Wireless support, dual pixel video AF and an extra 6MP for a total of 26MP vs 20.1 on the Mark 1.
This camera is still the cheapest full frame camera on the Canon line up and it gets a lot right but also 4 things are left out that really miss the mark which will not sit well with people looking at competitive options. The camera is a great picture shooter for sure but it feels crippled artificially and it is quite behind the times when it comes to video specs.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
There is no question Canon has had great success with their EOS Cinema line of cameras. They continue to dominate the rental production market and even when they are overpriced compared to competitor’s options it is in a class of its own when it comes to Dual Pixel Continuous AF with Canon EF lenses which are plentiful and part of the stable of most serious camera professionals.
The latest iteration just announced is the Canon EOS C200 EF Cinema Camera which has some serious performance improvements over the current price/performance kind in their camera line. The new camera slots between the lower priced C100 Mark II and the more professional 4k C300 Mark II. However the C200 records in 4k RAW Light format which gives 15 stops of dynamic range with all the benefits of RAW editing with some compression.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
The newly announced DJI Spark Selfie Micro-drone is a thing of beauty when it comes to capability vs size. At just $499 it is also half the price of a DJI Mavic Pro and while it lacks a 3 axis gimbal and extended flight time; this is geared to the people that want a no nonsense experience that is truly portable for their flight camera needs. It has a camera capable of 1080p video of pretty good quality at 30fps.
The downside is that it lacks 4k for one thing and any other frame rates besides 30fps full HD. It does do 12MP still images with good dynamic range and color accuracy which could become the best use of the drone for markets such as real estate, surveying and aerial imaging that is ready at any moment without the bulk.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
The Sony a9 impressed with its full frame 20fps Stills shooting at 24.2 Megapixels. It is probably the most groundbreaking camera performance wise we have come across for sports shooters in a decade. The AF performance is second to none and as recent samples show it is just as good in video mode. Sony has cracked the continuous AF for video performance threshold where it can be used for production. That is no small feat.
What was totally unexpected was that the 120fps slow motion mode at full HD, which has a full sensor downsampling without crop of the 35mm FF sensor, is not only good; but probably the most detailed full HD slow motion mode we have seen in a DSLR or Mirrorless camera to date.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
