The RED Hydrogen One phone has a lot to live up to but contrary to many doubters it may be just that good when it comes to video and photo quality. How good? By some accounts, it may be unrivaled by any phone currently and possibly for the foreseeable future thanks to the special software that is running on that last year’s Snapdragon 835 chip which is now outdated but still usable to create what RED touts as an imaging phone for the connoisseur.
We expect 4k quality in better codecs than the competition, with the ability to surpass 4k 60p which is the current phone upper limit for frame rates and resolution. As far as higher frame rates go we simply cannot find a lot of information when it comes to the way video is captured but read along to see something that may get a little closer to unraveling the mystery. New phone final body images have been released here in the forums.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
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 ←
We liked the Insta360 Pro released last year because it upped the ante in resolution and immersion compared to other off the shelf camera solutions. This new Pro 2 camera essentially increases the performance by stitching six 4k images to truly bring VR recording to a point where resolution blends with realism at 8k 3D. VR has always suffered from the resolution Achilles heel which can kill the experience as you notice image errors like aliasing, softness or stitching artifacts.
The new Insta630 Pro 2 camera has 6 lenses and 6 full camera systems to capture the scene. If using H.265 for Post stitching it can reach 4k UHD at up to 120fps binned. All six cameras used at maximum resolution can build a 12k still image but for VR video you will be outputting an 8k stream in 2D or 3D with outstanding visual crispness. The demos shown do make it seem like headsets are now the technology that needs improvement to increase resolution and catch up.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
Now that a few days have passed we now have the first few samples of what the Galaxy Note 9 is capable of in 960fps slow-motion mode. It shows about the same effective resolution as the Galaxy S9 and S9+ which share the same camera system. The Note 9 is supposed to increase the dynamic range but it is unclear how much benefit it will show in a resolution starved 720p high-speed mode.
The best selling factor for the Note 9 as a slow-motion device is the doubling of recording time to 0.4 seconds from the 0.2sec available on the Galaxy S9. This transforms into a 12.8-second video played back at NTSC 30p which makes it much more enjoyable than the 6.4 sec on the other Samsung phone.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
Samsung has released the Galaxy Note 9 today and needless to say its a spec powerhouse with a familiar design and feel. No other Samsung has ever sported such amount of features and memory footprint up to 1TB with the 512GB internal plus an optional 512GB Micro SD card. Of course, a fully specced out phone will not be cheap when the handset starts at $1,000 USD in the USA or €1,000 in Europe.
Our interest and focus are the video features and we are far from disappointed. You get improved AF with scene recognition and an increase in dynamic range compared to the Galaxy S9. You get 4k UHD up to 60p and the usual competitive frame rates of 240fps and 120fps Full HD plus the 960fps mode that made its debut in the S9 and S9 plus phones earlier in the year. The extra checkmark in this phone’s sheet is that the slow motion at 960fps is now double the rec time of the S9 at 0.4sec instead of the 0.2sec in the S9 at the full frame rate.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
In what may be described as a practical home application of a stroboscope, the Slow Dance frame by Wonder Machines makes it possible to see the deformation of objects without motion blur with your naked eye and or a typical camera. The Picture frame makes extreme vibrations on deformable lite objects i.e. a flower or bird feather and then uses a synced led light to match the deformation wave period. In essence, creating a snapshot of the motion in real time while your brain is processing the data to create a fluid almost magical effect.
At just $299 for the Slow Dance product, it becomes a very unique gift proposition or conversation starter piece. Electronic Stoboscopes have been with us since1931, when Harold Edgerton (“Doc” Edgerton) employed a flashing lamp to study machine parts in motion. Now you can have a somewhat limited but beautiful display to experiment using the technique. The results are quite mind-blowing as the still life objects appear to take on a spark of life.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
