The Chronos 2.1 HD Slow Motion Camera which is the larger sensor and resolution version of the Chronos 1.4c is now being used in a lot of production situations. The material created with it gets better and better and while there is still a small backlog of camera orders due to COVID 19 disrupting part supply channels, most orders are now just a few weeks behind.
We have looked at a dozen videos that we would like to share with our readership showing the Chronos 2.1 HD in full force shooting in exquisite 1080p quality. We are still waiting for a review unit which was delayed for a shortage of components to get to us but needless to say, the camera is gaining a very good reputation as the lowest price vs. quality option in the 1000fps 1080p camera world.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
The Panasonic Lumix BGH1 is a strange camera if you are used to DSLR or Mirrorless camera body styles. It is tiny and full of connections with no screen unless you provide one via a computer that is tethered or an HDMI field monitor. It uses the same dual ISO sensor found on the Panasonic Lumix GH5s which is a very good low light camera in a Micro 4/3ds package. The BGH1 has a better internal recording set of options than the GH5s but it is more intended as a tethered studio solution with the addition of Genlock synch and SDI out.
The camera also has VFR or a Variable frame rate mode which is identical to the Lumix GH5s as it records from 1fps to 240fps in Full HD 1080p and delivers pretty good performance up to 200fps then lowers the quality along with providing a small added crop to the image at 225fps and 240fps. It is still not as sharp as regular 1080p video and the codec is saved at a lower bit rate but having 240fps as an option is great.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
Two very different new cameras were released this week that are able to shoot in 240fps Full HD 1080p. One is the Fujifilm X-S10 which is an all-rounder mirrorless camera with 6 stop IBIS and cinema video profiles for $999 body only, the other is the sequel to the very well received DJI Osmo Pocket now named DJI Pocket 2 dropping the OSMO part of the name & starting at $349 in its most basic form. Slow Motion on DJI Pocket 2 & Fuji X-S10 is close on both.
Both cameras are able to do 120fps as well but the interest peaks at 240p where the speed makes things moving slower more detailed, especially people as at that speed lifeforms moving relatively slow are excellent subjects. For faster animals like birds or flying insects, you need many more frames per second, usually in the 700+ range to create a good enough effect.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
The iPhone 12 line is a continuation of what Apple has been hinting at since it got serious about video recording on their phones. However, there is no increment in the maximum frames per second the phone is able to record with the 120p and 240p at 1080p as the maximum the phone is able to record. There is also what could be a feature that is missing that of 120fps 4k considering the phone is already recording 120fps at 4k for HDR video and then delivering it in a 60p wrapper.
With all that said the phone has impressive video and photo specs that will have rivals trying to compete in outlandish features like super zooms or more than 3 cameras to be able to get the spotlight off the iPhone. There is no question the iPhone 12 is the best camera phone Apple has ever delivered but isn’t this the same result every year when a new device from the company is released? Yes and there lies the problem of yearly upgrades only getting incremental updates and not leapfrog features.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
The Freefly systems Wave camera has been released and it is certainly a market disruptor. It is not your average high speed camera since it is essentially using an internal SSD M.2 card to continuously record slow motion events it functions more as a live capture device than a shot by shot trigger traditional slow motion camera. This is essentially the idea behind the fps1000 camera line by Graham Rowan which sadly was dissolved last year. A new way of capturing high speed by leveraging the speed of SSD flash storage with ultra-high frame rates.
The Wave is no slouch in specs with a 4k spec of 420fps which is not as good as the Phantom Flex 4k which records 1000fps but costs a whopping 160k USD. The Wave costs $9,995 and using an E-Mount with no power or AF functions, can be adapted to a variety of lens systems because of the plethora of adapters that can be used due to the short flange distance. We take a look at the wave specs and why it may be the camera you were waiting for – if you can get one!→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
Blackmagic Design has released Camera Setup 7.0 which upgrades the URSA Mini Pro 12k camera in several areas including improved frame rates at different resolutions. At 12k the maximum frame rate has increased to 75fps from 60fps and at 4k we now have up to 240fps in BRAW format from 220fps on a Super 16mm crop of the sensor. We also get 8k at up to 160fps from a maximum before of 110fps which is improved by leveraging the fast pipeline in the camera and delivering usable frame rates with good multiples.
While the camera is not cheap at $9,995, it is certainly a bargain considering the resolution and frame rates you have access to in BRAW RAW-Like format. It may be essentially the most powerful camera you can buy today for this price range and available with an F, EF, or PL mount the flexibility is there if needed. Blackmagic Design are also the owners of DaVinci Resolve and usually bundled it with their cameras. It makes for a hard to beat all in one system for shooting, editing, and postproduction. Dig in for more details…→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
