The Blackmagic URSA 4k Professional camera is one awesome powerhouse for standard frame rate productions with it’s three high quality LCD screens and RAW / Prores recording at just $5,995 USD. Prior to the most recent 1.9.9 Firmware it was capped at 60p for 1080p and 4k but after the update the camera gained 80fps for both 4k and 1080p.
Although the frame rate at 80fps is still low compared to most high speed offerings, the fact that it is 4k makes it a special milestone for the resolution. The URSA uses the CMOSIS CMV12000 Global shutter sensor which is the same to be used by the prototype 4k fps1000 camera upgrade option. The sensor is capable of producing from 150-300fps at full sensor resolution and it will be exploited by the fps1000 4k in full resolution. The URSA will record in a 12 Bit 3:1 RAW format for the high frame rate of 80fps costing no quality but saving space in memory and cards. As of this writing the URSA is the highest quality RAW 80fps image under $8k. It is an expensive camera which cost it some points in our camera guide as quality is not a definitive factor in final ranking . Price and workflow also are important. If you need RAW 4k up to 80fps the URSA at $5,995 is your cheapest option until the fps1000 ships. You can also get 4k at higher frame rates like 240fps on the Sony FS700 or FS7 but you will need an expensive external recorder or Sony module which is orders of magnitude more expensive. If you don’t need RAW or 4k Slow motion other cameras like the FS700 plain or the edgertronic are less costly options with higher frame rates.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
Warning: The parent company of FPS cameras “The Slow Motion Camera Company Ltd.” went out of business and entered liquidation proceedings. No further development of cameras is expected. More information here on Google Search!
To backers of the fps1000 “HSC included” the latest developments of the camera came in as a huge upgrade for the once humble little Kickstarter camera. Changes were unveiled at the end of November.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
The recently released Droid Turbo from Motorola available on Verizon in the USA has a 120fps 720p mode in the specs and we have a sample that shows that the slow motion mode while clean of noise is quite bad in the aliasing and moire department as resolution lines seem to be skipped to arrive at 720p at a higher frame rate. The iPhone 6 continues to be currently the best slow motion phone for your money. The Turbo is clearly no match but it can still let you produce some middle of the road slow mo videos for fun!
As with many camera releases the full quoted specs do not tell the whole story on a camera’s final capabilities. Our reader Andreas Bernhard pointed us that the Samsung NX1 does have a 120fps 1080p mode included inside the Samsung Multi Motion mode. We previously thought it was just a slowdown of 60p with interpolation but as it turns out it is also sporting a full 120p 1080 modeinside the camera.
A rumored Sony sensor part code IMX189AEG has been captivating the camera rumor world last week. The specs seem almost like a fictionalized version of a wish list but it may well be not only real but a sign of things to come in sensor technology. The sensor specs are as follows:
6K Video at 240fps
2K Video at up to 16,000fps 16 bit
1080p max 24,000fps
1.5″ Sensor Close to Micro 4/3ds size
4.85 megapixels using Active Pixel Color Sampling
Global Shutter
Native ISO of 5120
Max ISO 655,360
Active Pixel Color Sampling reads RGB signals on a single pixel so a 4.85 Megapixel sensor equates to a Bayer pattern sensor of about 15 Megapixels. This creates huge pixel spaces and increased dynamic range along with faster read out times and a global shutter.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
The Sony PXW-FS7 Pro camera besides the 4k up to 30p spec also offers a great 180fps slow motion mode at 1080p continuous. We expected the quality to be as good or better than the FS700 and it was the right call. The quality of the slow motion is extremely good and uses a better XAVC codec; And will position for now the FS7 in the 3rd spot of the camera list guide right behind the FS700 displacing the GH4 to 4th place.
