Tag Archives: system

eBay Slow Motion Camera Listings April 2018!

eBay Slow Motion Camera Listings

We are constantly looking for high-speed camera bargains and one of the best places to find them is on eBay where used cameras go to find a new home.  It is hard to judge the actual state of a product until you use it but that is why you can ask questions to the seller and reach a deal if needed.  You also have to take into account that many cameras get used in dangerous situations to record events where no human can be close to like on a rocket launch pad or testing artillery.

Make sure if you purchase a camera to be given a determined time to test it and make sure it is working as described. The whole point of finding these bargains is to save a boatload of money compared to purchasing them outright from the manufacturer.   HSC is not paid a commission or promotion fee for these listings so make sure you do your due diligence before buying, we are not affiliated with the sellers. This month a few diamonds in the rough were found that could really bring an edge to your slow motion shooting. Let’s dig in! → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Slow Mo Quality!

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

We have gotten a few questions about the EOS 5D Mark IV when it comes to it’s 120fps 720p slow motion mode.  We covered it back in August but samples were hard to find back then; all that has changed and now we can rate and position the camera in our HSC Camera Guide ranking.  While it will not win any contests for resolution or frame rate we think it is a good all around camera with useful features for video enthusiasts.

The negatives like high price,  Moire & Aliasing prone slow mo resolution, huge inefficient 4k bit rates on an old codec, 1.74x crop in 4k recording and big system bulk still apply for this camera.  The Panasonic GH5 for instance destroys the 5D Mark IV in the video spec department but that is ok considering the 5D Mark IV is a stills workhorse with a full frame sensor first and an excellent AF and high ISO performance package. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Ambarella H3 Paves Way for Portable 8k Video!

Ambarella H3

Ambarella has introduced two new SoC chipsets for portable electronics that shoot video.  The H3 capable of up to 8k video or dual 4k 60fps streams for 360º VR video and also the H22 which is a souped up version of the H2 found on cameras like the Yi 4k+ that will be shooting 4k 60p and up to 120fps 1080p video.

No real leads were given into what specific cameras will be incorporating the new chipset but from indications of past releases it is safe to say that the best action cameras, some high end phones and drone centric cameras will be sporting this new SoC in their specs by the end of this year.  If we had to bet we will probably see a Hero 5+ using the H22 before the H3 as 8k video seems a huge jump for a refresh model. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

WASP 100-C Kickstarter Light for Slowmo!

WASP 100-C Kickstarter Light

Hive lighting is just 8 days away from finishing their Kickstarter campaign for the WASP 100-C light. Their 35k USD goal was broken easily and now nearing $360k USD it seems they will have no trouble selling these lights like hotcakes.  However you can still get one of these lights which is ideal for slow motion recording because of their flicker free nature. High quality LED lights have no flicker due to their continuous power nature. Even at extreme frame rates of 20000+fps these lights should be able to stay flicker free for recording.

Hive does professional event and cinema lights and the WASP 100-C is no compromise on their quality. For $849 you can still get an early bird WASP 100-C single light kit which is effectively $200 USD off from the final retail price. That is if you back it before the campaign is due to close in 8 days. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Canon 5D Mark IV Slow Motion Samples!

Canon 5D Mark IV

For many the EOS 5D Mark IV was to be the resurrection of the DSLR camera as a video professional’s tool of choice. However just looking at the reactions online and the spec sheet itself it looks like Canon missed the mark by a mile in this aspect.  Several camera shortcomings like the codec, crop factor in 4k and lower resolution for higher frame rates come to mind.

The over four year wait which was about the same between the Mark II and Mark III models is extremely long for a product class that needs to evolve constantly in order to remain competitive. With Sony and Panasonic doing real innovation in the video space in a much smaller time frame usually 18 months, Canon needed a product that could withstand to scrutiny for a few years. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Canon 5D Mark IV disappoints with 120fps 720p!

Canon 5D Mark IV

We have been following the rumors on the next version of the Canon 5D with some subdued but hopeful enthusiasm. However, as many rumor sites now claim the final specs for the camera to be released next month probably at Photokina; it is clear that there is a big disconnect in performance from the common DSLRs in the Canon line and the mirror-less competitors from Sony and Panasonic.

There is a lot to like in the camera specs but also a lot of disappointing things for the video enthusiast or professional.   The camera has always been primarily a stills powerhouse and it is clear that this pedigree is maintained in the Mark 4. Auto Focus with dual pixel tracking support, pixel count and sensor should be heavily improved along with dynamic range as seen in the 80D and the impressive 1DX Mark II. → Continue Reading Full Post ←