Tag Archives: video sample

URSA Mini Pro Offers Pro Features and 120fps!

URSA Mini Pro

Blackmagic Design has announced a new camera today.  The URSA Mini Pro is a marriage of their higher end URSA camera with the still in the product line URSA Mini.  It offers built in ND Filters, 15 stops of dynamic range “which is huge for filmmakers”, tons of ports, in body buttons and controls and easy interchangeable lens mounts.

For our slow motion fans there is not a whole lot offered by the camera but there are some built in features.  60fps in 4k DCI and also at 4.6k full sensor resolution is very useful and keeps the trend with the 4k over-crank frame rates debuted in 2016 on several cameras. The other is 120fps at 2k windowed resolution which is passable but not ideal. However the slow motion on these cameras is high quality and seldom does it have artifacts. → 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 ←

Sony FS7 Mark II Slow Motion Stays at 180fps!

Sony FS7 Mark II

In what could be condensed into a mild refresh at best; the newly released Sony FS7 Mark II Super 35mm 4k Camera does little to entice owners of the Sony FS7 to upgrade. It seems to be a way to replace the camera and entice new buyers without actually offering anything really revolutionary.

To be fair there are a few improvements like the E Mount now has a PL like locking mechanism for easier lens detachment without twisting. This is ideal for lenses with filters and matte box attached. Also the integrated electronic Variable ND brings it in line with other cameras that offer this compelling option to avoid ND filters altogether while setting the camera for 1/180º shutter. Added also is BT.2020 color space for UHD recording at 10 and 12 bits, 10 assignable buttons vs 6 in the Mark 1 and a few new LEDs and ergonomic fixes from user feedback on the Mark 1. → 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 ←

Photokina Expected Camera Announcements

Photokina 2016

We are just a couple of months away from Photokina 2016 which takes place from Sept 20-25th in Cologne Germany.  There are quite a few refresh expectations when it comes to cameras but there are also rumors of new announcements. As to what is solid and or dependable remains a mystery but rest assured there will be some good hardware presented.

For starters the updates to popular higher end camera lines in the Nikon, Canon, Sony and Panasonic lines should be announced with most of them sporting higher frame rates as specs. Continuous Phase Auto focus will continue to be a trend this year as more sensors support it. → Continue Reading Full Post ←