Tag Archives: ZENMUSE

DJI Ronin 4D Delivers Cinematic Stabilized Slow Motion!

In what could be called a new paradigm or class of camera, DJI the drone maker has launched a couple of cinema full-frame cameras geared to professional productions that merge their Ronin gimbal products with their Drone pro Zenmuse cameras to create a massively appealing system for pros and enthusiasts that want no compromise stabilization with enough image quality to be able to use them in professional productions for TV and film.  The pricing at just over 11.5k for the 8k version and 7.2k for the 6k version is small potatoes for movie and TV studios but might put off some buyers. 

It is of note that a fully working system bundle is assembled at that price which is much better than other options. It includes the Gimbal, camera and body, 1TB SSD M.2 card, battery, touch screen and cabling. In cinema systems like RED and ARRI this is just the brain or camera body with everything else being added on top as ancillary costs. The frame rates on these cameras are limited to 120fps as the highest at 4k and 75fps at 8k.  They might not be huge but the quality and stabilization should make them quite useful.  → Continue Reading Full Post ←

ZENMUSE X7 By DJI has 3.9k 60p!

Zenmuse X7

DJI has announced the Zenmuse X7 camera for the Inspire 2 Professional Drone.  The camera shoots in Cinema DNG RAW which allows for the utmost quality for the demanding videographer with up to 60fps at 3.9k resolution. Interestingly it does not support 4k at that frame rate as probably there is a hardware limitation for that last few rows of pixels to be saved at that quality.

Of note is the 4k DCI spec up to 30p and ability to shoot and save in Apple ProRes in 4k and 2k with more option in H.264 and the newer H.265 codecs.  The biggest deal, however, is the ability to shoot 6k in DNG format at 6K: 6016×3200, 23.976/24/25/29.97/30p, 12-bit, full FOV.  This is a first for a drone camera of this size and should be the ideal format for ultra resolution seekers.

Zenmuse X7 Main Specs:

  • Inspire 2 Compatibility
  • 5.2K Apple ProRes
  • Super 35 Sensor (ARRI Alexa Size)
  • 14 Stops of Dynamic Range
  • 6K Cinema DNG
  • 24 MP Stills
  •  introduces the New DL-Mount & Lenses

Zemuse X7 Still Camera Specs:

Sensor Sensor Size (Still): 23.5×15.7 mm
Sensor Size (Max video recording area): 23.5×12.5 mm
Effective Pixels: 24 MP
Supported Lenses DJI DL-S 16mm F2.8 ND ASPH (with lens hood and balancing ring/filter)
DJI DL 24mm F2.8 LS ASPH (with lens hood and balancing ring/filter)
DJI DL 35mm F2.8 LS ASPH (with lens hood and balancing ring/filter)
DJI DL 50mm F2.8 LS ASPH (with lens hood and balancing ring/filter
Supported Micro SD/SSD Cards MicroSD: Class 10 or UHS-1 rating with a writing speed of 15 MB/s required; Max capacity: 64 GB
SSD: DJI CINESSD
Photo Sizes 3:2, 4:3, 16:9
Photo Formats DJI CINESSD: DNG
Micro SD: DNG, JPEG, DNG+JPEG
Operation Modes Capture, Record, Playback
Still Photography Modes Micro SD: Single Shot, Burst Shooting (3/5/7/10 shots), Auto Exposure Bracketing (3/5 bracketed shots at 0.7 EV bias), Interval
SSD: RAW Burst (3/5/7/10/14/∞ frames), up to 20 fps when using RAW Burst (exact quantity is determined by storage card capacity and battery power level)
Shutter Speed Electronic Shutter Speed: 1/8000 – 8s
Mechanical Shutter Speed: 1/1000 – 8s (DJI DL-S 16mm F2.8 ND ASPH not supported)
ISO Range Photo: 100 – 25600
Video: 100 – 1600 (EI mode on); 100 – 6400 (EI mode off)

Zenmuse X7 Video SPECS:

Video Formats CINESSD: CinemaDNG, ProRes
Micro SD: MOV, MP4
Video Resolution Aspect Ratio 17:9

CinemaDNG

6K: 6016×3200, 23.976/24/25/29.97/30p, 12-bit, full FOV
4K DCI: 4096×2160, 23.976/24/25/29.97/30p, 12-bit, full FOV
3.9K: 3944×2088, 47.95/50/59.94, 12-bit, narrow FOV

ProRes
4K DCI: 4096×2160, 23.976/24/25/29.97/30p, 10-bit, HQ, full FOV
2K: 2048×1080, 47.95/50/59.94p, 10-bit, HQ/XQ, narrow FOV

H.264
4K DCI: 4096×2160, 24/25/30/48/50/59.94p

H.265
4K DCI: 4096×2160, 24/25/30p  Aspect Ratio 16:9 CinemaDNG

6K: 5760×3240, 23.976/24/25/29.97/30p, 12-bit, full FOV
4K Ultra HD: 3840×2160, 23.976/24/25/29.97/30p, 12-bit, full FOV
3.7K: 3712×2088, 47.95/50/59.94, 12-bit, narrow FOV

ProRes 4K Ultra HD: 3840×2160, 23.976/24/25/29.97p, 10-bit, HQ/XQ, full FOV
2.7K: 2704×1520, 47.95/50/59.94p, 10-bit, HQ, narrow FOV
FHD:1920×1080, 47.95/50/59.94p, 10-bit, HQ/XQ, narrow FOV

H.264
4K Ultra HD: 3840×2160, 24/25/30/48/50/59.94p
2.7K: 2720×1530, 24/25/30/48/50/59.94p
FHD: 1920×1080, 24/25/30/48/50/59.94p
HD: 1280×720, 24/25/30/48/50/59.94p

H.265
4K Ultra HD: 3840×2160, 24/25/30p 2.7K: 2720×1530, 24/25/30/48/50/59.94p
FHD: 1920×1080, 24/25/30/48/50/59.94p
HD: 1280×720, 24/25/30/48/50/59.94p

Aspect Ratio 2.44:1

ProRes
5.2K: 5280×2160, 23.976/24/25/29.97/30p, 10-bit, HQ, full FOV

H.264/H.265
4K Ultra HD: 3840×1572, 30p, full FOV

As you can see there are a plethora of video codecs and recording options for the camera. 1080p and 720p video maxes out at 60fps and does not go to 120fps like in other cameras of the same breath. The Zenmuse X7 seems to be geared toward 4k and 6k shooters that need maximum resolution in a video format with enough latitude and grading ability for high-end film and TV production.

We would have liked a bit higher frame rates at lower resolutions from the camera but the product segmentation seems to be in conflict with delivering resolution rather than frame rate output.  There is no question this camera is a big leap for professional drone shooters which demand ever higher resolving power.

Pricing & Availability:

Starting at: USD $2,699  (You will also need an inspire 2 drone sold separately)

 

20-25 business days from Today October 12th, 2017

More info at the DJI Page here!

 

 

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.

Here is a run down of what we feel “Based on Rumors” will be announced between now and the actual show; which as history shows many product launches happen weeks before the actual show as camera companies try to fit PR releases and steal the spotlight from day to day.

Canon:

5D Mark IV will be announced this year- Rumors Say August 25th.

New 24-105mm L IS F4 II lens kit will probably be announced with the camera.

The camera should have predictive full time Phase AF like the 80D and the 1DX MkII sport; plus the same video specs as the 1DX II with 4k Video and 120fps 1080p frame rates. While the codec could be improved by adding better compression at least the quality is there.

Other Canon Announcements that could materialize:

CANON EF 16-35MM F/2.8L III Lens 

EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS  USM II Lens

Powershot Camera Refreshes Including a new Super Zoom possibly named SX100HS.

A full frame mirror-less camera is also rumored.

Panasonic:

Lumix GH5 the replacement for the venerable GH4 will be announced.   Stocks of GH4 are dwindling and orders by stores ceasing.

We expect at least 120fps 1080p to be included improving on the GH4’s 96fps plus improved AF on video using Phase detection and Sensor stabilization for hybrid shooting like the GX85 with dual IS. We do not expect 4k 60fps but it would be a welcomed addition if they introduced it with the camera.

Other Panasonic Announcements that could materialize:

Another Lumix body camera and some minor lens announcements.

Fixed lens Lumix camera refreshed lines.

Nikon:

Nikon D3400/D3500 Camera bodies should be announced.

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DJI OSMO Stabilized 120fps in your hand!

OSMO1080p

DJI Has announced a portable 3-Axis Gimbal camera system called DJI OSMO that rivals the best handheld  camera options from the competition with an integrated ZENMUSE X3 camera “Same as the one found in the DJI Inspire 1 drone.    You get a ton of standard features like an intelligent panning mode and auto panorama with also a timelapse & intervalometer to boot.   You will need to supply a Phone or other portable device with iOS or Android in order to have a live preview screen and set up the camera / adjust settings.

Specs for the DJI OSMO portable stabilized camera:

Video Resolution:
  • UHD: 4K (4096 x 2160) 24/25p
  • UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) 24/25/30p
  • 2.7K (2704 x 1520) 24/25/30p
  • FHD: 1920 x 1080 24/25/30/48/50/60/120p*
  • HD: 1280 x 720 24/25/30/48/50/60p
Sensor:

Sony Exmor R CMOS; 1/2.3”
Effective pixels: 12.40M
(Total pixels: 12.76M)

Still Photography Modes:

Single Shot
Photo Burst Mode: 3/5/7 shots
Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB):
3/5 bracketed frames @ 0.7EV bias
Interval
Timelapse
Auto Panorama
Selfie Panorama

Video Recording Modes:

Auto; Slow Motion
Max. Video Bitrate: 60 Mbps

Video Formats: MP4/MOV (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264)

Lens:

94° FOV 20mm
(35mm format equivalent) f/2.8

ISO Range

100-3200 (video);100-1600 (photo)

MSRP Price: $649  USD   Click for DJI Store!

Introducing the DJI Osmo:

DJI Osmo – Evolution: → Continue Reading Full Post ←