Category Archives: Announcements

MISC Announcements

Sony Xperia XZ Premium and XZs do 960fps!

Sony Xperia XZ Premium

Just a few days ago Sony released footage from their smartphone stacked sensor which was capable of up to 1080p 1000fps see here.  Today however marks the release of the Xperia XZ Premium and the Xperia XZs both of which include the new camera module and the stacked sensor high speed capability.   Both new phones same the exact same camera specifications but differ in the higher end features.

The most advanced phone is the Sony Xperia XZ Premium which has a true 4k resolution 5.5″ screen with HDR like the one present in Sony Bravia TVs. It is also splash proof and rain proof which is good for taking it on the go without much care for weather conditions. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Canon Releases New EOS & M Cameras!

Yesterday Canon unveiled the Canon EOS 77D, EOS T7i & the M6 Mirrorless.  Al three are geared to photo enthusiasts and contain a video component that in some ways resembles the releases of other companies from 2014.  The real improvement with these cameras comes in the way of dual pixel AF sensors that are able to track in video mode with precision.

The pricing on these cameras is very aggressive with the 77D @ $899.99 body only,  T7i for $749.00 body only and  M6 with 15-45mm lens for $899.  You get a lot of still camera for your money and a somewhat competitive 1080p video camera with up to 60fps in that mode. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Nikon DL is Killed Off, Now What?

Nikon DL is Killed Off

The Nikon DL was really the only strong contender in the pro-sumer compact camera line from Nikon to offer fast frame rates if it had shipped.  The only other remotely considerable high speed option by the company is the Nikon 1 series in their V and J options which haven’t been updated in a while.

The cancellation of the Nikon DL series was due mainly to technical issues with the image processor which made the company miss the June 2016 target ship date & second, a  restructuring effort after the company reported a net loss of ¥831 Million Yen or 7.3 Million US Dollars .  This is no small predicament as the company had reported in the same time frame last year a net profit of  ¥18.71 billion Yen or $165 Million USD.   → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Sony 1000fps Sensor for Smartphones Developed!

Sony 1000fps Sensor

You have to hand it to Sony for their continued hardware innovation. The sensor technology that brought you the RX Camera series with stacked CMOS Technology; which is DRAM included as a middle layer along with signal processing makes it possible to capture data at tremendous pixel rates in the sensor block which leapfrogs competitors products.

That same 3-Layer stacked design is now unveiled on a cellphone geared sensor with a maximum performance at 1080p 1000fps and 4k 60fps. It is using the same buffer DRAM technology that will let you record for a limited time window and then save and process on your handset.   Considering the speed quoted it is not out of the question to expect the Sony RX series of cameras to reach or exceed this level on upcoming iterations. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Insta360 Pro VR Camera 100fps at 4k!

Insta360 Pro VR Camera

Like coming out of a science fiction movie like Oblivion; the Insta360 Pro VR Camera with it’s six independent cameras and futuristic spherical design creates an immediate reaction to anyone that sees it. This is a real product not a concept and can record 8k at 30fps with post processing stitching required but full 4k 3D 360º degree footage at 30fps or 25fps with real time hardware stitching ready to post the end footage on the web.

The slow motion component comes at 4k where the camera can shoot 4k at up to 100fps for a slow motion result or super life like motion.  The Slow Motion mode lacks real time stitching but you can use post production to merge the final footage on your PC or Mac. → 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 ←