Back from vacation break “thanks for hanging in there” and not much has happened, we expect big news from Apple tomorrow but in the camera world everything has been subdued when it comes to news. The Panasonic GH4 did get some news as the camera will now get the chance to be upgraded with V-Log high dynamic range flat profile mode but it comes at a $99 USD cost. As to why this cost was added it’s anybody’s guess but we think it may have to do with protecting their higher end camera line by making the barrier of entry a little harder for GH4 owners. We find it to be not too expensive but kind of a disappointment as a very small minority of the user base will actually upgrade. Most people will not grade their footage with LUTs to get the color and contrast back to a usable level and would rather opt for the already pretty good profiles like Cinelike D and Cinelike V that come standard with the GH4.
As to the impact for the VLog update on the Panasonic GH4 you can expect a very flat profile and an increase in Dynamic Range from 10 stops standard to 12 stops in this mode. Those blown out skies and cut off shadows will get more chance to shine now.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
The Kinefinity KineMAX 6k camera has been shipping to customers and now we have a look at the first slow motion video images produced by this behemoth of a camera. The hardware as of now can produce 4k footage at 100fps and 3k at 150fps both with a sensor crop and while the image has some slight moire and aliasing it is nothing that will impact image quality greatly. It is not as good as the RAW 4k or 3k modes but it does allow for fast frame rates on an already very affordable professional tool. A package with the KineMAX 6k capable body, Canon EF mount and the Slow Motion Package comes in at just under 10k US or $9,997.00. Of course you will still have to buy SSD media to store those mammoth frame sizes.
As you can see the size of a 6k frame is hard to comprehend to HD shooters. You can fit 9 1080p full HD frames into a single 6k frame. You will reach new levels of detail with this camera, that as of recently was only available with a RED Dragon camera. However the price of entry is much lower with Kinefinity and the Chinese company will probably start carving a niche in cinema production quickly with these prices. If you need 6k RAW imaging and high frame rates at 4k and 3k at $10k US budget this is the camera for you.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
The Samsung NX500 has just been updated with firmware 1.10 There are several improvements and like it’s larger sibling the NX1 now the slow motion mode of 120fps at 720p in this camera is more easily accessible. The NX1 has a better slow motion mode than the NX500 as it is 1080p Full HD instead of 720p but this camera is also much less expensive and has also 4k video. These enhancements add a lot of oomph to an already good pocket-able large sensor camera.
The biggest improvements are codec quality bit-rate up to 70Mbps and the large sensor readout for up to 60fps at full HD 1080p which reduces aliasing and moire in normal speed frame rates. It is rare for companies too add so much in firmware but it is encouraging to see Samsung not only try but constantly deliver useful firmware updates to their cameras. It shows they are serious for their camera imaging department.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
Samsung has released an update to the Samsung NX1 4k Camera firmware now (Version 1.3) that among other things it improves the ease of use and selection of the high speed slow motion video 120fps mode. The improvements are varied and even ad a new USB control application to interface with the camera. Minor bug fixes and enhancements in workflow and usability are also added. The list of goodies below:
There comes a time when technology changes and adapts to become something mainstream, able to fulfill the needs and budget of the common man. The edgertronic affordable high speed camera is such a product. It aims to democratize and produce quality high speed imaging affordable for the first time to a plethora of users and markets. Does it succeed? Does it herald the arrival of professional high speed imaging for the common man? Do I need this camera in my arsenal of gear? This review will aim to answer those questions and more and see what the edgertronic by Sanstreak delivers in their affordable package.
Blackmagic Design has now made it a tradition to blow away the competition when it comes to NAB announcements. This year it seems it is no different with refinements to almost every product in their arsenal including DaVinci Resolve which has also a major update which will make it an even better video editing solution. Which is also bundled with their cameras.
