The new HTC U12+ bucks the trend in the latest flagship phones that offer extreme high frame rates like 480fps and 960fps for short time frames. Instead, the phone touts 240fps at 1080p and 4k 60p as the main frame rate specs. This is competitive with the iPhone X & Samsung Galaxy S9 series where 4k at 60p is now the default offering for the UHD format on the high end and 240p at full HD on the SlowMo feature front.
This U12+ phone has dual cameras in the front and back which allow it to do interesting bokeh out of focus effects on all types of shots including video mode which may be a first. As to the quality of the effect in video, it will have to be scrutinized to see where it lands and if its good enough to use as a narrative video capture device. The phone has all the top specs of today and the camera has gathered a 103 score on the DXOMark test which is the 2nd best camera on a phone ever after the excellent Huawei P20 Pro at 109.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
The Lumix TS7 by Panasonic “TS7 in the US, Canada, FT7 outside of North America” is a well-rounded package when it comes to pricing and features. It is a 4k 30/25/24 ready camera and it can go underwater 31 Meters or 102ft plus all the cool ruggedized features you might expect on a camera of this kind like being crush-proof up to 220lbs/100kg and freezeproof down to -10 °C / +14 °F. It is a real alternative to smaller action cameras like the GoPro, Xiaomi Yi 4k+ and Sony Action Cam series.
The lens is a 28–128 mm 35mm equivalent 4.6x zoom range which is quite sharp across the range as we have seen from samples. The main issue with this camera is the small 1/2.3″ BSI sensor and the fact that it packs 20MP or a resolution of 5184 x 3888px which is a little too cramped to be ideal for low light or in our view underwater performance without added bright artificial lighting. ISO goes from a low of 80 to a high of 6400 which probably is already pushing it too much. This camera would have been a better bet with a 10 or 12MP BSI sensor to maintain some edge in low light for the competition. → Continue Reading Full Post ←
The newly announced CINEMARTIN FRAN 8K Camera claims some huge numbers in terms of resolution and performance. Up to 8K (8000×6000) RAW / Uncompressed 12 Bit video capture at 24fps and up to 96fps in 2k & 1080p for high frame rates but more on that later in this post. There is only one image of the camera we were provided with and that is the RED Brain like rendering above which sports a mounting port which in the lab is fitted with a Canon EF Mount which is preferred among cinema oriented users especially if it is an active one.
FRAN also offers in the spec sheet 15.5 stops of dynamic range at 12 bit which competes directly with the best cinema cameras out there. CINEMARTIN claims the camera will come in below the competition in price while offering a true global shutter sensor with no rolling shutter distortion. Using a 4/3 sized sensor at 50MP with 48MP being used for 8k Capture it may seem overkill when it comes to low light performance. It may be able to deliver resolution levels never before seen on cinema cameras but low-light will surely be a hurdle for the camera to overcome.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
Z Cam the relatively new Camera company from Shenzhen, China has announced the Z Cam E2 at NAB 2018 MSRP $1,999.00 USD. It is not a direct replacement for their ambitious but half-baked Z E1 m4/3 camera which costs $399. The new camera is a beast specs wise with up to 120fps 4k and full HD 1080p at 240fps. The codecs will be H.264 and H.265 at 10 bit but no RAW support so far which might be acceptable if the codec is clean enough and their promised Log Flat curve preserves the estimated 13.5 stops of dynamic range.
The camera is still being developed for a June 2018 estimated ship date. It lacks a back screen and relies on a Wifi or Gigabit Ethernet link to their dedicated control application. They intend to support iOS devices and or a PC client. No mention of Android support or Mac which should be included in order to maintain the widest compatibility. We feel lacking Android control is a big deal and should be promised in a future update. It is also unclear if the camera will be possible to use by using a touch screen field monitor which probably will not be the case. Using an iPhone or an iPad as the control interface is probably the best use case.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
Yes the BMPCC 4k looks like a DSLR crossed with a late 1990s digital camera but it’s insides are not only powerful but could also mean that you can essentially afford two units of this camera instead of a Panasonic GH5s for example and get similar quality with the added ability to shoot RAW and power an XLR microphone directly from the camera with phantom power. Bang for your buck!
As for fast frame rates the camera can shoot 4k 60fps & 120fps 1080p in full RAW or Apple ProRes codec options. We sure wished the camera could shoot 240fps in full HD and 120fps in 4k even while time limited. It would have placed the camera in a much better position on our list due to its $1,295.00 USD price tag which is really the best value for money in a camera today. Well for September 3rd which is the actual ship date which may or may not derail your purchasing plans.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
