Reviews of Hi Speed Cameras!
NEW Update: Kipon has released Firmware 2.5 fixing a lot of adapter issues. Scroll below for new info!
This mount adapter converts Canon EF and EF-S lenses to a micro four thirds mount and permits electronic aperture, auto focus and image stabilization on lenses that support it. Cameras that use a MFT mount like the GH4 and Olympus OMD can now use Canon glass with all the features bundled with the lenses.
We are doing a full review of the Kipon MFT to EOS EF Autofocus Lens adapter that will be evolving over the coming weeks and months due to compatibility that may change and improve in the future. The following is a first impressions and v2.5 firmware performance that can you get out of it in it’s current state.
Renowned filmmaker / DP and all around nice guy Philip Bloom has been having fun with both the Sony RX10 II and RX100 IV this past few days. He has tested the slow motion and 4k modes extensively and has done a fantastic rundown of the usability, performance and pitfalls on using the cameras. There are a lot of interesting tidbits that He discovered such as the 240fps NTSC and 250fps PAL modes are nearly HD in quality and extremely usable very close to what the much more expensive Sony FS700 camera achieves.
When recording the 2 second quality priority mode it records back to the SD card in Real time that means a 2 second video at 240fps will take 20 seconds if saved as 24p for the frame count of 480 frames duration. At 480fps for 2 seconds of 960 frames it will take 40 seconds of write time to the SD card. This is in line with most slow motion cameras and it is a point to be considered while using the HFR modes. You will have to plan ahead as the camera will be unavailable for use for quite a long time before the next shot is ready to be taken. This is a normal thing in most high speed cameras.
For many of us it seems counter intuitive to own a camera that doesn’t shoot color images. In this day and age of technological marvels, being constrained by black and white / monochrome output on recording is a strange proposition. For the world of high speed imaging however you have to re-examine the entire debate from a benefits point of view and why it could be ideal to have monochrome instead of RGB color as your high speed option.
Depending on the intended use Monochrome might give you more bang for your buck and save you a lot of money on lighting and power requirements to run those lights. To understand the benefits we need to dig in on why Monochrome camera sensors excel in areas where color sensors suffer and why this will hardly change with current sensor technology in the near future.
In Part 1 of this review we looked at the body and design of the edgertronic camera. Touched on the mount and available frame rates. Part two is all about using and understanding the abilities and limitations of the camera as a high speed tool.
Connecting and firing up the camera for the first time:
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.
A Little History…