Now that the surprise camera of 2020 has been out for a while, it is time to revisit the 240fps mode included in the video features. At first glance, it delivered 720p quality or less in an upscaled 1080p wrapper. However many Fuji fans asked us to revisit the slow motion quality of this camera as early samples supposedly did not do justice to what this mode was able to deliver.
We have to agree to some extent that the quality of this camera in 240fps Full HD slow motion is better than other even more expensive options but we still feel that Fuji cut corners when it comes to image quality here by dropping lines and having a pretty noisy output unless there is an ample amount of light. We have some samples that will let you see what this camera is capable of and make you decide if it is a good enough option for your camera collection.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
We have gathered a few deals that may or may not peak your interest in a slow motion capable camera. Some of these are too good to pass up and some are just middle of the road. We have taken advantage of some of these over the years and it may be just what you were waiting for to pull the trigger. If you have some cash saved and have been waiting for a good opportunity, some of the discounts are large enough to beat any past deals on these cameras.
If you have not bought any new cameras this year we feel it is time to take a look at these and make a choice for that high frame rate cam you have had in your sights. Also, camera memory is on sale as are some lights, it is probably the right time for both as well. If you find any more slow motion deals that we passed up, please let us know.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
(Note: As of November 23rd this campaign has been canceled due to lack of funding in time. )There is a new dedicated Slow Motion Camera being built by engineer enthusiasts and a Kickstarter campaign has just launched with the goal of gathering enough funds for production. The camera is called thCam Slow Motion Camera and is capable of shooting above 3,000fps at reduced resolution with a 1920px horizontal. The 1080p frame rate maxes out at 266fps and 576fps at 720p.
What is most impressive about this camera is the Machine Vision applications that can run with the platform like being able to train it to recognize QR codes, objects, and possibly even people. It could theoretically be used as a quality control camera that operates at very fast speeds. The other big deal is the price which is about $1,000 USD or €899 Euros which is a first for a camera of this kind.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
The Chronos 2.1 HD Slow Motion Camera which is the larger sensor and resolution version of the Chronos 1.4c is now being used in a lot of production situations. The material created with it gets better and better and while there is still a small backlog of camera orders due to COVID 19 disrupting part supply channels, most orders are now just a few weeks behind.
We have looked at a dozen videos that we would like to share with our readership showing the Chronos 2.1 HD in full force shooting in exquisite 1080p quality. We are still waiting for a review unit which was delayed for a shortage of components to get to us but needless to say, the camera is gaining a very good reputation as the lowest price vs. quality option in the 1000fps 1080p camera world.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
The Panasonic Lumix BGH1 is a strange camera if you are used to DSLR or Mirrorless camera body styles. It is tiny and full of connections with no screen unless you provide one via a computer that is tethered or an HDMI field monitor. It uses the same dual ISO sensor found on the Panasonic Lumix GH5s which is a very good low light camera in a Micro 4/3ds package. The BGH1 has a better internal recording set of options than the GH5s but it is more intended as a tethered studio solution with the addition of Genlock synch and SDI out.
The camera also has VFR or a Variable frame rate mode which is identical to the Lumix GH5s as it records from 1fps to 240fps in Full HD 1080p and delivers pretty good performance up to 200fps then lowers the quality along with providing a small added crop to the image at 225fps and 240fps. It is still not as sharp as regular 1080p video and the codec is saved at a lower bit rate but having 240fps as an option is great.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
It seems Freefly systems completely misjudged the demand for their new RAW 4k Slow Motion camera as the first 100 cameras ordered in batch 1 to batch 3 have all sold out. Now they aim to produce an unspecified number going forward with Batch 4 which is expected sometime in Q2 2021. The popularity of a product like this speaks volumes of the interest in slow-motion for video production, especially at 4k. While the camera is not cheap at $9,995, it is still a bargain considering other options.
You would still need to factor in a field monitor as the camera does not have a built-in screen in the overall cost but these have lowered in value due to competition and wide availability ina variety of sizes and specs. Freefly has also released a few more videos showing the Wave in action which are frankly inspiring and show what the camera is really capable of doing. It seems this camera has been received so well by the market that we are sure Freefly is thinking already about an even higher spec camera for the future, maybe one with 1000fps in 4k.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←