Tag Archives: 20MP

Sony IMX472-AAJK sensor offers huge frame rates in 4/3ds format!

Sony has released some white paper specs on a new Micro 4/3rds sensor that is as of now, the most advanced ever on the format considering the mix of Backside illumination, Stacked technology and high resolution color at 10 bits on full sensor read outs. The frame rates offered are also quite impressive with up to 1139fps at 0.46 Megapixels or 1760px Horizontal x 262px Vertical on the fastest range and 121fps at the full sensor area read-out at 20.9MP.

The Panasonic GH6 is coming later this year and it is estimated that this new sensor is actually the one that will be used on that camera. If Lumix technology can make full use of the sensor specs even for small fractions of time, we could have a killer slow motion mass produced camera.  The VFR mode on Panasonic Lumix cameras has always been more than acceptable and they could breathe new life into the format if these sensor specs are used to their fullest. We expect at least 1080p at 240fps which will be a slightly stretched delivery from the 1760 x 1318 240.2fps mode listed on the sensor specs → Continue Reading Full Post ←

GoPro Hero 9 Black Slow Motion Fail!

Gopro Hero 9 Black Slow Motion Fail

GoPro has released the Hero 9 Black and in many respects, it is the best camera they have ever made. It is a little larger to accommodate a slightly larger battery and screens and it offers a new 5k mode that is very filmic like with pretty good dynamic range.  It has Hypersmooth 3 technology which does away with most gimbal situations and it can serve as a minute and reliable blog camera.

However, the GoPro Hero 9 Black is in some ways the end of an era for GoPro and the action camera market. It now heralds a new subscription model that aims to hook their market with a  lower price for the camera if the subscription to GoPro.com is added at check out.  Gone are the days of class-leading technology and in are the days of survival at all costs. Can we really blame GoPro for trying to make it?

GoPro Hero 9 Black Main Features:

  • 23.6MP Sensor, 5K30 Video & 20MP Photos
  • 240fps 1080p Video* 8x Slo-Mo
  • Live View Front Display/Rear Touchscreen
  • Webcam Mode & 1080p Live Streaming
  • HyperSmooth 3.0 Image Stabilization
  • 33′ Waterproof without External Housing
  • PowerTools & Protune Feature Suites
  • Time-Lapse & Night-Lapse
  • Built-In Flip-Out 2-Prong Mount
  • 30% Longer 1720mAh Capacity Battery

1080p Frame rates:

  • Linear Lens 240, 120, 60, 30, 24 fps
  • Linear + Horizon Leveling 240, 120, 60, 30, 24 fps
  • Narrow Lens 240, 120, 60, 30, 24 fps

2.7K Frame Rates:

  • Wide Lens 120, 60 fps
  • Linear Lens 60, 30, 24 fps
  • Linear + Horizon Leveling 60, 30, 24 fps
  • Narrow Lens 60, 30, 24 fps

If you decide to get a Hero 9 which in our view is still the best action camera you can buy, you may be inclined to lower your cost by subscribing to GoPro.com and shaving $100USD from the camera price.

HERO9 Black

$349.98 includes

1-year subscription to GoPro1

or
$449.99
without subscription Subscribing to GoPro gets you:

  • Unlimited cloud storage
  • Up to 50% off at GoPro.com2
  • Total camera replacement3

32GB SD card included

So what is wrong with this camera?

There are few things we don’t like on this camera which is a good thing, it has outstanding 5k 30fps footage, it has larger screens and better Hypersmooth in 4k, it has a larger battery, and it is a very refined product with a  quality build. It is in fact the best GoPro we have ever seen but sadly there are things we need to mention.

GoPro Hero 9 Black Slow Motion Fail:

The biggest issue we have is the stagnation of 1080p frame rates. 120 and 240fps in full HD remain essentially the same quality as they were in the Hero 6 Black.  Sure you get better Hypersmooth stabilization in 240p but quality-wise, the pixelation, and overall soft look of the slow motion footage is here with no apologies.

There has not been a consolidated effort to offer 480fps or even 320fps footage in 1080p even as the camera has grown to accommodate 4k 60p and 5k 30p recording modes.  In other words, slow motion is mostly frozen in place except for one little glimmer of hope. GoPro needs to become a leader in frame rates again, it was and still is one of the most important considerations for its users.

That hope is in the form of 2.7k at 120fps which is detailed, offers excellent color and dynamic range for such a small camera and sensor. They did a really good job extracting those 120 frames and we feel that this should be your default slow motion option on this camera. 1080p is simply to soft to even consider it for full HD quality, it is still more like a 720p upscaled mess.

5k is essentially the star on this camera and it is probably the main reason to get this camera over the Hero 8 Black.

GoPro Hero 9 Black Video Test 5K by KabyNougat: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Canon EOS R5 Makes it Expensive to record 120fps 4k Video!

Canon EOS R5

Canon has now released the final specs and estimated release dates for the EOS R5 and R6 cameras. There is a lot of good advancement in features especially in video mode as what many believe is an afront to Sony and Panasonic who dominate video recording on ILCs.  The R5 can record 24fps and 30fps 8k video or 8192 x 4320 pixels in RAW quality which is a staggering 1TB of storage or 2600 Mbits/s for only 51 minutes of recording time. That means that every hour you will eat up through a full TB of your RAID backup storage. We see this mode being transcoded to an intermediate format like Blackmagic RAW or BRAW or Apple ProRes as soon as possible.

There is more bad news, on the 120fps 4k front there is no other option of recording but All-I which saves every frame independently in 10-bit 4:2:2 which is good for excellent quality but at the cost of 1,880 Mbits/s  which is 224MB/sec or 13,447MB / minute of recording time. Better get a ton of memory cards and hard drives ready!

EOS R5 Video Specs:

Video Rec Modes Raw 12-Bit
DCI 8K (8192 x 4320) at 23.976p/24.00p/25p/29.97p [2600 Mb/s]
H.265 4:2:2 10-Bit
DCI 8K (8192 x 4320) at 23.976p/24.00p/25p/29.97p [680 to 1300 Mb/s]
UHD 8K (7680 x 4320) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p [680 to 1300 Mb/s]
DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) at 23.976p/24.00p/25p/29.97p/59.94p/100p/119.88p [170 to 1880 Mb/s]
UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p/100p/119.88p [170 to 1880 Mb/s]
Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p [28 to 230 Mb/s]
H.264 4:2:0 8-Bit
DCI 8K (8192 x 4320) at 23.976p/24.00p/25p/29.97p [470 to 1300 Mb/s]
UHD 8K (7680 x 4320) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p [470 to 1300 Mb/s]
DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) at 23.976p/24.00p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p/100p/119.88p [120 to 1880 Mb/s]
UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p/100p/119.88p [120 to 1880 Mb/s]
Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p [12 to 180 Mb/s]

You read that right 120fps 4k video on the EOS R5 is only possible at the 1,880Mbits/sec data rate even in H.264 mode. Also interesting to know is the lack of 120fps Full HD 1080p or higher fps modes which are common on cameras from Panasonic or Sony.

 

Overheating what?

Yes, the R5 gets overheated after recording video on the following modes and times:

  • 8k RAW 30p/24p – 20 Minutes rec time
  • 8k NON-RAW 30p/24p – 20 Minutes rec time
  • 4k 120fps – 15 Minutes rec time
  • 4k 60p – 35Min Rec Time No Crop
  • 4k 60p – Crop Mode 5.1k Oversampling – 25 Min Rec Time
  • 4k High-Quality 30p- 8.2k Oversampling- 30 Min Rec Time
  • 4k 30p – No Overheating Limit

We do not find any of these limits to be unbearable if you shoot clips of a few minutes but for event shooters, this is not the camera for you for many reasons, chief among the rec time limit, and secondly, the massive recording space needed.  For slow motion, the limit of 4k 120fps at 15 minutes is probably more than you will ever need so that is not a problem. See the video below:

Canon EOS R5 the TRUTH about OVERHEATING!: Armando Ferreira

It costs what :-0?

Yes, the EOS R5 costs a staggering $3,899.00 US Body only and expected to ship at the end of July on the 31st.   The camera it stems from the venerable 5D Mark IV DSLR went on sale in September 2016 with a retail price of $3,499 (Now about $2,000USD), so the new R5 is now $400 USD more expensive at launch plus the new lenses are really expensive plus also needed to get the most out of this camera’s 45MP sensor and be able to get the 8 stop Sensor IBIS Stabilization with lens+body.  A good R5 kit will probably cost you around $10k for a three-lens setup with body and memory cards.  Having the latest and greatest from Canon or any other big brand will cost you, and this is a prime example of it.

4k 120fps Mode samples?

Gladly we were able to find 4k 120fps video samples from the R5 and they look very good along with full AF which is an excellent feature to have in slow motion recording see below:

Canon EOS R5 Field Test – with 4k 120fps samples:  Jarrad Seng → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Panasonic TZ200 does 1080p 120fps!

Panasonic TZ200

Panasonic announced two new cameras this week the ZS200 America / TZ200 Europe  which offers the worlds longest wide to super zoom range in a 1″ sensor form factor with a 24-360mm equivalent F3.3-6.4 lens and the larger sensor 4/3ds 20MP “Same as GH5″ Lumix GX9 which tops out at 60fps 1080p which we will not cover any further. We have a cut off of 120fps for slow-motion cameras.  The ZS200, however, looks to be Panasonic’s answer to the excellent and full-featured RX series of cameras like the RX10 IV and RX100 V.

The main selling point of this camera is the appeal of carrying a 15X zoom in your pocket along with a 1″ sensor which beats most superzoom cameras that use tiny 1/1.8″ or 1/2.5” sensors.  Panasonic is able to do this by extending the lens to almost 3 times the camera’s width footprint including lens ring which looks kind of ridiculous but is effective at contracting enough to fit on a large pocket.   The image below shows only 3/4ths of the extension.

FZ200 Video Specs
Format MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Modes
  • 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, AAC
  • 3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, AAC
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 28 Mbps, MOV, H.264, AAC
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 28 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 60i / 17 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 20 Mbps, MOV, H.264, AAC
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 24 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 24 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital
  • 1280 x 720 @ 30p / 10 Mbps, MOV, H.264, AAC
  • 1280 x 720 @ 120fps VFR Mode!

Panasonic TZ200 DFD Auto Focus again?

The camera used the Lumix DFD Depth from Defocus algorithm for acquiring continuous and single AF which has been ridiculed for it’s hit and miss quality in video mode on the higher end Lumix cameras for over a year.  Still, however, it does a perfectly acceptable job for stills and not demanding video scenes.

There is also the fact that recently, youtube channel YodaYeo was able to improve the DFD performance on the GH5 to near Sony and Canon phase detect levels by just changing the shutter to a faster mode than 180° degrees to something like 120° to create a perfectly usable system even with adapted Canon Glass.  This is based on the technology limitation that a rolling shutter sensor has when scanning the image which has to wait for an extra frame to use an AF assist.  The channel explains this fully in this footage here! Highly recommended video to watch.

So if the TZ200 / ZS200 uses the same system you could, in theory, achieve similar results by going with a faster shutter speed.  This is not ideal in all modes as 24p simply will not show any improvement but 25p and 30p will, in fact, work fine.    Your mileage may vary. In our view, it is time for Panasonic to accept defeat and offer hybrid contrast and Phase detection systems in their cameras.

Panasonic LUMIX TZ200 | Travel Photography Field Test in Valletta by Wex Photo Video:

ZS200 TZ200 Slow Motion Mode:

The camera of choice for HSC in the segment for two years in a  row has been the Sony RX100 V which offers excellent slow-motion quality continuous 120fps Full HD, slightly lower resolution 240fps 1080p and up to 960/1000fps at sub VGA resolutions.  So two years later we get a somewhat odd answer from Panasonic with a maximum 120fps VFR mode at Full HD which is certainly an improvement but it is missing the variety and simply better slow-mo of the Sony models.

Both Sony and Panasonic are using a 1″ sensor which is probably a Sony built part which makes use of the BSI spec to improve low light ability.  Panasonic offers 4k up to 30fps and 60fps continuous Full HD 1080p but nothing more than a 120fps Full HD mention in the specs which seems to us a bolt-on feature.  We think this mode may be time-limited as well as probably sacrificing compression quality and scrapping audio as it is common for most cameras in this segment.   All we know of the 120fps mode at this point is that it is accessed in a special function menu and it is recorded in the card at 30p.  Which kind of confirms of audio-less suspicions.

We will have to wait for samples from this camera to share and be able to rank it. It is probably going to disappoint in the quality department but the ability to have a pocketable 120fps full HD camera with a 5 axis stabilized 15X lens is one reason to remain hopeful about its performance The camera will ship April 1st 2018 with a price tag of $799.99 and it is available for Pre order at Amazon.com here.  Stay Tuned for more and full specs below-HSC

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ZS200 / TZ200 Full Specs Below:
Pixels Camera Effective Pixels 20.1 Megapixels
Sensor Sensor Size / Total Pixels / Filter 1-type High Sensitivity MOS Sensor / 20.9 Total Megapixels / Primary Color Filter
Lens Aperture F3.3 – 6.4 / Multistage Iris Diaphragm (F3.3 – 8.0 (W), F6.4 – 8.0 (T))
Intelligent Zoom 30x
Lens LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR
Optical Image Stabilizer 5-Axis HYBRID O.I.S. +*
Focus Focusing Area Normal: Wide 50 cm – infinity / Tele 100 cm – infinity/AF Macro / MF / Intelligent Auto / Motion Picture: Wide 3 cm – infinity / Tele 100 cm – infinity
AF Assist Lamp Yes (On / Off)
Post Focus Yes
Focus Stacking Yes
AF Metering Face/Eye Detection / Tracking / 49-area / Custom Multi / 1-area / Pinpoint/(Full area touch is available)
Shutter Shutter Speed [Still Image] Approx. 60 – 1/2,000 sec (Mechanical Shutter)/Approx. 1 – 1/16,000 sec (Electronic Shutter)/Time (Approx. 120 sec)
Shutter Speed [Motion Picture] Approx. 1/25 – 1/16,000 sec/Approx. 1/2 – 1/16,000 sec (Creative Video M Mode / MF Mode)
Recording Modes Mode Dial Intelligent Auto, P, A, S, M, Creative Video, C (Custom), Panorama Shot, Scene Guide, Creative Control
4K Photo Mode (*2) 4K Burst: 30 frames/sec, max. 15 min/4K Burst (S/S): 30 frames/sec, max. 15 min/4K Pre-Burst: 30 frames/sec, approx. 2 sec
Continuous Recordable Time (Motion Pictures) (*2) AVCHD 4K/30p, 4K/25p: Approx. 90 min/FHD/60p, FHD/50p: Approx. 100 min
MP4 FHD/50p: Approx. 100 min/FHD/50i: Approx. 100 min
Actual recordable Time (Motion Pictures) (*2) AVCHD 4K/30p, 4K/25p: Approx. 45 min/FHD/60p, FHD/50p: Approx. 50 min
MP4 FHD/50p: Approx. 50 min/FHD/50i: Approx. 50 min
Exposure Parameters Exposure Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, Manual
Light Metering Intelligent Multiple / Center Weighted / Spot
ISO Sensitivity (Changeable to 1/3 EV step)
Picture Quality Still Picture Recording [4:3] 4864×3648 (17.5M) (L) / 3456×2592 (9M) (M) / 2432×1824 (4.5M) (S)/[3:2] 5472×3648 (20M) (L) / 3888×2592 (10M) (M) / 2736×1824 (5M) (S)/[16:9] 5472×3080 (17M) (L) / 3840×2160 (8M) (M) / 1920×1080 (2M) (S)/[1:1] 3648×3648 (13.5M) (L) / 2592×2592 (6.5M) (M) / 1824×1824 (3.5M) (S)
Image Quality RAW / RAW+Fine / RAW+Standard / Fine / Standard
White Balance (2-axis adjustable)
Picture Adjustment Contrast, Sharpness, Noise Reduction, Saturation*, Color Tone**, Filter Effect**/*Except for Monochrome mode. **For Monochrome mode only.
Bracket AE Bracket 3, 5, 7 images in 1/3, 2/3 or 1 EV step, Max. +/-3 EV
Other Digital Red Eye Correction (Red-Eye Removal) Yes (On / Off)
Wi-FI IEEE 802.11b/g/n/2412 MHz – 2462 MHz (1-11 ch)/WPA / WPA2/Infrastructure Mode / WPS
Self Timer 2 sec / 10 sec / 10 sec (3 images)
Display Rating / Rotate Image / Protect Yes / Yes / Yes
Playback Mode All, Picture Only, Video Only, Slideshow (All / Picture Only / Video Only, duration & effect is selectable), Calendar
Thumbnails / Zoomed Playback 12,30-thumbnails / Yes
Show Histogram/ Show Highlights Yes / Yes
Edit Retouch Clear Retouch
RAW Processing Yes
Direct Print PictBridge compatible
Title Edit / Text Stamp Yes / Yes
Video Divide Yes
Setup OSD language Japanese, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish
Monitor LCD Monitor Static Touch Control
Media Recording Media SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card, SDXC Memory Card/(Compatible with UHS-I UHS Speed Class 3 standard SDHC / SDXC Memory Cards)
Built- in- Memory
Audio Microphone / Speaker Stereo / Mono
Interface Interface microHDMI typeD (*3), USB2.0 Micro-B
Power Power Li-ion Battery Pack (7.2V, 1025mAh, 7.4 Wh) (Included)/USB power charging
Standard Package Included Software ・ The software to process RAW file on computer is not bundled with this camera. To do this, SILKYPIX Developer Studio is available for download at Ichikawa Soft Laboratory’s website using computer connected to the Internet./http://www.isl.co.jp/SILKYPIX/english/p/ (For Windows / Mac)
Standard Accessories Battery Pack, AC Adap

  → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Sony RX10 IV & AX700 Slow Mo Samples Surface!

Sony RX10 IV & AX700 Slow Mo Samples

There is a lot of interest on the new Sony RX10 IV and new Sony FDR-AX700,  HXR-NX80 and PXW-Z90V Palm 4k Cam-Corders.   We have found a couple of new sample videos showing these cameras in action with HFR high frame rate modes. We estimate all four cameras to have comparable image quality in HFR mode but depending on the price a better overall codec with more detail retention.

However the best value out of all of them could be the AX700 which costs about the same as the RX10 IV but in a more professional body with lots of control that the SLR form factor lacks.  Also for a paid job you may be inclined to go with the more professional looking body to avoid judgmental stares.

New Sony Samples of the HFR mode:

Sony RX10 IV Slow Motion Samples by Fan of Tech:

Sony | Handycam® | FDR-AX700 – Super Slow Motion / Slow & Quick Motion: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Sony RX10 IV Improves HFR Resolution!

Sony RX10 IV

As expected Sony has released the RX10 IV super zoom camera.  It is a good update to last year’s RX10 III which had a maximum HFR recording rate in quality priority of 2 seconds. This new model is, in essence, the exact same Sensor and HFR spec combination as the excellent Sony RX100 V which was our camera pick for 2016 when it came to price/performance for high-speed recording.

The RX10 IV has, however, a brand new AF system with 315 AF phase points in total with also 25 region contrast AF areas for extra accuracy.   The camera is mostly identical to its predecessor in appearance with improvements and refinements like a better screen and improved weather sealing. However, the imaging system processing is the exact same upgrade we saw in the 2016 RX100 V.

Sony RX10 IV Main Features:

  • 20.1MP 1″ Exmor RS BSI CMOS Sensor
  • BIONZ X Image Processor & Front-End LSI
  • Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* f/2.4-4 Zoom Lens
  • 24-600mm (35mm Equivalent)
  • 2.36m-Dot OLED Tru-Finder EVF
  • 3.0″ 1.44m-Dot Tilting Touchscreen LCD
  • UHD 4K 30p Video, Full HD 1080p at 960 fps*
  • Fast Hybrid AF System with 315 Points
  • ISO 12800 and 24 fps Continuous Shooting
  • Built-In Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

HFR Recording with NTSC/PAL Selector:

[PAL] mode XAVC S HD: 50p 50M(1920×1080/250fps), 50p 50M(1920×1080/500fps), 50p 50M(1920×1080/1000fps)/25p 50M(1920×1080/250fps), 25p 50M(1920×1080/500fps), 25p 50M(1920×1080/1000fps),

 [NTSC] mode XAVC S HD: 60p 50M(1920×1080/240fps), 60p 50M(1920×1080/480fps), 60p 50M(1920×1080/960fps)/30p 50M(1920×1080/240fps), 30p 50M(1920×1080/480fps), 30p 50M(1920×1080/960fps)/24p 50M(1920×1080/240fps), 24p 50M(1920×1080/480fps), 24p 50M(1920×1080/960fps)

Sensor Readout Number of effective pixels:

Quality Priority 4 Seconds:

  • RX10 IV: 240fps/250fps (1824×1026) RX10 III: (1,824 × 1,026)
  • RX10 IV: 480fps/500fps (1824×616) RX10 III: (1,676 × 566)
  • RX10 IV: 960fps/1000fps (1244×420) RX10 III: (1,136 × 384)

Shoot Time Priority 7 Seconds:

  • RX10 IV: 240fps/250fps (1824×616) RX10 III: (1,676 × 566)
  • RX10 IV: 480fps/500fps (1292×436) RX10 III:(1,136 × 384)
  • RX10 IV: 960fps/1000fps (912×308) RX10 III: (800 × 270)

As you can see from the HFR frame rate and resolution tables above, the RX10 IV is an improvement in HFR resolution compared to the RX10 III but it is exactly the same as the very good RX100 V of 2016 which we fully recommend. The new camera has the improved AF, long reach 24mm-600mm fixed lens and speed refinements to be an RX100 V on steroids with the same recording time in HFR modes from 240fps to 960/1000fps.

The resolution increase in HFR mode is good but considering the camera is now $1,698.00 instead of the $1,499 of the RX10 III when launched; we expected a lot more improvement above what the $999 RX100 V is capable of. The RX10 IV does have a larger and deeper still image buffer at 249 frames of full resolution 20MP buffer at 24fps continuous shooting or 10 seconds worth.   The RX100 V has a 149 image limit buffer for instance.

There is no question the AF system in the RX10 IV is a beast, you will be able to track and shoot very difficult subjects. Seems very close to the impressive a9 AF module we saw earlier this year.

Sony | Cyber-shot | RX10 IV – Product Feature:

Sony | Cyber-shot | RX10 IV – 4K movie with Fast Hybrid AF: → Continue Reading Full Post ←