Tag Archives: 5k

Announcements, Camera News

Ember S5K camera by Freefly Systems

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The Ember S5K camera by Freefly Systems is a high-speed cinema camera that has garnered attention for its impressive capabilities. Here’s a summary of what the reviews say:

  • Imaging Sensor: The camera features a 5K Super 35 imaging sensor with a global shutter design, allowing for high-quality slow-motion capture¹.
  • Frame Rates: It can shoot continuously at up to 616fps in 5K and 809fps in 4K in 16:9 mode. These rates increase to 809fps (5K) and 1011fps (4K) when using a 2.37:1 aspect ratio¹.
  • Storage: The built-in 4TB NVMe SSD drive can store approximately 40 minutes of footage shot at maximum frame rate. Future modules may support removable media².
  • Connectivity: It includes a USB-C port for file transfer, HDMI output for monitoring, and an Ethernet port for expanded live broadcasting capabilities in the future².
  • Design: The camera is compact and lightweight, measuring 10×10.4×8.6 cm and weighing 820g. It has a native Sony E lens mount system².
  • Control: Ember S5K lacks a built-in screen but can be controlled via physical buttons when connected to an HDMI monitor or through a dedicated iOS app².
  • Applications: Its compact size and high frame rate capabilities make it suitable for sports, wildlife, FPV drone applications, and professional cinematography⁵.
  • MSRP for Ember S5K : $17,995.00

Overall, the Ember S5K is praised for its combination of high frame rates, compact design, and quality image capture, making it a strong competitor in the high-speed camera market⁵. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Action Cameras, Announcements, Featured, Media Showcase, Previews, Reviews, Slowmo Samples

GoPro Hero 9 Black Slow Motion Fail!

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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 ←

Action Cameras, Announcements, Camera News, Drones, Featured, Media Showcase, Slowmo Samples

Insta360 ONE R action cam can do 200fps in 1080p!

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Insta360 ONE R 4k

2020 is already becoming a very busy year for camera releases. The CES Show this past week had a bunch of announcements in the professional, amateur and aerial drone markets that shoot high frame rates.  We will try to cover the most useful cameras in the coming weeks.  We want to start with the Insta360 ONE R Modular camera from Chinese company Shenzhen Arashi Vision Co., Ltd. which is a very interesting product that de-couples the sensor module from the body so you can interchange the actual imaging hardware on the fly for specific shots/jobs.

The real gem for slow motion fans is the 4K version instead of the 360 and or the 1″ version which both max out at 120fps 1080p instead of 200p.   Many people will cry foul at the 200fps spec when GoPro and DJI do 240fps as do most slow motion capable smartphones but 200fps, if done well with the 100Mbps codec, could be a real diamond in the rough for your arsenal in action cameras.

Insta360 ONE R 4k Camera main specs:

  • Aperture F2.8 16.4mm lens
  • Photo Resolution 4000 x 3000 (4:3)
    4000 x 2250 (16:9)
  • Video Resolution
    4000×3000@30fps,
    3840×2160@60fps,
    3840×2160@30fps,
    2720×1530@100fps,
    2720×1530@60fps,
    2720×1530@30fps,
    1920×1080@200fps,
    1920×1080@120fps,
    1920×1080@60fps,
    1920×1080@30fps
  • Video Coding H.264 / H.265
  • Video Modes: Standard video, HDR video, Timelapse mode, TimeShift mode
  • 4K@60fps – 70 minutes
  • Photo Modes: Standard photos, HDR photos, Burst, Interval photos, Night Shot
  • WB: Auto, 2700K, 4000K, 5000K, 6500K
  • USB: Type C – Charging and files
  • Price: $299.00

So we get 200fps & 120fps 1080p, plus 60fps 4k and 2.7k at 100fps which is very close to what other action cameras are doing.

The video above by Insta360 is the only slow motion sample of the One R we could find. It is still not ideal as the compression is not so good for the web.  Still, you can hardly see any jagged edges or moire which means the camera might be doing a great job capturing the full 1080p resolution at 120 and 200fps.

What about the 2 camera TWIN bundle?

So since the camera is modular, you can get the 360-degree camera module combined with the 4k camera for a reduced price…

So if you are getting the 360 One R camera it makes absolute sense to get the Twin bundle since that will only add $20 to your price tag. However, if you only need the 4k camera the Twin bundle adds $180 USD to your purchase which is significant.   You may not be able to go the Twin route if all you need is the action camera without 360-degree capability.

Leica 1″ What?

The 1 Inch edition of the Insta360 R has a Leica lens and a 1″ sensor which shoots at 5.3k at excellent quality.

Frame rates supported:

  • 5312×2988@30fps,
  • 3840×2160@60fps,
  • 3840×2160@30fps,
  • 2720×1530@60fps,
  • 2720×1530@30fps,
  • 1920×1080@120fps,
  • 1920×1080@60fps,
  • 1920×1080@30fps

It can also shoot 60p at 4k and or 120fps at 1080p which is ok considering the quality should be very good.  Wondering if there is a crop for those modes or if it is supersampled.  We probably can expect a sensor crop at 1080p here which means a reduced field of view.

The 1-Inch edition probably delivers the best action camera video quality yet and at $ 549.99 it is not that expensive considering you may be able to use this footage commercially and or on film productions.  We would like to see video samples without compression for the web to see how good it is.

If you need the best video quality on an action camera the bar has been raised by the 1-inch version of the Insta360 R, wonder what DJI, GoPro and maybe Sony are thinking to counter this.

What to do?

These cameras will ship by the end of this month which means you have time to see more samples show up before pulling the trigger.  There is a limitation of 5m underwater for the modular design without a case which is actually very usable, if you need more you will need to get a rugged case.

It is refreshing to see so much innovation on a camera of this size and even when it does not break new ground in high frame rates, it may be doing better in the quality department. We will have to wait and see how good 1080p 200 and 120p look at full resolution.  If the images are clean, it may mean that these will be the recommended action cameras for high frame rates.

****You can get the Insta360 cameras for Pre-Order at Adorama Camera here and help HSC at no extra cost!  ****

The Insta360 One R cameras here can do so much automation like color grading, hyper-lapse, stabilization, shot editing and HDR that feels kind of daunting at first. This is the sign of things to come as the editing bay is only reserved for higher-end productions. Maybe you will be able to ditch that PC or Mac in the near future for a phone and a camera that does it all before you download the clips.  For highlights maybe but for a story, we have our high doubts.

We will try to get slow motion samples other than the one above as soon as possible.  We are working on other camera previews that were announced at CES so stay tuned and have a great 2020 ahead! Rock On -HSC

Announcements, Articles, Camera News, Development, Hardware Development, Media Showcase

Octopus Cinema Camera Upgradeable Slow Motion Kit?

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Octopus Cinema Camera Upgradeable Slow Motion

The recently announced Octopus Cinema Camera with a modular sensor, mount, and other components could, in theory, become a customizable professional solution slow motion camera that is unencumbered by firm specs but by a fluid and upgradeable sensor and component path.  The Axiom camera is also something akin to this but has yet to ship. The Octopus has in prototype form been fitted with a 4/3 sensor capable of up to 240fps in 2k RAW and a full-frame that allows 3k up to 100fps.

The body looks eerily similar to Phantom cameras with the white machined exterior with fans and ports protruding the body.  While 240fps at 2k is not what we could call really professional slow motion, it is based on an open architecture in hardware and software that could window the sensor down and possibly offer more frame rates at 1080p and 720p for maybe a 480fps RAW capture in HD.

Octopus Cinema Camera Specs:

The 4/3 sensor is the Sony IMX253 which offers a global shutter mode and high frame rate support. You can read more about this sensor here: Sony IMX 253 information. This sensor should be able to record 480fps at HD 720p if the camera is programmed to do it.

At 4/3 you get 240fps at 2k which will probably allow that at 1080p which is not bad considering you get 12 bit RAW DNG capture. You can also save in HEVC h.265 codec at up to 900mbits/sec which is a great option.

The full frame sensor will be the CMV20000 (Information here) which is a pretty advanced 20MP sensor allowing 5k capture at up to 48fps.  This sensor will be geared more for cinema people while the 4/3 would cater markets for TV, Web, and documentary. For slow motion, it is clear the 4/3 sensor makes more sense.

We can already fantasize of another sensor option that allows higher frame rates and a possibility to program the camera to be a true slow motion powerhouse with pre-record, post-triggering and remote monitoring.

Sample footage Samples Low Light in B&W at normal frame rate:

“INTERCHANGEABLE SPECIALIST IMAGE SENSORS

XIMEA provide a range of high-performance imaging modules which can be interchanged allowing the OCTOPUS CAMERA to have a fully upgradable image sensor.

Specialist sensors available include specifications such as full-frame 35mm, Global Shutter, native Monochrome and more.”

The power of a platform like this is based on what you can do with the customizability. If you could place a 2000fps 1080p sensor, for example, you could have a very capable production camera that really shoots slow video that can be analyzed professionally.

“UPGRADEABLE OPEN-PLATFORM HARDWARE
The OCTOPUS CAMERA uses the compact Intel® NUC as the processing board. Components can be removed and upgraded including the board itself when newer boards are available.”

Since the main component board is also upgradeable you can, in theory, get a board full of fast DDR memory for loop record at a fraction of the cost of a phantom camera.

The big If!

All this sounds great but the release date for the initial camera is sometime in 2020 with no price mentioned. The amount of work this camera needs to become a reality is pretty huge. Projects like the Axiom have thousands of hours of work by really incredible people and has yet to ship in final form.

The Octopus team is small according to information on the web and there is only a prototype product shown.  We saw the Fran camera go down in flames with big promises just recently and there is no reprieve when you mess up in the camera business.

We wish the Octopus team much success and hope to see a high frame rate sample or better yet, a module of sensor and board that shoots 1000fps or more in the future.  A camera like this could allow for an upgradeable slow motion camera system that grows as fast as technology allows, making it a first in the high speed market. Disruption could be the best thing in slow motion gear or just a spark that fizzles out by bad execution. Lets hope is the former. -HSC

You can find more information about Octopus Cinema Camera at the official website. http://octopuscinema.com 

They also have a mailing list to get updates at the same site.

Announcements, Camera News, Hardware Development, Media Showcase

MAVO Kinefinity Does 100fps at 4k!

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MAVO Kinefinity

Kinefinity the company behind the pretty capable and high-quality Terra cinema camera has announced in preparation for NAB 2018 the new MAVO 6k cinema camera in s35 and Large Format sensor options in the LF version.  Along with the new body design and expansion options the camera will include ProRes 422HQ, ProRes 444 & ProRes 444XQ recording.

Kinefinity also has a RAW format “.KRW” and this has been updated to version 2.0 to support the new camera. This is akin to REDCODE RAW as the .KRW format can compress in RAW anywhere from 2:1 best quality lossless to 10:1 with more quality loss while maintaining the benefits of RAW like dynamic range, white balance, and higher bit-depth color.  It also offers the possibility to record on cinema-DNG format In-Camera at 3:1, 5:1 and 7:1 compression. The camera has several high frame rate formats depending on crop resolution.

MAVO Kinefinity Main Features:

  •  6K Super 35mm cinema camera
  •  6K LF Large Format Option cinema camera
  • RAW DNG and Kine RAW Recording 12-Bit
  • Apple ProRes In Camera
  • 6016×4016 pixels with 14 stops of DR
  • 4:3 anamorphic capture option
  • Improved rolling shutter
  • 4K wide 100fps high-speed shooting
  • 2k @ 192fps Crop
  • Base sensitivity ISO 800
  • Low Noise up to ISO 3200
  • Higher ISO options at 4k and 2k offer clean recording
  •  KineBACK-W back for wireless recording
  • 2.5-inch SSD SATA 3.0 Drive Compatibility
  • Multi-Mount Compatibility With Bayonet Adapters Including EF, F & Sony E Mount.

Pricing and Camera Availability:

Kinefinity MAVO Pricing Tiers:

  • Body Only: $7,999
  • Basic: $9,499
  • Pro: $10,999
  • Full: $13,999

There is still no firm ship date but should be this year.

MAVO Slow Motion Capability:

  • 6k Full Wide Sensor Output @ 66fps
  • 5k Wide Mode @ 74fps
  • 4k Wide Mode @ 100fps
  • 3k Wide Mode @ 120fps
  • 2k Wide Mode @ 192fps
  • Lowest frame rate 2fps

From the Chinese Page Google Translation: “4K 100fps   Both MAVO and MAVO LF have a strong frame rate ability. Both can output 66fps in 6K Wide full-frame output, can be directly recorded to 100fps in 4K Wide, and can achieve 120fps in 3K Wide for cropped format, and 2K Wide can reach 192fps. It also has degraded ability, the lowest frame rate is 2fps. The frame rate can be arbitrarily set between the lowest frame rate 2fps and the highest frame rate supported by the Sensor’s frame rate, the accuracy of 0.001fps. When recorded, it is recorded at the project frame rate (for example, 25 fps). This way you can easily achieve fast motion and slow motion, providing you with more technical means to achieve the lens language you want.”

So we get 4k 100fps and 3k 120fps which is great but the highest frame rate at 2k is not 240fps which is the standard we would expect. Still, it has a capable 192fps in crop mode that may be useful.

Two Hundred & Sixty Frames Of Snow: Kinefinity Terra 4k by Philip Bloom: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Announcements, Camera News, Development, Hardware Development

Kinefinity Terra 5k & 6K Offer up to 225fps!

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KinefinityTerra

The Chinese cinema camera company Kinefinity is adding two new models of cameras at this Year’s NAB event in Las Vegas.  The Kinefinity Terra 5k and 6k Models.  They differ in sensor and abilities with prices that just 5 years ago would have commanded much higher tiers.

Last Year’s Kinemax 6k and 4k graced our Camera Guide with a good showing now occupying 10th and 14th place but now they are aiming much much higher with better RAW frame rates up to 225fps in 2k and lower price points than most of the RAW capable competitors in the space.

Kinefinity Terra 5k Specs 200fps Max at 2k:
Camera Type S35 Film-Style Digital Cinema Camera
Sensor Type 5K S35 Format CMOS
Shutter Type Dual Shutter Mode: Rolling & Global
Lens Mount New Lock-Style EF Mount Or Steel KineMOUNT
Record Formats Codec Type Codec Format Bit Depth
Compressed RAW KineRAW

(.krw)

 12bits *All Resolution
ProRes422HQ/422/422LT/Proxy ProRes(.mov) 10bits *Major Resolution
Record Resolution 5K 4K 3.6K(4:3) 2K
5120×2700 4096×2160

/3840×2160

 3600×2700 2048×1080

/1920×1080
MAX FPS 60@5K Wide 100@4K Wide 130@3K Wide 200@2K Wide
Dynamic Range 15 f-stops(Rolling shutter)/13 f-stops

(Global shutter)
ISO Max Exposure Base MAX
80 800 20480

Pricing for 5k :

  1. $4,999 Body Only  with High Speed
  2. $6,499 Ready To Shoot – 120GB Kinemag SSD, HD Monitor, Battery Pack, Cable, AC Adapter, High Speed!
Kinefinity Terra 6k Specs 225fps Max at 2k:
Camera Type S35mm Film-Style Digital Cinema Camera
Sensor Type 6K S35 Format CMOS
Shutter Type Rolling Shutter
Lens Mount New Lock-Style EF Mount Or Steel KineMOUNT
Record Formats Codec Type Codec Format Bit Depth
Compressed RAW KineRAW

(.krw)

 12bits *All Resolution
ProRes422HQ/422/422LT/Proxy ProRes(.mov) 10bits *Major Resolution
Record Resolution 6K 4K(4:3*) Golden 3K Golden 2K
5760×3240 4320×3240/

4096×2160

 2880×1620 2048×1080
MAX FPS 25@6K 100@4K Wide 150@3K Wide 225@2K Wide
Dynamic Range 14 f-stops/16 f-stops *6K/Golden 3K
ISO Max Exposure Base MAX
80 800/1600 20480 *6K/Golden 3K

Pricing for 6k :

  1. $6,499 Body Only  with High Speed
  2. $6,999 Ready To Shoot  Basic Pack- 120GB Kinemag SSD, HD Monitor, Battery Pack, Cable, AC Adapter, High Speed!

The pricing on this gear is insane, this is Hollywood caliber camera systems that shoot RAW at 12 bits with up to 16 stops of dynamic range.  The Chinese company Kinefinity has made the RED and ARRI Alexa Crowd take a hard look at their camera pricing with these new Terra cameras. They seem ready to ship in May for the 5k and June for the 6k with a $150 deposit and savings of up to $500 if ordered soon.

The High Frame Rates:

We have to see how the 2k resolution higher frame rates quality compare and if the sensor windowing would be too severe.  The 4k 100fps and 3k 130fps max frame rates work on both the 5k and 6k cameras which is an amazing deal.  For under $7k you can get the 6k ready to shoot package.  Not too long ago you needed at least $20k for something similar from RED Digital cinema.

There is a lot to live up to from these cameras and the quality on paper has to match the real world. Many that use Kinefinity products already sing their praises. The Chinese may be onto dominating the affordable RAW Cinema market and if all pans out the competition will have to adapt and compete.

There is a huge resemblance to the RED Epic in these cameras and it is unknown how reliable they will be but from the videos below, it seems like the real deal. DSLR sized Pro Cameras that shoot RAW, Higher Frame rates and 16 stops of dynamic range is a dream come true for film makers. If you have some cash lying around, you may be shooting 6k for what a used sedan with 100k miles goes for these days.

We can’t wait to see the samples from these Kinefinity Terra Cameras. In the mean time you can check the footage below by these blogs and follow their posts and support their content.  

See more at Kinefinity Here!

Video Previews for the Terra Below:

Kinefinity Terra 5K 6K NAB 2016 by slashcam:

Newsshooter at NAB 2016: Kinefinity TERRA by Newsshooter → Continue Reading Full Post ←