Tag Archives: aperture

Chronos Camera m43 Lens Adapter with Speedbooster Support!

The two existing Chronos cameras, the 1.4c 720p at 1502fps & the Chronos 2.1 -HD 1t 1080p 1000fps are identical when seen from the outside but very different inside as they contain different sensor and memory boards. However one constant is that both use the C mount as the default for lens adapters. The camera usually comes with a Canon EF or Nikon F mount adapter depending on the buyer preference which screws on the C mount thread and allows for support of classic lenses from Macro to telephoto. 

One request from the community has been the support for other lens mounts like Micro 4/3ds which lets you adapt a variety of lens mounts and the much coveted speedbooster adapters which allow a 1 f-stop improvement in light gathering for micro 4/3ds systems. Today Krontech, the company behind the Chronos high-speed camera is introducing a passive Micro 4/3rds adapter for both the Chronos 1.4c and 2.1-HD and uses the body screw terminals near the lens thread mount to place a solid connection that allows such lenses. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Galaxy S9 Slow Motion Samples 960fps!

Galaxy S9 Slow Motion Samples

By now between the Oscars Galaxy sponsorship & a lot of tech Vloggers going wild about the Samsung handset you should be pretty well informed on the Galaxy S9 capabilities.  We covered it last week and went into the particulars of the super slow Motion feature which allows for 0.2 seconds of recording at 720p in 960fps frame rate.  Needless to say, we were unimpressed with the quality initially based on early tests and we called it out for not really delivering 720p but some low-res aliased abstraction.

But with the new crop of video samples, we were impressed by some footage and let down by other attempts. There is a lot to like in this phone but also something to keep in mind is that a dedicated slow-motion camera will keep the edge over a phone at least for the next few years in quality and detail retention. Dig in for the samples and judge for yourself…

Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus – super slow-mo 960 fps by Marcin Połowianiuk:

Samsung Galaxy S9+ super slow motion video 960fps by Fun4sure: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Galaxy S9 Slow Motion is Top Feature!

Galaxy S9 Slow Motion

Samsung has unveiled the heavily leaked and rumored Galaxy S9 at MWC Barcelona 2018. It is now a reality and the rumors got most of it right but the frame rate mostly expected which was 480fps at full HD has now morphed into 960fps at HD 720p.  You would be heavily excited about the new frame rate options except for the fact that the resolution is not really 720p but a heavily soft and aliased version.

Camera companies are too loose to call video formats HD and Full HD when they are really just upscaling lower resolution video up to save in an overly compressed format.  The inclusion of now 1080p 240fps has to be the better spec here as the 960fps mode tops out at 0.2 seconds for a 6-second playback at 30fps.  Hardly ideal and much like what we saw in the Sony Xperia XZ phones of 2017.

Galaxy S9 Video Recording:

  • 4K video recording at 30 fps or 60fps
  • QHD video recording at 30 fps
  • 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps
  • 720p HD video recording at 30 fps
  • Super Slow-mo video support 720p at 960 fps
  • Slow motion video support 1080p at 240 fps
  • Hyperlapse video support 1080p
  • VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilization)
  • Digital zoom up to 8x (Galaxy S9) or up to 10x (Galaxy S9+)
  • High CRI LED Flash
  • Continuous autofocus video
  • Face detection
  • Tracking AF
  • Take 9.1-megapixel still photos while recording 4K video
  • Playback zoom
  • Video location tags
  • Price $719-$999 depending on Model/Storage
  • Wide Release March 16th, 2018

*Super Slow-mo only supports HD resolution. Limited to 20 shots per video with approximately 0.2 seconds of recording and 6 seconds of playback for each shot.

The Galaxy S9 has a plethora of improvements from increased processing of the Octa-core Exynos or Snapdragon 845 depending on your geolocation to a real aperture diaphragm on the lens for f1.5 wide aperture to a smaller f2.4 for more depth of field, a first for a camera phone lens.

We are focusing on the video side of the equation as always and will leave the phone specs for others to wade thru. so how good is the new slow-motion mode?

Galaxy S9 Slow Motion Mode:

Samsung has made huge strides to cater to high frame rate enthusiasts with the Galaxy S9 and it figures the usability aspect of the slow-motion capture mode should be easy to use and allow for a large percentage of keepers. What they have come up with is a dedicated super slow-mo mode that uses wither a button screen press or a motion tracking area to detect extreme motion changes in the frame to record the 0.2-second frame burst and conform it to 6.4 seconds played back at 30fps @ 720p.

Samsung Galaxy S9 Super Slow-Mo video: first look and samples by PhoneArena: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Gavin Free Educates & GH5 Ships!

Gavin Free Educates

Gavin Free the camera specialist behind the Slow Mo Guys YouTube channel has posted a recent video talking about the difficulties and technical aspects of light gathering for slow motion sequences. The video explains the shutter angle in detail and why it is important for the final look of a slow motion shot. He does so with the help of a Phantom Flex 4k Camera capable of 1000fps at full 4k Resolution.

On other things the 180fps Full HD capable Panasonic GH5 has tarted shipping and currently ships in 1-2 days after order. The camera is also capable of shooting at 4k 60fps continuously at 150Mbps.  We have been covering this camera and it is clearly a video powerhouse; read on for more.

Gavin Free & SlowMo Guys 2 BTS Channel:

We encourage you all to subscribe to the 2nd channel of the Slow Mo Guys as a lot of great tips and tricks behind the scenes are explained in detail. It will help you with understanding and timing your slow motion shots.  The Channel is here:The Slow Mo Guys 2

Below is the video from Gavin Free, show your support by subscribing here so they can bring this content to the net.

The Challenges of High-Speed Filming by Gavin Free from The Slow Mo Guys 2:

Panasonic GH5 Starts Shipping:

Slow Motion quality up to 120fps is excellent and comparable to 30 and 60fps footage at full HD 1080p; It decreases slightly at 150fps and a little more at 180fps showing some aliasing and softness. The performance is still acceptable at the maximum frame rate and has already been used in music videos and other productions with success.

The GH5 Is available from Amazon.com and Adorama Below:

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Adorama Deals on the GH5, No Tax is collected if you order outside New York and New Jersey!

Panasonic HC-X1 Packs Some Serious Performance!

Panasonic hc-x1

In a launch that was mostly subdued, a new camera was launched in August; the Panasonic  HC-X1 which is a mid range professional fixed lens ENG or EFP camera with some serious specs to go behind it.  For starters there is 4k at up to 60fps a format that we hope to see in upcoming ILCs like the GH4 successor and Sony Cameras.  The other is 100fps PAL or 120fps NTSC 1080p which is now a must have slow motion standard for any serious camera.

The qualities of the new Panasonic HC-X1 do not stop at higher frame rates; it features a fantastic 3 independent fly by wire ring system for focus, aperture and the last for zoom which starts at a very wide 24mm to 480mm at the long end or 20x optical. The camera also features  a built in ND Filter wheel from 1/4th to 1/64th for effortless 180 degree shooting outdoors.

Panasonic HC-X1 Specs:
  • Advanced Optical Image Stabilizer (4K/UHD/FHD) and 5-Axis Hybrid O.I.S. (FHD)
  • 1″-Type MOS Sensor
  • DCI 4K Recording at 24p
  • HDMI and A/V Outputs
  • VFR UHD (2 to 60 fps) /HD Super-Slow Motion (120/100 fps)
  • Supports 4K, UHD, FHD; 60p/50p/25p/24p
  • High-performance LEICA DICOMAR 4K Lens 24mm f2.8-F4.5 with optical 20X zoom (24-480mm).
  • Built-In ND Filters
  • 2-channel XLR Audio, Wired/Wireless remote control, triple Manual fly by wire Rings, user switch, timecode, Live HDMI output.
  • Simultaneous 4K UHD/FHD dual codec recording to two SD cards.
  • Three independent ring system on lens focus/aperture/zoom.
  • Optional Shotgun style external microphone.

For a suggested retail price of $3,199.99 USD the camera is one of the best values in price/performance/features we have seen lately.  This is a complete production ready camera for documentary, B Roll and interviews all in one inexpensive package.  This is a real option for those looking for 4k performance up to 60fps for overcrank at that resolution and with the ability to save on dual SD Cards as continuous recording but also as 4k and 1080p saved simultaneously make it a must have for news delivery with extreme portability.

The sensor seems to perform as good as you would expect from a BSI 1″ sensor from current technology which is very clean.  We will need more samples to judge quality and in HFR mode see if compression hinders the video quality.   There is also an Infra Red Shooting night option (Green Image) which is coming back to cameras as an added feature once again. This used to be very popular in the 90s and early 2000s with Sony Camcorder Night Shot Mode.

The 5 axis image stabilizer from Panasonic is one of the best in the business and should do well with this Leica Branded 20x Optical Zoom.

Our Take:

All in all we are very impressed with this camera and what it offers for the price. Not too long ago features like dual cards, dual codec recording, 4k at 60fps and 120fps at 1080p plus all in a do it all package would have cost way above 5k.  Panasonic is very aggressive with the HC-X1 and should take away customers from Canon, JVC and Sony with this camera.    Our Panasonic pick is still the excellent DVX200 Camera which offers even more punch for Just under $4k.  That camera offers a micro 4/3 sensor which should yield even more impressive low light.  However the HC-X1 is a mini version of it with a great balance of features for $800 USD less.  We like what Panasonic is doing and can’t wait for what they have in store for the future.  See the video below for a cool rundown of the Panasonic HC-X1 features including the slow motion feature.

Panasonic 4K UHD Camcorder HC-X1 Launch Video:

We will have slow motion video samples as the become available. In the mean time you can read more at the pre-order pages below:

Adorama Camera has the HC-X1 for Pre Order Here:

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Metabones Updates Adapter Firmware!

Metabones speedbooster m43 Ultra

Metabones the company that brought you the speed booster and one of the first to offer electronic lens compatibility including AF for Canon lenses on mounts like Sony E Mount and Panasonic/Olympus micro 4/3rds has updated the firmware on these to have better overall compatibility with AF modes on newer cameras.

Slow motion shooters on Sony, Panasonic and other slow motion capable cameras are big fans of these adapters and speed boosters because it allows compatibility with their Canon EF glass collection. Furthermore the speed boosters enable wider field of view and an extra stop of light which is always needed when shooting high speed footage.

The firmware fixes some AF Native vs Green compatibility issues that propped up in the previous update for Sony users. The new update defaults to the standard green mode as the Native did nothing to improve features or performance.

Other Important info for the update: “Users of Sony’s contrast-detect AF and early phase-detect AF cameras are advised to configure your adapter to “Advanced” mode using the procedure in the User Manual section of our web site (http://metabones.com/article/of/green-power-save-mode) to get a significant AF performance improvement. In addition, we have made “native” AF-C slightly better and added C-AF support for Olympus OM-D E-M1, although an AF-C performance bottleneck remains in the lens’ inability to execute a series of fine maneuvers with minimal latency as commanded by the camera body.”

Download link for Firmware updates:
Select your product from this page according to your mount and follow their instructions. 

Be sure to follow the instructions precisely as you update the firmware. If you are unsure how to do it; contact their support team here for guidance. Also check the video below by The Camera Store TV regarding these adapters in action.

Metabones Speed Booster Hands-On Field Test by  TheCameraStoreTV:

Full Press release for the firmware by Metabones Below:

Vancouver, Canada, June 30, 2016: Metabones® thrives on constructive criticism by the community and the press, and customer feedback was the driving force behind the fastest phase-detect autofocus (PDAF) across the widest selection of EF-Mount lenses on the Sony phase-detect trio (A7 Mark II, A7R Mark II and A6300) through a series of incremental firmware improvements last year, a feat that still held just as true with the release of “native” AF firmware last week. This accomplishment was the cornerstone of Metabones’ “Ubiquitously Fast Autofocus” vision, providing the broadest range of mirrorless cameras with fast still-photo single-AF when using adapted EF-mount digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) lenses. It began with fast AF on Panasonic launched in tandem with the 0.71x EF-MFT Speed Booster ULTRA last July, followed by fast AF on the Sony phase-detect trio and Olympus cameras last year. An EF lens on A7 Mark II, A7R Mark II or A6300 focused so quickly that it was virtually indistinguishable from a genuine Canon DSLR under some use-case scenarios. Nevertheless, Sony’s contrast-detect AF cameras such as A7S Mark II and early phase-detect cameras such as A6000 still took seconds to lock using an EF lens, and that remained the final frontier to conquer before we could lay claim to be ubiquitously fast. With Metabones “native” AF firmware, these other cameras got an order-of-magnitude boost in AF performance. “Native” AF was also an order-of-magnitude faster than Sony A-mount lenses on Sony LA-EA3 adapter on these non-phase-detect and early phase-detect Sony cameras. With the “native” AF firmware release, “Ubiquitously Fast Autofocus” was fait accompli and our vision had become reality.

“Native” was an informal term referring to a different version of the lens communication protocol which unlocked extra features such as direct manual focus (DMF), Eye-AF (A7 series), fast contrast-detect AF (faster for all Sony cameras except the phase-detect trio), continuous video AF, zoom position and focus distance display. Metabones did not make any representation of further performance improvement for the Sony phase-detect trio of cameras from “native” AF. Quite on the contrary, our previous announcement stated that “native” AF might have lower performance than the original “Green” mode phase-detect AF, which had been the fastest since last year. There was no performance regression in the sense that the user could configure the adapter to have the old behaviour (“Green” mode) back with a simple procedure. Hindsight being 20/20, switching the default mode from “Green” to “Advanced” was a mistake, and we apologize to affected A7 Mark II, A7R Mark II and A6300 owners who were inconvenienced by this change. Based on your input, we are releasing a new Metabones App 2.4 (E-mount v52) with the default mode reverted to “Green” again. V52 cannot be safer to install because no new features are activated and there are no changes in operation without you first opting in. Users of Sony’s contrast-detect AF and early phase-detect AF cameras are advised to configure your adapter to “Advanced” mode using the procedure in the User Manual section of our web site (http://metabones.com/article/of/green-power-save-mode) to get a significant AF performance improvement. In addition, we have made “native” AF-C slightly better and added C-AF support for Olympus OM-D E-M1, although an AF-C performance bottleneck remains in the lens’ inability to execute a series of fine maneuvers with minimal latency as commanded by the camera body. Metabones App 2.4 is available immediately for download from Metabones’ web site. We will continue to listen to your feedback as we have always been, because your input sets the direction of our future development efforts on “native” AF technology using adapted DSLR lenses.

 

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