Tag Archives: battery

Panasonic Lumix GH6 does 300fps in Full HD!

We have been expecting Panasonic to deliver a GH5 and or GH5s replacement camera for over a year now. The pandemic and component shortages pushed back the release of almost all high tech imaging equipment. The Lumix GH6 is now announced and it does everything right for Micro 4/3 and then some but will that be enough to make the format survive in a world of ever-decreasing Full Frame camera prices getting cheaper?  

The GH6 has a new sensor, new Venus processing engine, new IBIS with up to 7.5 stops which is bordering on ridiculous, and a body that has active cooling. For HSC however, only one set of specs matters and that is frame rates for video. The camera is now on top of the Lumix and almost all of their pro division cameras by shooting up to 300fps 10 bit Full HDish, 240fps Full HD 10bit, and 120fps at 4k 10 bit.  For slow motion enthusiasts, it looks to be a great camera on paper and at just under $2,200 USD it is not going to break the bank.  But after all of this, should you invest in the GH6 as a slow motion tool or save more for an affordable dedicated high speed camera? → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Chronos 2.1 HD Slow Motion Camera use is exploding!

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.

Chronos 2.1 HD Slow Motion Camera Video Samples:

We have seen a plethora of footage shot with the Chronos 2.1 HD lately which shows how Krontech has been able to ship a boatload of cameras across the globe.  You will find professionals and hobbyists alike shooting incredible material with the camera which is probably the best looking 1080p slow motion footage under $10,000 we have ever seen.  This little camera is making inroads into the market that is probably causing headaches to the higher end high-speed camera manufacturers. We can’t wait for Krontech to use what they have learned here to go even higher and offer a possible 1080p 4000+fps camera or a 1000fps 4k camera in the future.  Congratulations to our Canadian friends! 

Slow motion product shoot behind the scenes – Chronos 2.1-HD by Chronos Cameras:

Macro Room shooting slowmo video on Kron Technologies Chronos 2.1-HD by Chronos Cameras: → 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 ←

GH5s More Rumored Specs Emerge With 240fps!

GH5s

The latest info from 43 Rumors stemming from supposed leaks on the GH5s or “Low Light Version of the GH5” suggest a 10.28MP sensor with up to 240fps Full HD recording capability.    There seems to be an out of step rush to deliver this camera compared to previous releases by Panasonic which may or may not end with a product on the specified date of Jan 8th, 2018.

There has been a clear progression of frame rates from Lumix GH cameras from 60p to 96p, 120p and most recently 180fps with the GH5 and G9.  However, if the GH5s ships with 240fps we can safely assume that the spec will now be the bare minimum frame rate for a flagship camera in full HD instead of the 120fps most can shoot in high-quality mode.  The GH5 suffered from quality degradation above 120fps with aliasing and moire taking a toll. If the new camera can deliver 240fps with the same quality as 120fps then it will be a milestone mirrorless camera.

GH5s Supposed Leaked Specs from 43 Rumors:

  • 10.28MP Low Light Sensor
  • 12 fps Stills
  • ISO Standard: 160-51,200 Extended: 80-102,400
  • Cinema 4k up to 60fps 10 Bit 4:2:2
  • Full HD 1080p up to 240fps VFR
  • Mechanical shutter: 1/8,000
  • Electronic shutter: 1/16,000
  • Flash sync: 1/250
  • LCD screen: 3.2″, 1,620,000 dots, touchscreen
  • Same GH5 Viewfinder / Same Camera Body
  • Battery: Pansonic DMW-BLF19PP
  • Two memory card slots
  • 4k photos
  • HDMI Type A / USB 3.1
  • Dust-proof and splash-proof body
  • MSRP $2,500   Announcement Jan 8th!

If Panasonic is able to deliver such camera by early 2018 we can rest assured this will push other manufacturers to up their game when it comes to frame rates.  We expect to see 4k 120fps in a mid-range camera during 2018 and 240fps 1080p should make its way into more affordable segments.

The Sony RX line, for example, has a 4-second recording limit in quality mode at 240fps Full HD which could be made continuous in the next iteration.  One thing that troubles us by Panasonic is that the 240fps mode in their recently released EVA1 professional camera has a quality loss that is severe at 240fps with softness and blotchy noise that makes it look more like 720p.  If the GH5s has the same type of quality then we cannot say in honesty the camera will be groundbreaking for affordable slow motion.   The GH5s needs to deliver the same 120fps quality the current GH5 does at the higher 240p rate for it to be a real step up.

The elephant in the room is the long-awaited Sony a7s Mark III which should be Sony’s answer to Panasonic and Canon offering class leading low light performance with an HDR component in the $3,200 price range.  Sony has also shown that high frame rates are their game with the RX/Motion Eye technology. If the new a7s III includes the first full frame sensor with on-sensor multi-layered accelerated DRAM, it could create a product so advanced that the competition will have to go back to the drawing board in order to compete.   Some rumors suggest this while others just claim a 2 stop improvement in low light capability and dynamic range. We will have to wait and see.

2018 could be the year we have been waiting for to really be excited about high frame rates in affordable cameras that can maintain quality. Samsung and Sony are also launching new high frame rate phones next year. It is an exciting time for high-speed video and especially with portability in mind.

Here is a clip that has caught our attention lately, if you haven’t seen it be sure to do so on a large screen at full 4k.  Excellent work by Dustin Farrell www.dfvc.com    -HSC

Transient – Slow Motion Lightning Strikes in 4k With Phantom Flex 4k: 

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Galaxy Note 8 Maintains 720p 240fps!

Galaxy Note 8 Slow Motion

As predicted the newly announced Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will not improve on the Note 7 or Galaxy S8 phones when it comes to slow motion capabilities. It maxes out at 1080p 60fps and only allows 720p 240fps for slow motion. Missing is the 120fps 1080p modes of competitive flagship phones like the iPhone 7 or Google Pixel.

The Phone has delivered in most other fronts however with probably the best screen yet on a phablet phone at 6.3″ Quad HD+ Super AMOLED (2960 x 1440) 521 ppi resolution. There is also an extra attention put on the battery safety which according to Samsung is not only safe but amply tested to rigorous conditions. It is 3300mAh which should last for a full day of use even with the gigantic screen.

Galaxy Note 8 Video Recording:

  • 4K video recording at 30 fps
  • 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps
  • 720p HD video recording at 30 fps
  • VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilization)
  • Max optical 2X zoom
  • Max digital 10X zoom
  • High CRI LED flash
  • Slow motion video support for 720p at 240 fps***
  • Hyperlapse video with stabilization
  • Continuous autofocus video
  • Face detection
  • Tracking AF
  • Take 9-megapixel still photos recording 4K video
  • Playback zoom
  • Video location tags

Camera Specs:

Front

  • 8MP AF
  • F1.7 aperture
  • Pixel size: 1.22µm
  • Sensor size: 1/3.6″
  • Sensor ratio: 4:3
  • FOV: 80°
  • Selective Focus
  • Wide selfie

Rear

  • Dual camera
  • Dual OIS (Optical Image Stabilization)
  • Max optical 2X zoom
  • Max digital 10X zoom
  • Live focus
  • Dual Capture

Front/Rear

  • HDR (High Dynamic Range)
  • Virtual shot
  • Motion photo
  • Filters
  • Live stickers
  • Stamps
  • Grid line
  • Location tags
  • Timer
  • Quick launch
  • Voice control

Telephoto camera

  • Resoultion: 12MP AF
  • Pixel size: 1.0µm
  • Sensor size: 1/3.6″
  • Sensor ratio: 4:3
  • FOV: 45°
  • F.No (aperture): F2.4

Wide-angle camera

  • Resolution: Dual pixel 12MP AF
  • Pixel size: 1.4µm
  • Sensor size: 1/2.55″
  • Sensor ratio: 4:3
  • FOV: 77°
  • F.No (aperture): F1.7
  • Pro mode
  • Panorama
  • Slow motion
  • Hyperlapse
  • Food mode
  • Save as RAW file

Note 8 Samsung Official Slow Motion Sample:

As you can tell from the sample above, the quality is going to be identical to the Galaxy S8 camera module as they share the exact same specs. It is not bad in terms of quality but it is not class leading either. The camera is one of the best out there when it comes to noise suppression, low artifacts and good dynamic range so you really cannot fault the sensor and lens combination.

We wish Samsung would have improved on the slow-mo capabilities in their most flagship of phones but we will have to let that spec linger a bit longer. One thing going for it is that both camera modules offer stabilized lenses which can help during all video shooting sessions.

We will have more samples of the slow motion when available!

Pricing and Availability:

  • Pre-Orders from August 24
  • Release date will be September 15, 2017
  • Fully Unlocked Price from $929 USD.
  • AT&T: The Galaxy Note 8 from AT&T for $950  or $31.67 for 30 months on an AT&T Next plan.
  • Verizon: $40 a month for 24 months on a payment plan,  off-contract full price of $960
  • New Gear VR Headset with controller for $129
More videos on the Galaxy Note 8:

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 event in 8 minutes by The Verge:

Samsung Galaxy Note8: Official Introduction by Samsung Mobile:

Galaxy Note 8 Hands-On: The Big Do-Over by MrMobile:

 

→ Continue Reading Full Post ←

GoPro Hero 6 What will it Take?

GoPro Hero 6

It is no secret that GoPro had a pretty bad 2016 in terms of sales performance and the Karma Gate battery off incident. The company is loosing money but still shows signs of life. In the 4th quarter of 2016 GoPro was profitable on a non-GAAP basis with income of $42 million.  With the stock closing price today of $8.90, a far cry from the nearly $90 it was worth in October 2014, there needs to be a change of epic proportions if the company is expected to remain viable.

There are threats from new technologies like AR, VR and Snapchat Glasses among others that threaten to impede the company going forward. How can a camera company evolve overnight to survive in such a market.  We believe the answer is by innovating it’s way out of the whirlpool that it finds itself in.

GoPro Hero 6 has to do more:

We are big fans of GoPro and they have built great cameras that for many years, were the de-facto standard for sports and action footage with no real quality competitor. That all changed with the introduction of the Sony Action Camera like like the X1000 and X3000. GoPro was no longer the only game in town and Sony entered the game with better image quality and optical image stabilization for about the same price.  Then came Xiaomi with the Yi camera which for all intents and purposes is a direct clone of the GoPro Hero with now performance that exceeds it with 4k 60fps.

After that a plethora of other options from Garmin, Nikon and other clone manufacturers came into the market; further eroding GoPro’s share.  Many use the same exact SoC components from Ambarella which is the GoPro electronics partner. In order for Ambarella to grow they licensed their technology to anyone that wanted it and that is the free market you cannot fault them for that.

Nick Woodman on how GoPro is moving forward after an eventful 2016 by Engadget Subscibe here!

Where we believe GoPro dropped the ball was with the introduction of the Hero 5 Black.  It is essentially the same camera as the Hero 4 Black but with a smaller footprint, cosmetic changes and a touch screen.  It has a new interface but capability wise it was a sideways move instead of up.  GoPro upgrading the camera to lofty spec heights was the main reason people upgraded. The Hero 5 is not a product that warrants an upgrade if you own a Hero 4 Black.  The market is pretty saturated with similar options and the way you move ahead of the pack is to force innovation forward with a camera that has technology ahead of it’s time.

The innovation step that GoPro needs to take with the Hero 6 has to be big and that means leapfrogging the competition.  However we don’t really know what that will be aside from being hinted by Nick Woodman:

“Nick Woodman here. Yes, we can confirm there will be new cameras and other accessories released during the year and new camera namely being HERO6. But we’re not going to share any information as to the timing or any other details around the release of those new products as you can imagine.”

So with that said what will it take in our view to make the GoPro Hero 6 Black a must buy camera again?

Our GoPro Hero 6 Wish-list Specs:

  • 4k 24p/25p/30p/48p/60p Continuous!
  • Time Limited 4k Bursts at 96p/120p
  • 1080p at 240fps
  • 720p at 480fps
  • Reduced lens distortion + Improved Sharpness
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • Low Cost VR Rig Solution
  • Longer Battery Life than Hero 5
  • RAW Photo Mode
  • Continue Pro-Tune Support
  • Compatibility with Karma and Other Drone Gimbals.
  • $499.99 Price

Nick Woodman already hinted at a 360 degree VR rig for the GoPro that clearly aims at establishing a footprint in that market. But will VR video continue to grow in spite of the lack luster sales and low usage % of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vibe?  Augmented Reality AR seems to be the big next step forward with companies like Apple, Google & Microsoft pouring billions into it’s development and research.  VR seems to be taking a back step to AR due to the not really ready nature of the technology.  Nausea, headaches and complicated rigs are needed to make it work and the screen-door effect still takes away from the experience. It will get much better in the coming years but for now AR is where the hotspot for innovation is centered.

GoPro seems ill equipped to make AR a part of their platform at this juncture; hence why they have to revert to the basics and innovate hardware wise in the camera spec department if they wish to stay relevant.

The Karma drone battery power off debacle seems to be fixed now which created a flurry of business for rival DJI in the holidays.  We really hope the Karma continues to be an option in consumer’s minds and that a Karma 2.0 drone with competitive specs to the DJI Mavic Pro is released. That means sensors, better flight options and in order to beat it the ability to fly a Hero Black 6 with killer specs.

GoPro Karma vs DJI Mavic & Osmo Mobile — In Depth Review and Complete Comparison [4K] by iPhonedo:

We found the image quality of the DJI Mavic Pro to be below the Hero 5 Black but DJI iterates really quickly and we expect that to be improved this year with a new Mavic release. GoPro needs to move faster with a Karma 2.0 with not only competitive specs but superior image quality.

What will GoPro Do?

In all honesty we feel GoPro will get 4k 60fps as a  spec on the Hero 6 Black but not much else in the way of spec increases. We really wish that it will go ahead and leapfrog competitors but we doubt that will be the case. The Company will do a good enough camera to compete with Sony and Xiaomi this year with maybe the possibility of Optical Image Stabilization. Other than that we can’t be sure of any new increases.

With Sony now showing their 1000fps phone sensor it would make sense for GoPro to use that component in the Hero 6 Black in order to stay at the forefront of the game but the power requirements may be too harsh for a small battery action camera.

We will continue to follow GoPro’s evolution going forward and wish for the company to stay not only relevant but at the crest of the innovation wave to come. They have a bunch of work to do and many people to bring back to the platform, as an American brand it has a lot going for it with the new US government, lets see where the camera company evolves from here. -HSC

Disclaimer: This article is an opinion piece and contains speculative specs that have no substance or corroboration. Do not base your purchasing decisions based on this post’s content.

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