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Announcements, Articles, Development, Featured, Firmware/Software, Media Showcase, Slowmo Samples, software

Rife-App Creates Higher frame Rates 25x Faster!

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A few months back we took a look at Dain app, and how it was able to use AI and machine learning to create in between frames from almost any source footage and create something that looked and felt like real footage taken with higher fps cameras.  The algorithm was so revolutionary that it took the world by storm, making older software that used re-timing from Adobe and others look antiquated and underpowered.  The Dain-App was great and it was a pay what you want App but had an Achilles heel. The software required a powerful Nvidia GPU with as much VRAM as you could muster to be able to convert footage and re-time it.  

The new Rife-App which is the direct successor of Dain App by the creator GRisk is up to 25x faster than the original, improves the algorithm, and by many examples betters it by creating more seamless transitions. The flow of frames is frankly jaw-droppingly beautiful, especially on low frame rate animation.   We estimate that Animation studios in 2D will eat this app up immediately, and even 3D animation studios could reduce their render times by calculating fewer frames and using Rife-App to increase them to 24p, 30p or 60p from a lower source like 20fps or 12fps.   → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Announcements, Camera News, Hardware Development, Media Showcase, Slowmo Samples

Nikon D850 Joins the 120fps 1080p club!

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Nikon D850 Slow Motion

No matter how hard Sony and other mirror-less systems try to kill the Mirrored SLR camera, it seems Nikon and Canon refuse to go down for the count. The latest Nikon D850 is a camera that is better in every respect to it’s predecessor but now treads in the rarified air of hyper resolution sensors that do up to 9fps at full 45.7 Megapixels with the added battery grip.

Of note for us is the inclusion of a full HD 1080p 120fps mode which matches that on the Canon 1DX Mark II and the excellent quality Sony a9 mirror-less cameras.  There are no real samples of the D850 in slow motion aside from compressed preview videos that seem to show some aliasing in the mode. As to a crop we will have to wait and see but in 4k mode the camera is able to extract the image from the full sensor with no field of view crop which is the holy grail for large resolution sensors.

Nikon D850 Movie Modes:

  1. 4K UHD 3,840×2,160 / 30 fps
    4K UHD 3,840×2,160 / 25 fps
    4K UHD 3,840×2,160 / 24 fps
    Full HD 1,920×1,080 / 60 fps
    Full HD 1,920×1,080 / 50 fps
    Full HD 1,920×1,080 / 30 fps
    Full HD 1,920×1,080 / 25 fps
    Full HD 1,920×1,080 / 24 fps
    HD 1,280×720 / 60 fps
    HD 1,280×720 / 50 fps
    Slow-motion: Full HD 1,920×1,080 30p (x4) 120fps
    Slow-motion: Full HD 1,920×1,080 25p (x4) 120fps
    Slow-motion: Full HD 1,920×1,080 24p (x5) 120fps
    Actual frame rates for 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, and 24p are 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, and 23.976 fps respectively
    Quality selection available at all sizes except 3,840 x 2,160 (when quality is fixed at high) and 1,920 x 1,080 slow-motion (when quality is fixed at normal)

Other Main Specs:

  1. Effective Pixels   45.7  million (Megapixels)

  2. Sensor Size  35.9  mm   x  23.9  mm  FX Full Frame

  3. ISO Sensitivity  ISO  64  –   25,600  → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Announcements, Camera News, Media Showcase

Sony PXW-Z150 has 120fps with Stacked Sensor!

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PXWZ150

Announced just last week the Sony PXW-Z150 gets a lot of right for the low end pro video market.   It has 4k 4:2:0 as many in the competitive price range of $3,595 MSRP. It has 4:2:2 1080p 10 bit at 50mbit  which is a good surprise and it seems to be carried to the also included 120fps full HD 1080p slow motion mode.

The sensor is of the stacked kind and it is 1″ sized, the same as the ones in the RX100 IV and RX10 II from Sony which are really good at slow motion for a low price. However those full specs are not carried through in the high frame rate mode or HFR.  It maxes out at 120fps 1080p instead of 240fps on the RX series in the 1k range and the FS5 which is a tad more expensive than the Z150.

Sony PXW-Z150 Main Specs:
  • 4K and Full HD  Video Capture
  • 1.0 type 120 fps HFR HD stacked CMOS
  • Sony G 12x zoom lens
  • 4K QFHD Long GOP 4:2:0 8bit 100Mbps
  • Full HD Long GOP 4:2:2 10bit 50Mbps
  • 12x Optical Zoom with servo
  • Built-in Wi-Fi

Super Slow Motion Function:

  • XAVC HD: Frame rate selectable 120 fps [NTSC]
  • XAVC HD: Frame rate selectable 100 fps [PAL]

Sensor specs:

1.0-type (13.2 mm x 8.8 mm) back-illuminated Exmor RS CMOS sensor

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To deliver imaging performance previously impossible for a compact camcorder, Sony has developed the world’s first 1.0 type stacked CMOS image sensor for professional video applications. A 2x increase in read-out speed, compared to a conventional 1.0 type sensor, enables beautiful 5x slow motion image capture up to 120fps in Full HD and high resolution 4K recording with full pixel readout without binning at 10 bit 4:2:2.

PXW-Z150 High Q 4K and 120fps HD sample footage by Sony:

So in the end the camera is an event workhorse with 4k at 100Mbit and excellent 1080p with a slow motion 5x 120fps function.  It has 2 XLR audio inputs and Sony battery compatibility.  It has a full sensor read out with perfect per pixel quality at 1080p and that carries to the HFR 120fps mode which is ideal.   Does this package warrant a purchase or buying an RX10 II makes more sense?  There is no question that this camera will do better in terms of image quality but for less that 2k USD more you can get a Sony FS5 with a lot more features and slow motion modes, not to mention interchangeable lenses.   The camera is great for what it does and for small news outfits and wedding or event videographers this makes a lot of sense without hassle.

Adorama has the camera for pre order now with estimated shipping in April 2016:

SONY PXW-Z150 at New York Fashion Week : Adorama Exclusive: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Announcements, Camera News, Media Showcase

Panasonic Multiple CES Announcements!

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WXF991_PanasonicSlowQuick

Panasonic has been quite busy this morning with a plethora of camera announcements. It seems 4k is strongly anchored in the product line matrix by adding the feature on pretty much every product category this year. It seems to throw the message to the rest of the electronics camera industry that 1080p is so last year and that 4k is the make it or break it feature for compact and larger cameras alike.

Camcorder Replacements:

We get a replacement for last year’s WX970 and VX870 camcorders with the newly released WXF991 and VX981 with improved 4k performance and refined viewfinder features with a Slow and Quick frame rate mode which is of interest as a slow motion feature “See the video below”. However there are no firm specs at this time and the spec list on the cameras has no frame rate indication above the 1080p 60 spec.

  • Recording/ Playback Mode
  • AVCHD1080/60p (28Mbps / VBR), (1920 x 1080/60p)
  • PH (24Mbps / VBR), (1920 x 1080/60i)
  • HA (17Mbps / VBR), (1920 x 1080/60i)
  • HG (13Mbps / VBR), (1920 x 1080/60i)
  • HE (5Mbps / VBR), (1920 x 1080/60i)
  • MP42160p/30p(72M) (72Mbps / VBR), (3840 x 2160)
  • 2160p/24p(72M) (72Mbps / VBR), (3840 x 2160)
  • 1080p/60p(50M) (50Mbps / VBR), (1920 x 1080)
  • 1080p/60p(28M) (28Mbps / VBR), (1920 x 1080)
  • 1080p/24p(50M) (50Mbps / VBR), (1920 x 1080)
  • 720p/30p(9M) (9Mbps / VBR), (1280 x 720)
  • iFrame960 x 540/30p (28Mbps / VBR)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XxsA6WTj_c

Features

  • Ultra-sharp 4K Ultra HD recording, plus in-camera editing for 1080p displays.
  • Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) emulates a semi-professional recording experience.
  • LEICA Dicomar Lens optical 20x zoom, 5-axis Hybrid Optical Image Stabilization.
  • Built-in Twin Camera, plus WiFi mobile features add multi-camera scene picture-in-picture recording.
  • 4K Cinema in-camera editing and effects (Dolly Zoom, Slow/Quick motion, 4K Post Cropping, Stabilization and Zoom).
  • 4K PHOTO captures high-quality photos from 4K video frames.
  • Exclusive High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode reduces the overly high-contrast look created by overexposed and underexposed shooting conditions.

As with the camcorder line last year the higher end 991 differs from the 881 by incorporating a second camera in the tilt screen for real time dual recording. It is kind of a gimmick but can be useful for some selfie enthusiasts.

Once we get more information about the high frame rates we will let you know.

Estimated ship dates are Mid – March 2016!

New Compact Camera Announcements from Panasonic:

Lumix DMC-ZS60 North America and TZ80 Rest of the world!

We have a somewhat neat slow motion mode on this small camera besides the 4k recording mode. It is not super high res at 720p but it does 120fps and 240fps at VGA 640*480 Resolution.

ZS60 /TZ80 Slow motion modes:

  • High Speed Video1280 x 720 pixels, 30p (HD: MP4) (Sensor Output is 120fps)
  • 640 x 480 pixels, 30p (VGA: MP4) (Sensor Output is 240fps)

ZS60 Other Features:

  • 30x (24-720mm) LEICA DC Lens optical zoom performance is ideally suited for travel and everyday photography.
  • 18 Megapixel sensor delivers high-resolution photos with fewer image artifacts.
  • 4K Ultra HD video recording plus exclusive LUMIX 4K PHOTO and 4K Post Focus photo capture features.
  • Eye-level Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) and touch-enabled LCD for a wider viewing experience.
  • Lens-mounted control ring brings DSLR-like exposure control to a compact point-and-shoot camera body.
  • WiFi mobile device connectivity via Panasonic Image App for photo sharing and controlling camera features remotely.
  • MSRP $449.99 
  • Estimated ship date is Mid – March 2016!

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 :

Main ZS100 Features:

  • Large 1”, 20 Megapixel sensor delivers brighter, more colorful photos with fewer image artifacts.
  • 10x (25-250mm) LEICA DC Lens optical zoom performance with a wide F/2.8-5.9 aperture for impressive background defocus effects.
  • 4K Ultra HD video recording plus exclusive LUMIX 4K PHOTO and 4K Post Focus photo capture features.
  • Eye-level Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) and touch-enabled LCD for a wider viewing experience.
  • Lens-mounted control ring brings DSLR-like exposure control to a compact point-and-shoot camera body.
  • WiFi mobile device connectivity via Panasonic Image App for photo sharing and controlling camera features remotely.

Video Recording Modes:

  • 4K Video3840 x 2160 pixels, 30p (4K: 100Mbps / MP4) (Sensor Output is 30fps) (AAC)
    3840 x 2160 pixels, 24p (4K: 100Mbps / MP4) (Sensor Output is 24fps) (AAC)Motion Picture Recording –
  • HD Video1920x1080 pixels, 60p (FHD: 28Mbps/AVCHD)(Sensor Output is 60fps)(Dolby)
    1920×1080 pixels, 24p (FHD: 24Mbps/AVCHD)(Sensor Output is 24fps)(Dolby)
    920×1080 pixels, 60i (FHD: 24Mbps/AVCHD)(Sensor Output is 30fps)(Dolby)
    1920×1080 pixels, 60i(FHD: 17Mbps/AVCHD)(Sensor Output is 60fps)(Dolby)
    1920×1080 pixels, 60p(FHD: 28Mbps/MP4)(Sensor Output is 60fps)(AAC)
    1920×1080 pixels, 30p (FHD: 20Mbps/MP4)(Sensor Output is 30fps)(AAC)

High Speed Video M ode:

1920 x 1080 pixels, 30p (FHD: MP4) (Sensor Output is 120fps)

We have an increase in resolution for the ZS100 in slow motion from 720p to 1080p at full 120fps.  It omits higher frame rates at lower resolutions and it seems a missed opportunity to unleash 240fps at 720p in this camera or even higher frame rates at VGA resolution.   Still full 1080p at 120fps is not bad.

MSRP $699.99 

Estimated ship date is Mid – March 2016!

 

HSC- It is good to see Panasonic up the ante in resolutions to 4k in smaller less expensive camera hardware. At the same time not ignoring slow motion altogether makes it stand as an option. No match for Sony’s RX series but it is at least something.

There will be more from CES in the coming days regarding slow motion.  It seems high frame rates are here to stay in product lines. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Announcements, Camera News, Media Showcase

Panasonic FZ300 Offers Low End Hi Speed!

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PanasonicFZ300

Panasonic introduced this week the Lumix DMC-FZ300 splash and dust-proof FZ200 super zoom successor.  It is a mild refresh of it’s previous incarnations which keeps the 24x Optical; 25-600mm equivalent constant aperture F2.8 zoom lens and it’s 12MP Live MOS sensor and 5-axis hybrid IS .  It does have a new Venus engine processor, added DFD Autofocus, better high ISO and 4k video.

Video Features Highlights:

High Speed Video enables recording subject with fast motion at 120 fps (NTSC / HD) 720p or 240 fps (VGA) 480p, while Time Lapse /Stop Motion Animation are also available.

Panasonic FZ300 Promo Video:

  • Motion pictures with their file size set to [FHD], [HD] or [VGA] in [MP4]: Recording stops when the continuous recording time exceeds 29 minutes and 59 seconds or the file size exceeds 4GB.
    – Since the file size becomes larger with [FHD], recording with [FHD] will stop before 29 minutes 59 seconds.
  • Motion pictures with their file size set to [4K] in [MP4]:
    Recording stops when the continuous recording time exceeds 29 minutes and 59 seconds.
    – You can continue recording without interruption even if the file exceeds 4GB, but the motion picture will be recorded and played back in separate files.
  • The LUMIX FZ300 is capable of recording smooth, high-resolution QFHD 4K video in 3840×2160 at 30p (60Hz) or 24p in MP4.

Price MSRP $599.00

HSC’s Take:

The Panasonic FZ300 is a fine super zoom camera with a constant f2.8 aperture lens which now offers 4k video capture on the same 1/2.3″ 12MP BSI CMOS Sensor as the FZ200 it replaces. The low light ability and dynamic range for the 12MP sensor are good but not stellar and while the lens is fast it will be severely limited by the tiny sensor compared to even 1″ Sensor cameras.

As a high speed tool the camera with only 120fps 720p HD mode makes it a non contender for the price range with options with better larger sensors and higher resolution frame rates.   If you need a travel camera this is an all around option now with 4k capture which for this price range is a steal compared to other options.

A Sony RX10 II while a much shorter zoom range and much more expensive price is a better value for high speed and all around image capture with a large sensor and frame rates up to 250fps at near 1080p resolution.

Panasonic FZ300 Preview by Imaging Resource Here!

One More Thing…

Panasonic also introduced the Lumix DMC-GX8 which is the successor of the GX7 –  M4/3 camera. It is a nice upgrade that paves the way for a new 20MP sensor with in body 5 axis stabilization coupled with lens OIS for Lumix 43 cameras including an upcoming GH5 that might use the same technology; This is a real breakthrough in stabilization technology as both the sensor motion and lens elements can compensate camera shake and motion for ultra stable shooting. It will be interesting to see what it looks like in teh real world but it is certainly very promising and a real selling point for Lumix Glass.  It has no high speed mode above 60fps at 1080p so HSC will not cover the Panasonic GX8 further as a slow motion option.

Dual Stabilizer on the GX8 MFT Camera:

Amazon has the Panasonic FZ300 for pre order today – Estimated Delivery: Aug. 18 – Sept. 2