Tag Archives: BSI

Announcements, Camera News, Development, Hardware Development, Rumors, Science

Canon New Cinema Camera Will do 240fps in 4k!

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Canon it seems is thinking 3 steps ahead of everyone else when it comes to pro 8k video.  After being left behind in the adoption of 4k and playing catch up to the format, they seem intent on making their cameras the new 8k default option with specs that seem out of a dreamer’s wish list.  Be warned that these cameras will probably start at $10k USD and go up from there. The low end should be about 10k to $15k for the C300s at the low end, and the high end a $30k price tag for a C700DR.  

The most impressive of the new rumored cameras is the Canon EOS C700DR (DR Stands for Dynamic Range) which will be capable of recording 4k not just at 120fps but a class-leading 240fps with excellent quality. It also hints at a 180fps mode that will have expanded dynamic range if needed.   It is interesting that 1080p as a slow motion mode is not even considered here but these cameras are geared to a specific market and that is digital cinema which needs much more resolution nowadays than what even 2k can deliver, much less 1080p.  → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Announcements, Articles, Development, Hardware Development, Science

Nikon Stacked CMOS Sensor Will do 1000fps in 4k!

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Nikon Stacked CMOS Sensor

Nikon Japan has been busy creating the next generation of 1″ stacked sensors.  The latest is a 17.84 Megapixel stacked design with hyper-fast memory interconnect that shoots up to 1000fps at 4k resolution which is no slouch. The sensor is still in development but it will be a possibility to see it in a camera that could compete head to head with the Sony RX series which now dominate prosumer P&S sales.  It was announced at ISSCC (International Solid-State Circuits Conference) held in San Francisco, February 15, 2021.

The sensor works by shooting in buckets of 16 x 16 pixels as one block, and then subsequently 264 x 264 pixel blocks (4224 x 4224 pixels) are conformed to form the final image at nearly 18MP.  It is unclear at this time if 4k video will be a windowed resolution or a supersampled then reduced final image from the full sensor.  The market for this sensor goes beyond consumer cameras as it is aimed at other applications like self-driving cars and production lines. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Announcements, Camera News, Hardware Development, Hi Speed Phone Video, Media Showcase, Rumors

Slow Motion News & Rumors July 2018!

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Slow Motion News & Rumors July 2018

The Summer is usually a time of slow product releases with little to show for in the way of new products. That, however, means that the fall product cycle is close by and now releases should be picking up the pace.  We have some rumors and information that may be valuable when considering upcoming high-speed capable devices.

Do note that rumors and speculation are subject to change or be completely incorrect so take a lot of this with a grain of salt. We strive to weed out the most outlandish rumors but concentrate on the most probable technology announcements.

Slow Motion News and Rumors for July 2018!

Galaxy Note 9 May Shoot 960fps for 2x as long as S9!

The latest rumor on the Galaxy Note 9 is that the high-end phone will be able to shoot 960fps for 0.4 seconds instead of 0.2 sec as it is the case of the Galaxy S9.

Galaxy Note 9 Rumored Specs for Slow Motion Mode:
  • 960fps 720p for 384 frames or 12.8 seconds playback at 30p!
  • 480fps 720p for 768 frames or 25.6 seconds playback at 30p!

This would require a doubling of the buffer memory for the feature which may mean that it will also be able to shoot 4k 120p if   only for a few seconds but we probably will not see this feature yet as the camera sensor also has to be able to record at that frame rate at UHD resolution which is unlikely.  We hope to see 1080p slow motion be upgraded from 240fps on the Note 9 as an added benefit but it may also be skipped and only allow 720p modes.

How Do Dogs Get up So Fast ? – in 4K Slow Motion by Warped Perception:

In this excellent video by Warped Perception, you are able to see dogs standing up from a completely relaxed position and the leg and body motion associated with the action.  What is the scientific merit for this? For one it may help with building robot quadrupeds that can get up faster from a fall as they regain their center of gravity. This is a really cool use of Slow Motion Footage!

CBS BTS How a Slow Motion Camera Works? 

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/behind-the-scenes-how-does-a-slow-motion-camera-work/

The link above shows a short video made for CBS News 48Hrs with the Phantom Flex 4k. Goes over the very basic aspects of high-speed video recording but also shows some cool footage.

Sony Xperia XZ3 Will use the new 48MP sensor from Sony:

As we speculated in our earlier post about this new IMX586 Sensor, this new part may be used in their flagship Xperia Phone now rumored to be the XZ3.  Slow motion wise it was not very impressive with only 240fps at 1080p as max frame rate there and 480fps at 720p but the ability to shoot 90fps at 4k is enticing.  Rumors now estimate this will be the sensor for the new flagship phone based on the appearance of a single camera module with a hyper-resolution of 48MP for supersampling pixel data.

Ballet Movements in detailed Slow Motion:

You may not see this every day but this video of Ballet being performed while recorded in higher frame rates may make you appreciate the difficulty and perfection associated with the art.

The article at Pointe Magazine Here has the video and details!  

Apple iPhone X Replacement may venture into higher frame rates!

While not a lot of detail has been released, it is rumored that Apple will increase the frame rate capability of the iPhone as well as increase the resolution.  If anything shows up in the high frame rates for the new iPhone 9, X2 or Xs or whatever they may call it, then we expect to have at least 480fps at 720p as an option.  Considering Apple has been a leader in introducing higher frame rates on phones we estimate it will have to up their game for the 2018 announcement to compete with Samsung, Sony, and other handset makers.

Canon and Nikon Mirrorless Cameras May Improve Frame Rates:

The Nikon 1 format was declared dead by Nikon not to long ago but the company will be releasing a full frame mirror-less camera this year see the video below:

The fact that both SLR camera leaders will enter the mirror-less space in a big way soon will probably mean that higher frame rates will be possible with the new technology. We expect 120fps and even 240fps to be present in the first generation of these cameras with the possibility of higher frame rates in a few years. The good news is that companies like Sony and Panasonic will need to offer improved frame rates in their featured specs to have a competitive edge to the behemoths of the camera world.  We would love to see a 480fps capable Panasonic Lumix GH6 or Sony a7 camera that record at least at 1080p.

Panasonic is also releasing a new generation of high end CMOS sensors with global shutter see this report here at Image Sensors World! 

The fact that Panasonic is also entering the BSI CMOS sensor space in a new way bodes well for higher frame rate parts. We will have to wait and see where these new sensors will end up.

iPhone X used to film Hummingbirds Up Close!

Who says you cannot shoot beautiful TV worthy footage with your iPhone? As the video below shows, adapting a 3rd party lens to the handset you can create truly stunning footage.  Sure you will not get wing motion in beautiful frozen fashion as you may need 1000fps or above to do that but if phones improve we may see these naturalists come up with truly mind bending footage one day all from their pocket devices.

Hummingbirds in Slow Motion – iPhoneX and Moment Lens by The Jungle Diaries:

That is all for now, things will start to heat up when it comes to camera announcements as the Summer draws to a close. Stay tuned and many thanks for your support of HSC by visiting our affiliate links and banners you make this site possible! -HSC

Announcements, Availability, Camera News, Featured, Media Showcase

Panasonic TZ200 does 1080p 120fps!

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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 ←

Development, Hardware Development, Rumors, Slowmo Samples

Samsung Exynos Camera Rumor With Super Slow Motion!

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Samsung Exynos Camera

The folks at Mirrorless Rumors have a new story based on an anonymous source that claims to know information about a super camera being tested at Samsung’s labs that can do among other things 480fps at 1080p resolution.  Its also claimed to be 4k 120fps ready and using the Exynos 9810 SoC which is reserved for their high-end phones up to now.

These claims are too detailed and too extraordinary to be believed but the Exynos Chip should be able to process all of that data.  The Rumor also states that it will be an APS-C chip with ISOCELL Technology on a stacked design capable of 30.1 Megapixels or 6720*4480px at 30p frame rates. The camera is a prototype according to the source and it is not known if it will be released as a real product in the future.

Samsung Exynos Camera Rumor Highlights:

  • – Full sensor (6720*4480) @ 30fps
    – 5376*3024 @ 60fps
    – 3840*2160 @ 120fps
    – 2688*1512 @ 240fps
    – 1920*1080 @ 480fps
  • – full width of the sensor is used up to 480fps 
  • -Dual Pixel AF System with Phase detection
  • Accelerometer-based shutter
  • H.265 codec
  • Up to 120fps should be full sensor read-out, 2.7K and 1080p at higher frame-rates is 2×2 pixel binning and then down-sampling
  • Full rumor specs here: https://www.mirrorlessrumors.com/good-true-high-end-samsung-aps-c-camera-based-exynos-9810-soc/

Our Take:

When you get outlandish rumors with a list of features that leapfrog everything in the current camera landscape you have to remain a skeptic.  However, the frame rates touted are already possible my much lesser processors out there but they have to be paired with super fast RAM buffers in the several GB range and record for very limited time frames.

Super Slow Motion Movie Taken by 3-layer Stacked CMOS Image Sensor with DRAM by Sony:

A Samsung camera with those specs would need a huge stacked sensor cache module and a secondary memory module in the 16-32GB range for just a few seconds or record time.  We also have to expect a sensor with that many pixels to be full of rolling shutter distortion unless they have implemented a Sony RX like electronic shutter 1/32000 which could be also possible.

What is the Exynos 9810 – Gary explains by  Android Authority: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

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

Panasonic GH5s Boosts High ISO dumps IBIS!

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Panasonic GH5s

So the rumors proved to be accurate on the GH5s and now we have a low light version of the GH5 that can shoot cleanly up to ISO 12,800 with up to 100k ISO and by then a much noisier picture. It is claimed by Panasonic that there was a 1.5 stop improvement in noise performance.  Judging by the initial video samples it is clear that the new 10.28MP sensor along with dual native ISO circuitry for each photosite “one at ISO 400” and “one at ISO 2400” make a huge performance leap if low light is desired in a m43 camera.

All is not rosy in Lumix land however as the camera now lacks IBIS or In Built Image Stabilization on the sensor which was a main selling point of both the GH5 and the G9.  Panasonic claims that it was a decision made to cater to filmmakers that need no wobble or vibrations in a shot that can be produced when the stabilizer fails. But why not just add an On-Off switch? 1080p 240fps is also included in the camera but as initial samples show it reduces quality substantially.

Panasonic Lumix GH5S Main Specs:

  • 10.28MP Multi-Aspect Ratio MOS Sensor
  • DCI Cinema 4K – 50-60p 
  • Full HD 1080p 240fps Slight Crop!
  • Internal 4:2:2 10-Bit Long GOP
  • V-Log L Gamma and HDR Hybrid Log Gamma
  • 0.76x 3.68m-Dot OLED Viewfinder
  • 3.2″ 1.62m-Dot Free-Angle Touchscreen
  • Dual Native ISO 400 and ISO 2500
  • Dual UHS-II SD Slots; Wi-Fi & Bluetooth
  • Advanced DFD AF System
  • 12 fps Cont. Shooting and 4K PHOTO Modes
  • MSRP $2,499.99 USD -Pre Order Here!
  • Release Date End of January-Start February 2018!

Panasonic GH5S Video Hands-On – Highlights of the New Camera by cinema5D:

GH5s VFR Slow Motion performance?

As you can see from the excellent first look video above by Cinema 5D the video quality in low light is very much improved from the GH5 and G9. However, the slow motion at 240fps is full of resolution loss, jaggies, and moire which is to be expected as information is being thrown out to cope with the data rate.  This begs the question so what does it look like up to 190fps which is the limit before the VFR mode starts to crop the image. We estimate that it may actually do better than the GH5 and G9 at 190fps and below in which those two other cameras suffer resolution loss as well.  It will be interesting to see if the 180-190fps GH5s is excellent quality. There might be something to cheer here for high frame rate enthusiasts.

Panasonic LUMIX GH5S – Variable Frame Rate (VFR) for Impressive Slow Motion by PanasonicLumixVideo: → Continue Reading Full Post ←