Tag Archives: Dual ISO

Sony IMX472-AAJK sensor offers huge frame rates in 4/3ds format!

Sony has released some white paper specs on a new Micro 4/3rds sensor that is as of now, the most advanced ever on the format considering the mix of Backside illumination, Stacked technology and high resolution color at 10 bits on full sensor read outs. The frame rates offered are also quite impressive with up to 1139fps at 0.46 Megapixels or 1760px Horizontal x 262px Vertical on the fastest range and 121fps at the full sensor area read-out at 20.9MP.

The Panasonic GH6 is coming later this year and it is estimated that this new sensor is actually the one that will be used on that camera. If Lumix technology can make full use of the sensor specs even for small fractions of time, we could have a killer slow motion mass produced camera.  The VFR mode on Panasonic Lumix cameras has always been more than acceptable and they could breathe new life into the format if these sensor specs are used to their fullest. We expect at least 1080p at 240fps which will be a slightly stretched delivery from the 1760 x 1318 240.2fps mode listed on the sensor specs → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Lumix GH6 will do 120fps 4k & maybe more!

Lumix GH6 Panasonic

Panasonic unveiled in May the GH5 Mark II which is a slight refresh of the venerable m4/3rds GH5 with live streaming, better dynamic range in video, better AF algorithms, and slightly better IS on a very similar body with just a few cosmetic red buttons and rings for refresh purposes.  The slow motion remains at 180fps VFR at 1080p and 60p at 4k on the GH5 II since it is using the same sensor and imaging engine. It is a better overall camera than the original but a mild refresh nonetheless. 

That brings us to the pre-announced GH6 which is an in-development camera that aims to refresh the entire Micro 4/3ds line in Panasonic and aimed at professional video users.  It sports a new sensor, new imaging engine, new body and new technologies yet to be disclosed.  According to rumors, this camera should be able to keep micro 4/3rds alive for another five years delivering an array of video and photo features that will set it apart much like the original GH5 carved a place in camera history. We have also received rumored specs that may or may not pan out regarding frame rates which we find somewhat credible.  → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Panasonic Lumix BGH1 Slow Motion at 240fps is good!

Panasonic Lumix BGH1 Slow Motion

The Panasonic Lumix BGH1 is a strange camera if you are used to DSLR or Mirrorless camera body styles. It is tiny and full of connections with no screen unless you provide one via a computer that is tethered or an HDMI field monitor.  It uses the same dual ISO sensor found on the Panasonic Lumix GH5s which is a very good low light camera in a Micro 4/3ds package.  The BGH1 has a better internal recording set of options than the GH5s but it is more intended as a tethered studio solution with the addition of Genlock synch and SDI out.

The camera also has VFR or a Variable frame rate mode which is identical to the Lumix GH5s as it records from 1fps to 240fps in Full HD 1080p and delivers pretty good performance up to 200fps then lowers the quality along with providing a small added crop to the image at 225fps and 240fps. It is still not as sharp as regular 1080p video and the codec is saved at a lower bit rate but having 240fps as an option is great.

Panasonic LUMIX BGH1 Video Specs:

Video Modes: AVC-Intra/AVC-LongG/H.264 Long GOP/H.265/MOV 4:2:2 10-Bit:
4096 x 2160p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (100 to 400 Mb/s)
3840 x 2160p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (100 to 200 Mb/s)
3328 x 2496p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (100 to 400 Mb/s)
1920 x 1080p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (100 to 200 Mb/s)
AVC-Intra/AVC-LongG/H.264 Long GOP/H.265/MOV 4:2:0 8-Bit:
4096 x 2160p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (100 to 150 Mb/s)
3840 x 2160p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (100 to 150 Mb/s)
3328 x 2496p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (100 to 150 Mb/s)
1920 x 1080p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (100 Mb/s)
AVC-Intra/AVC-LongG/H.264 Long GOP/H.265/MP4 4:2:2 10-Bit:
3840 x 2160p at 23.98/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (72 to 100 Mb/s)
AVC-Intra/AVC-LongG/H.264/H.264 Long GOP/H.265/MP4 4:2:0 8-Bit:
3840 x 2160p at 23.98/25/29.97 fps (100 Mb/s)
1920 x 1080p at 23.98/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (24 to 28 Mb/s)VFR Mode 1-240fps Full HD 1080p (24 to 28 Mb/s) 

As you can see, the camera is capable of recording up to 60fps in 10 bit 4:2:2 internally which is better than other m4/3 lumix cameras that top out at 4:2:0 color space in this mode.

Of note is that the VFR Panasonic Lumix BGH1 Slow Motion mode is limited in bit rate from 24Mbits/sec to 28Mbits/sec which is passable but hardly ideal since the image is more compressed.  The quality of the VFR should be identical to the GH5s and the sample below by the great youtube reviewer Richard Wong you can see the softness associated with 240p in VFR.  We are told that up to 200fps the image looks a bit better and there is no crop associated with it.

Pretty In-Depth Panasonic Lumix BGH1 by Richard Wong: 

As you can see in the excellent in-depth review above, the camera has Auto Focus that is pretty similar to the other cameras in the Lumix line and suffers from the same pulsating qualities of the DfD Depth from Defocus algorithm used by Panasonic. We are no fans of it for video even when it has improved a lot. For AF to work reliably you need to have dual Pixels in the sensor with Phase and contrast-detection like those on systems from Canon or Sony.

The camera is very small and it is ideal for drones that can carry the 545g of the body plus a lens.  At $1,997.99 at Adorama Camera it is about the same price as a Panasonic S5 which is a full-frame camera that delivers even better performance in low light and has a photo mode and screen.  The S5 in our view is a better overall camera for the majority of people but the BGH1 is geared to a different market altogether.

You could build a studio with them as they have Genlock timecode sync and SDI out which is what you want for tethering many of these cameras together. The uses for a camera like this are plenty considering its great low light performance and beautiful image with 13 stops of Dynamic Range when Shooting V-Log L.

Pricing and availability:

Panasonic LUMIX BGH1 – Review – Unboxing the box camera by extrashot: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6k has 120fps!

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6k

The folks at Blackmagic design are at it again when it comes to destroying spec sheets compared to price. The BMPCC 4k was already one of the best-reviewed and popular choice among budget filmmakers that needed excellent quality and dynamic range. At only $1,295 that camera was a smash hit but had only a four thirds (4/3) sensor which was not ideal in size and required speed booster adapters to get the needed depth of field to simulate an S35 image.

Now the BMPCC 6k  ($2,495.00) with EF Canon mount comes in with a  full APS-C sensor with dual ISO characteristics like before but with the added imager size and full electronic lens support for EF glass.  It would have been in our view ideal to use an electronic mount with shorter flange like the Sony Alpha or the new Canon RF mount so you could adapt even more lens combinations but they are catering to a large installed base of glass owners.

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6k Specs:

Recording Modes ProRes 422HQ: 
4096 x 2160 at 23.98/24/25/29.97/30/50/59.94/60 fps (24.25 to 117.88 MB/s)
3840 x 2160 at 23.98/24/25/29.97/30/50/59.94/60 fps (22.4 to 110 Mb/s)
1920 x 1080p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/30/50/59.94/60/120 fps (27.5 MB/s)
ProRes 422: 
4096 x 2160 at 23.98/24/25/29.97/30/50/59.94/60 fps (78.63 MB/s)
3840 x 2160 at 23.98/24/25/29.97/30/50/59.94/60 fps (73.6 MB/s)
1920 x 1080p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/30/50/59.94/60/120 fps (18.4 MB/s)
ProRes 422LT: 
4096 x 2160p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/30/50/59.94/60 fps (54.63 MB/s)
3840 x 2160 at 23.98/24/25/29.97/30/50/59.94/60 fps (51 MB/s)
1920 x 1080p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/30/50/59.94/60/120 fps (12.75 MB/s)
ProRes 422 Proxy: 
4096 x 2160 at 23.98/24/25/29.97/30/50/59.94/60 fps (24.25 MB/s)
3840 x 2160 at 23.98/24/25/29.97/30/50/59.94/60 fps (22.4 MB/s)
1920 x 1080p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/30/50/59.94/60/120 fps (5.6 MB/s)

Image Sensor

Image Sensor Size 23.1 x 12.99 mm (Super35)
Sensor Type CMOS
Sensor Resolution 6144 x 3456
Shutter Type Rolling Shutter
ISO 100 to 25,600 (Expanded)
Advertised Dynamic Range 13 Stops

Dual Native ISO 400 & 3200 ISO to 25,600

Camera

Lens Mount Canon EF
Lens Communication Yes
Built-In ND Filter None
Built-In Microphone Type Stereo
Recording Media 1 x CFast 2.0 Card Slot
1 x SDXC UHS-II Card Slot

External Recording

Video Output 4:2:2 10-Bit via HDMI: 1920 x 1080p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/30/50/59.94/60 fps 
Raw Output USB: 
6144 x 3456 at 23.98/24/25/29.97/30/50 fps 
6144 x 2560 at 23.98/24/25/29.97/30/50/59.94/60 fps 
5744 x 3024 at 23.98/24/25/29.97/30/50/59.94/60 fps 

Interfaces

Video Connectors 1 x HDMI Output
Audio Connectors 1 x Mini XLR Mic/Line Level (+48 V Phantom Power) Input
1 x 1/8″ / 3.5 mm Stereo Mic/Line Level Input
1 x 1/8″ / 3.5 mm Stereo Headphone Output
Other I/O 1 x USB Type-C Video Output
1 x 3.5 mm Timecode Input (Shared with 3.5 mm Mic/Line input)
Wireless Interfaces Bluetooth Control

Display

Display Type LCD
Screen Size 5″
Touchscreen Yes
Screen Resolution 1920 x 1080

What about the 120fps?

As you can see the BMPCC 6k camera is capable of recording up to 120fps in 1080p full HD in all flavors of ProRes codec even HQ which will mean impeccable quality if you intend to use that frame rate.  However, you will note that the 120fps mode is a cropped 2X area of the sensor which will effectively double your focal lengths. This is to maintain 1:1 pixel quality in slow motion without introducing artifacts. You will have to forego the APS-C area for 120p and it effectively becomes a 4/3 sensor sized image in slow motion.

The BMPCC 4k also had a crop but that was on top of the already smaller 4/3 sensor so you are getting a larger image here. We estimate image quality to be better on the 6k camera as the 4k version had some softness to the image. You can see in the video below how the Panasonic GH5 is better at slow motion than the BMPCC 4k at 120fps.

Blackmagic Pocket 4k 120 fps vs Panasonic GH5 120fps – Slowmotion battle by Arber Baqaj:

2.8k at 120fps is also an option using Blackmagic RAW codec:

2.8k 17:9 – 2868 x 1512 is also an option for this camera. ProRes will not do this at 2.8k but the Blackmagic RAW codec unleashes the full power of the camera.  We recommend you use their codec to get better specs with this camera. After all 2.8k even with the slightly wider image, trumps full HD if you need stabilization.

Slow Motion samples of the 6k at 120fps:

Neumann Films has already shot with the camera in all frame rates and we are happy to report that the video quality in the 120fps mode at 2.8k is astonishingly good.  It may be the clearest 120p image 1080p and under 3k for under $3,000 USD you may be able to find.

BMPCC 6K Frame Rate Tests by Neumann Films: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Panasonic Lumix S1 180fps Slow Motion Is Pretty Good!

Panasonic Lumix S1 180fps Slow Motion

As it was initially unveiled at Photokina last year, the Panasonic Lumix S1 and S1R cameras are their answer to the domination of larger sensors in stills and video mirrorless cameras. Is there any reason now to buy a Full Frame DSLR when mirrorless is so advanced? The only thing we can think of is to have marginally longer battery life. The mirror is on its last legs and fans better start offloading their lenses if they don’t want to mess with adapters. In the case of Panasonic however, it is not possible to use Lumix  Micro 4/3 lenses on the Leica/Sigma/Panasonic Full Frame L-Mount.

The S1 and S1R will both shoot up to 180fps 1080p video with a crop that may or may not be impactful. Seems the S1R has less crop on 1080p than the video geared S1 which is an odd spec. We will have to wait for more samples and info on the HFR mode to see which of these cameras offers the best slow motion performance. From the limited samples, we can say that the quality looks very good and at least on par with the Lumix GH5 at 120fps.

Panasonic Lumix S1 Main Specs:
  • 24.2MP Full-Frame MOS Sensor
  • Venus Engine Image Processor
  • 5.76m-Dot 0.78x-Magnification OLED LVF
  • 3.2″ 2.1m-Dot Triaxial Tilt Touchscreen
  • UHD 4K60 Video; HDR and 10-Bit Recording
  • 1080p Slow Motion 180fps HFR
  • ISO 100-51200, Up to 9 fps Shooting
  • Contrast-Detect 225-Area DFD AF System
  • Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization – 6 Stops Dual IS
  • Weather-Sealed Construction
  • 96MP High-Res Mode, Dual XQD/SD Slots

The video below by HDblog Italy shows at the 2:04 Time a small sample of 180fps slow motion video.

Panasonic LUMIX S1 e S1R in TEST video: le FULL FRAME da battery by : HDblog it

There is no question that Panasonic is a leader in video quality in mirrorless cameras ever since they shipped the initial GH1 camera. Today the Lumix GH5 and GH5s are some of the most revered video-centric cameras for professionals that opt-in a mirrorless system instead of traditional ENG/EFP style video cameras.

The samples are few because the cameras are still pre-production but it will be a short wait until the beginning of April when these cameras ship to see how they perform.

Panasonic Lumix S1 S1R review hands-on impressions by Gordon Laing: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Canon C700 FF and RED EPIC-W Dual ISO do High Frame Rates!

With NAB 2018 getting near, new announcements are starting to trickle in.  The two newest are the Canon EOS C700 FF Full-Frame Cinema Camera & the RED DIGITAL CINEMA EPIC-W BRAIN with Gemini 5K S35 Sensor.  These two are serious cinema cameras aimed at recording in high-end codec formats and supporting RAW codecs.  Both cameras support higher frame rates but do not offer extreme high speeds like dedicated slow-motion cameras.

In the case of the RED EPIC-W with Gemini S35 sensor, it is the first time RED has used a dual Native ISO sensor like the ones seen on the Panasonic EVA1 and GH5s which have two different native sensitivities to deliver extremely clean footage with the widest dynamic range. Witha claimed 16.5 stops of dynamic range in standard mode & a gain of approximately two stops of light, from 800 to 3200 ISO without increasing the image noise. DPs of all kinds will savor these advances to shoot in dark situations knowing the output will be dependable.

Canon EOS C700 FF Full-Frame Cinema Camera EF & PL Mount Options):

  • 5.9K Full-Frame CMOS Sensor with DAF
  • EF-Cinema Lock Type Mount
  • Dual Pixel AF
  • Triple DIGIC DV 5 Processing
  • XF-AVC and ProRes Recording to CFast 2.0
  • Internal Full-Frame up to 60 fps
  • Internal 4K/Super35 Crop up to 72 fps
  • Internal 2K/Super16 Crop up to 168 fps
  • Selectable Gamma and Log Curves
  • ACES Support
  • External Raw Recording Option (CODEX Box Optional)
  • MSRP $33,000.00 Camera Body
  • Shipping Soon

Introducing the Canon EOS C700 FF – A Full-Frame Digital Cinema Camera by CanonUSA:

The Calling 4K Shot With C700  by Canon: → Continue Reading Full Post ←