Tag Archives: frame rates

iPhone 14 Frame Rates Explored!

It has been a year since the iPhone 13 showed that Apple was in a refinement path for the iPhone line with improved video across the board and the introduction of ProRes recording in 10 bits for some modes. The Slow motion capabilities had been capped at 1080p frame rates since the iPhones of old. The iPhone 14 has the same max 4k frame rate of 60p as the iPhone 13 but the sensor, image processor, and lenses have all been refined and improved. 

Are high frame rates relegated to stay at 1080p forever on the Apple line? It has been 7 years of releases of capped 1080p at 120fps and 240fps with no other frame sizes getting a better spec. Most phones are also restricted but Sony, Huawei, and others have been delivering 120fps in 4k video modes for a couple of years now. The iPhone 14 seems to continue the trend of refinement without blowout frame rates at higher resolutions.  → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Upscaling high speed video to usable Full HD and or 4k!

Our of our readers Chinito Pinoy has shared a pretty remarkable video with us that we would like to share.  It is upscaling of sub HD resolution high-speed video at 240p, 480p and 960p from the Sony RX10 IV at 480 and 960fps and the A7S Mark III at 240fps from Sub HD to 4k UHD. 

→ Continue Reading Full Post ←

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 ←

iPhone 13 is years behind in Slow Motion!

Apple has finally announced the iPhone 13 which may be one of the most underwhelming refreshes of the handset in many years. While there is a lot of new stuff, nothing added is really groundbreaking in the way previous phones have awed when it comes to features in imaging. It is certainly a clear refinement of nearly every aspect of the hardware and software with better low light gathering and a first for a phone the addition of ProRes recording at 1080p and 4k 30p depending on the phone storage spec.

There are neat features like rack focusing which allows for AI-assisted machine learning depth of field selection based on people’s faces whenever their eyes are visible and or enter or exit the frame.  It is kind of gimmicky as it seems to do away with precise manual control of the feature but this is yet to be explored fully by reviewers. When it comes to Slow Motion capture, we have essentially no change for the 4th year in a row! → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra Slow Motion Mode 1920fps Fake?

Xiaomi has surprised this year with now the Mi 11 Ultra phone which is a big step up from the Mi 11 released earlier this year. The huge difference lies in the size of the sensor which is close to a 1″ camera sensor like those found on the Sony RX camera series for example. The phone has two 48MP sensors and a main 50MP sensor for the main camera with a highly protruding camera bump that really screams for a case to be able to balance well on a flat surface.

The slow motion modes on the phone are rumored to be the garden variety with 120fps/240fps 1080p, 60fps 4k, and also a selfie camera that does 720p 120fps which is becoming commonplace. What is really peaking our interest is the 1920fps slow motion mode that is touted by some reviews. It is unclear what the phone is capable time-wise as the specs are still not all there. The samples we have seen show detail loss and the clear signs of interpolation. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Z CAM E2 M4 Slow Motion With Affordable 4k 160fps!

Z CAM E2 M4 Slow Motion

The new Z CAM E2 – M4 Micro 4/3″ sensor cinema 4k camera offers performance that punches way above its own price weight of just $1,499 @ Adorama which is $500 less than the very similar regular Z CAM E2 just lacking Multicam synch support which is a very minor trade off considering the power and benefits you gain.   It has Triple native ISO of  80 / 160 / 800 and 13 stops of DR using their ZLog profile, and 16 stops of DR in WDR mode which does some HDR processing.

The frame rates are also outstanding for such a low-cost camera and while the higher setting requires H.265 encoding which for many is not ideal considering it lowers the bit depth from 10 bits to 8, it offers what many cameras only dream of.  160fps in 4k in beautiful resolution and up to 240fps in 1080p which has very good quality with some compromises.

Z CAM E2 and E2 M4 Main Specs:

  • Dynamic Range13~15 Stops (Z-Log2) / 16 Stops (with WDR activated)
  • Sensor Type4/3″ WDR CMOS Sensor
  • Effective Pixels10.28M
  • Lens MountMicro Four Thirds  19.0 x 13.0 mm
  • Max Variable Frame Rate120 fps for 4096 x 2160 (H.265 only)
    120 fps for 3840 x 2160 (H.265 only)
    150 fps for 4096 x 1728 (H.265 only)
    160 fps for 3840 x 1620 (H.265 only)
    160 fps for 2704 x 1600 (H.265 only)
    59.94 fps for 3696 x 2772 (Apple ProRes & H.265)
    59.94 fps for 3312 x 2760 (Apple ProRes & H.265)
    240 fps for 1920 x 1080 (H.265 only)
  • MediaCFAST 2.0
  • Max Bit RateH.265 / H.264
    300 Mbps for 4096 x 2160 / 3840 x 2160 / 4096 x 1728 / 3840 x 1620 / 3696 x 2772 / 3312 x 2760 / 2704 x 1600
    200 Mbps for 1920 x 1080
    -ProRes
    Please check “Apple ProRes White Paper” for the bit rate of ProRes encoding.
  • 12-Bit ProRes RAW
    10-bit (H.265 & ProRes) & 8-bit (H.264)
  • Triple native ISO 80 / 160 / 800
  • Video EncoderProRes Raw, ProRes 422 HQ / ProRes 422 / ProRes 422 LT / ProRes 422
    ZRAW (partial debayer) / Proxy / H.265 main 10 profile / H.264 high profile
  • Connectivity
  • HDMI
  • HDMI 2.0 Type A (video output up to C4K @60fps)
  • USB USB 3.0 Type C for camera control & data transfer only
  • I/O  10-pin LEMO port for synchronization (requires additional Sync Cable, not included)
  • COM    DB-9 connector, supports RS-232
  • Remote Control  2.5 mm jack socket (Sony LANC compatible)
  • Audio In – 3.5 mm stereo jack socket for active microphone only, or 5-pin LEMO port for dual-channel XLR microphone (requires additional XLR audio connector)
  • Audio-out  3.5 mm stereo jack socket
  • Wi-Fi 802.11n, 2.4G with external antenna port
  • Ethernet  Gigabit Ethernet port for control, setting & live streaming
  • Power  Battery Sony NP-F series compatible (Battery not included)
  • External Power Supply  – DC 12V 5A (4-pin LEMO socket), with LEMO connector and AC/DC power adapter
  • Material  Aluminum Alloy
  • Weight  757 g (without lens)
  • Dimensions (W x H x D) 91.2 mm x 99.2 mm x 89.1 mm (without lens)

So just from a specs point of view we can see the E2 being a real powerhouse with a variety of excellent options for shooters. If you also ad a speedbooster then you get APS-C like performance on a sensor that performs like that of the Panasonic GH5s with excellent quality up to ISO 6400-12800.

Z CAM E2 M4 Slow Motion how good is it?

The slow motion aspects for the Z Cam E2 M4 are class-leading with 160fps at 4k DCI and UHD with what we have confirmed to be pristine quality with no real artifacts besides H.265 compression. You will of course get 8-bit limitations on gradients and single shade subjects like blue skies but for everything else will be more than adequate.  See the beautiful sample below by Ludeman Productions of the E2 shooting in 4k at 160fps H.265.

ZCAM E2: 160p by Ludeman Productions:

When it comes to 240fps there is of course a trade-off that we have seen in the GH5s and other cameras that use this similar sensor design. The color, dynamic range, and frame rates are beautiful but you do get jagged edges on detail segments of the frame and especially lines with the characteristic stair-stepping of aliasing by the fact that the frames are captured by throwing out some lines.  It is still very good and for many users, it will be just as capable but if you value pixel perfection then the 240fps 1080p mode will disappoint purists.  See the samples below to get a sense of the quality offered here.

Z Cam E2 240 FPS Fountain by Newsshooter: → Continue Reading Full Post ←