Tag Archives: kit

Chronos Camera m43 Lens Adapter with Speedbooster Support!

The two existing Chronos cameras, the 1.4c 720p at 1502fps & the Chronos 2.1 -HD 1t 1080p 1000fps are identical when seen from the outside but very different inside as they contain different sensor and memory boards. However one constant is that both use the C mount as the default for lens adapters. The camera usually comes with a Canon EF or Nikon F mount adapter depending on the buyer preference which screws on the C mount thread and allows for support of classic lenses from Macro to telephoto. 

One request from the community has been the support for other lens mounts like Micro 4/3ds which lets you adapt a variety of lens mounts and the much coveted speedbooster adapters which allow a 1 f-stop improvement in light gathering for micro 4/3ds systems. Today Krontech, the company behind the Chronos high-speed camera is introducing a passive Micro 4/3rds adapter for both the Chronos 1.4c and 2.1-HD and uses the body screw terminals near the lens thread mount to place a solid connection that allows such lenses. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

DJI Ronin 4D Delivers Cinematic Stabilized Slow Motion!

In what could be called a new paradigm or class of camera, DJI the drone maker has launched a couple of cinema full-frame cameras geared to professional productions that merge their Ronin gimbal products with their Drone pro Zenmuse cameras to create a massively appealing system for pros and enthusiasts that want no compromise stabilization with enough image quality to be able to use them in professional productions for TV and film.  The pricing at just over 11.5k for the 8k version and 7.2k for the 6k version is small potatoes for movie and TV studios but might put off some buyers. 

It is of note that a fully working system bundle is assembled at that price which is much better than other options. It includes the Gimbal, camera and body, 1TB SSD M.2 card, battery, touch screen and cabling. In cinema systems like RED and ARRI this is just the brain or camera body with everything else being added on top as ancillary costs. The frame rates on these cameras are limited to 120fps as the highest at 4k and 75fps at 8k.  They might not be huge but the quality and stabilization should make them quite useful.  → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Panasonic Lumix DC-G100 120fps Slowmo Full HD and why to avoid it!

Panasonic Lumix DC-G100 120fps Slowmo

The new trend this year is the selfie mirrorless camera being bundled so that Youtube and other social media Vloggers get a camera that can easily capture what they need with little fuzz. It is no secret that camera sales are in free fall and companies will try to market anything and everything to get some sales. Such is the case with the Panasonic Lumix G100. It has a very nice microphone, a diminutive body, a terrific bright day screen, and a very portable and good enough image from a micro 4/3 sensor.

So why all this negativity? Well for a camera that wants to compete with the smaller 1″ sensor but better overall featured Sony ZV-1 with excellent dual pixel tracking AF; the G100 is limited in a variety of ways. The 5x stabilization will only work in 1080p and be only electronic in 4k.  4k itself only lasts 10 minutes which is very constrained for 2020, maybe for 2016 as a spec but not 4 years later. Dig in for more info!

Panasonic Lumix DC-G100 Main specs:

  • 20.3MP Digital Live MOS Sensor  m4/3
  • 5184 x 3888 maximum resolution
  • UHD 4K30p Video, Pre-Installed V-Log L (10min limit)
  • 5-Axis Hybrid Image Stabilization (1080p Only)
  • OZO Audio with Subject Tracking
  • ISO 200 to 25600 (Extended: 100 to 25600)
  • Video Modes: MP4 4:2:0 8-Bit
  • UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 23.976p/29.97p (10min)
  • Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 29.97p/59.94p
  • Slow Motion 120fps Full HD Mode-
  • 12 to 32mm Lens kit included
  • MSRP: $747.99 with lens and tripod included

For a camera and lens combo under $750 USD it may seem like a pretty good package but when you dig in the details it becomes apparent that you are getting a subpar kit that could have been so much better.

What about Slow Motion?

The video below by Gordon Laing shows a sample of the slow motion on the camera that is very good and will give you a good indication of the per-pixel quality. It is also a very complete review with AF tests and the audio modes.

Panasonic Lumix G100 review vs ZV1 M50 G90 G95 by Gordon Laing:

The full HD 120fps looks to be on par with other Lumix cameras which is not bad but it is also way below others in their line of cameras like 180fps and 240fps which is not even a choice here.

As a slow motion camera, it is competitive with other 120fps cameras in full HD but not much else. We cannot recommend it over other options like the Sony RX series that can do 240fps in near full HD (See Here) with pretty good results.

Other things:

The stabilization which is essential for blogging is limited in the 5 axis mode to 1080p which is ridiculous, you get electronic image shift stabilization for 4k and a 10-minute recording limit on that mode which is very much a non-starter for vloggers.

Ozo audio in the video above is really the most interesting feature of this camera and something we hope to see in the Lumix line from now on. The omnidirectional microphones allow the camera to estimate the location of the person speaking and link the face detection autofocus algorithm so it stays sharp during recording even when you move out of the frame and back in.

The AF technology used is DFD or Depth from Defocus which is used in the Lumix line of cameras and while excellent for still images it still can’t compete directly with dual pixel AF from other brands that use contrast and Phase detection along with object and animal/people tracking to be very consistent in the video modes. DFD has a hit and miss that is hated by many and a clear let down by today’s AF standards, especially for Vlogging.

Panasonic G100: Hands-on look at a lightweight multimedia powerhouse by imagingresource → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Octopus Cinema Camera Upgradeable Slow Motion Kit?

Octopus Cinema Camera Upgradeable Slow Motion

The recently announced Octopus Cinema Camera with a modular sensor, mount, and other components could, in theory, become a customizable professional solution slow motion camera that is unencumbered by firm specs but by a fluid and upgradeable sensor and component path.  The Axiom camera is also something akin to this but has yet to ship. The Octopus has in prototype form been fitted with a 4/3 sensor capable of up to 240fps in 2k RAW and a full-frame that allows 3k up to 100fps.

The body looks eerily similar to Phantom cameras with the white machined exterior with fans and ports protruding the body.  While 240fps at 2k is not what we could call really professional slow motion, it is based on an open architecture in hardware and software that could window the sensor down and possibly offer more frame rates at 1080p and 720p for maybe a 480fps RAW capture in HD.

Octopus Cinema Camera Specs:

The 4/3 sensor is the Sony IMX253 which offers a global shutter mode and high frame rate support. You can read more about this sensor here: Sony IMX 253 information. This sensor should be able to record 480fps at HD 720p if the camera is programmed to do it.

At 4/3 you get 240fps at 2k which will probably allow that at 1080p which is not bad considering you get 12 bit RAW DNG capture. You can also save in HEVC h.265 codec at up to 900mbits/sec which is a great option.

The full frame sensor will be the CMV20000 (Information here) which is a pretty advanced 20MP sensor allowing 5k capture at up to 48fps.  This sensor will be geared more for cinema people while the 4/3 would cater markets for TV, Web, and documentary. For slow motion, it is clear the 4/3 sensor makes more sense.

We can already fantasize of another sensor option that allows higher frame rates and a possibility to program the camera to be a true slow motion powerhouse with pre-record, post-triggering and remote monitoring.

Sample footage Samples Low Light in B&W at normal frame rate:

“INTERCHANGEABLE SPECIALIST IMAGE SENSORS

XIMEA provide a range of high-performance imaging modules which can be interchanged allowing the OCTOPUS CAMERA to have a fully upgradable image sensor.

Specialist sensors available include specifications such as full-frame 35mm, Global Shutter, native Monochrome and more.”

The power of a platform like this is based on what you can do with the customizability. If you could place a 2000fps 1080p sensor, for example, you could have a very capable production camera that really shoots slow video that can be analyzed professionally.

“UPGRADEABLE OPEN-PLATFORM HARDWARE
The OCTOPUS CAMERA uses the compact Intel® NUC as the processing board. Components can be removed and upgraded including the board itself when newer boards are available.”

Since the main component board is also upgradeable you can, in theory, get a board full of fast DDR memory for loop record at a fraction of the cost of a phantom camera.

The big If!

All this sounds great but the release date for the initial camera is sometime in 2020 with no price mentioned. The amount of work this camera needs to become a reality is pretty huge. Projects like the Axiom have thousands of hours of work by really incredible people and has yet to ship in final form.

The Octopus team is small according to information on the web and there is only a prototype product shown.  We saw the Fran camera go down in flames with big promises just recently and there is no reprieve when you mess up in the camera business.

We wish the Octopus team much success and hope to see a high frame rate sample or better yet, a module of sensor and board that shoots 1000fps or more in the future.  A camera like this could allow for an upgradeable slow motion camera system that grows as fast as technology allows, making it a first in the high speed market. Disruption could be the best thing in slow motion gear or just a spark that fizzles out by bad execution. Lets hope is the former. -HSC

You can find more information about Octopus Cinema Camera at the official website. http://octopuscinema.com 

They also have a mailing list to get updates at the same site.

Fujifilm X-T3 Slow Motion Samples!

Fujifilm X-T3 Slow Motion

Fujifilm continues to further evolve their high-end mirrorless offerings by releasing the X-T3 which is a souped-up X-T2 with much of what was missing like 4k 60p and a new  X-Trans Sensor now with 2 more megapixels and lower base ISO of 160. The new camera also has a touchscreen with the ability to use up to 425 Phase and Contrast hybrid Autofocus points which is their most advanced AF yet.

Others will point out to the new blackout-free burst shooting much like that in the Sony high end a9 for example. What is really remarkable here is that the 4k 60p mode is 10 bit 4:2:0 vs 8 bit on competitors, as to what big advantage that will be remains to be seen considering 4:2:0 is not exactly ideal. For slow motion fans, the camera now records 120fps 1080p at 200Mbps bs 100Mbps on the X-T2

Fujifilm X-T3 Main Specs:

  • 26.1MP APS-C X-Trans BSI CMOS 4 Sensor
  • X-Processor 4 with Quad CPU
  • UHD 4K60 Video 10 bit; F-Log Gamma & 10-Bit Out
  • No 4k Crop up to 30fps but 60p  1.15x crop
  • 120fps Full HD at 200Mbps 1.2x Crop
  • 2.16m-Point Phase-Detection Autofocus
  • 0.75x 3.69m-Dot OLED Viewfinder
  • 3.0″ 1.04m-Dot Tilting LCD Touchscreen
  • Extended ISO 80-51200, 30 fps Shooting
  • Bluetooth and Wi-Fi; Sports Finder Mode
  • Weather-Sealed Magnesium-Alloy Body
  • XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS Lens
  • Same  NP-126S battery as X-T2 with better life at 390 shots vs 340 on X-T2!
  • MSRP: $1500 / £1350 / €1530

Fujifilm X-T3 Slow Motion Samples:

With a new sensor and new processing plus the advent of better bitrates and codecs the X-T3 should do much better at retaining detail in slow motion footage and 4k.  The crop factor being lower than the X-T2 is also a good update. In our view, the X-T2 was a good camera but suffered from recycling sensor technology and rolling shutter. The X-T3 aims at fixing all of this by bringing a new sensor with better low light and speedier capture which were expected for Fuji to remain competitive. The Panasonic GH5 and GH5s are the direct competitors to this camera and Fuji for many will be the easier choice because of their much improved AF and the Eterna color simulation which for video looks extremely cinematic right out of the box.   The larger sensor also makes a difference. That, however, doesn’t mean it matches the GH series yet for the variety of video formats and features which is still unmatched.

We have gathered the few slow-motion samples we could find for the X-T3. We consider it to be directly competitive with Panasonic and Sony at 120fps with excellent color and detail retention.  Fuji did a great 120fps full HD camera on the X-T3.

Fuji XT3 120FPS 1080P by Focused on Eternity:

Fujifilm Xt-3 Video Test 120fps | FLog | 1080p by William Pavli: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

AXIOM Beta Camera Kit in Production!

AXIOM Beta

The Axiom Apertus camera project is progressing forward with the completion of 25 developer Beta kits to backers of the camera. It is a working model without a final case and with ongoing software development. The camera is functional and has a Sony E-Mount at the moment but with the ability to change the mount if needed. The camera color science is being coded by A1ex of magic lantern fame. It will be a possibility to use digital “Film Stocks” at the push of a button to be able to match certain looks.

The footage from the beta camera is quite good with excellent film like characteristics in a 10-13 stop range.  There is a cinema camera feel that is absent from other cheaper camera options in the ILC and DSLR Camps.  The closest look is that from Blackmagic Design’s Cinema camera options.  When it comes to frame rates the Beta camera does 60fps full HD out of the HDMI but not much else.

AXIOM Beta Specs:

Image Sensor 3 different (swappable) sensor modules planned Details
Modules & Shields Single HDMI Full HD (4:4:4) output at up to 60 FPS
3x HDMI Full HD (4:4:4) output at up to 60 FPS each (in development) Details
3x PMOD debug module
LED matrix debug module
Genlock, Trigger, Timecode, LANC shields (in development)
4K Displayport/HDMI (in development)
Features 4K RAW experimental HDMI/Displayport outputs over 1080p60 Details
Remote Control Change/access all camera functions from smartphone, tablet, laptop (Web GUI, Serial console, SSH) and AXIOM Remote
Power Management Voltage, current, temperatures
Wide input voltage range (5-40V)
Motion Tracking 3D Accelerometer, 3D magnetometer and 3D gyroscope e.g. for image stabilization
Swappable Lens Mounts passive E-mount plus adapters for: Passive Nikon F-Mount; passive Canon EF Mount; passive M4/3 Mount (future addition)
Operating System Embedded Linux (Arch Linux)
Hardware Architecture Xilinx Zynq 7020 based MicroZed
Image Processing Look-Up-Tables (LUTs), matrix color conversion, Fixed Pattern Noise (FPN) compensation, false color display, overlays, dead pixel compensation Details

Slow Motion Sensor Aspects:

The AXIOM Beta uses the CMOSIS CMV12000  with the following specs:

Resolution 12MP – 4096(H) x 3072(V)
Pixel size 5.5 x 5.5 μm2
Optical format APS-like
Shutter type Global shutter
Frame rate 300 fps (10 bit)
132 fps (12 bit)

So, in theory, the camera at some point could be able to shoot 300fps in 10bit color space. As to that spec being fulfilled, it is up in the air as the camera is not prioritizing slow motion as it’s main interest. The camera is first and foremost a cinema camera that is completely open source and tweakable.

If the camera can be tweaked in software enough and an implementation of recording to very fast media, in theory, a 300fps full frame 4k image could be extracted in RAW format for a short span of time.  The Camera, however, will probably stay more conservative in the 60-120fps range.

The long term game, however, is for the AXIOM team to make a universal software that could be ported and refined to an upgradeable modular camera that could remain relevant by sensor changes and IO module swaps to remain current.  It is clear the camera has reached a milestone and full production should not be far off. Pricing should remain under €2500  euros of thereabouts.

The video production centric site Cinema5D has made a post and video about the AXIOM Beta here which goes deep into the current estimated development status of the camera software and future changes. Highly recommended to read/watch it!

Visit the article here: https://www.cinema5d.com/apertus-axiom-beta-your-open-source-camera-an-update-and-recent-footage/

Apertus AXIOM Beta Video by cinema5D:

We will continue to cover the AXIOM camera and will post news about it accordingly. Hopefully, it will shoot some high-speed video at some point.  Imagery so far has excellent quality and worthy of making it an option for your production needs once it is out of Beta and a fully shipping product. -HSC

All information about the AXIOM camera project here at the official site: https://www.apertus.org/