Tag Archives: lenses

Black Friday Cyber Monday Slow Motion Camera Deals 2018!

It is that time of the year again where we search the web for great camera deals and pass our research along. There have been dozens of price drops across the camera world and it is very encouraging to see gear being democratized for the holdout consumer that wanted to wait for better value for money. We focus on high-speed imaging cameras and accessories which weeds out the rest of the deals out there unrelated for this endeavor.

It is also a way to help this website survive by clicking on our links so we get a small commission at no cost to you.  Be it any product listed below or by clicking and buying your favorite products we are thankful for your support.  This way we can continue to bring you our best slow motion gear advice and reviews. Be sure to also visit our HSC Camera Guide which has recently been updated with dozens of new cameras ranked by performance over price.  Continue reading for our gear deal picks! → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Panasonic S Series Could Taper Slow Motion Curve!

Panasonic S Series

The announcement of the Panasonic S series is a complete acceptance that smaller m4/3 sensors are not the future but the past. As now Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Sony, Leica and now Panasonic have shifted priorities to Full Frame Sensors as mirrorless has allowed the smaller form factor without compromising low light performance and absolute stills image quality.  Fuji is also going strong on Medium Format stills oriented cameras like the new portable GFX 50R which meshes a rangefinder camera with a huge MF sensor.

The move by Panasonic, which had been leading in mirrorless frame rates in continued recording with their Lumix GH5 and GH5s Series up to 240fps 1080p,  will now focus on larger sensors that produce more heat and may be much slower to read at high speeds.  Sony has so far been able to only have 120fps 1080p recording in their a7 series for example.  If the Panasonic S1 at 24MP can only do 120fps 1080p which is still unknown, it will not bode well for slow motion frame rates for some time. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

FRAN​ Camera by CINEMARTIN Promises 8k and High Frame Rates!

FRAN Camera 8k

The newly announced CINEMARTIN FRAN 8K Camera claims some huge numbers in terms of resolution and performance.  Up to 8K (8000×6000) RAW / Uncompressed 12 Bit video capture at 24fps and up to 96fps in 2k & 1080p for high frame rates but more on that later in this post.  There is only one image of the camera we were provided with and that is the RED Brain like rendering above which sports a mounting port which in the lab is fitted with a Canon EF Mount which is preferred among cinema oriented users especially if it is an active one.

FRAN also offers in the spec sheet 15.5 stops of dynamic range at 12 bit which competes directly with the best cinema cameras out there. CINEMARTIN claims the camera will come in below the competition in price while offering a true global shutter sensor with no rolling shutter distortion.   Using a 4/3 sized sensor at 50MP with 48MP being used for 8k Capture it may seem overkill when it comes to low light performance. It may be able to deliver resolution levels never before seen on cinema cameras but low-light will surely be a hurdle for the camera to overcome. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

ZENMUSE X7 By DJI has 3.9k 60p!

Zenmuse X7

DJI has announced the Zenmuse X7 camera for the Inspire 2 Professional Drone.  The camera shoots in Cinema DNG RAW which allows for the utmost quality for the demanding videographer with up to 60fps at 3.9k resolution. Interestingly it does not support 4k at that frame rate as probably there is a hardware limitation for that last few rows of pixels to be saved at that quality.

Of note is the 4k DCI spec up to 30p and ability to shoot and save in Apple ProRes in 4k and 2k with more option in H.264 and the newer H.265 codecs.  The biggest deal, however, is the ability to shoot 6k in DNG format at 6K: 6016×3200, 23.976/24/25/29.97/30p, 12-bit, full FOV.  This is a first for a drone camera of this size and should be the ideal format for ultra resolution seekers. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Hasselblad True Zoom Signaling the Future?

Hasselblad True Zoom moto mods

The recently announced Hasselblad True Zoom is an add on module for the Moto Z + Moto Mods™ smartphone platform which lets you add modules to your already very capable phone to increase it’s feature set.  A Pico Projector, a much larger battery, a JBL speaker set and now the Hasselblad True Zoom 10x Optical zoom are the current back plate options for this new ecosystem.

What may look like a gimmick to some; it may be the advent of a personalized and very powerful experience for the future of smartphone use. What if you could add the advantages of a larger camera sensor and higher frame rates with built in processing to your phone when needed. What if you could add a built in microscope back plate to the phone for biologists on the field or a sensor module for tracking scientific concepts with the phone as a central part of experiments. The sky seems to be the limit here. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

RED Scarlet-W Brings 150fps in 4k!

ScarletW2

The RED Scarlet has always had a stigma to it since inception. It was supposed to be a 3k camera for 3k USD back when it was planned. With a fixed lens and slow motion capabilities all while shooting REDCode RAW video. That camera never materialized and in turn the Red Scarlet with modularity was born. Not quite an Epic but also a lot more expensive than the original promise.  It however delivered the image quality promised but not in the slow motion front. That is however until today with the Scarlet-W camera.

It has a 5K Full Frame (5120 x 2700)  RED Dragon sensor with a 16.5 stops of dynamic range. That is some of the best DR numbers quoted for a motion digital camera. However the Slow Motion aspects of this Scarlet W camera are of note and the following specs should get your attention if you are on the market and have 10k USD for a body and 6k for the needed accessories to shoot with it in a ready package. → Continue Reading Full Post ←