Tag Archives: Phantom

Phantom TMX 7510 does 76000 fps in HD!

Phantom TMX 7510

The scientists at Vision Research are at it again at their favorite pastime of hyper slow motion gear creation.  The new TMX 7510 Phantom camera is the fastest ever in their arsenal with a mind-bending spec of 75 Gigapixels throughput which is capable of delivering 76,000fps  1 Megapixel resolution or slightly higher than HD at 1280 x 800px.

The camera features the first BSI or Back-side illuminated sensor ever used in a Phantom camera. This allows for much better low-light performance which is crucial for slow motion applications.  The camera tops out at a ridiculous 1.75 million fps frame rate at 1280 x 32px in standard width mode or 640 x 64px in Binned mode.  One second recorded at that speed creates a file that plays back for 972min or just over 16hrs in a 30fps timeline.  Yikes! → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Phantom Slow Motion Camera Used to Study Coughing Reach!

Phantom Slow Motion Camera

Schlieren Imaging has always been a very narrow and specialized field of imaging. It can visualize air perturbations in a fluid-like way that can show the reach in this case of someone’s breath and heat dissipation to see if a mask makes a large enough difference in transmission of infected airborne particles compared to no covering.

By using a Phantom VEO4k 990 slow motion camera at 938fps and a speckled background with specialized angled lighting, researchers were able to test a variety of masks while coughing to see the effects.  You can watch the video posted here and also check out the full study available here if you want to dig deeper. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Slow Motion News August 2019

Slow Motion News

We have a few developments to share in the high speed camera world. Things have been somewhat quiet in the phone front as the high speed component feature was relegated to a footnote in 2019 after a great 2017 and 2018 main spec treatment. We may get much better phone slow motion as memory size and speed increases while maintaining the same price range thanks to the fast pace of electronics development.

Sony just announced their latest RX VII camera which means that an RX10 and maybe a new RX VA version will show up before the year is over.  We were not happy with the feature being stagnant in resolution and speed on the RX series for 3 years in a row now. Sure AF and overall speed have increased when it comes to other parts of the camera but the high frame rates remain frozen in 2016 specs.  In the meantime, we have a few new things to show you.

Slow Motion News August 2019:

iX Cameras releases i-SPEED 5 SERIES of Full HD professional slow motion cameras.

iX cameras has now released the brochure and spec info for a new Full HD camera line composed of the (508, 510 & 513)  that are capable of recording up to 6,382 fps in Full HD and up to 1 million fps on the lowest resolution.

508 Specs:

  • 3,980 fps @ 1920×1080
  • 1,000,000 fps Max Frame Rate
  • 18/36/72/96/144 GB RAM Memory
  • Mono ISO 8,500D (sat) / 68,000D (sat)
  • Color ISO 3,060D (sat) / 24,480D (sat)
  • In the $30k USD Range

510 Specs:

  • 4,980 fps @ 1920×1080
  • 1,000,000 fps Max Frame Rate
  • 18/36/72/96/144 GB RAM Memory
  • Mono ISO 8,500D (sat) / 68,000D (sat)
  • Color ISO 3,060D (sat) / 24,480D (sat)
  • In the $50k USD Range

513 Specs:

  • 6,382 fps @ 1920×1080
  • 1,000,000 fps Max Frame Rate
  • 18/36/72/96/144 GB RAM Memory
  • Mono ISO 8,500D (sat) / 68,000D (sat)
  • Color ISO 3,060D (sat) / 24,480D (sat)
  • In the $100k USD Range

“State-Of-The-Art 1080p HD Sensor
The heart of the i-SPEED 5 Series is a custom 12-bit CMOS light sensitive image sensor capable of recording 3,980 fps at full HD resolution, with a maximum speed of 500,000fps*. With the optional Fast mode shutter option*, the 5-series can achieve 250ns exposure times. Other features include an internal SSD of up to 8TB, an external SSD of up to 2TB, high-speed image download, memory segmentation, and camera control via the unique touch-screen CDUe control device or via the powerful i-SPEED Software Suite 2.0 that controls the i-SPEED 7 cameras.”

More information about these and other iX Cameras at the official company website: https://www.ix-cameras.com/best_value_high-speed_camera_slow_motion.php

Chronos 1.4c Camera Software V0.3.2 Development improves Frame Rates and adds new features:

We installed the Chronos V0.3.2 RC1 Beta software and on initial testing find the software to be mostly stable and the new features make it a better camera all-around.

In our testing, we found that noise and column gain was reduced considerably after a 15min warm-up.  Also, the saving to SDHC cards is faster in RAW mode, we were getting 4.8fps instead of 3.7fps in 0.3.1 this makes a very noticeable difference in saving speed which seemed too restrictive in RAW.

We did encounter some problems when using HDMI external monitors and viewfinders when using the peaking function. These are already being patched for the next release so we recommend you wait for v0.3.2 RC2 if that feature is needed while monitoring.

The camera now has the ability to format and see how much space is left on SD and USB/SATA media which is a very welcome feature set for on the field users. We would love the ability to load saved clips for playback at a later date as software evolves including post save editing and clip erase if possible.

Another welcome feature is now the ability to shoot even faster frame rates for all resolutions. 720p has gained 17 frames from 1502fps to 1519fps which is our main use resolution.  However, the camera is now able to shoot up to 40,420fps at 320*96 pixels which used to be 38,565 fps for a 1,855fps gain with no quality degradation. It is not often that you get free speed in any camera, this time it is lossless and operates just as before.

For more information on the Chronos 1.4 camera visit the Krontech.ca and or info on the patch at the development forum thread here: http://forum.krontech.ca/index.php?topic=488.0

Notable Changes:
– Automatic ADC calibration during black calibration, which should reduce column banding across a wider temperature range.
– Add a storage tab to the util menu to view, eject and format the attached storage devices.
– Speed boost at most resolutions, with a top speed of 1069fps at 1280×1024, and 40420fps at 320×96.
– Configurable automated power-on and off depending on the AC adaptor status.
– Option to disable the ring buffer when in segmented recording mode.

Minutae:
– Factory black calibration is now user accessible from the Factory tab of the util window.
– The software update button has been moved to the storage tab of the util window.
– Shipping mode to disable power-on by battery until an AC adaptor is attached.
– Add a watchdog to reboot the camera in case of a power-on boot failure.
– Display descriptive error strings instead of number on failure.

Fixed Bugs:
– Gated burst record mode may lock up after several trigger edges.
– Gated burst record mode unreliable when trigger debounce is enabled
– Memory leak in the M3 video coprocessors which could lead to a crash after lots of H.264 encoding.
– Ignore video which was recorded during zero-time black calibration (which happens after changing resolution).
– Stuttering issue on the playback window on new production LCD modules.
– Fixed deadlock in camera when restoring user settings from external media.

Fixed since V0.3.2-beta-6:
– Changes to focus aid or exposure aid (zebra stripes) would have no effect until resolution is changed.
– Changes to exposure may be overwritten during black calibration.
– Bad image quality at 336×120 resolution
– Util window, storage tab – bottom of text cut off if device has multiple partitions
– Factory black cal (black cal all resolutions) would get overridden by old user black cal, if a user had done their own black cal, even before.

Known Issues:
– On the save file settings window, the bitrate as listed above the resolution may be lower than the actual bitrate, if Saved File Framerate is lower than 60fps

Updating Your Camera
====================
– Extract the `.zip` file into the root directory of a FAT32 formatted USB drive.
– Turn on your camera and insert the USB drive into the USB/eSATA combo port, not the one labeled ‘OTG’.
– From the main window, tap the `Util` button to open the utility window.
– As a precaution, tap the `Backup Calibration Data` button on the utility window before starting the update.
– When the backup is completed, a pop-up window will be displayed.
– Tap the `Done` button to close the pop-up window.
– From the utility window, tap the `Apply Software Update` button to begin the software update.
– A warning message will be displayed, tap the `Yes` button to confirm and begin the update.
– If a pop-up that says ‘No software update found’ is displayed, even when a USB stick containing the update in the correct location is connected, reboot the camera and try again.
– During the update, the screen will go blank and an `Applying Update` message will be displayed.
– After approximately 60 seconds, the update will be complete and the camera will restart.

Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro Phone Announced with 1920fps at 720p!

As we have seen from Chinese phones this year, the 1920fps spec for slow motion at 720p is included in several spec sheets like the Nubia Red Magic 3 but we found out that it is not only a fake spec but the actual video quality is pretty low.  The phone uses a 480fps capture at 720p and then creates interpolation of 4x  which is 480 x 4 =1920fps to create the final video. In some phones, it is just playing back 4x slower but in others there is interpolation. WHatever the came may-be, you are better off by avoiding this feature in your buying decision.  The quality is low and compression high, then the stuttering of faking the 1920fps kicks in and you end up with a subpar experience.

Here is a video sample of what appears to be a real clip from the Blackshark 2 Pro. You can easily notice the interpolation.

Blackshark 2 Pro – 1920 FPS Slow Motion Video by Shail 360:

Now for some fun, The Slow Mo Guys have played with a huge amount of Gallium metal which becomes liquid at under 30 degrees C and looks pretty close to mercury without the toxicity. They do remind us that Gallium corrodes Aluminum on contact as it amalgamates with it, Aluminum which is what most cameras and lens cases are made of are pretty vulnerable,  so if you try this with your slow motion camera, be sure to use a barrier. -HSC

 

Pouring a Liquid Mirror in Slow Motion – 4K by The Slow Mo Guys: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Blackmagic RAW Codec Opens the Future!

Blackmagic RAW Codec

Blackmagic Design may have just solved the problem of RAW video capture for any camera and every type of user. In essence, it gives the benefits of RAW capture while allowing flexibility in file size depending on production needs.  It is a compressed format but by using a clever demosaic algorithm that happens in-camera, it shrinks the file size much more than other formats while preserving quality and RAW features like White Balance, ISO,  exposure,  NR, clarity and color bit depth.

For Slow motion cameras, it may be the codec of the future as it will allow the best quality without the enormous file sizes associated with image sequences like DNG or other RAW formats.  Being open source and free of licenses it aims to be adopted by the entire industry faster than other formats and will be free of the platform-specific nature of codecs like Apple’s ProRes which only works on Mac OS X.  The Blackmagic RAW beta is already available here!

Blackmagic RAW Codec Features:

  • Compression: 3:1, 5:1, 8:1 and 12:1
  • Constant Quality Encoding (Best Quality)
  • Constant Bitrate Encoding (Lower File Size)
  • Up to 12 Bit Color
  • ISO, Exposure, White Balance adjustable
  • Real Time Playback and Editing (DaVinci Resolve Now)
  • Platform Agnostic
  • Mac and Windows .BRAW Players Available now
  • License free and Free SDK

As you can see from the 4k frame size graph above expressed in Megabytes/sec, the codec allows for incredible compression levels close to the best H.264 out there at 12:1 while retaining RAW capabilities. The higher quality levels allow for up to 274 MB/sec if needed for production. Contrast that to regular RAW uncompressed at 548MB/sec and you can see the huge benefits this codec has to offer.

Introducing Blackmagic RAW by Blackmagic Design:

Blackmagic RAW Explained by LumaForge: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Slow Motion Watch May 2018!

Slow Motion Watch May 2018

There have been some jaw-dropping slow-motion videos produced so far in  2018 and we want to showcase a small but excellent sample of them in Slow Motion Video Watch. Thank you to our readers for many of these submissions, we really appreciate your help in finding much of this footage as the sheer amount of quality material produced would make it much harder to select the good ones.

We have some incredible magnet work, weapons, military artillery, hockey, gymnastics and also the recent royal wedding in full display. It is also encouraging to see the widespread adoption of slow motion in phones as handsets like the Galaxy S9 & Xperia XZ2 start to inundate the video sites with user samples. It goes to show that good planning and a well-executed shot is possible even with time restrictions and limited hardware. Send us your samples or finds on our contact page!

Magnet Collision in Slow Motion like Iron Man Nanobot suit up by Magnetic Games:

Rainbow Paint on a Speaker – 12,500fps PHANTOM v2640 (LATEST MODEL) by The Slow Mo Guys: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

eBay Slow Motion Camera Listings April 2018!

eBay Slow Motion Camera Listings

We are constantly looking for high-speed camera bargains and one of the best places to find them is on eBay where used cameras go to find a new home.  It is hard to judge the actual state of a product until you use it but that is why you can ask questions to the seller and reach a deal if needed.  You also have to take into account that many cameras get used in dangerous situations to record events where no human can be close to like on a rocket launch pad or testing artillery.

Make sure if you purchase a camera to be given a determined time to test it and make sure it is working as described. The whole point of finding these bargains is to save a boatload of money compared to purchasing them outright from the manufacturer.   HSC is not paid a commission or promotion fee for these listings so make sure you do your due diligence before buying, we are not affiliated with the sellers. This month a few diamonds in the rough were found that could really bring an edge to your slow motion shooting. Let’s dig in!

1) USED Fastec TS5 monochrome high speed camera:

Items Included:

  • Fastec TS5 – Q monochrome
  • 8GB Recording Memory
  • Power Supply
  • I/O cable
  • C-mount camera mount
  • 512G solid state drive
  • Condition:
    Used Light wear on body.
  • Item location:
    Saugus, Massachusetts, United States
  • US Export Regulations. We (Tech Imaging Services) will NOT ship this item outside the USA.
  • Asking US $15,000.00 Listing at eBay here!

HSC- While only a monochrome camera, at 720p 1,403fps:

  • 1,920 x 1,080 pixels @ 634 fps for 6.5 sec
  • 1,280 x 720 pixels @ 1,403fps for 7.2 sec
  • 800 x 600 pixels @ 1,125 fps for 11.8 sec
  • 640 x 480 pixels @ 1,398 fps for 14.8 sec
  • 3us Global Electronic Shutter

This could become great on the go production line troubleshooting camera. The performance is quite good as a 720p cam and better than average at 1080p with 634fps.  Will not be ideal for full HD productions when 1000fps is needed. eBay listing here!

2) PHANTOM MIRO 320s COLOR HIGH SPEED CAMERA SYSTEM:

Kit Includes:

  • 1-Phantom MIRO 320S 12G Camera body w/Canon EF mount
  • 1-MIRO Nikon lens mount
  • 1-Vision Research PCC software
  • 1-Cine flash 60gb solid state drives
  • 1-Cine flash reader and power cable w/ USB 3 & ESata cables
  • 1-25 ft. Ethernet cable
  • 3- Batteries with battery charger
  • 1-Phantom AC power supply with cables
  • 1-2950 Pelican case with wheels
  • Contact seller for warranty!
  • eBay Listing Here!

Camera Info:

Miro 320S cameras offer 2 megapixel resolution at 3.2 Gigapixels/second (Gpx/s) throughput. This translates to 1380 fps at 1920 x 1200, or over 1500 fps at 1920 x 1080. Frame rates up to 240,000 fps are available at reduced resolutions.The Phantom 320s model for media applications, as the camera’s small size, great image quality, ability to shoot up to 1,500 fps at 1080p HD, and built-in controls makes it an extremely fun – and quick – high-speed camera to work with.

Condition:
Used In great shape, looks almost new

Item location:

Saugus, Massachusetts, United States 
Ships to:
United States

Asking Price: US $33,000.00 – eBay Listing Here!

HSC- This is not a cheap camera by any means but is a very capable one as the shooting is self-contained.  The Pricing is about half of what it was worth new by our estimation.  Seems to be a great option to own a phantom camera that is middle of the range for a production house looking for color 1080p above 1500fps.  Not a crazy good deal but this camera looks to be well taken care of. Make sure to contact seller for the warranty information and other details on such a large purchase.

3) Vision Research Phantom v642-Professional High Speed Camera (Flex 2K Equivalent):

Key Features:
• 6 Gpx/sec, 4Mpx camera
– The v642 Broadcast provides a 4 megapixel sensor and greater than 6 gigapixel/second throughput. That means full-resolution frame rates of 1450 frames-per-second (fps), and 1920 x 1080 HD-resolution frame rates of over 2500 fps.
• Multi-Matrix color correction which allows for the independent adjustments of saturation and hue of each of the 16 axes of the Cr/Cb color circle.
Throughput/Speed
• 6 Gpx/second
• Max speed at full resolution of 2560 x 1600 is 1450 fps to RAM and 195 fps to CineMag
• Max speed at reduced resolution of 256 x 8 is 219,000 fps to RAM

Asking price: US $27,999.00
eBay Listing Here!
1 year added warranty: $6,700.00

Item location:
Jacksonville, Vermont, United States

Ships to:
United States

Camera Listing Information:

The V642 is a great tool for manufacturing or research applications, commercials, as well as sporting events. Slow the swing of a golf club, the spinning operation of a bottling plant, the accuracy of laser cutting machinery, even a lightning strike. It is ultra-slow motion for those applications that function too fast for the human eye. The V642 has the unique ability to both record and playback ultra-slow motion footage simultaneously.  The internal high-speed dynamic RAM can be segmented into different partitions. You can record your ultra high-speed event into one memory segment while simultaneously playing back a previously recorded event directly from the camera. The V642 is supported by a 4 megapixel 2K sensor. Extremely high frame rates at HD resolution., For example, at 720p, the maximum recording speed is 5850 fps (frames per second).
 
This camera is marketed as the “v642 Broadcast” model, but is equivalent in all specs and capabilities to the more well-known “Flex 2K” model. The v642 is actually superior to the Flex 2K, due to this additional feature:
“Versatile Dual HD-SDI can provide 4:4:4 video (except at 60 fps), or can be two single 4:2:2 HD-SDI ports, one for playback and one always live”
In addition to this one, we have other cameras available with varying options (CineMag, 32GB, etc.) and pricing.
 
All of our cameras have been used exclusively in professional contexts by professional operators. The cameras are cleaned and maintained on a regular basis, and will come with the latest firmware. 
We also offer an optional factory inspection along with a 1-year warranty for an additional fee of $6,700.00
 
Specs:
Frame rates for up to 90X ultra-slow motion
2k, 1080p and 720p resolution.
 
Multi-matrix color correction for fast and accurate color
 
matching to normal frame rate Live Sport camera.
 
Breakthrough light sensitivity, ISO Monochrone 6,000T;
 
6,400D; Color 1600T; 1,600D
 
Versatile Dual HD-SDI, two HD-SDI ports for dual-link 4:4:4
 
or 2x 4:2:2 independent video outputs
 
Multi-cine recording capability
 
16GB high-speed internal ram
 
PL-Mount
 
Gently Used

HSC- This is a camera that commanded the price of a starter home when released. It is a 4MP @ 1450fps beast with Full HD capability at 2500fps windowed mode.  This is a camera best used for a laboratory that requires resolution and extreme speed at a variety of resolutions. The 1 year warranty optional at $6700 can give you some piece of mind on the purchase.   PL mount means you will need PL lenses to use it and that adds to the cost.  A powerful camera that is reduced in price by a big factor but can really pay for itself with the right jobs. Make sure you square all details with the seller prior to making an offer.

4) Comart System Mach-F340 High-Speed Motion Capture Camera Full HD 340fps: NEW

Bullet point

– Exceptional high number of fps (1920x1080p / 340fps)          – Fast moving object capture with high image quality

– Live display : 1920x1080p / 25~60fps                                         – Internal DDR3 8GB Memory

– Multiple output : HDMI/ HD-SDI/ CVBS                                       – SD Card recording with H.264 codec

– Transmit RAW data thru Host Link

Recommended Application

Reforming Golf Swing / Determination of the Sports / Analyzing Sport Game / Quality Control of Factory
Safety Test of Car Crash / Microbial Laboratory / etc

 

Spped Frame Rates: 1920x1080p : 340fps, 1920x720p : 520fps, 1920x480p : 745fps, 1920x240p :1430fps, 1920x120p : 2650fps

Sensor Pixel Array: 1,920(H) x 1,088(V) / 2,073,600 (pixel)

This product only includes bundle lens [11.5~69mm]

Asking Price for New Camera: US $9,999.99

eBay Listing Here!

FREE Shipping 

International items may be subject to customs processing and additional charges. 

Item location:
Seoul, KR, Korea, South

Ships to:
Worldwide

HSC- Comart is a camera we were not aware of that comes from Seoul South Korea.  Its top speed at 1080p is 340fps which is nice to have but not ideal for the price of 10k USD.  Other cameras on our Camera Guide offer much better performance for the price.  It does have the capability to window down and increase speed up to 2650fps at 1920*120pixels which is a tiny resolution.  However being a new unit may be a good buy for people that need a broadcast camera for live TV sports and similar environments that can work well with a 340fps full HD signal over SDI.   This would be a great camera for an upcoming TV broadcast outfit that wants to branch out at high speed.    We have no experience with this brand but we found some clips on their youtube channel to see what it can do. There seems to be vertical noise banding on most clips which means either the camera was not black calibrated properly or they have some inherent sensor noise.

High Speed Camera(Mach-F340) in the Baseball Stadium / 1920x1080p : 339fps by comarthdcctv:

High Speed Camera(Mach-F340) 1920x1080p : 338fps by comarthdcctv: → Continue Reading Full Post ←