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BEST SLOW MOTION CAMERAS OF 2021!

 

We have passed another year in slow motion land and while camera releases were more plenty than expected considering the chip shortage and teh COVID disruption, it’s time to take a look back through the year’s camera releases, and see which delivered on the price/performance scale when it comes to slow motion frame rates.  Phones are stagnationg while high end cameras are getting more frame rate options in higher resolution. Our Best Slow Motion Cameras Of 2021 have been selected and ordered by recommendation! → Continue Reading Full Post ←

BEST SLOW MOTION CAMERAS OF 2020!

BEST SLOW MOTION CAMERAS OF 2020

As the end of 2020 nears, it’s time to take a look back through the year’s camera releases amid the COVID 19 chaos, and see which delivered on the price/performance bracket with slow motion frame rates as the primary goal.  Phone slow motion took a back seat this year as the interest of the feature in phones was subdued or even eliminated. Our Best Slow Motion Cameras Of 2020 have been selected and ordered by recommendation!

We saw some surprises including a mostly affordable 4k slow motion solution and the adoption of 4k 120fps on many cameras which makes us think 240fps at UHD should be something to think about in the coming years as a regular option once 8k video is commonplace on consumer recording devices and TVs. The increase in resolution should theoretically allow for a lot of 4k frame rates to be offered as 8k delivers 4x the pixel count of 4k for any given frame rate. Keep on reading for our 2020 picks!

BEST SLOW MOTION CAMERAS of 2020:

Without further ado here are what we believe are the best value slow motion cameras in their respective categories for the year 2020:

Best Slow Motion Phone Category:

3rd Place) Sony Xperia 5 II:

The Sony Xperia 5 II is all about capturing the best video possible on a smartphone and in HDR. The kick here is that the phone is capable of 4k 120fps in full HDR which is pretty much class-leading.

The footage below will give you a taste of what the phone can do. In good light, it will let you capture excellent quality 4k 120p footage with the possibility to grade as it records a gradable flat profile.  In low light, it will be a pretty unremarkable image with grain and artifacts as could be expected from the light requirements when shooting at high speed.

Sony Xperia 5 II: 4K 120fps video footage by CNET Highlights:

Sony Xperia 5 II Slow Motion Specs:

  • 120fps 4k
  • 60fps 1080p

This is one of the first phones to offer 120fps in 4k which will probably become a standard spec in 2021 for flagships. However absent is the slow motion at 1080p which considering the 4k oomph, it should have been capable of 480fps at 1080p or similar. It is a shame that the spec was completely avoided considering HDR in 120fps 4k requires 240fps full pixel readout before merging.  In theory, 240fps non-HDR is possible on this phone but not available for unspecified reasons. Phones are becoming more powerful by the day and this is one that has our attention. The just under $1k price tag is not ideal but some of the best phones are going to cost you.

2nd Place) OnePlus 8T:

One Plus continues to offer compelling slow motion features on their phones with 480fps 1080p and up to 480fps at 720p.  It gives you a quad 48MP camera module which is literally insane considering the phone sells for under $750USD and has 120hz refresh rate. Feature-wise it has probably everything under the sun and then some and will not disappoint in the performance realm.

Fireworks in Slow motion – OnePlus 8T 480fps in dark by sternking: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

BEST SLOW MOTION CAMERAS OF 2019!

As 2019 comes to a close its that time to take a look back through the year’s camera releases and see which delivered the goods at an affordable price in slow motion.  Phone slow motion continues to be a strong category, so strong in fact that we made a Best Slow Motion Phones of 2019 list that you can see here.

Stagnation in many camera segments aside from phones is still ongoing, the semi-professional and pro markets stay at 120fps and 240fps with the occasional 320fps camera that delivers just a tad better quality but at a price.  For professional slow motion, there were announcements but not a shipping product yet, however previously released cameras like the Chronos 1.4c and edgertronic still own the affordable quality market. Read on for our best of 2019 results!

BEST SLOW MOTION CAMERAS of 2019:

Without further ado here are what we believe are the best value slow motion cameras in their respective categories for the year 2019:

Best Slow Motion Phone Category:

We had 5 finalists for slow motion phone of 2019 and while the Mate 30 Pro below got the top marks, the iPhone 11 and OnePlus 7 series had great showings, go to the dedicated article for the rest of the phone options.

 Huawei Mate 30 Pro:

Coming out of left field from a company that has been in the news as being in trouble with the US government, the Huawei Mate 30 Pro which is not shipping in the US officially but can be found from online import sellers, is the slow motion phone champ of 2019.

Huawei Mate 30 Pro Slow Motion Specs Dissected:

  • 120fps 1080p Continuous
  • 240fps 1080p Continuous
  • 960fps 1080p for 1 full second (960 frames in total)
  • 1920fps 720p for 1/2 second  (960 frames in total)
  • 7680fps 720p interpolated 4x (lasts for 32 seconds on a 30p timeline.)
  • All super slow motion modes at 960p and above last 32 seconds of playback at 30fps regular speed.
  • The entire buffer for the slow motion feature is 2GB and gets filled by data then dumped and encoded on the fly by the Kirin 990 chip.

This is the first phone that truly records 1920fps slow motion in 720p mode for 1/2 a second or 960 frames and then does excellent interpolation to a whopping 7,680fps 720p to create mind-bending images.   It is especially good for people, animals, and hard non-deformable objects. It will of curse fail as any algorithm with fluids, powders, and heavily detailed objects and will create a soft mushy in-between frame in those cases.  If you do not choose interpolation mode then you can get real slow motion for up to 32 seconds of playback on a 30p timeline which is excellent for a phone.

If you decide to buy it, the phone has a few issues to keep in mind. Due to US government restrictions, it will not ship with a  full version of Android with the Google Apps and not have access to the Playstore.  However several workarounds have been worked out in forums to make this phone usable. The other is that it is a Chinese phone which may need you to get help from someone who understands/reads Chinese to make the setup and get to work in English after.    We do not recommend this phone as your main handset as the support of updates will probably be negated in the US but if you are in China, this is a great flagship phone.  If you are outside of China, make sure you can live with the limitations in the software.

960fps,1920fps and 7680fps test – Huawei Mate 30 Pro incredible Slow Motion by Slow Experiment:

As you can see from the sample above and these other samples at HSC, the quality is quite good and the time is usable easily as a sports and experimentation high speed mode.  It will of course not replace a dedicated slow motion camera for quality work but it is still an amazing development to get real 1920fps 720p and 960fps 1080p even with some artifacts in a portable device.

Huawei may be in hot water with the US government for some time but they have consistently delivered amazing hardware that is probably the cutting edge worldwide.  We are excited about the future of phone slow motion and considering the giant leap that happened here, it is not unrealistic to think that really good 1080p 2,000fps or similar could be very close.  At least for a small-time recording but it will really be magical.

Huawei has made an incredible slow motion phone on the Mate 30 Pro and if they read this, send a handset our way to test and offer samples of reference.  As of now, their new handset is the one to beat. -HSC

Mid Range Professional Cameras:

This year the semi-pro camera market had some very good surprises when it comes to cameras that can shoot RAW files at very high quality and also allow for windowed slow motion modes.

Two of our picks are from Blackmagic design which is a known name in the affordable quality camera market. They have been able to deliver RAW and compressed RAW with BRAW format for very little investment compared to many other brands.  The quality delivered by these cameras are really cinema-quality so the trade-offs when stepping down are more to do with changing a camera system for producers rather than giving up the footage grading ability or low light performance.

Third Place: URSA MINI PRO 4.6K G2

The URSA Mini Pro G2 had a firmware update mid-year that allowed for 300fps in a windowed 2k pixel mode that has great quality and can be stabilized for excellent 1080p production quality.  For under $6k for body only the price is not that high for a camera that can really bring your production values up.   It gets a third place because the cost of owning the camera goes up with accessories like media, lenses, batteries, monitoring, and storage for editing. A good kit can easily get in the 15k range. The BRAW format is excellent but not for everyone.  ProRes is also a possibility and probably what many producers will shoot in when need to deliver in a rush.

High Speed Frame Rates on the URSA Mini G2:

Blackmagic RAW 8:1

4.6K Full – Up to 120 fps
UHD Windowed – Up to 150 fps
HD Windowed – Up to 300 fps

With 4k UHD at 150fps it makes for a killer feature rarely available on other cameras and the 300fps in HD or 2k allows for that extra oomph within your creative shoot.

300fps UMP G2 test 190629 by Reel Eagle Studios: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

BEST SLOW MOTION CAMERAS OF 2018!

BEST SLOW MOTION CAMERAS 2018

As 2018 comes to a close it is time to look back through the year’s camera releases and see which delivered quality at an affordable price in slow motion.  Phone slow motion options above 480fps were a big surprise this year and the frame rate quality improved in other cameras up to 240fps.

There has been a stagnation in the mid to professional camera range at the 240fps with no big improvements afterward. The best quality and value once again came from the Chronos 1.4c from Krontech and the edgertronic cameras which offer professional quality results at a very reasonable price. Read on for our best of 2018 results!

BEST SLOW MOTION CAMERAS of 2018:

Without further ado here are what we believe are the best value slow motion cameras in their respective categories for the year 2018:

Best Slow Motion Phones:OnePlus 6, 6T, Samsung Galaxy S9 and Note 9, Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ3 series!

The best slow motion phones of 2018 are in our view the OnePlus 6 & OnePlus 6T which offer the same Slow Motion quality and features at 480fps 720p with a recording time of 3.75 seconds which translate to a full minute of playback at a 30p frame rate timeline. This is unmatched by any phone and while the quality is still not ideal, it is, however, the undisputed king of usable slow motion.

Other phones in the running like the Galaxy S9 and Note 9 offer 960fps recording for up to 0.2 and  0.4 seconds which is a very short time frame to catch the action. Sure they offer twice the frame rate as the OnePlus 6 at 720p HD as well but the time restriction just gets it to second place. The Samsung phones do have better 240fps continuous recording which is something to take into consideration.

The Xperia Sony Phones XZ2 and XZ3 are 960fps phones that record at 1080p resolution which is a first for any phone. Problem is they record at just a very tiny sliver of time. The 0.1-second recording is so small a window that the phones are just next to useless for serious slow motion use.  Furthermore,  the phones at 720p only double that time recording to 0.2 seconds which is 6.4 seconds of slow motion at 30p playback.

OnePlus 6 vs Samsung Galaxy S9+ super slow-mo by Fun4sure:

The big surprise in the phone space was the iPhone is no longer a class-leading slow motion phone, same goes for the Google pixel which capped performance at up to 240fps only.  Both of the big tech companies nearly forgot about slow motion this year while our phone leaders OnePlus, Sony and Samsung used it as one of the top features to tout the feature set.

As a Side Note, OnePlus just released a new variant of the OnePlus 6T called the 6T McLaren Edition which also offers the exact same camera performance in the regular 6 and 6T. The big change comes in faster charging and a 10GB RAM memory configuration which will probably be unnoticeable compared to an 8GB 6T in real use. The extra price tag is mostly for the look and feel so we recommend the 6T and regular 6 OnePlus variants as better options for value. All of these phones have the exact same slow motion specs.

Winner: OnePlus 6T and OnePlus 6!

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Mid Range Professional Cameras: Panasonic GH5s, Sony a7 III, and Sony PXW-Z90V!

3rd Place: We were excited by the announcement of the Panasonic GH5s earlier in the year as the rumors showed 240fps 1080p continuous recording.  Sure the spec was included in the camera but the results were an aliased and moire prone image that made it unusable for professional use at 240fps. The camera does offer excellent 1080p at 120fps and slightly reduced resolution at up to 190fps.  The 240fps mode is usable but you will not want to shoot anything for a client with it as the quality drop is severe.  The Panasonic GH5 of 2017 is actually a higher quality 180fps image than the GH5s which seems to be based on the sensor itself being able to out resolve and scale the image down with more detail retention. We still think that unless low light is your prime focus, the Panasonic GH5 is still the better choice for frame rates in the Panasonic portable Mid-Range Professional cameras.

Panasonic Lumix GH5S + DJI Ronin-S | 240fps Slow-Motion Footage by Tom’s Tech Time:
→ Continue Reading Full Post ←

BEST SLOW MOTION CAMERAS OF 2017!

BEST SLOW MOTION CAMERAS

The end of 2017 is upon and its time to look back through the year’s camera releases and see which delivered quality at an affordable price in slow motion.  HD quality slow motion options took a big leap this year in the phone space and on new entrants in the semi-professional camera fields. It was quite a year in many respects!

Many promised cameras still have not seen the light of day which means they will not be counted in the running. Only cameras that are shipping in quantity with a reasonable wait time and available now are being considered for this post. We will still make note of what may be coming soon for high-speed enthusiasts.

BEST SLOW MOTION CAMERAS of 2017:

Without further ado here are what we believe are the best value slow motion cameras in their respective categories for the year 2017:

Best Slow Motion Phones: iPhone 8, 8 Plus, X & Sony Xperia XZ series!

The best slow motion phones of 2017 are the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and iPhone X with no real resolution match competitor.  They offer 240fps at 1080p and 240fps at 720p with improved quality from their older siblings the iPhone 7.  Furthermore, they offer frame rates in a continuous recording stream which is not the case for the other important slow motion phones of 2017 the Sony Xperia XZ Premium, XZs, and  XZ1 which are time-limited.

The iPhones also have 4k 60p continuous recording which is a first on a phone with pretty respectable quality. It will not match dedicated 4k cameras like the Panasonic GH5 but it is by far the best phone video quality we have seen when it comes to 4k and higher frame rates. The 240fps 1080p mode is higher quality than 720p but slightly lower than true 1080p so keep that in mind. If you need a phone with excellent video quality the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X are hard to beat and they all feature the same quality recording.  We, however, would pick the iPhone 8 Plus as the best value of the three handsets due to the optical stabilizer inclusion at a lower price.

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Option #2 The Xperia XZ premium from Sony was the flagship release for the year for the brand and it introduced what they call Motion Eye™ technology. It is a sensor module with built-in DRAM like what we see in their Sony RX camera line. It allows for 960fps recording in US Phones and 1000fps in Europe at 720p resolution. There is a catch however as the recording time is limited to 0.2 seconds which translates to 6 seconds at 30p of 960fps like super slow motion. Pressing the button again lets you capture another burst.  The built-in memory is too low for full recording more than 200 frames in a single burst.  The quality is also lower than 720p if you inspect the footage which is aliased and with compression artifacts which is not ideal.

This, however, will be useful for people looking for recording true slow motion for some time albeit short.   Sony released two cheaper phones with the XZs and XZ1 being much more affordable.  Out of the three, we believe the XZs is a good value and a better balance of price/features. If you only want the Motion Eye feature the XZ1 will have comparable quality for much less. The XZ phones will be our #2 choice for a slow-motion phone in 2017 after the iPhones.

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Mid Range Professional Cameras: Panasonic GH5, Sony a9, and Sony a7R III!

We were quite surprised by the Panasonic Lumix GH5 this year as it not only supports a higher frame rate of 180fps 1080p to its two year older sibling the GH4 at 96fps 1080p but did so with improved quality. It also delivered the goods with 60fps 4k recording at 150Mbits/sec and 10 bit video recording 4:2:2 at 4k 24,30,25, 1080p up to 60fps 10 bit and anamorphic 6k with the latest firmware update. There is no question that the GH5 is the most capable bang for your buck in the video world for 2017. It has so many video-centric features like waveform monitor and XLR audio inputs via the optional adapter.  All frame rates are continuous shooting as well with no time limitations.

In our GH5 image quality analysis, we saw that the camera did excellent resolution at 1080p 60-120fps with no drop in quality but anything above that 128-180fps did have resolution loss that created aliasing and moire artifacts with some detail drops that were not ideal. Still, the 180fps mode is usable for many situations that do not need extreme detail retention. The 4k 60p mode is also excellent quality and can be relied upon if you do not use it to record things like water splashes or grains of sand which can break the 150mbps codec.

The elephant in the room when it comes to the GH5 is the recently announced Lumix G9 which is a photo-centric camera that offers 180fps 1080p and also 4k at 60fps just like the GH5 for $1699 instead of $1,998. However, there are recording time limitations on all video modes, no 10 bit recording,  No XLR adapter, Lower bit rates and it also ships in February 2018 which makes it ineligible for our list.  Still, it may be good enough for your needs. Pre-order here at Amazon.com the Panasonic G9.

The Panasonic Lumix GH5 is our #1 Mid Range Professional pick of the year for high frame rate enthusiasts! 

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Option #2 As for our other picks in quality Mid Range professional slow motion capable cameras, we have the Sony a9 and Sony a7R III which both offer Full HD 1080p 120fps with a twist. You can Autofocus continuously in the 120fps mode like you would on the other video modes and the focus is not only quick but highly accurate in tracking subjects. The Lumix GH5, in contrast, has no AF in 180fps mode.

The 120fps 1080p modes in these cameras are also flawless in detail and color quality with no aliasing or moire to speak of. The quality is derived from a higher megapixel supersampled image which delivers the best 120fps slow-motion quality we have seen on an affordable camera yet.  If you are happy with 120fps then any of these two cameras should be your pick for 2017. If you need more, however, there are other options.

Of the two Sony cameras, we recommend the a7R III for the $1,300 USD savings compared to the Sony a9 at just $3,198 for the a7RIII instead of $4,498 for the a9 which is a sports photography geared camera.  The 4k footage at 24, 25 and 30p coming out of these cameras is also magnificent with an incredible low light performance that the Lumix GH5 cannot match along with better still image performance from full frame sensors.  The Sony a7R III and a9 are our #2 pick for 2017 in this category! 

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Action Cameras: GoPro Hero 6 Black & Sony RX0!

We saw the resurgence of GoPro as a brand in 2017 with it posting much-needed profits and more market penetration. The Hero 6 Black announcement and subsequent adoption by many as the new standard in image quality for action cameras made it an easy choice for our action camera of the year.  With 240fps 1080p recording and 4k 60fps with a new stabilization system that relies on gyro information and crops the sensor to create a very gimbal-esque looking image left us impressed.   The 1080p 240fps quality left us wanting more as the resolution does drop and suffer in this mode with aliasing and moire showing in shots and it is basically unavoidable.  The 1080p 120fps is better and offers a good compromise but we were expecting a broadcast quality 1080p 240 format from GoPro.  The killer weapon on the Hero 6 black we believe is the 2.7k 120fps mode which offers very good quality and ability to crop and stabilize afterward.

=&0=&

Video Resolution Frames Per Second (fps) – NTSC [PAL] Field of View (FOV) Screen Resolution
4K 60 [50] Wide 3840×2160
30, 24 [25, 24] Wide, SuperView 3840×2160
4k 4:3 30, 24 [25, 24] Wide 4096×3072
2.7K 120 [100] Wide 2704×1520
60, 30, 24 [50, 25, 24] Linear, Wide, SuperView 2704×1520
2.7K 4:3 60,30, 24 [50, 25, 24] Linear, Wide 2704×2028
1440p 120, 60, 30, 24
[100, 50, 25, 24]
Linear, Wide 1920×1440
1080p 240 [200] Wide 1920×1080
120, 60, 30, 24 [100, 50, 25, 24] Linear, Wide, Superview 1920×1080
720p 60 [50] Linear, Wide 1280×720

 

As you can see the Hero 6 black Action camera is a frame rate monster.  We think it is the best value for money in this space for 2017.   Until Sony or Yi create something more compelling but likely in 2018.

Absent is the 720p high frame rate modes which were always in GoPro Cameras. The Hero 5 Black had 720p 240 and we were expecting 480fps at 720p for the Hero 6 Black which did not materialize. It seems to be hardware limited to the sensor as it cannot sample frames at that windowed or downsampled resolution. We hope GoPro creates a sensor/camera combination in 2018 that resurrects this capable HD slow-motion mode. The Hero 6 Black is our #1 Choice for 2017 in this category!

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Option #2 The Sony RX0 is a strange camera. It is not capable of recording 4k internally and requires an external recorder but it does offer quality geared for TV and film production.  It has a 1″ CMOS sensor with BSI technology delivering outstanding image quality at full HD up to 60fps.  It Outputs 4:2:2 UHD 4K Video via HDMI which is a first for a camera of this size.

RX0 Slow Motion HFR Mode 1000 fps Recorded at 1920 x 1080p
960 fps Recorded at 1920 x 1080p
500 fps Recorded at 1920 x 1080p
480 fps Recorded at 1920 x 1080p
250 fps Recorded at 1920 x 1080p
240 fps Recorded at 1920 x 1080p

It has the same technology as the RX series of cameras when it comes to slow motion but the quality is not up to par with those cameras.  Still, we believe the 240fps quality is a match for the GoPro and why it competes head to head with it when it comes to high frame rates.  Even when the camera can record 1000fps at 1080p it is really a sub VGA resolution interpolated codec and one you should avoid if you plan to broadcast.  All of these HFR modes including the 240fps mode are time limited to just under 3 seconds so that is another big negative.

It could be the camera you can fit in a crash vehicle where you need higher frame rates but it is far from ideal with its limited resolution in internal recording and hardly the best when it comes to usability. Still, the quality recorded from this camera matches or exceeds the GoPro with less distortion at 1080p.   The RX0 Price at $698 USD compared with the Hero 6s $499 and $399 when on sale may put off some buyers. What we want to see from Sony is an RX0 Mark II with internal 4k 60 or 120p and 1080p 240 unlimited recording time.

The Sony RX0 should be an option for you if you want broadcast quality 1080p and can live with limited time recording of ultra-fast frame rates on a 1″ sensor which is huge for a camera this size. A strange but powerful camera that has room to improve.  Let’s get 4k internal recording next year Sony!

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Professional but Affordable Slow Motion:  edgertronic SC2X & Chronos 1.4!

In 2017 there is no contest when it comes to excellent quality slow motion cameras you can afford. The edgertronic SC2X with over 2000fps full 1080p HD quality using an APS-C sized sensor is our pick for uncompromising broadcast quality high-resolution slow motion gear.  See our full review of the SC2X here!

The camera launches with 1910fps 1080p as a top broadcast spec just a few months ago but Sanstreak the company behind the camera has released an Overclocking Software Update that transforms the camera into a 2000fps, 2200fps and up full 1080p HD monster. As with all software updates on the edgertronic line, these are free of charge.

While the camera’s price tag at $15,990 may put off enthusiasts and small studio buyers, it is really a steal for this kind of quality. A camera that does full HD 1080p at over 2000fps is usually reserved to $50k USD kits without it being ready to shoot. Those other cameras require expensive memory modules, cabling, monitors and more just to start recording.   The edgertronic SC2X comes in a ready to shoot package which also includes a Nikon f1.8 50mm lens and all the cables you need to start shooting out of the box. It even includes an 8GB SD card which allows you to save about 40 clips in H.264 high-quality 1080p format and over 60 clips in lower quality compression which is still better than most.

In our full review, we took the camera through its paces and it impressed us with the ability to retain excellent detail across all of our adapted lenses with no hints of aliasing or moire that could ruin shots. This camera is ready for TV and Film production which is the primary market of the SC2X.   The camera also does 2,814 fps at 720p HD if you need more speed and if you add overclocking up to 3,642fps at that resolution. The camera tops out at over 24,000fps at the reduced resolution of 1920*96 pixels.

The edgertronic SC2X is the first affordable Full HD 1080p camera that you can really own, with ease of use to boot; this makes it our professional camera of the year and should be top on the list for any serious video producers that want that edge in super slow motion!

For more information and ordering an edgertronic camera visit: https://edgertronic.com/our-cameras/sc2x

Option #2: Chronos 1.4c

The Chronos 1.4c was a camera that got its Kickstarter Campaign late 2016 and was featured in our upcoming camera section last year.  This year the camera shipped as promised and has surpassed 300 delivered cameras

The camera is a self-contained ready to shoot block with included 5″ touchscreen and it is very easy to use once you get the hang of it.

  • 1280×1024 1057fps CMOS image sensor with 1.4Gpx/s throughput  1,502fps at 720p HD
  • Global shutter LUX1310 image sensor –  8.45 x 6.76mm, 6.6um pixel pitch

As you can see for $2,999 USD, there is a lot of value here for run and gun shooters.  Its price is really groundbreaking when it comes to serious slow motion devices.

Krontech.ca has really done a good job of providing a solid camera at this price.  However, it is not our #1 recommendation because the small 2/3″ sensor has several drawbacks compared to the APS-C of larger cameras like the edgertronic.  The low light ability is limited, with pixels at 6.6 µ instead of the SC2X at 1.0 µ which are gigantic by comparison.   Compression on the Chronos 1.4c is very good at about 40mbps for 720p but image artifacts are also encoded due to the smaller sensor.  Noise and banding become problems in non-ideal conditions which means this camera needs a lot of light to deliver a good HD image.  There is also some moire and aliasing patterns in detailed objects and the extra kit lens is an ok lens but quite soft wide open.

The Chronos, when shot properly, can deliver excellent image quality when not using C mount lenses which tend to be softer and full of aberrations compared to Nikon or Canon for example. The Camera with adapted 35mm lenses really shines and allows for extreme reach with a  4x crop. For example, a 100mm lens is equivalent to a 400mm, while a 400mm lens becomes a 1600mm lens. This is a plus for nature enthusiasts but a pain for studio shooters. You will need to use super wide angle lenses for tight spaces.  We found the camera with a 20mm lens is pretty usable indoors giving it enough back throw space for 80mm.

The Chronos 1.4c is a very new camera which is still evolving in software. Support for most of the side camera ports as of this writing is not ready but planned to be released next year, this, however, doesn’t impede the camera to shoot as is.  It is certainly a great option for 720p shooters who do not need very sharp and detailed image quality for a client that demands broadcast quality.

It is a great camera for education, experimentation, and youtube but if you need uncompromising quality you need a different camera with a larger sensor area. Maybe Krontech will release a 1080p camera with a larger sensor one of these days.

For more information about the Chronos 1.4c camera and ordering information please visit:  http://www.krontech.ca

P&S / Prosumer Cameras: Sony RX10 IV & Sony RX100 V!

For the second year in a row, we had to include the RX100 V Point & Shoot camera from Sony as there was no RX100 VI release. The little camera has up to 960fps in the US and 1000fps in Europe as specs and has up to 3.8 seconds recording in high-quality mode at higher frame rates.

The new RX10 IV brings all the technology of the RX100 V but with the added reach of a 25x 5 axis stabilized super zoom lens and incredible AF performance with continuous subject tracking. In our view, the RX10 IV is very hard to beat for value and has excellent image quality.

Sony RX10 IV Camera Specs:

  • 20.1MP 1″ Exmor RS BSI CMOS Sensor
  • BIONZ X Image Processor & Front-End LSI
  • Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* f/2.4-4 Zoom Lens
  • 24-600mm (35mm Equivalent)
  • 2.36m-Dot OLED Tru-Finder EVF
  • 3.0″ 1.44m-Dot Tilting Touchscreen LCD
  • UHD 4K30 Video, Full HD 1080p at 960 fps
  • Fast Hybrid AF System with 315 Points
  • ISO 12800 and 24 fps Continuous Shooting
  • Built-In Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
  • MSRP $1,698.00
Sony RX10 IV Recording Frame Rates & Resolutions:
Video Recording Yes, NTSC/PAL
Resolution 3840 x 2160p: 30 fps, 25 fps, 24 fps
1920 x 1080p: 60 fps, 50 fps, 30 fps, 25 fps, 24 fps
1920 x 1080i: 60 fps, 50 fps
1280 x 720p: 30 fps, 25 fps
1920 x 1080p: 240 fps, 480 fps, 960 fps
1824 x 1026p: 240 fps, 480 fps, 960 fps
1676 x 566p: 240 fps, 480 fps, 960 fps
1920 x 1080p: 250 fps, 500 fps, 1000 fps
1824 x 1026p: 250 fps, 500 fps, 1000 fps
1676 x 566p: 250 fps, 500 fps, 1000 fps

Be aware that all the RX series only record near Full HD quality at up to 240fps, everything after that resolution the quality drops considerably and pixels are up-sampled to 1080p for final recording.  Resolution above 240fps is under 720p HD and at 1000fps its under NTSC VGA.

Greenfinch and Chaffinch argue. Sony RX10 IV slow motion 250 fps by Lothar Lenz:

The Sony RX Series continues to be the best slow-motion camera for value in the point & shoot market. Their CMOS Stacked Sensor technology with included memory and 1/32000 shutter speed allows for some amazing capabilities with a lower price tag. If you want to dabble in these cameras and do not want a larger more expensive RX10 IV, then last years favorite camera in the segment the RX100 V is a great deal at $948.00.

The Sony RX10 IV and RX100 V earn our HSC Top Pick for 2017 for this segment!

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End of Year Message:

Nearly 4 years ago we started this website with the hope of illuminating the affordable high-speed camera space for all readers. We are now approaching 7 million readers and hundreds of regulars which shows our mission is working.

However, all this success also brings in extra costs in hosting, maintenance and staff.   Hence why it is important for our readers to purchase gear and other products from our recommendations and banner ads. Also disabling your ad blocker helps us in an enormous way, ad blockers are good in moderation but really destroy our ability to offer you free timely content. Without your patronage, we would not be here.  Please support us by also shopping through our website links which give us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

We thank all of our readers and those who have supported us in one way or another this year with comments, information, and recommendations.  Our mission is to continue to cover the affordable slow-motion market for 2018 and beyond.

We thank you all and we hope you have a pleasant holiday season with your loved ones!   Shoot great stuff! -HSC

Check out: Best Slow Motion Cameras of 2020!

Check out: Best Slow Motion Cameras of 2019!

Check out: Best Slow Motion Cameras of 2018!

Check out: Best Slow Motion Cameras of 2016!

Check out: Five Best Slow Motion Cameras of 2015!

BEST SLOW MOTION CAMERAS OF 2016!

BEST SLOW MOTION CAMERAS

The end of 2016 is upon us and now it is time to look back across the year and see what delivered in affordable slow motion gear.  While many cameras had higher frame rates, only a few really shined and delivered on the promise of offering HD quality and higher than normal frames per second “fps” at an attractive price point.

Many promised lots of performance and didn’t deliver and some have yet to ship which means they will not be counted in the running. Only cameras that are shipping and fully available are being considered for this list. However we will mention upcoming promised cameras as a side note for future consideration.

BEST SLOW MOTION CAMERAS of 2016:

Without further ado here are what may be the best value slow motion cameras that are leading their respective categories for the year 2016:

Best Slow Motion Phones: iPhone 7, 7 Plus & Google Pixel, Pixel XL!

The best slow motion phones of 2016 are the iPhone 7, 7 Plus and the Google Pixel and or Pixel XL  which offer 120fps at 1080p and 240fps at 720p with pretty great quality considering they are portable handsets.

Congratulations to Google venturing into their own branded hardware this year without attaching a  3rd party manufacturer brand name in the case and to keep including higher frame rates at quality bit rates on their phones. The Apple iPhone continues to be the benchmark for slow motion quality recording on smartphones but with no real change or innovation in over 2 years.

The Google Pixel has some problems when it comes to waterproofing and full weather-sealing that the iPhone 7 does not suffer from.  So if you want the best waterproof experience the Apple is the way to go. If you plan however to keep your phone dry then the Pixel and or Pixel XL are on par as slow motion phones.

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Mid Range Professional: Panasonic HC-X1!

The Panasonic HC-X1 $3,199.00 is kind of an odd product in the fact that the Panasonic DVX200 $3,849.00 it’s slightly higher quality in the spec department but identical when it comes to the Slow Motion quality.  For $600 less you get most of the DVX200 features but will have to do with a smaller 1″ sensor instead of the 4/3rds on the DVX200.

The Slow Mo Specs of 60fps at full 4k UHD and 120/100fps at 1080p full HD are in line with what we expect from a professional 4k camera today.   However the Panasonic HC-X1 is using a very good low light sensor and the smaller footprint let it be more stealthy than the larger cameras.   If you need an event camcorder with higher frame rates this year the HC-X1 and or the DVX200 should be at the top of your list.

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Action Cameras: Sony FDR-X3000 & GoPro Hero 5 Black!

The action cameras that shined this year are plenty but there are no better two examples than the Sony FDR-X3000 and the GoPro Hero 5 Black when it comes to the best higher frame rate capable action cams that also do 4k 30fps. Both do 240fps at 720p and 120fps at full HD 1080p.

We are partial to the Sony FDR-X3000 due to the slightly less wide angle distortion, true SteadyShot™ in lens stabilization and what may be the best quality video per picel on action cameras. However the GoPro Hero 5 Black is no slouch with better looking 240fps 720p slow motion by a smidge and the compatibility with many Drones and Handheld Gimbal stabilizers that the Sony’s shape is simply not optimized for.  The Video quality is very close between the two and you really cannot go wrong with any of them.

If you have been in the GoPro ecosystem for a while the Hero 5 Black is the way to go if you want to replace a Hero 3+ or older camera but not a Hero 4 Black which is very comparable in features and quality.  If you are buying your first action camera the Sony FDR-X3000 deserves your full attention.

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Professional but Affordable Slow Motion: edgertronic SC2 and SC2+!

For really serious slow motion needs with interchangeable lens support there was no higher spec camera that is really affordable; than the edgertronic SC2 and SC2+. With a top speed at HD 720p of 4,456fps it is a real monster when it comes to performance and image quality. For scientists, industrial uses and some high end visual FX houses needing some ultra slow motion power the edgertronic SC2 and SC2+ deserve your full attention before looking for other options.

With a price range of $9,990 USD 3,350fps 720p for the edgertronic SC2 to $12,990 USD  4,456fps 720p for the SC2+ or fastest model in the series in either color or monochrome; it may not seem cheap at first glance but these cameras are 1/5th to 1/10th the price of comparable options with very similar performance and dependability.  A rental for such a camera would cost you a quarter of the price of the camera every week or two so owning your own makes it sound financially.

The small footprint and easy portability in the field with wireless capability using an external micro router and the addition of an Apple or Android Tablet make it a breeze to use with live view.  See here for our full review of the edgertronic SC2+ to see what it’s capable of.

For More Information and ordering visit https://edgertronic.com/

P&S / Prosumer Cameras: Sony RX10 III  & Sony RX100 V!

Sony has been very involved in advancing super slow motion on their cameras since the advent of the Sony FS700 a few years back. Last year Sony surprised us with the development of a 1″ sensor package with super fast memory cache that was able to achieve 1,000fps in reduced resolution and 240fps at near full HD 1080p with great quality for a point and shoot camera.

The problem last year was that the recording time in quality priority mode in the high speed mode was limited to 2 seconds which is not ideal. However this year the Sony RX100 V doubled the camera spec to 4 seconds in quality mode and nearly 7 seconds in time priority mode.  The cameras are nearly identical in looks but offer very different performance metrics.  Another cool feature is the ability for the RX100 V to shoot up to 24fps at full 20 megapixels in RAW for 150 shots or 6.24 seconds.  Essentially offering a 6k RAW image at 24p in the palm of your hand.  No audio will be recorded but for small vignette shots it is quite remarkable.

The Sony RX10 III is a better version of last year’s RX10 II offering a better lens with larger glass elements and a zoom equivalent of 25x vs 10x on the last model.  Other than that the camera is nearly identical in function.  The RX10 IV is expected to be launched next year to have the same spec with the extra slow motion recording time of the RX100 V. However the RX10 III is no slouch and if you can live with 2 seconds  recording in super slow motion quality priority it should be in your short list.

If we had our pick for the best bang for your buck in 2016 for a slow motion camera it has to be the Sony RX100 V with its great quality and affordable price under $960 USD. It earns our HSC Top Pick for 2016!

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Limited Availability Cameras and or Shipping Next Year: The fps1000HD and Chronos 1.4!

2016 was also a year of crowdfunded cameras in the high speed sector taking shape. We cannot count these cameras in our top list due to limited availability or not shipping this year status but that may change next year.

On the one hand we have the second fps1000 iteration Kickstarter campaign with the fps1000HD capable of 1000fps at 720p HD resolution in RAW DNG Format with a 5″ touch screen, C Mount and many professional features for under $2500 USD and a 2 full minute recording time at 720p with 256GB of flash memory.

More Info and Ordering for the fps1000 Here:  http://theslowmotioncameracompany.com/

On the other we have the brain child of David Kronstein a Canadian electronics engineer the Chronos 1.4 which has surpassed all expectations with a Kickstarter campaign closing in $400k USD in funding.  The camera capable of 1500fps at HD 720p with a C Mount and 5″ touchscreen as well.

To visit and gather more information and possibly ordering a Chronos 1.4 Camera visit the Kickstarter Page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1714585446/chronos-14-high-speed-camera/

Both of these cameras are engineered to be truly portable but are still not shipping in quantity or at all. Early next year these cameras are expected to be available to the mass public in their respective web stores.

In the mean time we encourage you to check their respective websites and do your research so you have an idea of their capabilities.  Until they are shipping in quantity we cannot fully recommend any of these options unless you are inclined to wait a few months for delivery and maybe more.  Still these cameras are fully developed hardware wise and should be pretty sure bets as long as you know the risks of investing in camera startup products.

End of Year Message:

When HSC started in early 2014 it was meant to fill a void in the camera news world when it came to slow motion cameras. Nearly 3 years in and approaching on 3.5 million visitors we are very excited about the future of the website.

We thank all of our readers and those who have supported us in one way or another with comments, information and by purchasing our recommended products to make it able to host and maintain this site. Our mission is strongly renewed to bring you coverage of the affordable high speed market in 2017.

We are humbled by your continued interest and it gives us encouragement to continue strongly with this blog next year.  

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! -HSC  

Check out: Best Slow Motion Cameras of 2020!

Check out: Best Slow Motion Cameras of 2019!

Check out: Best Slow Motion Cameras of 2018!

Check out: Best Slow Motion Cameras of 2017!

Check out: Five Best Slow Motion Cameras of 2015!