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 ←
The original Sony FS5 not the Mark II which does 240fps and 120fps full HD recording with excellent quality as well as 4k 240fps with an external recorder has dropped in price precipitously. The -$750 price drop makes the camera only $3,498 for the body only which is now competitive with pro SLRs and higher-end mirrorless cameras.
The FS5 camera has been used in productions all over the world and it is a favorite of many videographers for its form factor and dependability. We like it here at HSC by retaining the 10th position on our guide with excellent quality 120fps and 240fps full HD 1080p and pristine quality in 4k 240fps using a recorder like the Atomos Shogun series. The camera also allows 480fps and 960fps @ 1920*270px for short bursts much like the Sony RX series but slightly behind in quality to those latest cameras in those higher modes. Is an FS5 Mark III getting ready to launch or just end of product life rebates?→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
The just released Xperia XZ3 had a lot of rumors surrounding the slow-motion capability which was to be a cut above previous releases but as first-hand reviewers have shown, the camera module is carried over from the XZ2 and what the phone really changes are the first ever Sony OLED display in HDR, larger battery and a larger screen as main feature changes.
The Slow Motion component is unchanged from the XZ2 at 960fps in Full HD 1080p and 720p with just 6.4 seconds worth of playback at 30fps and 3.2 seconds at 1080p 30fps timeline. The hone only records for 0.1 seconds at 960fps in 1080p and 0.2 sec for 720p. Hardly a usable slow motion format for the people looking to capture long slow motion in the several second time-range.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
The new Laowa 24mm f/14 Probe Lens with included LED lighting at the tip is a really interesting lens for high-speed shooters that would like an edge in their shooting style. The lens looks like a gun barrel but it is really a snake tube-cam-like lens that permits focus at just 2cm from the front element and also shoots at a fairly long distance from the subject.
The Kickstarter campaign project seen here was asking for just $9,999 USD in funding but as of right now with several days to go has reached an extremely impressive $811,113 USD which translates to about 650 lenses to be delivered to backers. The footage that the campaign was able to provide is really amazing at showing what can be achieved when creative minds are able to freely utilize an innovative lens like this.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
Sony has decided to release the RX100 VA worldwide and it effectively replaces the RX100 V production line. The new camera will have a better EVF refresh, modern Autofocus with improved tracking and a larger buffer of 233 images. We considered the newly announced RX100 VI camera to be just a longer lens version of the RX100 V but with an increased price tag. That camera does have a touchscreen and the reach but the fans of the faster f1.8-f2.8 lens of the RX100 V now can get a more up to date version.
We favor the RX100 VA to all other RX100 cameras as the $999 price tag is more in line with the segment. If you already own an RX100 V camera there is no reason to get a VA version as there will not be any improvement to the slow-motion component which is already one of the best out there.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
Sony has released specs for a new IMX Cellphone oriented sensor that has a whopping 48 Megapixel photosite grid with a new Bayer altered pattern of quad pixel colors that aims to quadruple the dynamic range of the signal and increase detail retention significantly by supersampling every photosite and creating a final 12MP image with excellent characteristics.
As far as frame rates go we were glad to see very high-end read-out speeds for this sensor as full 4k video can max out at 90fps and other high fps settings include 1080p 240fps full area downsampling and 720p 480fps but with a cropped windowed frame extraction. At 48MP or 12 regular De-Bayered then we expect the crop to be quite extreme at the 720p mode unless they do a 4 or 6MP downsample.→ Continue Reading Full Post ←
