Tag Archives: technology

Sony IMX472-AAJK sensor offers huge frame rates in 4/3ds format!

Sony has released some white paper specs on a new Micro 4/3rds sensor that is as of now, the most advanced ever on the format considering the mix of Backside illumination, Stacked technology and high resolution color at 10 bits on full sensor read outs. The frame rates offered are also quite impressive with up to 1139fps at 0.46 Megapixels or 1760px Horizontal x 262px Vertical on the fastest range and 121fps at the full sensor area read-out at 20.9MP.

The Panasonic GH6 is coming later this year and it is estimated that this new sensor is actually the one that will be used on that camera. If Lumix technology can make full use of the sensor specs even for small fractions of time, we could have a killer slow motion mass produced camera.  The VFR mode on Panasonic Lumix cameras has always been more than acceptable and they could breathe new life into the format if these sensor specs are used to their fullest. We expect at least 1080p at 240fps which will be a slightly stretched delivery from the 1760 x 1318 240.2fps mode listed on the sensor specs → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Canon New Cinema Camera Will do 240fps in 4k!

Canon it seems is thinking 3 steps ahead of everyone else when it comes to pro 8k video.  After being left behind in the adoption of 4k and playing catch up to the format, they seem intent on making their cameras the new 8k default option with specs that seem out of a dreamer’s wish list.  Be warned that these cameras will probably start at $10k USD and go up from there. The low end should be about 10k to $15k for the C300s at the low end, and the high end a $30k price tag for a C700DR.  

The most impressive of the new rumored cameras is the Canon EOS C700DR (DR Stands for Dynamic Range) which will be capable of recording 4k not just at 120fps but a class-leading 240fps with excellent quality. It also hints at a 180fps mode that will have expanded dynamic range if needed.   It is interesting that 1080p as a slow motion mode is not even considered here but these cameras are geared to a specific market and that is digital cinema which needs much more resolution nowadays than what even 2k can deliver, much less 1080p.  → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Samsung ISOCELL GN2 does 480fps!

The hegemony of phone sensors has been the purview of Sony with their Exmor sensors for many years but now Samsung has started making inroads in the space with their ISOCELL chips. The latest is currently mass-produced and shipping in handsets already which is not a paper launch, but a real thing. The chip is capable of massive low light improvement compared to other sensors because it is essentially a near 1″ sensor with 1/1.12-inch measurements. This is close to what Sony RX cameras use as a main sensor, and a first for a phone.

As to how they are able to fit this sensor on phones, it is a dance between a protruding camera bump that is a little larger than usual and also a lens system that creates a full imaging circle from a minute distance. The GN2 is capable of recording 480fps in HD 720p, 4k 120fps, 30fps in 12.5MP windowed size and 10fps in 100MP mode which uses a clever algorithm and three RGB exposures to derive a 100MP image from the 50MP source. → 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 ←

Canon & Sony stagnate at 120fps!

Canon & Sony stagnate at 120fps

The recently announced Canon 90D, Canon EOS M6 II, Sony a6100 and Sony a6600 are cameras that refine everything that is already a current technology but bundle it in a lower price package with great performance. However, it is clear from the spec sheets that high frame rates have stagnated for the past few years in these camera lines with a maximum of 120fps at 1080p.

Sure some of them offer full-time autofocus in slow motion modes and face tracking which in the case of Sony is so good that you may not even match it if you had the best focus puller in the business hired for your shoot. But the frame rate war seems to be left to other camera lines and brands. Panasonic, for example, offers up to 180fps in their new S1H camera which should be in theory the best Panasonic mirrorless camera ever made and it should also allow for outstanding quality in 1080p 180fps.

Sony a6100 MSRP $748.00 Body Only:

Video

Recording Modes XAVC S
UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 24.00p/25p/29.97p
Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 24.00p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p [50 Mb/s] /100p/119.88p [60 to 100 Mb/s]
AVCHD
Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 23.976p/50i/59.94i/59.94p [17 to 28 Mb/s]
External Recording Modes 4:2:2 8-Bit
UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 24.00p/25p/29.97p
Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 24.00p/50i/50p/59.94i/59.94p
Recording Limit Up to 29 Minutes, 59 Seconds
Video Encoding NTSC/PAL

Sony a6600 MSRP $1,398.00 Body Only:

Video

Recording Modes XAVC S
UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 24.00p/25p/29.97p [60 to 100 Mb/s]
Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 100p/119.88p [60 to 100 Mb/s]
Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 24.00p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p [50 Mb/s]
AVCHD
Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 50i/59.94i [17 to 24 Mb/s]
External Recording Modes 4:2:2 8-Bit
UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 24.00p/25p/29.97p
Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 24.00p/50i/50p/59.94i/59.94p
Recording Limit None
Video Encoding NTSC/PAL

Example of Sony’s a6000 series slow motion mode:

Canon 90D MSRP $1,199.00 Body Only:

Video

Recording Modes MP4/H.264
UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 25p/29.97p
Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p/100p/119.88p 
HD (1280 x 720) at 50p/59.94p
External Recording Modes 4:2:2 8-Bit
UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) up to 25p/29.97p
Recording Limit Up to 29 Minutes, 59 Seconds
Video Encoding NTSC

Canon 90D Slow Motion Sample from Canon:

Canon EOS M6 Mark II MSRP $849.00 Body Only:

Video

Recording Modes MP4/H.264
UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 25p/29.97p
Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p/100p/119.88p 
HD (1280 x 720) at 50p/59.94p
External Recording Modes 4:2:2 8-Bit
UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) up to 25p/29.97p
Recording Limit Up to 29 Minutes, 59 Seconds
Video Encoding NTSC/PAL

Canon EOS M6 Mark II Slow Motion Sample:

As you can tell from the above video specs there is nothing but siumilarity between these cameras. Is as if Sony and Canon got themselves in a room and made a pact to create the most similar cameras possible to not rock the boat and leapfrog one another.

120fps in NTSC and 100fps in PAL at full HD 1080p are the most you can expect from any of these cameras. By price alon the a6100 seems to be the better bargain but Sony lenses are usually more expensive than the similar Canon counterparts. As a system you will be served right by both with a large array of choices and budgets. For frame rates alone however, we cannont recommend any of these cameras for your arsenal. Youa re better off getting a Sony RX series or Panasonic Lumix GH5, G9 or S Full frame to get better speeds at up to 240fps in the case of the GH5s.

Canon Korea has provided some sample footage at 120fps from both the 90D and the M6 Mark II. The quality is very good compared to previous Canon 60fps 720p video in their cameras which is a good sign. However, we can clearly see some moire and compression artifacts though not unacceptable for production. There seems to be a restricted codec compression at work here. The Canon color science did pass through with gorgeous quality right out of the camera which is still better than Sony’s or Panasonic for skin tones and reds in our opinion.

EOS 90D] 4K Movie | 30P | No Crop | City:

Sony has not provided 120p samples but we should expect quality similar to the a6500 shown above. Good and dependable but still also restricted in Codec.  Canon and Sony are really competitive as options with these cameras which oddly enough were released very close to each other.

It is funny how Panasonic with the GH5 from March 2017 is still a better video camera with up to 60p 4k and 180fps 1080p after so many years lead time.

If we could recommend a camera to our readers from the ones in this article it would be easy to do so on the case of the a6100 and EOS 90D and M6 Mark II.  The Sony a6600 does have unlimited recording and S-Log among other video features but hardly worth 2x the price as the a6100 especially since it shares the slow motion 120p component with the only difference being selectability fo frame rates from 1fps to 120fps.

EOS 90D] 4K Movie | 30P | Crop | City: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Chronos 68 Posted by Krontech, April’s Fools or legit?

Chronos 68

The Twitter account of the Krontech.ca company has posted here a render and a short info spec on a supposed 48 camera rig that can process an awe-inspiring 68 Gigapixels/sec which they arrive at by aggregating the 1.4Gpx/s on the Chronos 1.4c camera multiplied by 48 different units. (Update: Real Product See Our Post Here!)

“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the “Chronos 68″ made of 48 Chronos 1.4 cameras thus able to process 68 Gpx/s. Is anyone in to buy?” Krontech.ca

Being this April 1st which could make it an April Fools prank we are cautious about calling this a real rig, or product, but it sure looks pretty capable as a way to capture a 360-degree view of something.  Whatever the case, this is probably not going to be cheap but geared to professional movie making or very hardcore labs.  Krontech.ca website here!  What do you think? -HSC