Tag Archives: UHD

Upscaling high speed video to usable Full HD and or 4k!

Our of our readers Chinito Pinoy has shared a pretty remarkable video with us that we would like to share.  It is upscaling of sub HD resolution high-speed video at 240p, 480p and 960p from the Sony RX10 IV at 480 and 960fps and the A7S Mark III at 240fps from Sub HD to 4k UHD. 

→ Continue Reading Full Post ←

Alice Camera and why the Future is Bright!

Alice Camera

The Alice Camera, launched to great success this month has to be the most hopeful product for the future of cameras that we have seen lately. It marries the Sony IMX294, a 10.7 megapixel 4/3 sensor with a custom chipset including the Edge TPU chip from Google for AI and an FPGA for calculations.  The result is a camera body with the same sensor as the GH5s which is a killer low light camera capable of excellent 4k footage and images with super low noise.

Then the camera back is attached to your Android or Apple smartphone to gain an interface and software to control it. The camera is capable of using the latest research for computational photography including HDR with multiple exposures merging, tracking, night mode, averaging of pixels, and as an open-source architecture, you can add features by other coders or your own to make the camera increase the feature set. → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Sony a7s III Slow Motion Samples!

Sony a7s III Slow Motion Samples

Now that the excellent a7s Mark III video recording mirrorless camera has been out for over six months, it is time to revisit the slow motion component and see what quality we can expect from the Sony a7s III Slow Motion Samples. Many have praised the 4k 120fps mode which is heavily detailed, low noise and suffers from only a very small crop factor that is hardly a problem.

We looked at the Full HD 1080p 240fps mode on the camera and it was clear it did not match the 120fps 4k mode as it was not only less detailed but full of aliasing and moire if you looked for it. It was clear the camera was not up to professional standards when in this mode which is to be expected from a full-frame sensor cropping to 1080p. That said, this camera is a powerhouse that easily takes the mantle as Sony’s best mirrorless compact video camera.

Sony a7s III Slow Motion Samples:

Be aware that 120fps in 4k is not only highly detailed and full of dynamic range but it is the best high frame rate this camera has to offer. You can easily use this mode for professional broadcast or film work is shot in good conditions.  The a7s Mark III is the best Sony Alpha line camera for low light performance and it is evident by the samples this translates directly into higher frame rates.

CHAINSAW VS SONY A7SIII | SLOW-MOTION by Moment:

Sony A7S iii Slow Motion footage 120fps 4k by Josiah Mendoza: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Fujifilm X-E4 Slow Motion 240fps disappoints!

Fujifilm X-E4 Slow Motion

The recently released camera called the Fujifilm X-E4 shares many of the traits of their lower brethren but also from the higher-end models in a compact package. It ditches the better viewfinder for a small 2.36 million dot EVF that makes it a bit hard to see your composition but that also allows the camera to be smaller and more stylish than the beefy SLR style Fujis out there.

The Fujifilm X-E4 Slow Motion feature is the same as found on cameras like the excellent Fujifilm XS-10 which is a 120fps or 240fps full HD component that records in camera. Why are we not excited? well, the quality is lower than expected with some aliasing and moire characteristics that are so last decade. When are manufacturers going to offer the same 1080p quality at all frame rates instead of relegating the 120fps and 240fps modes to the lower bitrate and detail bin?

Fujifilm X-E4 Main Specs:

  • 26.1MP APS-C X-Trans BSI CMOS 4 Sensor
  • DCI/UHD 4K at 24p, 25p & 30 fps
  • 2.36m-Dot 0.62x OLED EVF
  • X-Processor 4 Image Processor
  • Compact classic body
  • 3.0″ 1.62m-Dot 180° Tilting Touchscreen
  • 425-Point Hybrid AF System
  • Film Simulation Modes
  • Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Connectivity
  • Lens Kit includes: XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR Lens
  • MSRP: 1,049.00 USD Lens Kit or $849.95 Body only!
  • Release date March 11th, 2021

Fujifilm X-E4 Slow Motion Specs:

Full HD (1920 x 1080)

  • 50p/59.94p
  • 100p/119.88p
  • 200p/239.76p
  • [100 to 200 Mb/s]

While we get the same frame rates as the best value/performance on Fuji’s arsenal the XS-10, you get the aliased version of the footage. While the final quality is passable for your Youtube Vlog, it will not be ready for more professional uses, the pixelation and stair-stepping looks like badly captured 720p video in a 1080p wrapper.

The video below by the amusing and great Kai W, has a sample of 200p video on the camera at the 4-minute mark.  You can clearly see the aliasing in the footage when you load it at full resolution.  We expect the 120fps mode to be much better but we already get pretty good 120p footage from most cameras nowadays. The 240fps mode is the standout here and it disappointed us fully.

Fujifilm X-E4 Hands-on Impressions WIN THIS CAMERA! by: Kai W

But what about?

Can you still make a remarkable slow motion shot with this camera?  In a word, Yes take a look at the Fujifilm’s XS-10 240fps mode which is probably the same as the one in the X-E4 as they share a lot in common feature-wise. Look closely at the very well shot video below:

Fujifilm X-S10 – 240fps slow motion test by Coastal Bay 4K: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Freefly Wave Camera Sold Out, Batch 4 Preorders now Available!

Freefly Wave Camera Sold Out

It seems Freefly systems completely misjudged the demand for their new RAW 4k Slow Motion camera as the first 100 cameras ordered in batch 1 to batch 3 have all sold out. Now they aim to produce an unspecified number going forward with Batch 4 which is expected sometime in Q2 2021. The popularity of a product like this speaks volumes of the interest in slow-motion for video production, especially at 4k.  While the camera is not cheap at $9,995, it is still a bargain considering other options.

You would still need to factor in a field monitor as the camera does not have a built-in screen in the overall cost but these have lowered in value due to competition and wide availability ina variety of sizes and specs.  Freefly has also released a few more videos showing the Wave in action which are frankly inspiring and show what the camera is really capable of doing.  It seems this camera has been received so well by the market that we are sure Freefly is thinking already about an even higher spec camera for the future, maybe one with 1000fps in 4k.

Freefly Wave Camera Sold Out But More Are Coming in 2021!

Batch 1

  • 20 Units (sold out)
  • Shipping starts 11/18/2020

Batch 2

  • 30 Units (sold out)
  • Shipping starts 12/1/2020

Batch 3

  • 50 units (sold out)
  • Shipping starts 2/15/2021

Batch 4 and beyond (PREORDER HERE)

  • Expected to start shipping Q2, 2021

Freefly Wave Camera Sold Out: As you can see the camera’s first three batched sold out in a couple of weeks. For a slow motion camera of nearly 10k USD that is very popular.  The camera software is still in beta and the time to shipping should improve on that. We found some noise issues in the shadows that could be improved but other than that the camera was pretty solid from the samples we saw.

Footage of the Wave in Action:

Here are footage samples of the camera in action. Of note is that dynamic range is not as good as the best cameras out there but 11 stops are still respectable considering high speed CMOS Sensors tend to lower dynamic range when using a global shutter which is needed for high speed imaging.

Introducing Freefly Wave – High Speed Camera by Freefly Systems:

Wave 4K 420fps Bandsaw by Shane Colton: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Wave Camera 4k Slow Motion Released for 10k USD!

The Freefly systems Wave camera has been released and it is certainly a market disruptor. It is not your average high speed camera since it is essentially using an internal SSD M.2 card to continuously record slow motion events it functions more as a live capture device than a shot by shot trigger traditional slow motion camera. This is essentially the idea behind the fps1000 camera line by Graham Rowan which sadly was dissolved last year. A new way of capturing high speed by leveraging the speed of SSD flash storage with ultra-high frame rates.

The Wave is no slouch in specs with a 4k spec of 420fps which is not as good as the Phantom Flex 4k which records 1000fps but costs a whopping 160k USD.  The Wave costs $9,995 and using an E-Mount with no power or AF functions, can be adapted to a variety of lens systems because of the plethora of adapters that can be used due to the short flange distance.  We take a look at the wave specs and why it may be the camera you were waiting for – if you can get one!

Wave Camera 4k Slow Motion Specs:

Continuous Capture Time:

  • 4096 x 2176, 422fps, 1TB 19min
  • 4096 x 2176, 422fps, 2TB 39min
  • 2048 x 1088, 1461fps, 1TB 23min
  • 2048 x 188, 1461fps, 2TB 45min

The camera uses a 4:3 aspect ratio from the sensor which is kind of odd but allows for a variety of frame sizes including anamorphic capture if stretch in post. This seems to be an ideal camera for Anamorphic slow motion.  Of note is that the Krontech Chronos 2.1 HD is also using a 4:3 sensor which in theory can be used with Anamorphic glass. → Continue Reading Full Post ←