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Vision Research unveils compact, super slo-mo Miro M110, M120 and M310 cams
Of all the cinematographic tricks in the book, few are as effective and primal as super slo-mo, and few names are as synonymous with the time-stretching tech as Vision Research. The company behind the famous Phantom is refreshing its line of more compact high-speed shooters with the Miro M110, M310 and M120. The 110 and 310 are both one megapixel affairs, with a 1200 x 800 CMOS sensor. The 110 tops out at 1,600fps at full resolution, but cutting down the image quality allows you to bump that rate up to 400,000fps. The M310 is even faster, hitting 3,200fps at its highest quality setting and reaching a mind-boggling 650,000 fps when dialed back -- making a single second last hours. The M120 offers up to 730fps at a full resolution of 1920 x 1200, but using the more standard 1920 x 1080 adds another 70fps, while subsequent drops in pixel count allow it to reach 200,000fps. Don't expect to capture your next student film or backyard wrestling match on one of these though, they're expected to start at $25,000 when they launch in January 2012. Check out the PR after the break.
Vision Research's Phantom v1210 and v1610 do slow motion in style (video)
No matter how fast that piece of Jell-O landed on the floor, you'll be able to review the journey in all its slow motion glory with the newly announced Phantom v1610 and v1210 cameras. Vision Research is calling the latest entries in the Phantom line the "world's fastest one megapixel digital high-speed cameras." The v1210 is capable of capturing 12,000 fps to 16,000 fps, with its higher end buddy the v1610 capturing between 650,000 fps and one million fps, if you sacrifice resolution. Shooting 1280 x 800 widescreen images (at regular speed), the v1210 boasts 12GB, 24GB, or 48GB of segmented memory, while the v1610 can hold 24GB, 48GB, or 96GB of segmented memory. Other features include an image-based auto-trigger, ethernet port, SMPTE & IRIG timecode, genlock, 28 micron pixel size, 12-bit depth pixel depth standard, and an HD-SDI output. No word on pricing, but if you have a budget like NFL Films, let the epic sports montages and Truffle Shuffling commence. Check out some slow motion footage captured on the Phantom HD Gold after the break. Update: pricing starts around a cool $100,000.
Fastec's DSLR-sized TS3Cine does 720p at 720fps for $30,000
For years, consumers have been able to shoot slow-motion videos -- mostly with the help of Casio's line of slightly gimmicky point-and-shoots. But Fastec's TS3Cine aims for a more discerning customer -- the kind of videographer who might spice up a promo or short with some slow-mo action. Unlike Casio's cameras, which cut the resolution to little more than thumbnail-size as you crank the frame rate, the TS3Cine does 720p video at 720fps, and 1280 x 1024 at 500fps. It's only when you further slow down the video (up to 20,000fps) that the image size starts to shrink. This camera also has a badass design, pairing a DSLR-like body with a gargantuan 7-inch WVGA LCD that effectively eliminates the need for an external monitor. Pros have their choice of a C-Mount, F-Mount, and optional SL-Mount, and can upgrade to a 256GB SSD for a cool two grand if the standard 128GB one isn't roomy enough. It also has Gigabit Ethernet and USB ports, HDMI-out, support for an external power source, and a removable battery. Can't afford the $29,900 price tag? If you're in the Boston area, at least, you can rent it for $625 a day, a price that includes a tripod and two batteries -- enough juice for up to six hours of shooting. Head on past the break for a sample video clip and a tour of this beastly camera in action.
Phantom camera captures flamethrower vs. fire extinguisher in ultra slo-mo (video)
Korn's "Freak on a Leash," Smashing Pumpkin's "Tonight, Tonight" and Michael / Janet Jackson's "Scream" come to mind when thinking of stunning music videos of the past score, but we're guessing that a 3:19 clip from the good people in Dancing Pigeons will be joining that fray. The music video for "Ritalin" was shot entirely on a Vision Research Phantom and Canon EOS 7D, with the former handling the slow motion work. Which, of course, is the star of the show. You may not think 199 seconds of flamethrower vs. fire extinguisher would be entertaining, but you'd be wrong. Hop on past the break and mash play, but be sure to position a drip rag beneath your chin beforehand.
Vision Research's Phantom Flex captures 1080p at 2,800fps, our full attention
Inside tech fiends the world over, there is a deep-seated desire to film lightning strikes, bullets penetrating glass and objects dropped into water, if only to see the fantastic, chaotic patterns played back in slow motion. (Peep an example after the break.) Thing is, most cameras fast enough to catch such phenomena do so with a tradeoff -- like the Phantom V12, which had a tiny 256 x 8 picture at its impressive 1,000,000fps. But now, Vision Research claims they have a camera that does it all: the Phantom Flex, which captures 1080p images at up to 2,800fps -- with 1000 ISO sensitivity -- and can shoot higher (2560 x 1600 at 1,560fps), faster (640 x 480 at 13,000fps) or even slower (down to 5fps) for regular filming. Since the high speed modes fill the onboard 16 or 32GB of memory in the blink of an eye, the sexy black number supports hot-swappable SSD modules for storage, and can even be synced in pairs to film blue alien Pocahontas reenactments in stereoscopic 3D. Hit the source link for a mouthwatering spec sheet, and don't ask how much it costs. You really don't want to know.
Vision Research rolls out high-speed Phantom Miro eX-series cameras
In the market for a high-speed camera that's compact but definitely won't be mistaken for a regular point-and-shoot? Then you may want to look no farther than one of Vision Research's new Phantom Miro eX-series cameras, which boast a "DSLR-like" design and a spec list intended for high-speed video and not much else. That includes your choice of 640 x 480 or 800 x 600 resolution cams, video frame rates from 500 fps to "over" 100,000 fps (at a reduced resolution), ISO settings up to ISO 1200 for color or ISO 4800 for monochrome, a 3.5-inch touchscreen, and 1GB, 2GB, or 4GB of internal memory, plus a CompactFlash card slot for expansion. Of course, these also won't be mistaken for a point-and-shoot when it comes to price, with the base eX1 model starting at just under ten grand. [Via PhotographyBLOG]
Vision crosses the million-pictures-per-second with Phantom V12
Vision Research already has some pretty capable high-speed cameras under its belt, but the company looks to have outdone even itself with its latest model, which is apparently the first such camera to hit the one-million pictures-per-second mark. Of course, to grab that impressive burst of images you'll have to settle for a 256x8 resolution, although you'll still get a decent 6,315 pictures-per-second with the maximum 1280x800 resolution. Otherwise, you can expect 8GB, 16GB or 32GB of internal storage depending on the exact model (which includes both color and monochrome options), "unprecedented light sensitivity," and Vision's Extreme Dynamic Range feature, which'll let you capture two different exposures within one single frame. No word on a price, although some things are probably better left unsaid.[Via Gadget Lab]
