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NHK is ready to shoot slow motion 8K video
TV broadcasters are still wrapping their heads around 8K, but that isn't stopping NHK from pushing the technology forward. The Japanese industry giant is coming to the annual NAB trade show with a slew of 8K inventions, headlined by a high-speed camera. It's not exactly portable, but it can shoot 240 frames per second -- ideal for slow motion sports footage or reduced motion blur at full speed. Appropriately, there's dedicated hardware for stretching out playback at the extra-high resolution.
Sony's slow-mo friendly Xperia XZs goes on sale this week
As smartphones have evolved to basically all look the same, manufacturers have been keen to capitalize on gimmicks to entice customers. Sony didn't buck that trend with the forthcoming, monolithic Xperia XZs and its rear camera that's capable of shooting at 960 frames per-second. The electronics company says that frame-rate allows for video that's four times slower than any other smartphone on the market. More than that, the shooter pulls a trick from the Pixel's playbook and starts taking photos before you actually press the shutter button. Pre-orders are open, and Sony says that come April 5th you can grab an unlocked version from Amazon, Best Buy and elsewhere for $700.
Twitter wants you to share slow-motion video from your iPhone
Sharing slow-motion videos from your iPhone can be a real challenge when many apps don't know what to do with them, but Twitter just made it a lot easier. The social network now supports posting and embedding iPhone slow-mo clips, so you don't have to jump through hoops to tweet high-speed footage of your pet. It's a simple feature, but it could mean a lot if you want to show off your more dramatic recordings as quickly as possible.
This is a slow-mo look at how a DSLR's shutter works
It's always cool learning how stuff works. Case in point: cameras. More specifically, digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) pictograph boxes. The chaps over at YouTube channel The Slow Mo Guys have taken their trademark ultra-high-speed camerawork and, well, pointed it at a camera. The result? Seeing what a shutter looks like moving at 1/8000 of a second compared to 1/1000 of a second. Host Gavin Free achieves this, like the rest of the team's pretty rad videos, by shooting at 10,000 frames per-second with a Phantom Flex and then slowing it down for playback. The video below isn't the channel's most impressive clip, but it's perhaps the one with the most useful knowledge. After all, how often will you watch the result of chugging a gallon of milk as opposed to seeing just what happens when you snap a picture? Exactly.
10 people, 10 face slaps and 10 iPhone 5s slow-mo videos
The iPhone 5s has plenty of fancy features that make it more powerful and secure than any iPhone before it, but it also has some pretty fantastic toys, like slow-mo video capture. Sure, you could use the feature to record some amazing BMX tricks or an adorable squirrel, but that can get old. Do you know what never gets old? Seeing people get slapped in the face. It seems that the release of the new iPhone has become the perfect excuse for a bunch of people to slap their friends in the face, and then post the videos online. To that we say "Bravo!" [Image credit: Manatari]
Video: The 5s slow-mo revolution begins
Yoni Heisler found this slow-motion video on YouTube this morning. It showcases the 5s' new 120fps video capture. The recorded segments, which include vegetable juggling and knife skills, look pretty fabulous in our opinion. The quality of the light on the accelerated shots and the overall image clarity are extremely good, matching the results we first wrote about last week. Did you pick up a new iPhone 5s today? Have you been testing out the camera? Link us your slow-mo vid in the comments.
OK, now I'm excited about the iPhone 5s slow-mo recording feature
When Apple showed off the slow-motion camera feature at the iPhone event last week, I thought it was a neat addition, but it didn't exactly blow me away. Maybe it was just the amount of information being thrown out in quick succession, or maybe it was the sample videos Apple used at the time, but whatever the reason, it took a pint-sized video from a fashion company to actually sell me on the idea. The video below was recorded by Burberry, a British luxury clothing and fragrance brand, during a recent fashion show in which they partnered with Apple to show off the capabilities of the iPhone 5s camera. As you can see, everything seems pretty standard until the smartphone's 120fps slow-motion recording feature is activated, giving the previously fast-moving flower petals an elegant fluttering effect. Now if only I had a good reason to carry flower petals around with me on a daily basis to capture something this fantastic. You can check out a whole gallery of iPhone 5s snapshots on Burberry's Instagram page.
YouTube adds slow-mo feature to its editing tools
How do you add a dramatic flair to your mundane video clips? You play it in slow motion, that's how. And now that YouTube has introduced a built-in slow-mo feature, you don't even need to capture footage using a high-speed camera. Just click Edit, navigate to Enhancements and hit the icon emblazoned with a turtle to make footage crawl at 12.5, 25 or 50 percent of its original pace. Note that resulting clips can last no longer than 10 minutes, and the feature might not be available in some countries outside the US just yet. Head past the break to compare two samples and see how the new feature can transform your YouTube vids, Dave Chappelle-style.
Aptina intros 8MP sensors that bring 60 fps, pro-grade video to phones, action cameras
Smartphones and action cameras are no strangers to high-speed video: devices like the HTC One X make it a selling point. They've usually had to crop the frame from a much larger sensor, however, cutting into the final image quality and the field of view. Aptina's new AR0835 and AR0835HS sensors might be the ticket to no-compromise, fast footage. Both 8-megapixel, backside-lit CMOS imagers occupy as much of the sensor as they can when capturing widescreen video at 60 frames-per-second, oversampling HD video at six megapixels; the result is supposedly professional-level video sharpness and viewing angles without the professional-level pricing. Either sensor can also capture 6-megapixel stills mid-video, and they can combine pixels to record 720p video at an even brisker 120 fps. Aptina won't have the action camera-focused AR0835HS in production until first quarter of 2013, but it's already mass-producing the smartphone-oriented AR0835. As such, it shouldn't be long before there's brag-worthy, high-speed home movies sitting in our pockets.
Glitch's creator on the game's failure: 'Too foreign of a concept'
If you're looking for just one reason why Glitch is sunsetting, you're out of luck. If you're looking for many, many reasons why Glitch failed, then all you have to do is pull up a chair in front of Tiny Speck's Stewart Butterfield and listen to him talk. Butterfield spoke with Gamasutra about the myriad of reasons why Glitch didn't take and ultimately had to be shuttered. "Ultimately if I have to identify one thing as the problem -- I don't think there is just one -- but if I had to choose just one," Butterfield said, "I think the game was too foreign of a concept for most people." He pointed out that while there was a devoted fan base who "got it," marketing the title presented severe problems throughout most of the game's lifespan: "There haven't ever been other non-combat MMOs that are based on absurdity, humor, and whimsy. I'm not sure anyone has the specific expertise in making this thing work." Other failures that Butterfield identified was a lack of fun gameplay until recently, the decision to do the game in Flash instead of for mobile platforms, large expenditures of money, and Tiny Speck's big team drawing salaries.
Lorenz Potthast's Decelerator helmet gives you slow-motion vision, sci-fi style
Ever wish you could just push a slow-mo button and cause the hustle and bustle of city life to ease up a little? Maybe you'd just like to seal yourself off from your surroundings within the confines of a shiny aluminum sphere. German artist Lorenz Potthast didn't stop at thinking about it, he did something. Dubbed the "Decelerator," the avant garde piece of headgear does just that: it has a camera that feeds video to the head-mounted display inside, with the wearer (or someone else) able to control the speed of the video playback with a remote. A netbook stuffed in the top handles all the video processing, and an LCD on the outside offers passers-by a look at what the wearer sees. You can find a video after the break and more details at the source link below if you're interested in building your own -- Potthast apparently has no plans to go into the Decelerator business.
Slow Moment for iOS saves your memories s-l-o-w-l-y
Slow Moment is a clever iOS app that lets you record video and then slow it down. Just the thing for preserving a stupid pet trick or a moment of athletic glory from one of your kids. The app is simple to use. Take a video of your own or import something you have already done. There is a 12 second limit either way. You can create a title screen and add music, either selections from the app, or something from your iTunes library. The video fades in at the beginning and out at the end. You can save your masterpiece to your camera roll, or email it to friends or family. The app performs as you would expect. Rendering the slow motion took about a minute in my testing. The final video can be further edited in iMovie for iOS if need be, or several clips can be combined. The only negative I saw is that all the videos are branded with a faint url from the developer. I'd rather not have that superimposed on my videos, and there should be a switch to turn it off. For US$0.99 Slow Moment is a good buy, and accomplishes what it sets out to do. I'd like to see the ability to take more than 12 seconds of video, because you just might miss that special event just when the video goes out. Slow Moment runs on the iPhone, iPod touch 3rd and 4th generation, and the iPad. It requires at least iOS4.3. %Gallery-158865%
NHK and JVC develop 120fps Super Hi-Vision projector
If your cine-cave is already decked out with the Super Hi-Vision display, the Super Hi-Vision camera, and the Super Hi-Vision-supping antenna, we guess you just need the 120fps Super Hi-Vision projector to complete the set? Guess what? Working with JVC, NHK has developed just that. It might not be much to look at, but that hunk of tech up there comes with the extra frame rate that also makes it play fast nice with the sensor technology NHK was kind enough to develop first. The projector will be giving its first public demos on May 24th , and we hope that 7680 x 4320 resolution will make all those hi-res skate-slams come out a charm.
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 Flex camera slows down time, drops jaws with incredible 2,564fps slowmo footage (video)
Ever wanted to see flowing water slowed down to the point of transforming into a series of airborne droplets? This video has that. And more. A chap by the name of Tom Guilmette got to work with a Vision Research Phantom Flex camera recently, and, being the true geek that he is, he put together a video composition of staggering slow-motion footage. When pushed to its limit, the Phantom is capable of filling every second of 1080p recording with 2,800 frames, though Tom mercifully ran it at a lower 2,564fps speed. That's still sufficient temporal resolution to let you track the wave of an impact's vibration as it travels up a BlackBerry's body -- oh yeah, it's as awesome as it sounds.
High-speed camera in motion can stop a commuter's heart
By now, you're certainly familiar with the magic that a consumer-branded Casio super-slow-mo camera can do with motion, right? But what happens when you use a two-year old Casio Exilim FH20 to shoot 210fps footage (played back at 30fps) from a moving train? Nothing, at least until the train slows down.
Monday Night Football gets a few new wrinkles for 2010, like 5.1 audio, super slow motion and more (video)
One of the most watched programs on television is getting a makeover, as ESPN prepares to introduce several new elements for this season of Monday Night Football. According to the press release, this year will be the first time ESPN's MNF is produced in 5.1 -- does this mark the death of "Circle Surround"? We've asked for more details, but we'll wait for our ears and receivers to tell us if there's a difference. A few things that should definitely be noticeable to all (even international viewers, with ESPN Deportes on the scene and, for the first time, live coverage in the UK) are the addition of high speed cameras set to shoot at 500-600 fps (up from last year's mere 300fps cameras and capable of up to 1,000fps, remember the Olympics?) for even clearer shots, and new "Maxx Zoom" cameras. These should provide a whole new angle on goal line plays from a cluster of cameras mounted at the goal line and shooting at "up to eight times normal HD resolution." Even the old telestrator has gotten a revamp, with features that look straight out of Madden 2011 highlighting what players see, do and tracking their movement. Check a quick trailer of the new elements after the break, or hit the source link for a preview of tonight's opener featuring Hank Williams in his 22nd year on the show. Update: ESPN's Colleen Lynch has responded with details about tonight's audio production, check for the full details after the break.
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.
