Sony Action Cam update adds 1080p recording at 60fps, underwater mode

Sony Action Cam update adds 1080p recording at 60fps, underwater mode

Recording footage with Sony's Action Cam at 1080p garnered video with just 30fps, but a new update for the rugged shooter has bumped that up to 60fps. Thanks to the freshly available upgrade, the camera has also been bestowed with a water mode packing white balance adjustment for shooting when submerged, and a Beep Off option to tweak volume levels for its on / record and settings buttons. Come June, Hirai and Co. will release revamped software that allows users to upload videos via Play Memories without having to disconnect the device, and sell a raft of new attachments for the cam ranging from a dog harness to a surfboard mount. Trek past the jump for the accessory lowdown in the press release, or hit the second source link for the upgrade.

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Source: Sony Blog, Sony eSupport

Canon sensor records video in very low light, sees movie stars of a different sort

Canon sensor records video in very low light, captures movie stars of a different sort video

Although there's undoubtedly been improvements to low light videography, it's still difficult or impossible for most cameras to record in near-total darkness. Canon has the solution with a video-only, 35mm CMOS sensor that can keep recording even when there's virtually no visible light at all. The prototype's pixels are about 7.5 times larger than in already light-sensitive DSLRs like the EOS-1D X, letting it get focus with as little as 0.03lux of illumination. The result is more than just the perfect camera for a horror movie -- the sensor can capture the Geminid meteor shower and other astronomical phenomena without special tricks. Canon hasn't said when it might ship a video camera toting the new imaging technology, but it's planning to show the sensor at a security expo this week; we may well see the sensor in the field, even if most of its work happens beyond the public eye.

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Via: Impress Watch (translated)

Source: Canon (translated)

Sony VG900 leaks, packs full-frame sensor into a NEX camcorder

Sony VG900 leaks, packs fullframe sensor into a NEX camcorder

Sony must have a fixation on stuffing full-frame sensors into small spaces this year. A fresh photo and details slipping out to Sony Alpha Rumors show what's billed as the VG900, the first NEX-branded camcorder with a sensor larger than the APS-C spec -- the first NEX camera of any kind, for that matter. While there's only a light smattering of details, we're told the device has a 24-megapixel sensor (likely the same as in the RX1 or A99), records video in AVCHD 2.0 and should ship with an A-mount adapter for Alpha lenses. Not much else is on display, although you may want to take a pass if you're just looking to record a family wedding: at a rumored $3,300 price for the purportedly imminent launch, the VG900 isn't an impulse purchase for anyone short of a pro videographer.

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Sony VG900 leaks, packs full-frame sensor into a NEX camcorder originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Sep 2012 17:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blackmagic launches Cinema Camera MFT with Micro Four Thirds mount, sans autofocus, for $3K

Blackmagic MFT

Blackmagic Design has thrown its Cinema Camera MFT into the Micro Four Thirds arena, but it will only work with lenses that have manual iris and focus capability. The shooter is otherwise identical to the original Cinema Camera, with a 2.5k, sub-MFT sensor; CinemaDNG RAW, ProRes and DNxHD capture formats; built-in SSD; capacitive touchscreen; and an included copy of DaVinci Resolve color correction software. That means cineasts already on board that format will have another mount for their glass, and MFT's mirrorless aspect will also permit other lens formats, like PL or Nikon, to be added with third party adapters. So, if the relatively low price, claimed 13 stop dynamic range, higher-than-HD resolution and new mount is enough to push your "start" button, check the PR for the entire skinny.

Continue reading Blackmagic launches Cinema Camera MFT with Micro Four Thirds mount, sans autofocus, for $3K

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Blackmagic launches Cinema Camera MFT with Micro Four Thirds mount, sans autofocus, for $3K originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Sep 2012 06:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red introduces $42K Epic-M Monochrome cinema cam, on sale October 1st

Red introduces $42K EpicM Monochrome cinema cam, on sale October 1st

Red Camera promised to stop hyping products that weren't ready to ship, and true to its word, just announced the Epic-M Monochrome, surprising even its rabid user base. Packing an all-new black and white-only Mysterium-X sensor, the new cinema cam follows in the footsteps of the Leica M Monochrom still shooter, right down to a similar moniker. Red claims the dedicated CMOS sensor means no color debayering, yielding a one-to-one pixel count and 15-20 percent bump in effective resolution compared to its chromatic cousin. It also touted a sensitivity gain as another advantage, asserting that the Monochrome will have a native ISO of 2,000 (while using the retro-sounding "ASA" term), more than double that of the Epic-M or X. The camera will have a new low pass filter to account for the higher resolution, and buyers who plop down $42,000 to get one on October 1st will be upgraded, gratis, to a new Dragon Monochrome Sensor next year. Like the Leica, if you have to ask why you'd pay such a sum for a camera that doesn't speak color, it may not be for you -- but it is for David Fincher, says Red, who's already shooting his next feature on one.

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Red introduces $42K Epic-M Monochrome cinema cam, on sale October 1st originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Sep 2012 12:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Photo Rumors  |  sourceRedUser Forum  | Email this | Comments

Sony NEX-VG30 camcorder images leak alongside rumor of $1,800 November arrival

Sony VG30 camcorder images leak alongisde rumor of $1,800 November arrival

The streetwise kids at SonyAlphaRumors say they're in possession of legit, leaked images of a forthcoming Sony NEX-VG30 camcorder, which they received from an unnamed tipster. The images themselves reveal very little about what's new in this model, and even the tipster seems to mainly confirm specs that are already present in the VG20 -- such as the big, 16-megapixel Exmor APS-C sensor (although it may have been upgraded), plus 24p and 60p recording at 1080. However, the top-down picture after break does reveal a new, healthy-sized zoom control on the grip, plus there's the happy possibility of an OLED XGA viewfinder. The official announcement may well reveal other changes under the hood, but in the meantime the tipster reports a November release with a $1,800 price tag -- which could either be a price drop or a hike depending on whether it's body-only.

Continue reading Sony NEX-VG30 camcorder images leak alongside rumor of $1,800 November arrival

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Sony NEX-VG30 camcorder images leak alongside rumor of $1,800 November arrival originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 06:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blackmagic Design starts shipping Cinema Cameras in limited quantity

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Remember that $2,995 Blackmagic Cinema Camera that shoots full-res 21:9 16:9 video? It's now hitting shelves, or maybe we should say "a shelf," because the initial shipment was "rather small," according to the company. The arrival date was pushed back earlier, and now the 2.5k, 12-bit RAW, sub-four-thirds video camera won't roll out in volume until the "parts supply ramps up." Meanwhile, B&H got a handful along with several other dealers, but if you just decided to order one for tomorrow's shoot, you may wanna cool your ardor -- there's quite a back order to get through, first.

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Blackmagic Design starts shipping Cinema Cameras in limited quantity originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 00:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBlackmagic Forums  | Email this | Comments

NHK developing hybrid renewable energy-powered video camera for use in disaster areas

NHK developing hybrid renewable energypowered camera for use in disaster areas

You can always count on Japan's NHK to come up with new, exciting and innovative ways to bring us video coverage. The latest project? A wind- and solar-powered robot camera designed for situations such as natural disasters. Loaded with a 1,200 Ah battery, even if the elements don't bless it with sun and air, it can keep filming for two to three days. The combination of wind turbine and solar panels obviously allow it to generate more power than either method on its own, with the turbine reportedly generating 1 kW at 11 m/s wind speeds. A special power-saving mode prevent it draining too fast when full functionality -- such as the built-in wireless, cellular and satellite broadcasting systems aren't needed. Currently the prototype is installed on a rooftop while battery and power-generation are fully tested, but it's hoped that this could lead to further developments for disaster area broadcast equipment. Or -- here's hoping -- power-cut-proof sports coverage.

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NHK developing hybrid renewable energy-powered video camera for use in disaster areas originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 18:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blackmagic Cinema Camera pushed back a few weeks, new footage shown

Blackmagic Cinema Camera delayed, new footage shown

Unfortunately, there's a delay for cinéastes anxiously awaiting their 12-bit RAW Blackmagic Cinema Cameras, but the news isn't all bad. The camera is "in the final stages of Thunderbolt certification and internal testing" and manufacturing will follow as soon as that's done -- probably in the second week of August, according to the company. It will still hit the market with the $2,995 price tag, Canon lens mount, 15.6 x 8 mm sensor and built-in SSD recorder intact. In more positive news, the company has identified the cause of aliasing noticed by some viewers and blames it on the workflow used. It's posted a few new videos to back up the claim, which can be viewed at the source link below. Considering the company might soon have similar competition, it's probably best to work out any bugs before shipping a boatload out to finicky cinema clients.

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Blackmagic Cinema Camera pushed back a few weeks, new footage shown originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 15:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceJohn Brawley blog  | Email this | Comments

Sony broadcasts three-chip PMW-200 XDCAM with Android or iOS remote control app

Sony outs threechip PMW200 XDCAM with Android or iOS remote control

If you're the reporter and camera operator for K-STIX, Sony's got good news: they just unveiled the PMW-200 XDCAM, and you can control it with your smartphone. The camcorder features a broadcast-friendly 50Mbps data rate drawing from three half-inch CMOS sensors -- bigger than any other broadcast handheld cam, according to Sony -- though that size is still a far cry from its own super-35 filmmaking cams and others on the market. The Japanese company claims the chips provide "exceptional" low-light powers, and other features include 30fps at 1080P or 60fps at 720P, a 14x zoom lens, 3.5-inch 852 x 480 LCD display and a 15 second pre-record cache. The camera will be available by September, but the aforementioned WiFi adapter for Android or iOS remote control won't fly in until the end of the year. Pricing has yet to be announced, but if you need an easier way to multitask or the approving nod from that rigid broadcaster, check the PR for all the specs.

Continue reading Sony broadcasts three-chip PMW-200 XDCAM with Android or iOS remote control app

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Sony broadcasts three-chip PMW-200 XDCAM with Android or iOS remote control app originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 09:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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