Chronos > Chronos User Discussion

Video Clarity?

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donfarrall:
I am a commercial photographer that shoots a fair amount of high-speed stills.  I also shoot some footage both with a DSLR and with an older Panasonic video camera, an HPX300.  I have been looking at the Chronos 1.4 with interest.  I have looked at a lot of footage samples and without wishing to sound like a critic, it seems to me that almost all of the video samples are pretty soft.  Is this just the limit of the current state of technology?  I'm not sure that what I am seeing is commercially viable.  Clearly fun to watch, but as "stock footage" I don't think what I am seeing would "fly".  Again, not trying to be critical, just wanting to understand what is possible, I would appreciate any feedback.

jasonfish:
It's tough to answer that question by looking at posted footage. One can't say if the focus was perfect, which is really tough to get in some scenarios (DOF can be a few mm at best), etc.

The faster frame rates do contribute to a softer look, as we're only using a section of the sensor (digital zoom bad).

In general, I'd say that yes, overall picture quality is softer than I'd like. But with perfect focus, full sensor resolution, sharp lens, and <=50% shutter, it's not terrible for the price.

ExaltedDuck:
The biggest concern I would anticipate if you want to use the footage commercially is whether the limited resolution would be suitable.  The native max  res is 1280x1024... a 4:3 aspect ratio that will letterbox in 1080 if left pixel perfect (and scaling will decrease sharpness).  The max unscaled 16:9 res is 720p.  Played back in 720 it should look good but scaling it up to 1080 might not so much.  And there is unfortunately no 540 vertical resolution which might gracefully scale to 1080 (2x2 pixels)

Other than that, some of it may be equipment configuration.  Most of us will run the recommended 12.5-75mm lens and its at its fully open stop.  Many reviews I've seen for that lens suggest this can both wash out colors and soften edges in the images.  Stopping down can help but might require increased gain which could add noise.  If you shop around, there are some very interesting c-mount lenses that were designed for 16mm film that can suit this camera quite well.  The sensor is only about 11mm in diagonal so the captured frame will be slightly cropped/zoomed (whichever way you prefer to think of it) and you'll get about a third to a half less light than you might expect at a given stop (but with all the bokeh of the selected stop).  micro 4/3 and aps-c lenses might be options with speed boosters and mount adapters but getting those adapters costs as much as - if not more than - some of the very interesting c-mount lenses.  But if you already have good lenses for other systems, it can be a very economical way to go. 

I've heard some of the other kickstarters bought the camera to rent it out.  It might be worth getting your hands on one and seeing what you can get out of it.

donfarrall:
Thanks for the quick responses; very helpful.  Yes, it would be much better if it produced an uninterpolated 1080p.  For some things 720p might be okay.  We are at the point where there are some digital still cameras that will shoot 120 fps at 1080p.  This isn't fast (slow) enough for my needs, but just a few years ago you were lucky to be able to get 1080p at 60 fps.  I think there are a few 240 at 720p options out there as well.  light level and depth of field shouldn't be a problem for me I have a studio full of lighting equipment, but if the images aren't pretty sharp, at least in the non moving portions of the image, I don't think they will be accepted for commercial use.  I know that the Phantom cameras are sharp at high frame rates, and I know that they cost more than a premium sports car.  I could afford to pay more than the price of a Chronos, if I can sell the footage, but the price jump between the Chronos and a Phantom is so extreme.  I think there might be a market for a 1080p 1000fps camera with good sharpness and fidelity in the sub $10,000 price range, but I haven't found one yet.  Maybe the next Chronos version.

nik282000:
When ever possible I have been using full frame Minolta lenses on my Chronos and it is capable of taking very sharp footage with smaller apertures (f/4-ish) at the 1500fps/720p resolution. None of the c-mount lenses I have tested are very sharp, everything from brand new eBay to 1960s, are pretty soft at all apertures. The problem is getting one or more kW of light on to your subject without cooking it or blowing breakers.

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