Messages

16

Chronos User Discussion / Re: NEW: Chronos 4K12 and Chronos Q12

« on: December 08, 2023, 01:02:55 PM »

Thanks Sanjay! Is there a reason why the 1.4 and 2.1 can't allow for adjustable bit depth? Is it a sensor thing?

The bit depth limitations are dictated by the sensor. Both the Chronos 1.4 & Chronos 2.1 image sensors only provide 12-bit analog to digital converters:

Chronos 1.4: https://www.luxima.com/product_briefs/LUX1310.html
Chronos 2.1: https://www.luxima.com/product_briefs/LUX2100.html

The Chronos 4K12 uses a GSprint 4510 image sensor, which provides support for 12, 10, and 8 bits per pixel

https://gpixel.com/en/pro_details_1191.html

Understood! Thanks! Looking at the spec sheet of the Gpixel, does that mean HDR could be enabled in future firmware updates to the 4K12 and Q12?

Another thing, I'm reading the spec sheet of the 1.4 and 2.1 and saw this.

"Up to 1,000,000 FPS @ 1280 x 1"


"125,000 FPS @ 1920 x 8
It can be windowed down to achieve frame rates of 300,000+ FPS"

If I understood correctly, the reason we can't get these frames rates is because of an H.264 encoder issue so can it be enabled when doing Cinema DNG RAW shooting?

17

Chronos User Discussion / Re: OLPF filter for Chronos cameras to reduce Aliasing/Moire?

« on: December 08, 2023, 08:43:27 AM »

I feel your pain with the filter juggling act. Been messing with external filters on my setup too. It's a hassle swapping them out for different focal lengths, right? Your shots look solid, though. I've been eyeing the Chronos 4K12 myself, but you're right.

Nice Moonlight! Are you using Caprock filters? I want to try out the Q12 because the squarish sensor would pair very well with my anamorphic gear. It looks like tho it isn't as popular as only one Q12 has sold so far from what I've seen on the order page. Also, I found that VEAI upscaling doesn't do so well with unreadable fine texts and makes it alias more. I hope VEAI will create a model to keep the texts as is even if it's not readable. I try to avoid having fine print lettering in my shots.

18

Chronos User Discussion / Re: Has anyone tried this lens ?

« on: December 08, 2023, 08:09:52 AM »

I haven't tried that exact lens, but I've used other Laowa lenses, and they're usually pretty solid. The f/0.95 aperture sounds like a dream for low light. If you're into fast lenses, I'd say give it a shot.

Moonlight do you have any sample videos you shot with other Laowas wide open? I have a Meike 35 0.95 and it's decently sharp wide open on mid to long distances. It struggles for very close up shots though.

19

Chronos User Discussion / Re: NEW: Chronos 4K12 and Chronos Q12

« on: December 08, 2023, 08:07:47 AM »

Thanks Sanjay! Is there a reason why the 1.4 and 2.1 can't allow for adjustable bit depth? Is it a sensor thing?

20

Chronos User Discussion / Re: Chronos 1.4 and 2.1 lowering bit depth to increase frame rates?

« on: December 08, 2023, 08:06:30 AM »

I've been digging into this bit depth upgrade thing. From what I've gathered, a firmware update for the 1.4 and 2.1 to boost frame rate sounds awesome, but unfortunately, it doesn't seem like it's in the cards. I wish they could pull it off, but as of now, it looks like it's a feature exclusive to the new models.

Yeah, Sanjay already got back to me and said it's not possible. : ( I'm hoping they at least can bring out an HDR or log profile for the 1.4 and 2.1 to get better highlight and shadow detail. If I recall correctly it was supposed to be planned in the early days of the 1.4 release but it was scrapped for some reason.

21

Software Dev / Re: Chronos V0.7.0 Full Release

« on: December 07, 2023, 10:12:15 AM »

Once we begin shipping the Chronos 4K12 (Feb 2024) and Chronos Q12 (Mar 2024), the software team will continue to make updates. We're working to make the remote control app backwards-compatible with the 1.4 and 2.1-HD, and may also add some more features at that time, so please stay tuned for February regarding potential software updates and new features.

I am experiencing similar problems as user EB described. When trying to update the camera via the internet connection I get the error that the packages cannot be authenticated and that "-y was used without --force-yes". My camera is running on version 0.7.0 Firmware version 11. I would greatly appreciate any advice on this problem.

When trying the SD card update, my camera doesnt boot properly. The fan briefly runs then the camera goes into some form of idle state, where the power button is lit but nothing else happens. Every minute or so, the power status indicator flashes in red and the camera seems to reboot, again briefly turning on the fan.

You may need to update your camera manually (writing the image to the SD card) for now as we are experiencing a few issues with our package servers at the moment. We are looking into it.

Thanks Sanjay! Is there a way the team can look at the aliasing problems I encounter with texts and specular highlights with the Chronos. I know the proper solution would be an anti-aliasing filter in front of the sensor. My workaround right now is using an anti-aliasing filter on top of the lens but it's not ideal. Appreciate all the hardwork the team is doing! : ) Also, can we get the 100,000 fps back in the official firmware for the 1.4? I'm weary of compiling the code myself.

Btw, this is an example of the aliasing I'm seeing in anothers video. Look at the 15:20 mark with the lettering on helmet. That's one of the situations where the aliasing pops up. Only way I can reduce that kind of aliasing is using anti-aliasing filters on top of the lens with my 1.4 but again it's not ideal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFOOY8MjChc&t=564s

UPDATE: Sanjay btw, I know in the early days of the Chronos 1.4 being released, the team was trying to see if an HDR mode or Log Profile could be implemented to maybe get better highlight and shadow detail. Can that be looked into again once you guys start looking at possible firmware updates for the older Chronos models?

22

Chronos User Discussion / Re: Kronos 2.1 brand new but not showing any image on screen

« on: December 07, 2023, 10:02:27 AM »

Were you able to solve the problem?

23

Chronos User Discussion / Re: OLPF filter for Chronos cameras to reduce Aliasing/Moire?

« on: December 07, 2023, 10:01:42 AM »

^^Looks like CHAT GPT has entered the chat! lol

24

Chronos User Discussion / Re: Post Chronos 2.1 clips here!

« on: December 03, 2023, 05:35:42 AM »

Hi lovely chronos people! I received my 2.1 and have finally had a chance to test it (a toddler and a new born make it tough!) Meanwhile, my family are wonderful test subjects hehe

Anyway, I'm really happy with the camera so far. The dynamic range is seriously lacking but the quality overall is pretty amazing for the price. Here is a bunch of shots cut to depressing hipster music and there's not much fast action stuff in there but my goal is use it as part of my kit for TVC production.

https://vimeo.com/590171021
PW: 1000

This looks really really good! I can't believe that's coming from the 2.1. What was your indoor lighting setup? Do you remember what your camera settings were mostly and what lens did you use?

25

Chronos User Discussion / Re: OLPF filter for Chronos cameras to reduce Aliasing/Moire?

« on: December 01, 2023, 06:30:00 PM »

Btw, this is an example of the aliasing I'm seeing. Look at the 15:20 mark with the lettering on helmet. That's one of the situations where the aliasing pops up. Only way I can reduce it is by using anti-aliasing filters on top of the lens with my 1.4 but again it's not ideal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFOOY8MjChc&t=564s

26

Software Dev / Re: Chronos V0.7.0 Full Release

« on: November 25, 2023, 06:40:14 PM »

Nice to see the 4K12 announcement video, is there any chance that UI and software updates will be backported to the 1.4? It would be very cool to see a unified experience across all models.

It would be cool if we can get some quality improvements to the 1.4!

27

Chronos User Discussion / Re: Voigtlander 10.5mm f0.95

« on: November 22, 2023, 06:36:12 AM »

Yeah true. I'm not so sure. I only have a 1.4.

28

Chronos User Discussion / OLPF filter for Chronos cameras to reduce Aliasing/Moire?

« on: November 19, 2023, 09:50:36 AM »

I've been doing tests the last few years using external Caprock anti-moire filters to help reduce aliasing/moire in the Chronos 1.4. The problem is that which strength filter to use varies greatly on focal length and aperture which isn't suitable for zoom lenses as you need to change the filter strength each time. Most of the time for run and gun, I just base it off focal length and it does fine. The shot below was using a Navitar 75 1.3 at an fstop of 2.8. It's hard to test side by side as I don't have a separate Chronos camera, but it does help a lot in reducing aliasing/moire/false color in certain shots (mostly contrasty overly bright scenes, or things with very fine detail ie, trees, grass, feathers). However, while it does reduce these artifacts, it also blurs the image a bit which is why I use some upscaling/post sharpening in post. If I were to just upscale and post sharpen without using the filters, it will just oversharpen the moire/aliasing as well. The problem with using external OLPF filters in front of the lenses instead of the sensor is that you need to change it every time you switch focal lengths or lenses. If you use too strong a filter on a telephoto focal length, it blurs it too much and if you use too weak a filter on the wider focal lengths, it won't have any effect on moire/aliasing reduction.

Judging off the sample shots on the new Chronos 4K12, it looks like the new sensor design doesn't have these aliasing/moire artifacts as much, but it might be too early to tell. My question to Krontech is if they're eventually going to make a custom OLPF for the older cameras and the new ones? Some of the Chronos videos I’ve seen from users look way oversharpened laced with artifacts. I believe adding an OLPF will increase IQ for 1.4 and 2.1 owners and allow them to be more flexible with post sharpening giving more natural results.

Click on thumbnail below to see the video.

29

Chronos User Discussion / Re: NEW: Chronos 4K12 and Chronos Q12

« on: November 16, 2023, 05:17:24 PM »

Will you guys have U.S.A. distributors to sell the new cameras so we don't have to pay customs/duties?

BTW, this is just an idea. But why don't you have a competition among Chronos owners to see which can make the most creative video and have the winners get a brand new Chronos 4K12 or Q12 camera. I think that would be a great idea!

We have no current plans to establish US distributors, as the direct from Krontech model is where we're able to extend more value to customers. We do partner with distributors in regions where the logistics are more complex, ie. in regions where we can't speak the language. I also spoke to our sales team about customs/duties and can confirm that if you ship with our preferred carrier (usually DHL) to the US and pay our shipping fee, the order ships DDP with incoterms. This means that Krontech covers taxes/duties the shipment incurs during customs clearance.

Great idea regarding the competition! I've taken note of it and the marketing team has read that note as well.

Thanks! That would be great if you are considering the competition. Also, I see the new Chronos cameras have the ability to go down in bit depth to 8 and 10 bit to increase frame rate. Can a firmware upgrade be done to the 1.4 and 2.1 to allow for this ability as well?

Also, how much faster is the saving speeds to SD card and SSD compared to the 1.4 and 2.1? I'm guessing it's possible to save to a USB C SSD drive now that we have USB C ports. If so, what is the maximum writing speed of the USB C ports on the new Chronos cameras?

30

Chronos User Discussion / Chronos 1.4 and 2.1 lowering bit depth to increase frame rates?

« on: November 16, 2023, 02:34:14 PM »

I see the new Chronos cameras have the ability to go down in bit depth to 8 and 10 bit to increase frame rate. Can a firmware upgrade be done to the 1.4 and 2.1 to allow for this ability as well?