View Full Version : 120 fps camera recommendations


Jon Fairhurst
January 6th, 2016, 02:25 PM
We have a near-term project where we need to shoot 120 fps in the Portland, OR area. I'm curious about recommendations. As always, the "best" camera depends on the application, so here goes:

Requirements:
* 120 fps @ HD or better
* Rental in the Portland area
* Target price: Under $500 for the day. (Not a hard ceiling.)
* Great dynamic range with professional picture quality.
* Longish lens
* Minimal compression artifacts
* Low rolling shutter artifacts
* Accurate shutter interval control

Would like:
* UHD resolution for the master, though HD meets our immediate needs.

This is for test footage. We would emulate some iconic sports shots on TV, like a baseball swing, a football pass, etc. in daylight. (We'll use student athletes and won't have crowds in that stands, but we'll capture typical motion.) Hence the longish lens. We can cheat it a bit by getting close to the action (we can shoot from the field), but we still want a long lens look. We have an EF 70-200/2.8L II IS that we can use.

For UHD, the RED EPIC looks like a good choice. For HD, there are some C300 MkII cameras in town. I've rented the FS7, but the image quality (while good) isn't as high as I'd like. It captures only short bursts of slo-mo, which might be limiting. There's at least one ARRI Amira in town, but it doesn't look like it does true UHD or 120 fps and is not inexpensive.

Any other recommendations?

Thanks!

Mark Watson
January 6th, 2016, 03:55 PM
I don't know how you had the FS7 configured if you only got "short bursts". It records up to 180 fps in full HD for as long as you have room on the cards and power available. With the extension unit and the right recorder you can get up to 240 fps.

Mark

Jon Fairhurst
January 6th, 2016, 05:49 PM
Ahh. Excuse me. That was the FS700.