Gizmodo: 300fps

Samsung Challenges Casio with $850 Slow-Mo HMX20 HD Camcorder

Wilson Rothman — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:40:00 EDT

As excited as we are about Casio's Exilim EX-F1 camera with slow-mo and high-def video modes, we're even more thrilled to see actual competition in this category. Samsung announced its HMX20C (or HMX20) at CES, and is now officially shipping it, at least in Korea, for a price around $850. That's about $150 less than Casio's Hiro Nakamura supercam. Here's what's similar about the two models:

• Both can do full high-def shooting—Casio at 1080i but Samsung beats it, with 1080p
• The Samsung can do slow-mo at 300 frames per second (presumably in standard def, but maybe in HD; Casio can do 300fps, 600fps and 1200fps
• Both can take still pictures while shooting video—very helpful indeed
• Although the Samsung is positioned as a camcorder and the Casio is called a camera, they both have 6-megapixel CMOS sensors

Given the CES announcement and the Korea launch, we can only assume that the HMX20 will be one of the items in Samsung's summer line show lineup. That's good news for everybody—except maybe Casio. [Samsung Press Release via PC World]

DIY Discovery Channel: Casio EX-F1 Slow-Mo Cam In My Backyard

Wilson Rothman — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:00:00 EDT

Tomato violence only marks the beginning of my love affair with the Casio's Exilim EX-F1, aka the Hiro Nakamura supercam. It's crazy addictive. Last weekend I went looking for fast-moving objects to capture in slow-mo, and in my backyard I came up with a freakin' menagerie of unexpectedly interesting little beasties.

Everything is a twitch here, a blur there—you have to realize that this whole two-minute video consists of just 10 to 12 seconds of real life, shown at 300fps or 600fps. (1200fps turned out to be too much of a novelty, too dark to be practical, as you can see in the tomato-blender vid.)

Shooting slow-mo takes some getting used to, and because you end up with long stretches of zero movement, the in-cam video editor is not just a luxury but a necessity. In the end, though, everything looks like it's ready for Discovery Channel. I think that chipmunk's gonna be a star. [Casio Exilim EX-F1 Full Review on Giz]

Casio Exilim EX-F1: Tomato Violence at 300, 600 and 1200fps

Wilson Rothman — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:50:00 EDT

What's the first thing we did with our Casio Exilim EX-F1, the Hiro Nakamura camera/camcorder that makes time stand still? We recorded a mini Cuisinart laying havoc to some tomatoes. Why? If you have to ask, you probably shouldn't be here. The top vid is a view of the carnage at 300 frames per second. (As you'll see, I call my food processor "Hitchcock" because it's always keeping me in suspense.) Below, additional tomatoes get annihilated at 600fps and then 1200fps, with increasing detail, but decreasing resolution and light.

This is probably the happiest tradeoff of resolution to slow-mo devastation. The first video records at 512x384, while this one drops you down to a funky widescreen 432x192.
The 1200fps setting is pretty much a novelty more than anything else, since you need a ton of light, and it records at an all too wide 336x96. We had to crop it so that it made any kind of sense, but here's a screengrab of the original vid:There's more to come with this fun little camera, but we wanted to give you a rather violent taste straight away. You're welcome. [Casio Exilim EX-F1 Full Review on Giz]

And for those of you who can't get that song out of your head, here's a link to the 99-cent MP3 on Amazon. [Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap]

Casio's Exilim Cam Lets You Shoot 300 Frames Per Second, MythBusters-Style

Wilson Rothman — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 09:18:02 EDT

Like you, I suffer from jealousy of Jamie and Adam's high-speed cams, so I'm all jazzed that a new Casio Exilim can pull off 300fps at VGA quality thanks to a new high-speed CMOS.

As the translated press release puts it, "the high speed animated picture photographing function...catches the movement discernibly." You can say that again!

It can also hit a ridiculous 60fps in still shooting mode—perhaps not enough to capture the bullet whizzing into the pig's head, but definitely good enough to watch a ninja clap a sword in his hands. [Press Release via Akihabara News]