The world of high frame rate and slow motion videography has a couple of new contenders for its growing market. Whether you’re looking for those beautiful slow-mo shots of your buddies skateboarding or some hyper-technical video of a scientific experiment, high-frame videography has its niche.
Kron Technologies has just announced that they’re releasing not one, but two new high frame rate cameras with their new Chronos 4K12 and Chronos Q12. Looking more specifically at the 4K12, Kron Technologies’ latest high-speed camera can capture 4K (4,096 x 2,160) slow-motion video at more than 1,397 frames per second, and can reach speeds of almost 30,000 fps.
Let’s take a look at these new cameras and explore what they could bring to the table for any of your high-speed cinematography needs.
The Chronos 4K12
Currently available for pre-order, Kron Technologies’ new Chronos 4K12 is a high-speed camera that can capture mesmerizing 4K slow-motion video at over 1,000 fps. The camera has been engineered for peak performance and exceptional value.
This purpose-built camera has been designed to captivate audiences, supercharge data analysis, and foster innovation in this high-speed cinematography world. It has a user-friendly design and is quite portable, which could make it an ideal choice for a wide range of high-speed imaging requirements.
As mentioned above, the Chronos 4K12 can capture 4K slow-mo video at more than 1,397 fps and up to 29,000 fps. At its maximum speed, the resolution drops to as low as 128 x 32.
Still, the Chronos 4K12 is a major upgrade over its previous Chronos 1.4 and Chronos 2.1 models, which peaked at 1,280 x 1,024 and 1,920 x 1,080 resolution respectively.
Other Major Upgrades
Sticking with the Chronos 4K12 for a second, there are also several more major upgrades worth mentioning. The new 4K12 model includes better memory options (64GB and 128GB options compared to only up to 32GB before) and better speeds (11.8 gigapixels per second compared to 2.1 before). There’s also internal storage available for the 4K12 with its own 1TB NVMe SSD.
The Chronos 4K12 uses a four-thirds image sensor with a 4.5-µm pixel size though, which means its crop factor is two times that of a normal full-frame camera. The camera also comes in either color or black-and-white options. The color selection is limited to ISO ranges of only 100 to 400 (or 200 to 800 for monochromatic).
Also, it’s worth noting that the 4K12 has a global shutter system that is capable of 11.3 stops of dynamic range. For its maximum resolution of 2,048 x 2,016, it can shoot up to 2,782 fps and at its minimum resolution of 128 x 32, it can shoot up to 29,411 fps.
The Chronos Q12
Kron Technologies has also announced a new Chronos Q12 model as well that provides many of the same (or similar) specs with it being able to shoot at up to 2,782 fps at its maximum resolution of 2,048 x 2,016, and up to 29,411 fps at its minimum resolution, which is also 128 x 32.
The biggest differences between the two come down to the Q12’s larger Super35 image sensor, which packs double the pixel size of the Chronos 4K12 with nine microns. It also only has a 1.6 times crop factor than that of a full-frame camera, which might be more desirable to anyone looking to shoot closer to their normal workflows.
Other than that they’re pretty similar with both boasting 5-inch 800 x 480 LCD screens and weighing in at just under 3 pounds each.
Pricing and Availability
Speaking traditionally, finding a high-quality frame rate camera could set you back tens of thousands of dollars (the cheapest Phantom camera can cost as much as $80,000 for example). However, Kron Technologies has been working hard to develop smaller and more affordable high-speed cameras, like their previous Chronos 1.4 and Chronos 2.1-HD.
While these previous and new cameras from Kron Technologies aren’t cheap, they’re still going to be some of the most affordable options for this type of videography. So keep that in mind when we report that the Chronos 4K12 will cost $14,495 for the 64GB model and $15,995 for the 128GB version with both versions expected to be ready to ship by February 2024.
Meanwhile, the Chronos Q12 is also available to order now and the 64GB version will cost $19,995 while the 128GB model will go for $21,995 with both versions expected to ship in March 2024.
Author: Jourdan Aldredge
This article comes from No Film School and can be read on the original site.
