Shoot 1,540 Glorious FPS at 1080p with the New Phantom Miro LC320S High-Speed Camera
It’s almost not funny now — it seems like every few days a new camera is introduced (or at least rumored). Vision Research, the company famous for its high-speed cameras, has introduced a new model in its lower-priced (considering) and smaller-sized Miro line, the easy-to-remember LC320S. For starters, it can record up to 1,540fps at 1080p, which is nothing short of astounding if you’ve ever seen it on a large screen. It’s quite a different experience seeing 240fps at 1080p with the Sony FS700 and then seeing Phantom footage at over 1,000fps (or more). Mitch Gross over at AbelCine has a very nice introduction video we’ve embedded below.
Here are some of the basic specs:
| Maximum Resolution | 1920 x 1200 1920 x 1080 |
| Number of Pixels | 2Mpx sensor with 3.2 Gpx/s throughput |
| Max FPS at Max Resolution | 1,540 fps @ 1920 x 1080 |
| Max FPS | 8,490 fps @ 640 x 480 |
| Pixel Bit Depth | 12-bit pixel depth |
| Sensitivity | 1100 ISO |
| Compatible Lens Mount | 35 PL, Nikon F, C and Canon EOS lens mounts |
| RAM Size (Max) | 12 GB |
| Storage Capacity/Price | 60GB = $1,690, 120GB = $2,490, 240GB = $4,990 |
| xfer time from RAM to Storage | 12GB = 3 minutes |
| Internal Capping Shutter | Yes |
| Simultaneous Playback/Record | No |
| On-camera controls | No |
| Weight (w/out batt., lens, storage) | 3 lbs |
| Active Imager Size (16×9 motion picture shooting mode) | 19.2 mm x 12 mm |
If you’re wondering what this footage looks like, here’s a sample shot with of one of the other Miro models:
Pricing is variable as is usually the case with any Vision Research camera, but it’s safe to assume that most of you won’t be buying one of these, especially since it’s really only useful as a slow motion camera, not as a daily shooter. The rental price will likely be somewhere between $1,500 and $2,000, which may seem pricy, but when you consider that the camera can do 5 times the framerate of the FS700, you’re dealing in very high-end territory.
Speaking of AbelCine, they are still running their Miro High-Speed Inspiration Challenge where you can win your very own Phantom Miro M320S camera. You must submit an application for a 3-6 minute project that would feature high speed footage. Four finalists are then selected to receive training and one week with a complete Miro M320S package to put their ideas into motion. The Grand Prize Winner will receive a brand new Phantom Miro M320S package courtesy of Vision Research. Additional prizes, consisting of AbelCine rental certificates with a combined value of over $10,000, will be awarded to the 2nd place winner and runners-up. They are still taking applications until September 16th, so head on over to this page for more information.
Vision Research is certainly heading in the right direction with their designs, and it will be interesting to see how performance scales with future models. What do you guys think? Would you rent it for a project with a budget?
Links:
- Phantom Miro LC320S — Vision Research Website
- First Look: Vision Research Phantom Miro LC320S — CineTechnica Blog
- Phantom Miro LC320S High-Speed Digital Camera – AbelCine
- Miro High-Speed Inspiration Challenge – AbelCine
Related Posts
- Win a Phantom Camera Worth Thousands in the AbelCine Miro High-Speed Inspiration Challenge
- The FPS King is Still King, Vision Research Announces the Phantom Miro M320S: 1540fps at 1080p
- These Go to 11 (Thousand): Vision Research's New Miro Camcorders Top out at 650,000 FPS
11 COMMENTS
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Marvin on 09.5.12 @ 6:55AM
The entire Phantom line is the only camera brand that I can’t even afford renting -_-
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http://vimeo.com/m/48861294 this has got to be the first short filmed with the bmcc
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kuban on 09.5.12 @ 12:47PM
this is what kills me.
why couldn’t BMC be built like that?
what stops them from doing so. just could have been perfect -
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1 pingbacks
One thing I’ve noticed using cameras that decrease in resolution when increasing frame rate is, it really sucks to see the resolution suddenly drop in the middle of your presentation. It looks forced, the illusion that time just suddenly slows down goes away, and your audience is now aware you were trying to do something clever with a camera for effect.
The higher end 4K cameras I understand are going to do 120fps at 4K which is good slo-mo but not truly impressive slo-mo like this camera. So I think for productions that are going to rent this camera it might influence them to shoot everything at 1080p for continuity reasons, which may mean they save rental fees by avoiding shooting in 4K. How well this footage intercuts with specific other cameras will be interesting to learn. The FS700 lets you do it all (at least 240fps worth) in one for cheap.
Hope for bright sunny days when you rent!