What is one thing you’ve ALWAYS wanted to see in slow motion? Don’t worry, I know. A lightning bolt.

Awesome! It’s really like a lightning web before it becomes a bolt.

In the last blog we looked at 10 human feats of speed ranging from eating fast to stacking fast. A lot of times it is difficult to appreciate the speed at which those tasks are performed because the human eye cannot process that much information that quickly. That is why we have recruited the help of technology to give us yet another super power. The ability to slow down time.

Well, not exactly. But we do have the power to slow down film to a rate where we can see unusually fast things in extreme slow motion. And the results are nothing short of awesome.

The history lesson:

The effect of slow motion, or slowmo, was invented by Austrian physicist August Musger. The technique works by filming something at a frame rate much faster than it will be played back, thereby giving the effect of watching time pass by slowly. For example, if a camera films at 48 frames per second (FPS), and the film is played back at the standard 24 FPS, then the effect would be to see the action at half speed.

The use of slowmo was popularized in film making by Japanese director Akira Kusosawa (Seven Samurai), and later saw use in American film making with directors like Sam Peckinpah (Wild Bunch). The concept of slowmo may have predated film making, first being used in Japanese Noh theater.

Since the Japanese popularized the use of slowmo, we see much use of it in popular media and television.

Here the modern samurai Isao Machii cuts a flying bb with a katana. He doesn’t have to dodge bullets, he cuts them in half!

Samurai cuts flying bb with katana

Here is another clip of a katana vs. a bullet. Proof of the incredible strength of Japanese sword making.

I think the best part of the video is the dubbing over the Japanese old man. “I told you! My swords rule!” =)

Katana vs.  bullet

Did you think the last clip wasn’t cool enough? Then how about the same sword, going up against a 50 caliber machine gun?

Katana vs. .50 caliber Machine gun

The incredible sword cuts through 6 .50 bullets before finally giving in. If I ever get a sword for a present, I want a Japanese katana.

The present

Slowmo became even more popular with the invention of High Speed Cameras which could film at thousands of FPS. Things previously not visible to the human eye are now rendered in extreme clarity. For example, we can now watch bullets slice through random objects. Destruction is always best in slow motion.

Bullets in slow motion

When you mom told  you to not play with your food, she never said anything about not shooting it!

Previously used only for scientific research in large industries, High Speed Cameras became more commercially successful as costs for equipment and film became more affordable. Now such cameras are used in the field of media in shows like MythBusters. In the British show called Brainiac: Science Abuse, a popular segment is featured called “Things, but very slowly”.

A face slap very slowly

They sure picked a great subject to be slapped, the ripples through his face are priceless!

A water balloon popped very slowly

What good is a water balloon that doesn’t hit someone? Here we watch a water balloon hitting a face, but very slowly.

Water balloon to the face

Haha, I love how he is always the victim in these clips. His partner seems to have a fun job.

Ever wonder how popcorn works?

Popcorn, but very slowly

His narration makes popcorn sound so, sexy. Oh those spongy endosperms in that hot oil… mmmm….

As more people became interested in slow motion captures, film makers became more creative in what they decided to film. This one is as random as it could get.

A crossbow bolt through a fish tank

Next time you have a crossbow and an empty fish tank, you’ll know what to do.

A karate chop through a brick

This clip makes it even more impressive that he can break the block with his mushy deformed hand.

The future

High speed cameras are getting ever faster. Using new technology that no longer employ a shutter and film, some cameras can film up to 25 million FPS. How anyone can even stand to watch film that slow is beyond me. That’ll really be like watching grass grow.

Hoped  you learned something from this post and got some entertainment out of it. Please comment below!

Patrick Daughters is a fucking beast.

It’s just so creepy, you’re not quite sure what’s going on. Are their cheeks glowing? Do they look like gay Bavarians? Why is their skin so shiny?

And then they blow their brains out. Thanks for clearing that up, Patrick. Sick. (in a good way.)

I’ve been waiting all day to get this video and finally someone uploaded it to YouTube.

I loved that they opened with this.  So tongue-in-cheek and the crowd would never expect them to open with a slowmo!  I especially loved Mike Patton’s pimping entrance!  Awesome, simply awesome.  Enjoy!

And this for me is Faith No More’s greatest ever song – The Real Thing.  This makes me melt every single time I hear it – fantastic music and sublime lyrics.  It never gets tiring.  Check out 3:48 when he sings ‘life’ – this is why I think Mike Patton has the sexiest voice on the planet.  Yummy…

…nem a Vad Fruttik klipje…SLOWMO a javából ; )

A short trailer for the upcoming video edit I’m currently working on. Featuring Brunei’s local rollerbladers and Thai’s & The Conference International rider: Woorapaj “Note” Boonim while he was here in Brunei.

En los laboratorios de investigacion de nanotecnologia de General Elecrtic, filmaron como una gota de agua baila usando una camara de alta velocidad.

Make via Gizmodo

Handy HD

Sony’s latest HD camcorder is creating quite a bit of a stir but can something barely larger than a pack of playing cards really produce broadcast quality pictures?  Read on to find out!

Well the answer is both yes and no.  Yes the images from the CMOS sensor are very impressive indeed especially given its physical dimensions but any camera with such a small sensor and lens is going to struggle in low light situations and this one is no different.

Moving on, this camera records AVCHD footage straight to a memory stick DUO.  The 4gb one provided will accommodate about 30 mins worth on the highest settings, which comes in at around about 16 megs per second, its not surprising given the cameras 1080i HD output but it does mean that realistically you will need to shell out for a much bigger memory card.

So aside from ordering a 16gb card as soon as I got home (!), I unboxed the camera and started to set it up.  Again, both with unboxing and setup, the Sony scores very highly. Charging the camera is a sinch thanks to the included docking station which also allows you to pump a non-hd (composite) signal to your TV.  The camera charged quickly and thanks to infolithium you can expect around about 90 mins use from a full battery.  This seems a little on the light side considering there are very few motors to be driven inside but with the chore taken out of charging it is handy knowing that it only needs to be returned to its dock after each shoot.

During use I found the camera easy to operate once I’d sussed the touchscreen menu systems.  The zoom wheel can easily confused with the mode wheel at first but the camera responds very quickly to commands so even incorrectly altering functions wasn’t too frustrating.  The camera is also very well built with its Titanium casing and the weight feels just right.  there’s so much positivity which simply oozes out of your tactile experiences with this wonderfully constructed piece of equipment.

Undoubtedly this camera’s big plus point is its size.  It simply cries out to be carried everywhere.  Not just on your travels but in your laptop case or next to your mobile phone and if you stop to think about what its capable of too then this makes it an even more amazing piece of kit! Remember despite its size, this unit can pump out full, vivid and relatively sharp HD to your telly (thanks to an excellent CMOS sensor, Sony CPU and Carl Zeiss optics) and coupled with its above average to excellent picture quality,  its easy to recommend this to any point-and-shoot enthusiast who’s looking for an ultra portable camera for everyday use.  It won’t satisfy the needs of professional film makers though.  Its functions are basic at best and its low light performance isn’t terribly impressive but in a seemingly contradictory way, I wouldn’t be surprised if despite some of these bareable faults, it turned out that film-makers and documentary professionals where still packing them in their luggage alongside all the pro gear. You see technology aside, there’s something very liberating about an instant-on, rugged, compact HD camcorder which cuts out the hasstle and fuss which can sometimes put people off from taking their camcorders out with them in the first place, and again for this reason, the TG3E is right at the top.

Just before I close,  I will also make mention of the 5.1 Dolby Digital recording and a workflow which importantly supports both PC and MAC (Intel ones only, with Leopard too) which is incredibly often overlooked.  the TG3E supports the AVCHD format which means that both PC’s and MAC’S are equally compatible for a change so you have no excuses for creating some top class videos for the internet or DVD.

In closing, this is a very capable camera which feels especially useful and exciting to use, mainly due to its small size.  With decent light, you’ll enjoy vivid colours and sharp details which are comparable to any HD consumer camera on the market so if your wallet can take the whack, you should buy this camera but whatever you do, never leave it at home!

Love

build quality 

picture quality (overall)

size

ease of use

Super Smooth Slow motion feature (shoots 3 seconds at higher F.P.S then creates a stunning 11 second clip)

Useful photo mode (both 4:3 and widescreen, including flash too) 

Hate

No 720p mode

4gb card isn’t generous enough for the camera price

Slow Mo feature should allow longer shots

Pricey

The unit won’t stand up while filming, you’ll need a mini-tripod at least

More Information

TRUVEO sample clips  here

Active forum for Sony HD camcorders here

And finally, a little video demonstrating the inbuilt slow motion mode! 

Smooth Slow Recording – Sony HDR-TG1 from Elliott Verreault on Vimeo.

This is strangely mesmerizing. Even six times in a row.