If you're looking for the best slow motion camera, that can shoot high frame rates, as well as high resolution, then you should take note of the latest release from Freefly.
The new Freefly Ember S5K is a high-speed slow-motion camera that can capture crazy details in slow-motion at a blistering speed of up to 800 frames-per-second continuous recording. Equipped with a Sony E bayonet lens mount, it weighs 800 grams, and shooting Apple ProRes internally. All this comes in a relatively affordable package of just $17,995 at B&H (approximately £14,370 / AU$26,650). However, the biggest party piece of all is that this camera can also shoot standard 24fps too - so it's a cinema camera and a high-speed camera all in one - sounds incredible!
The Freefly Ember is able to record these framerates thanks to its on-board 4TB SSD that is capable of recording and storing up to 40 minutes of max 5K framerate - when slowed down is around 19 hours of playback, so I think you going to have enough footage to look at and use within post-production.
Freefly says they are developing a system that will allow recording from removable media in the way of a "backpack" but a date hasn't been confirmed yet.
You can also control the Freefly Ember like any other box-style camera via its controls or you can do all the controlling by remote via the dedicated IOS app that will all complete control, but its party trick is that it will even let you export clips in a flash so you are able to share them with production quickly or simply share them with your following across social media.
While a high-speed slow-motion camera is a very niche product for most people the Freefly Ember comes in at a reasonable price point against its competitors and will be easily accessible through rental houses, making high-quality cinema-standard images that are now being used in a variety of settings and not just in Hollywood productions.
While this eye-watering price might sound ludicrous to many, the price is very well set for the maybe lesser-known or up-and-coming studios to purchase this camera over higher priced alternatives on the market, also it being able to record in standard 24p in 5K or 4K really makes it's a versatile camera to own and I can see many who are able picking up this camera and using it for everything, as well as stunning high-speed slow-motion work.
