I couldn't seem to find the other discussions on slow motion (I guess it disappeared in the meltdowm), but here's a cool short clip of an owl catching what I assume to be a mouse in front of the camera lens.

That's one of the best high speed clips I have ever seen.

How many frames per second is that?
What was the shutter speed?

LOL, why ask the question? just click the little youtube logo to go to the youtube page and read the description there...

anyway, having done that it says: "1000fps"..


well true, it doesn't state the shutter speed, but that should be faster then 1/1000 ...

Wow nice!

http://www.photron.com/index.php?cmd=pr ... oduct_id=5

'Operating as fast as 86,400 frames per second at reduced resolution... Full HD resolution at 2,000 fps! ...'

'... a 2.7 microsecond shutter is used, independent of frame rate ...'

I volunteer at the local raptor center - I'll suggest they start saving their pennies ...

Any idea how much? When they won't publish a price I assume it means it's embarrassingly expensive...

Most of these hi-speed cameras are six-figures, some close to a quarter mil. You can rent a Phantom for $2500/day, and this camera is probably similarly priced. I'm working on a safety video for Yosemite this summer, and I'd love to have a hi-speed camera to capture some lightning strikes on Half Dome. I'm also doing an episode of Yosemite Nature Notes on owls for a Halloween 2010 release. I'd love to have a similar owl shot, but I can't bait animals in the park. Could go outside the park, though...

No idea on price, although on ebay there's a 'Vintage 1987 PHOTRON plastic LUNCHBOX & THERMOS'. Only $16 (+$25 postage), if you're interested. The BBC could afford it (the camera and the lunchbox) - but they can afford everything. They used it in Planet Earth,



"The most stunning examples in the film of the benefits of using HD over the more traditional super-16 or 35mm cameras are in the slow-motion shots of a great white shark leaping out of the water to grab a seal, and a leopard chasing a gazelle across the desert, with every sinew on display. "The camera we used for these super-slow-motion shots is a Photron digital camera that records straight on to a hard drive. There's no film or tape – it creates digital files that are stored straight on to a laptop," says Simon King, the cinematographer. "It can film at 2,000 frames per second, which means we can slow an event down by up to 40 times but maintain the clarity and detail of the image."

Unless I'm mistaken it has that continuously recording buffer, so you never miss the action.

Amazing!!

Most of these hi-speed cameras do shoot to a continuous buffer. You actually push the record button AFTER the action happens, then it dumps the data out to some other media device. That's what makes them good for lightning photography, or breeching sharks.

Eh, I think I'll pass (even though postage is only $13 here in the US). It's not even a Photron lunchbox/thermos, but Photon - they misspelled it in the auction.

If you don't mind using film, there are a lot of the old Redlake rotating prism cameras floating around on ebay. You can usually buy them for a fraction of the daily rental of any digital highspeed camera. They need AC power, usually you control the speed by adjusting the voltage with a variac but most models run around 1000 to 3000 FPS on straight 110 VAC depending on which model it is. Although they go around 10,000 frames per second maximum with the variac, direct sunlight is only bright enough for aound 3000 or so frames per second at maximum aperture on most lenses. Oh yeah, they take any C-mount lens and shoot 16mm film. They aren't as convenient to use because you have to trigger the camera just before the event. Its probably not too good for that lightning shot, but the camera is designed to be triggered electrically so a motion detector or light beam could easily catch the owl. The camera can also trigger the event it is to record if the event can be arranged to be triggered electrically. For example, to film an explosion, you set the point in the run when you want to trigger the explosive. A dial lets you trigger the event after 10 feet of film goes through the camera, 20 feet, etc. The explosive or whatever electrical actuator is to trigger the event is wired to a plug on the camera. When the camera is activated, it runs film through and triggers the event at the correct time in the run. Harold Edgerton once used this feature to film a bat catching a bug in midair. A motion detector triggered the camera as the bat flew into view. Once the camera was up to speed, it triggered an airgun that shot the bug at the bat, which recated as bats do, by catching the bug.

Watching raptors landing on a 'kill' is fascinating. I shot this image a while back



it's a Harris Hawk coming into the glove, which in this case was the top of the camera. Taken with a 20D and Canon 10-22mm lens @ 10mm setting. Flash was used in hi-sync mode so a shutter speed of 1/4000sec could be used with the flash giving some detail in the wing.
The talons were approximately 12" from the lens when the shutter was fired.

In the very short sequence of images shot at 5 fps it's possible to see the eyes swivelling down to remain on the target as the bird flares to land.