After several years of development, Weisscam has finally unveiled its HS-2 digital high speed camera. Building on the success of their previous outing, the HS-1, Weisscam has this time upped the ante with a camera capable of capturing an unprecedented 2000 frames per second in full HD.
Aimed squarely at the cinematographer market, the stand-alone unit is able to capture cinema style images in two Streams (RAW or HD or both) and two formats (4:3 and 16:9) via HD SDI. Featuring 16GB of onboard memory and a full Format Super 35 CMOS sensor with a global shutter, the unit has been developed in association with P+S Technik and uses their Interchangeable Mount System (IMS). This enables attachment of multiple makes of lenses, and the mount can be changed in a matter of seconds.
With a boot up time of around seven seconds, the camera is actually able to shoot 4000fps in 720p, as well as the aforementioned 2000fps in 1080p, with the option to jump from one frame rate to another while shooting. The Weisscam H-2 uses the HD SDI interface for both the RAW and HD Streams, with the HD Stream offering a choice between linear standard curves like ITU-R 709 or log curve for a higher contrast range. The RAW Stream is a 12Bit uncompressed RAW file, with the option to debayer the footage in post production.
With the aim of making the Weisscam HS-2 a stand-alone camera, a host of complimentary units are accompanying its release. The Weisscam DM-2 Digimag is a recording unit that does away with the need for a computer on set, while the Weisscam HU-2 fully controls the camera’s image processing and can be wirelessly controlled remotely. Rounding out the family is the Weisscam DBB External Debayer Box which enables real time converting of RAW data into HD SDI data.
A closer look at the impressive Weisscam HS-2 can be seen at the Weisscam website.