Casio EX FC150 Camera – The Poor Man’s High Speed Phantom

A lot of cameras can shoot “time lapse”, but few can shoot “time warp”. That is what the Discovery Channel people like to call it when using digital technology to slow down a high speed event and make the invisible, visible.

I purchased a small Casio point and shoot camera to replace my beat up Panasonic Lumix camera. The $228 DMC-ZS3 Lumix is an awesome camera, and I will continue to use it, but it is tricky to frame and dial in the menu since i dropped it out of a window by mistake. The camera still works, but the four story fall to the ground below cracked the LCD.

I was very close to buying an exact replacement when a new camera caught my eye, the Casio EX FC150. The Casio took 10 MP stills, shot 720p video (.AVI files not AVCHD) and it was about the same size. But what really caught my eye was the fact that the “Exilim” FC150 was able to shoot high speed video.

FROM BH WEBSITE:

The Casio EXILIM EX-FC150 Digital Camera utilizes a high speed 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor to capture quality photos and video. Automated Best-Shot and Face Detection technology keep all of your subjects looking their very best. Even fast action subjects are easy to capture with the EX-FC150. With a continuous shooting rate of up to 40 frames per second, you’ll never miss the moments that matter.

In addition to being a fantastic stills camera, the EX-FC150 captures breath-taking HD and SD Video! With capture rates up to 1000 frames per second, dramatic recording effects are at your finger tips. Additional features include a sharp 5x optical zoom lens, powerful Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization, and 85.9 megabytes of internal memory.

With the Casio EXILIM EX-FC150 Digital Camera, creating quality photos and video is as easy as point and click.

10.1 Megapixel Imaging
The high-speed CMOS sensor of the EX-FC150 captures images at 10.1 megapixels for high-resolution photo printing. Quality imaging and fine detail are retained in beautiful prints up to 20 x 30″ in size.

5x Optical Zoom Lens
The high quality 5x optical zoom lens has a focal range equivalent of 37-185mm, providing excellent performance for everything from wide angle landscapes to portraits of friends. For distant subjects, a 4x Digital Zoom brings the cameras total zoom power to 20x.

Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization + High ISO 3200
The EX-FC150 incorporates a CMOS shift anti-shake mechanism that makes it possible to capture beautiful, blur-free images, even when shooting at maximum zoom. High ISO Sensitivity (up to 3200) provides flash-free photography under poor lighting conditions.

Advanced Face Detection Technology
Casio’s latest Face Detection Technology keeps every face in focus. Even in low light or backlit situations you can expect consistent sharpness and rapid response autofocus.

40 Frames Per Second Continuous Shooting
From the first kick-off to the winning touchdown, children at play to birds in flight, you’ll never miss any of the action with the EX-FC150’s incredible Hi-Speed Burst Mode. With a capture rate of up to 40 frames per second, you’re sure to capture the perfect moment every time.

Serial Picture Recording
High-speed Anti-shake mode uses serial picture recording to combine multiple frames into one optimized photograph. High-speed Night-time mode utilizes this process for quality low-light photography.

2.7″ Super Clear LCD
Framing your photos couldn’t be easier than with the EX-FC150’s bright, crisp 2.7″ LCD. Warm, accurate colors and a wide viewing angle make the screen easy to use, even under bright sunlight.

HD Video Recording
The Casio EXILIM EX-FC150 records amazing 720p High Definition Video. With super fast frame rates, action subjects are captured in smooth, seamless motion at the highest quality possible.

YouTube Capture Mode
Sharing your videos on YouTube is easier than ever before. Record your video content in YouTube Capture Mode and upload with Casio’s YouTube Uploader software. Shoot. Upload. Share. It’s just that easy.

I knew that the Casio EX F1 Camera was able to record at high frame rates, and I was not impressed. The F1 could shoot Hi-Speed video at 300FPS at 512×384. The video resolution was horrible. The F1 did shoot nice 720 60p video (from what I saw on the internet), but the high speed feature was quite lacking.

The new FC150 is able to shoot high speed at 480 resolution, that is a first. But do not go any higher than 240 FPS, the quality is terrible after that. What is the point of shooting 1000 frames per second if the picture is the size of a thumb tack? You could never re-size a piece of video shot 224×64 into a 720p time line!

But, as I read the specs on the new little Casio camera, I was surprised the see that it is able to record at 120 frames per second in 640×480 resolution. It would be possible to scale this footy to 720p with out the image degrading to the point of distraction. The camera also takes digital stills and has other features that I will not be testing in this blog. I will only be talking about the high speed video feature on the camera.

You must all understand that this camera cripples the resolution of the CMOS sensor when shooting in high speed. The reason for this is processing power, memory space and price tag. If this little camera could shoot 1000 frames per second at HD resolution, it would max out a 2GB card in a matter of seconds and it would cost a lot more than $350!

I found that shooting at 120FPS was quite impressive. It is basically standard definition 480p 4:3 video. I set Final Cut to scale the videos 300 percent to work on my 720p timeline. The 240FPS videos had to be scaled to about 360 percent to fit the window. You do see quite a bit of artifacting when scaling this much. You will see it in the video blog below. But this camera is cheap and lets you shoot at high frames rates. No other camera lets you do this except a Red One or a Phantom and both of those are quite expensive.

The FC150 also has a great little in-camera video editing feature. If you record a lot of extra stuff before or after the “high speed event” takes place, you can trim the in and out point of the file. This way, you can save space on your memory card and not have extra useless video date inside the camera.

The lens on the Casio FC150 was not as wide as the lens on the Panasonic ZS3. The Casio has a 6.4mm lens and the Panny has a ultra wide 4.1mm lens. This is a big deal, because I really like shooting with a wide angle using my little point-and-shoots as “life-documenting cameras”. Often times, I point the camera back at myself to shoot video blogs or other adventures.

A few other differences between the cameras is the default video picture profiles. The Lumix is very contrast heavy with deep blacks and bring colors while the Casio is very flat. This flat feature allows you to color grade in post much more easily with the Casio. But the Lumix has a better picture in low light and in auto mode. The Casio seems to struggle with focus and the manual mode is a bit fiddly. I tried to shoot mostly in manual mode, setting the ISO to 100 and shutter to 30, but the Casio camera was still drifting a bit. I will need more time with the camera to figure it all out for sure. There are ways to adjust sharpness, contrast and saturation inside the Casio, but I have not tested that yet.

The sound on the two camera (internal mic only) is about the same and quite good when about 2-3 feet away from the sound source. They both record onto SD cards, but the format that the Casio camera uses is .AVI files for video. The Lumix used h.264 AVCHD files which always crashed my Final Cut Pro if not transcoded to Apple pro res. The .AVI files do need to render, but they work much better nativity on the time line (I can scrub in preview).

A great use for this high speed pocket camera would be to bring it along to a RED ONE or Phantom site survey. You can learn real quick if a certain lighting source will flicker at high frame rates.

Take a look at the video blog below. I have only had this camera for a few days and I have been busy working. I shot this real quick before I headed into Boston to cover a Bruins game. Thanks to all the guys I work with for helping me shoot high speed stuff on my lunch break. Please download the sample files at the bottom of the page and test them out with your computer. If you have any specific questions, please comment below the video.

Please download these original .AVI files taken directly off the Casio EX FC150 memory card and uploaded to the server. Have fun with them and see how they work with your NLE. You can also watch this video on Vimeo by clicking here.

Below is some footage from a locked down shot of the goalie at the 2010 Beanpot Hockey Championships. All shot at 240 frames per second at the Boston Garden.