| 09 July 2010
One of my favorite blogs to read is stuckincustoms.com which displays some of the most beautiful HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography. Basically the process of HDR involves taking 3 images in quick succession at different exposure levels and then merging these 3 together in a special way that basically brings out both the details in low and high lights. The signature of HDR photography can usually be identified in images of the sky because the clouds will be very sharp and defined, every individual puff is detailed and identifiable. Secondly the colors are usually brilliant and surreal.Aside from the beautiful HDR photos, the author also experimented with some video and he showed some video footage of Japan which he took with a Casio Exilim EX-FC100 which is a small compact digital camera, capable of shooting video at up to 1000 FPS. It is the only compact digital that I've seen capable of filming at high speed and astonishingly it is only $200. In the past, high speed video was only available on special camera in upwards of $5000 but clearly there is a huge difference. Those traditional camera and do quite a bit more such as focus on the fly, and HD video at much higher resolutions. This compact Casio at 1000 FPS is pretty useless since the resolution is super weird and tiny. The best we've found so far is at 240 FPS which give it and adequate resolution, good enough for most uses.
It was so interesting that we decided to get one too, so we purchased the Casio Exilim EX-FH100, a slightly bigger version of the prior but has up to 10X zoom vs 5X zoom. Overall it is a great camera excluding the unique problem we had with our camera of a messed up processor which constantly crashed the camera and display. Aside from that annoying problem, it's a great camera. We've ordered a replacement so hopefully it was just a rare situation and the replacement won't have the same issue. Our first day was pretty fun, as we captured so many different aspects of everyday life in slow motion. It really opens up an previously unseen dimension of reality that we didn't see before. Things like tossing a pen to someone, eating, walking all seem so much different. It is amazing to see the world though the eyes of slow motion. Just as Dave Chapelle said, everything does look better in slow motion. Here is a clip we took of use messing around in way that would take advantage of gravity to show you the quality of this camera. Enjoy.
