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How High of a Frame Rate Should I Shoot? (with the Phantom Flex4K)

Choosing the right frame rate can be a difficult choice, and one that is potentially a determining factor in your choice of camera. Once you have decided to step past 30 frames per second, the world becomes much more complicated. More light is needed as your shutter speed gets faster and faster - not to mention storage for all those frames!

60 fps

Today, most prosumer and professional cameras shoot 1080p at 60fps. This is a solid choice for any shooter that wants to add a little bit of drama to a shot, or play with the flow of time. This equates to a 2.5x slowdown when played back in 24fps. Weddings are a great place to try out 60fps recording - brides love seeing everyone smiling in slow motion. 

120 fps

120fps brings a little more adventure to the table. Slow motion at this frame rate really allows the viewer to settle into the moment you are highlighting. 120fps is also kind of a sweet spot where many mirrorless cameras and DSLRs start to max out.

300 fps

The RED Epic was one of the first major cameras to hit 300fps, and boy is it a doozy. This is finally fast enough to get that Zack Snyder action scene feel, and more than enough for some beautiful speed-ramping shots. And, with the shutter speed cranked up to minimize motion blur, you can slow it down even more in post to imitate something like a Phantom Flex4K.

1000 fps

But as much as RED wishes it could be a slow-motion camera, it hits the wall right where a camera like the Phantom Flex4K starts to hit its stride. 1000fps is some serious slow motion - enough to trace the path of a lighting bolt or catch individual water droplets. 1000fps is the gateway to true slow motion.

3000 fps and Beyond!

This is where we start to enter “what if?” territory. This is the range where real life becomes a science experiment. The Phantom Flex4K can just about reach 3000fps in 720p, but if you want to keep your resolution as well, you need to step up to the big brother, the Phantom V2640. As the SlowMo Guys have proved time and time again, just about anything is interesting if you crank the frame rate high enough. 


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