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BBC reveals stunning sample footage shot with TyphoonHD4 camera

edesignuk

edesignuk

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Original poster
Mar 25, 2002
19,232
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London, England
typhoonhd4-05-07-09.jpg


The BBC has already proven itself to be quite the source for some impressive HD images, but the network's Natural History Unit looks to have really outdone themselves for their forthcoming South Pacific documentary, which makes use of a modified, $100,000 TyphoonHD4 camera. Of course, those exact modifications appear to be a closely-kept secret, but it has apparently been outfitted with a special underwater housing designed by German high-speed camera expert Rudi Diesel, and the camera itself is able to shoot in high definition at 20 times the speed of a normal HD camera, which results in some pretty amazing super slow motion footage. You can get a taste of that after the break but, trust us, you'll want to head up the read link below to really get a sense of what this thing is capable of.
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BBC.

Thought this might give the video crowd a few kicks.

BBC Natural History Unit FTW!
 
When it comes to groundbreaking documentaries, the BBC is second to none. Recently with Planet Earth, The Blue Planet and this year's Nature's Great Events to name but some of Attenborough's delights.
 
You can't tell anything about the camera or the quality of its footage based on that YouTube clip.
 
KeithPratt said:
That's a ridiculous comment.
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Any particular reason why?

The resolution is heavily compressed (as it must be to be on YouTube) so that we can't tell what the image looked like coming out of the camera. They're basically saying, "BBC has this this awesome camera. Check out this footage, even though it doesn't do the camera justice at all." What's the point?

To be fair, there's no good way to show how great the camera is over the internet because the clip would either have to be compressed or ridiculously short. But to then say that this Youtube clip will prove how awesome it is is just not true.
 
You can glean plenty from that footage: sensitivity, dynamic range, etc. What's lacking? Resolution? It's 720p, which is higher res than most will see it on TV.
 
If it's breathtaking in a highly compressed youtubeHD clip, then when it hits our HDTV's, it's gonna blow your mind.

Just amazing.
 
KeithPratt said:
You can glean plenty from that footage: sensitivity, dynamic range, etc. What's lacking? Resolution? It's 720p, which is higher res than most will see it on TV.
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I still disagree. Compressing for Youtube degrades those things too. I'm not saying that the clip isn't nice-looking. I'm saying that if the camera is really that great, then this clip isn't going to be able to show it to us.
 
aloofman said:
I still disagree. Compressing for Youtube degrades those things too. I'm not saying that the clip isn't nice-looking. I'm saying that if the camera is really that great, then this clip isn't going to be able to show it to us.
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You're a difficult man to please. What they — that's the BBC and the OP — are showing is that this camera is capable of recording ultra-slow-motion in places it wasn't previously achievable (or at least easily achieved).

Compressing for viewing doesn't stop that message getting across — and nor does it degrade sensitivity or dynamic range. Even on lowly VHS you can tell Lord of the Rings was made by some impressive artists on some impressive equipment.
 
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