Very intriguing tests were performed by Vision Research to show what’s the ideal FPS (Frames Per Second) needed to capture/film a bullet shot from a handgun and assault rifle. The answer is below.
Capturing a speeding bullet
First, we have to calculate the speed of the bullet. There’s a significant difference between the speed of a handgun bullet and the speed of an assault rifle’s bullet, which is a lot faster. Handgun bullet speed is approximately 350 meters per second (~1,200 Km/h), as opposed to assault rifle bullet speed which is approximately 1000 M/s (~3,600 Km/h). Hence, you’ll need a much faster camera to capture an assault rifle bullet than a handgun bullet. Luckily, the guys at Vision Research have figured it out, by utilizing their great Phantom ultra-high-speed cameras.
Phantom T4040 for the handgun bullet
For the handgun test, Vision Research used the Phantom T4040. This ultra-high-speed camera can capture 4Mpx resolution images at speeds not previously possible. The proprietary sensor with backside illuminated (BSI) architecture ensures 40Gpx/s data throughput is sustained and a max frame rate of 440,000 fps. The Handgun Ballistic study was captured with a monochrome model of T4040. Resolutions are 2560 x 1664 at 9100 fps, 20 μs exposure, and 2560 x 736 at 20,000 fps, 2 μs exposure. As stated by Vision Research: “When captured with a 4-Mpx high-speed camera at 2560 pixels wide, fine details that typically get missed can be uncovered”. The answer is 20,000 frames per second. Watch the study below:
Phantom v2512 for the assault rifle bullet
As the assault rifle bullet is significantly faster than the handgun bullet (X3), a much higher fps is needed, in order to capture the speeding bullet. Hence, Phantom v2512 was utilized for that study. The Phantom v2512, Vision Research’s fastest camera (as of August 2018), can record video at over 25,000 at its full one-megapixel resolution, and up to one million frames per second at a reduced resolution of 256 x 32 pixels. This camera was heavily used mainly for research and scientific applications, however, Vision Research stopped to sell it. Anyway, check out the study below. BTW, the answer is 28,500 fps — That’s enough fps for capturing an assault rifle’s speeding bullet. A higher fps would be better to capture it clearer than the study below:
Summary
Phantom cameras were initially designed for certain purposes, mainly for scientific applications, focusing on the physics of explosions. However, talented filmmakers have revealed the great potential of these cameras in ultra-high-speed cinematography. And you have to admit– at 1,000 fps everything looks cool 🙂
Support Y.M.Cinema Magazine by purchasing our one-of-a-kind stainless steel model of 65 motion picture film camera – A perfect gift for filmmakers.
