Freefly has released an update regarding its new high-speed camera, Ember. It seems that Freefly has been investing tons of effort in making the camera ready for high-speed shooters.
Ember: Compact high-speed camera
Freefly introduced Ember at the end of 2022. Ember is a high-speed camera that capable of shooting at an impressive 5K 600 fps, and 4K 800 fps. Ember is characterized by a cube design and weighs only 800 grams. You can think of Ember as the successor of Wave. High-speed shooters have been utilizing Wave in super cool productions (see for reference: Freefly Wave + FPV Drone = Never Seen Before Slow Motion Shots, and RED Komodo and Freefly Wave for Super-Fast (and Epic) FPV Aerial Cinematography). However, Ember owns more high-speed capabilities, and better overall image quality compared to the Wave. Freely expect that many Wave shooters will switch to Ember, although Ember is a much pricier camera than Wave. The camera is a Super 35 camera with a global shutter Gpixel sensor. Key features are below:
- Super 35 Gpixel sensor
- 5K max resolution at 600fps
- 4K 800fps
- Fast iOS-based app workflow
- Apple ProRes Codec
- Global Shutter
- Wireless Control
- USB 3.2 Type C
Ember development at Freefly ran 100% longer than expected. We planned on completing the build in a year or so, but it took longer than predicted to pack this much magic into a 4-inch 800-g cube. We fought hard over every gram, every mm, every connector, and every pixel to make Ember the most capable camera possible. We did this because we knew that a smaller, lighter, faster camera would create shots the world had never seen before.
Freefly
The price is a challenge
Ember costs $18,000 USD. That’s not in the sweet spot of affordability. The price tag is high compared to other cinema cameras that have much better imagery (Ember is only 10-bit although Freefly says it can be improved in the future). On the other hand, it offers striking 800 frames per second when shooting 4K. At that price, you don’t have much of other options in the market, especially if high fps is your bread and butter. For instance, look at the cost of Vision Research’s Phantom cameras. It’s not even comparable. Ember was born to offer simplicity and fun for those who need those extra FPSs. But yes – it’s a pricey camera.
Development update
Freefly has released an update regarding the development status and progress of Ember. As stated by Freefly: “Ember development at Freefly ran 100% longer than expected. We planned on completing the build in a year or so, but it took longer than predicted to pack this much magic into a 4-inch 800-g cube. We fought hard over every gram, every mm, every connector, and every pixel to make Ember the most capable camera possible. We did this because we knew that a smaller, lighter, faster camera would create shots the world had never seen before”. Moreover, Freefly added that: “We are on a mission to build the smallest, fastest, lightest, most fun camera the world has ever seen…4K 800fps images look dreamy, it’s like being in a Marvel film”. Furthermore, Freefly published a very neat video demonstrating the advantages of Ember as a compact camera that can be easily lifted on a drone, to get super slo-mo aerial shots. Check it out below:
Let’s know your thoughts about Ember. Would you want one?
Product List
Here are the products mentioned in the article, and the links to purchase them from authorized dealers.
- FREEFLY Ember S5K Camera
