It seems Freefly systems completely misjudged the demand for their new RAW 4k Slow Motion camera as the first 100 cameras ordered in batch 1 to batch 3 have all sold out. Now they aim to produce an unspecified number going forward with Batch 4 which is expected sometime in Q2 2021. The popularity of a product like this speaks volumes of the interest in slow-motion for video production, especially at 4k. While the camera is not cheap at $9,995, it is still a bargain considering other options.
You would still need to factor in a field monitor as the camera does not have a built-in screen in the overall cost but these have lowered in value due to competition and wide availability ina variety of sizes and specs. Freefly has also released a few more videos showing the Wave in action which are frankly inspiring and show what the camera is really capable of doing. It seems this camera has been received so well by the market that we are sure Freefly is thinking already about an even higher spec camera for the future, maybe one with 1000fps in 4k.
Freefly Wave Camera Sold Out But More Are Coming in 2021!
Batch 1
- 20 Units (sold out)
- Shipping starts 11/18/2020
Batch 2
- 30 Units (sold out)
- Shipping starts 12/1/2020
Batch 3
- 50 units (sold out)
- Shipping starts 2/15/2021
Batch 4 and beyond (PREORDER HERE)
- Expected to start shipping Q2, 2021
Freefly Wave Camera Sold Out: As you can see the camera’s first three batched sold out in a couple of weeks. For a slow motion camera of nearly 10k USD that is very popular. The camera software is still in beta and the time to shipping should improve on that. We found some noise issues in the shadows that could be improved but other than that the camera was pretty solid from the samples we saw.
Footage of the Wave in Action:
Here are footage samples of the camera in action. Of note is that dynamic range is not as good as the best cameras out there but 11 stops are still respectable considering high speed CMOS Sensors tend to lower dynamic range when using a global shutter which is needed for high speed imaging.
Introducing Freefly Wave – High Speed Camera by Freefly Systems:
Wave 4K 420fps Bandsaw by Shane Colton:
Wave 4K 420fps Snow Bus by Shane Colton:
Wave 4K 420fps Bird by Shane Colton:
You can find more information and the ordering page at the Wave Official Site here: https://store.freeflysystems.com/collections/wave/products/wave
The Freefly Wave camera has the potential to be the most disrupting product in the high speed world in a long time. By offering unprecedented performance and nearly unlimited recording time this is not just another slow motion camera, it is a new way of thinking about high speed imaging. When start and stop triggers are not as important, creativity can take hold and we will be looking at a lot of new and outstanding footage.
We recommend the following HDMI Field Monitors for use with the Wave, we selected different price ranges and brands:
There is still a lot to be known about the camera and its performance in 1080p for instance but from what we have seen, it is sure to be a strong contender for the best camera of 2020, a year with unprecedented events. Thanks for reading -HSC
It seems that the gap between consumer electronics and professional equipment concerning slow motion cameras is getting narrower thanks to companies that make professional cameras much cheaper but not so much by consumer electronic companies making affordable cameras much more powerfull.
May be it is too early to say but this year I found not very exciting in the consumer slow motion area. A few seconds 500 fps at FHD would be welcome, one is allowed to have hope!
You are right Klaus, we have seen a decrease in consumer electronics advancement in the high frame rate world but professional tools are picking up the pace. The frontier of 4k slow motion for a not so high price is already here with the wave and we have the Chronos 2.1 delivering Full HD performance for half the Wave’s price. We would like to see at least 4k 1000fps from a manufacturer in the future. Thanks for your comment!
There are a few oddities here.
1) Freefly’s IG account was deleted. Maybe a hacker, but no official email response to this.
2) The first batch of wave cameras were set to ship yesterday (11/18) and nobody is talking about it (at least that I can find). No official email from Freefly about where they are on this front.
This is unsubstantiated, Freefly is a serious company and their product might just be having a small delay. Please ask them directly if you have doubts!
I’m curious why this camera is not listed in the HSC CAMREA GUIDE?
It has been listed on the guide for many months as the Wave. Pretty cool camera but with some visual sensor/codec artifacts.