<p>The official local broadcast equipment supplier is Panasonic. Most countries take the local broadcast partner's feed of the games. Looking at footage of athletics, swimming, rowing and team sports I didn't see a lot of different broadcasters' equipment in the background. Basketball is good for spotting cameras.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Panasonic Corporation provides the Olympic Games with state-of-the-art digital audio/video equipment, such as flat screen TV, digital video camera, DVD recorder, and professional audio/video equipment. <a href="https://www.olympic.org/sponsors/panasonic" rel="nofollow">https://www.olympic.org/sponsors/panasonic</a></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Panasonic is providing P2HD Series cameras.</p>

<p>NBC managed to get their own broadcast capability in Rio. </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>NBC Olympics will also use Sony’s HDC-4300 4K high frame rate camera system for HD replays - <a href="https://blog.sony.com/press/nbc-olympics-selects-sony-to-provide-broadcast-and-production-equipment-for-its-coverage-of-the-2016-olympic-games-in-rio/" rel="nofollow">https://blog.sony.com/press/nbc-olympics-selects-sony-to-provide-broadcast-and-production-equipment-for-its-coverage-of-the-2016-olympic-games-in-rio/</a></p>
</blockquote>

<p>So state-of-the-art high frame rate 4K cameras. </p>

<p>The Sony HDR-4300 does 479.52 fps at 60Hz (400fps at 50Hz).</p>

<p>I think the P2HD frame rate is 240 fps.</p>

<p>I don't think either of those cameras will do those frame rates in 4K, but I haven't got the specs handy.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-29T11:23:08.003Z
2016-08-29T11:23:08.003Z
paulzag
<p>The MacCAM (used in Tennis back in 2004) used a 1000 fps frame rate and had just enough resolution to capture a tennis ball hitting (or missing) a line with reasonable resolution.  Today, a <a href="https://www.phantomhighspeed.com/Products/TV-Motion-Picture-Media/Flex4K" rel="nofollow">Phantom Flex 4K</a> can do 1000 fps with UHD or 4K resolution.  Many high-end broadcast cameras can do 120 fps at FullHD or UHD resolution, which is probably what they were using at the Olympics.  That's 4x slow motion for NTSC-land and nearly 5x slow motion for PAL-land.  That is a great frame rate for anything but the fastest sports (badminton, ping pong, etc).</p>

<p>The <a href="http://info.panasonic.com/varicam-models.html" rel="nofollow">Panasonic Varicam HS</a> is a broadcast camera that does 240 fps.  I wasn't watching these Olympics closely enough to see whether this was the camera used for the gymnastics event, but wouldn't be surprised if it was.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-28T18:16:44.113Z
2016-08-29T03:02:15.630Z
2016-08-29T03:02:15.630Z
Michael Tiemann
<p>Do the 'broadcast quality' cameras used in the 2016 Olympic Games have <strong>higher than normal frame rates</strong>? It seems that their slow motion footage is smoother, sharper, and less motion blurred than typical day-to-day productions from local stations.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-29T06:52:59.130Z
The lack of motion blur depends on the shutter speed more than just frame rate. While a higher frame rate will mean a faster shutter speed, you can increase the shutter speed without necessarily increasing the frame rate.
stib
<framerate>
Why is Olympic slow motion footage sharp with little motion blur?
EEd
# Why is Olympic slow motion footage sharp with little motion blur?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-08-28)

Do the 'broadcast quality' cameras used in the 2016 Olympic Games have **higher than normal frame rates**? It seems that their slow motion footage is smoother, sharper, and less motion blurred than typical day-to-day productions from local stations.

**Tags:** framerate

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The lack of motion blur depends on the shutter speed more than just frame rate. While a higher frame rate will mean a faster shutter speed, you can increase the shutter speed without necessarily increasing the frame rate.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-08-28. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

The MacCAM (used in Tennis back in 2004) used a 1000 fps frame rate and had just enough resolution to capture a tennis ball hitting (or missing) a line with reasonable resolution. Today, a [Phantom Flex 4K](https://www.phantomhighspeed.com/Products/TV-Motion-Picture-Media/Flex4K) can do 1000 fps with UHD or 4K resolution. Many high-end broadcast cameras can do 120 fps at FullHD or UHD resolution, which is probably what they were using at the Olympics. That's 4x slow motion for NTSC-land and nearly 5x slow motion for PAL-land. That is a great frame rate for anything but the fastest sports (badminton, ping pong, etc).

The [Panasonic Varicam HS](http://info.panasonic.com/varicam-models.html) is a broadcast camera that does 240 fps. I wasn't watching these Olympics closely enough to see whether this was the camera used for the gymnastics event, but wouldn't be surprised if it was.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2016-08-29. Score: 2

The official local broadcast equipment supplier is Panasonic. Most countries take the local broadcast partner's feed of the games. Looking at footage of athletics, swimming, rowing and team sports I didn't see a lot of different broadcasters' equipment in the background. Basketball is good for spotting cameras.

> Panasonic Corporation provides the Olympic Games with state-of-the-art digital audio/video equipment, such as flat screen TV, digital video camera, DVD recorder, and professional audio/video equipment. <https://www.olympic.org/sponsors/panasonic>

Panasonic is providing P2HD Series cameras.

NBC managed to get their own broadcast capability in Rio.

> NBC Olympics will also use Sony’s HDC-4300 4K high frame rate camera system for HD replays - <https://blog.sony.com/press/nbc-olympics-selects-sony-to-provide-broadcast-and-production-equipment-for-its-coverage-of-the-2016-olympic-games-in-rio/>

So state-of-the-art high frame rate 4K cameras.

The Sony HDR-4300 does 479.52 fps at 60Hz (400fps at 50Hz).

I think the P2HD frame rate is 240 fps.

I don't think either of those cameras will do those frame rates in 4K, but I haven't got the specs handy.


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