Cameras
Phantom Flex4K Reference: Recording and 2013 Prices
Choose a Flex4K recording path and read its dated launch-price reference.
Flex4K · September 2013 launch specification
| Image size | Up to |
|---|---|
| 4096 × 2160 | 1,000 fps |
| 4096 × 2304 | 900 fps |
| 1920 × 1080 | 2,000 fps |
| 1280 × 720 | 3,000 fps |
September 2013 MSRP: $109,900–$164,900
Camera and features affected the amount. The separate $2,500 preorder deposit was not the total price.
Source: AbelCine, September 2013 archive. Historical values; request a current package quote.
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The Phantom Flex4K records high-speed 4K images through a memory-buffer workflow. Start with the required image size, rate and recording duration. Then choose how the take will be saved and moved into the edit. The headline 1,000 fps figure does not apply to every recording path.
Which Flex4K figures should you use?
The table above records AbelCine's September 2013 preorder specification. It is useful when reading launch-era coverage. For an actual camera, match the body, firmware, memory and media to the supplier's documentation.
Later documents differ. Vision Research's August 2021 Flex4K-series data sheet, page 2 lists 938 fps at 4096 × 2304 and 1,000 fps at 4096 × 2160. Do not silently combine a launch table with a later memory configuration to calculate recording time.
The original Phantom Flex is a different camera. The family name does not establish the same image size, modes or recording media. Read the full model name when checking an older article or a used equipment listing.
What is the difference between loop and run/stop recording?
The archived AbelCine page describes loop mode as capture into internal RAM at the camera's highest rates, followed by saving the selected take to CineMag IV. Its launch configuration offered up to 64 GB of RAM. Saving the take is a separate step from capturing it.
Run/stop records directly to the magazine for longer takes at lower rates. The same source describes rates over 100 fps at 4K for that path. It does not promise continuous 4K at 1,000 fps to the magazine. Check the limits for the actual media and firmware you will use.
For production, write the action duration and the desired finished duration separately. Five seconds captured at 1,000 fps contains 5,000 frames. At 24 fps those frames play for about 208.3 seconds, or 3 minutes 28 seconds. This is an arithmetic example, not a guaranteed buffer duration.
What needs to reach the edit?
Agree on the saved format and the software that will open it. The archived dealer specification describes separate capture, trigger, playback and save controls. Use the camera's matching manual during setup rather than assuming that a monitoring picture proves the file has been saved.
Before the job, make a sample using the actual recording path. Save it, copy it and open it in the intended editing or grading system. Confirm image size, playback rate, framing and the intended color handling. Give the person receiving the files the sample and the agreed settings.
Budget for the workflow as well as the body. Ask which magazine, reader or station, cables, power and operator are included. Allow time to save and check each useful take. Keep complete copies and verify the handoff before agreeing to clear recording media.
What were the 2013 prices?
The AbelCine preorder page captured September 4, 2013 lists MSRP of $109,900 to $164,900, depending on camera and features. It separately lists a $2,500 deposit. That deposit was not the camera's total price.
Some launch coverage gives a $109,000 lower figure. The retained September dealer page says $109,900; those are different published numbers. This reference uses the dated primary dealer page and does not treat either amount as a current sale or rental quote.
For a present decision, get a written quote for the exact package and support. A historical MSRP does not tell you today's availability, rental rate, insurance cost or condition of a used body.
What should the crew settle before booking?
- Required frame size, capture rate and real action duration.
- Camera model, firmware, RAM and supported recording media.
- Trigger timing, time between takes and who saves the selected shot.
- A recorded lighting test at the intended exposure and rate.
- A saved sample opened by the person receiving the footage.
Use the filmmaking equipment guide to plan the surrounding kit. This is a source-based technical reference. Historical values remain attached to the dated documents they came from.