FREEFLY Ember S5K (Active EF Mount, 4TB)

Our thoughts

"The Freefly Ember S5K is a very clever bit of kit for shoots where slow motion is the whole point rather than an occasional extra. What I like about it is that it gives you genuinely serious high-speed capture in a body that is compact enough for gimbals, drone work, vehicle rigs and other set-ups where a larger specialist camera would be much more awkward."

- Will, Founder

Product description

Rent a Freefly Ember S5K if you need a compact high-speed cinema camera that can capture dramatic slow-motion footage at much higher resolutions than most traditional specialist systems. It is aimed squarely at filmmakers, commercial crews and technical operators who need very fast frame rates without moving into a much bulkier, more complicated camera platform.

The Freefly Ember S5K is built around a Super 35 Gpixel sensor, an active Canon EF mount and internal NVMe SSD recording. Its headline capability is internal 10-bit Apple ProRes capture at up to 5K 600 fps or 4K 800 fps, which makes it a serious tool for action, effects, product cinematography, sports analysis and highly stylised commercial sequences. The body is unusually compact for a camera in this category, which opens up mounting options that are often difficult with conventional high-speed systems.

It is also designed to be straightforward in use. Rather than relying on the more cumbersome workflow people often associate with slow-motion cameras, the Ember records directly to internal storage and can be controlled through an iOS app, physical controls on the body or remote triggering. For productions looking for a Freefly Ember S5K rental through a dependable camera rental Canada supplier, it is a strong choice when speed, compactness and clean high-speed motion are the real priorities.

Key features

• Compact high-speed Super 35 camera with active Canon EF mount

• Internal 10-bit Apple ProRes 422 LT recording to a built-in 4TB NVMe SSD

• Records up to 5K at 600 fps and 4K at 800 fps for dramatic slow-motion capture

• Electronic global shutter for cleaner motion capture with reduced rolling shutter distortion

• Wi-Fi app control, HDMI monitoring, USB-C, GPIO and Gigabit Ethernet for flexible specialist workflows

High-speed 5K recording and production workflow

The Freefly Ember S5K is built for high-speed imaging first and foremost. It records internally in 10-bit Apple ProRes 422 LT, with flagship modes including 5120 × 2880 at up to 600 fps and 4096 × 2160 at up to 800 fps. That gives crews the ability to capture movement in a way that still leaves room for reframing, stabilising or cropping in post, which is especially useful on commercials, effects shots and fast action where image detail matters. The camera uses Rec.709 or HLG Beta tone curves rather than a conventional log workflow, so it is better thought of as a specialist capture camera than a broad all-purpose cinema body.

The global shutter is a major part of the appeal. For very fast motion, prop movement, splashes, debris, vibration, handheld action or aerial work, it helps avoid the skew and geometric distortion seen on many rolling shutter cameras. The Ember also records directly to its internal 4TB SSD, which allows long continuous high-speed takes without the usual RAM-buffer style limitations. If the production later needs a different storage approach, the system can also work with Freefly’s external media ecosystem, but the internal drive already keeps the on-set process relatively simple for a camera in this class.

There are some practical trade-offs, which is normal for a specialist high-speed body. Dynamic range is more limited than a typical modern 24fps cinema camera, there is no internal ND, no internal audio recording and no built-in LCD screen. In practice that means lighting, monitoring and support should be planned properly, rather than treating it like a general documentary camera.

Why rent the Freefly Ember S5K?

The Freefly Ember S5K is best suited to productions where slow motion is central to the creative brief. That includes product films, liquids, crash and impact work, VFX plates, action inserts, sports, scientific capture, motion analysis and stylised brand work. Because it is compact and comparatively lightweight, it is also very useful on rigs where a heavier high-speed system would become difficult, including gimbals, remote heads, vehicle mounts and certain aerial configurations.

Another reason to rent it rather than own it is that this is a specialist camera with a very specific job. When that job comes up, it is extremely capable. When it does not, a conventional cinema camera is often the more sensible choice. Renting the Ember lets you bring in genuine 5K and 4K high-speed capability only when the project actually needs it, without committing to the cost and niche nature of a permanent high-speed platform.

Rent a Freefly Ember S5K from Canada Camera Rentals and add a compact, modern high-speed camera to your next production for clean, dramatic slow motion in a very adaptable form factor.