FREEFLY Ember S5K

The FREEFLY Ember S5K is a high-speed cinema body from Freefly Systems—a manufacturer previously known primarily for gimbals and drones. The sensor is a Super 35 Gpixel chip with Global Shutter and 5120 x 4096 pixels. Maximum frame rates: 5K at 600 fps, 4K at 800 fps; with reduced image height and firmware 3.0, peak values are higher (4K just under 1,000 fps, 2K around 1,900 fps).

Positioning

The Ember aims to fill the gap between the Phantom Flex 4K and the high-speed modes of standard cinema bodies. The Phantom class delivers frame rates that are indispensable for science and wildlife, but are difficult to justify with typical commercial budgets. Bodies like the Sony FX series offer high-speed only in limited modes and with compromises. The Ember sits in between: frame rates sufficient for 90 percent of commercial inserts, at a fraction of the Phantom rental cost.

Continuous Recording Instead of RAM Buffer

The most practically important difference from the Phantom is not the frame rate, but the recording method. Traditional high-speed cameras write to a RAM buffer that fills up after a few seconds—after which follows a download cycle during which no shooting can occur. The Ember records continuously to an internal SSD (4 TB or 2.56 TB pSLC). There is no clip limit. On set, this changes the rhythm: you let it run instead of timing takes to the buffer.

Mount

The chassis is designed for mount interchangeability. Ex-factory, it comes with EF (active, with aperture control) and PL, plus third-party solutions. EF opens the body to photographic lenses, PL to a rental house's regular cinema inventory. Important for planning: the Ember is not an E-mount body—if you use it alongside Sony full-frame bodies, you don't automatically share optics, but plan for two lens packages or use adapters intentionally.

Resolution vs. Frame Rate

5K Ember vs. 4K Phantom Flex: the Ember offers higher resolution, the Phantom class achieves higher peak frame rates. For commercials, which typically operate between 240 and 500 fps, the resolution advantage for reframing and cropping is worth more than a peak fps that is never needed in the edit. When it comes to 10,000 fps and beyond—science, ballistics, wildlife—the Phantom class remains unrivaled.

Market 2025/26

In the athletic advertising market and for high-speed inserts in music videos, the Ember established itself as a standard body in the second half of 2025. Daily rental rates in 2026 were around EUR 2,500 to 3,500, significantly below the Phantom class. Price indications are market observations, not manufacturer specifications.