help with flour lts and flicker/dancing background at DVinfo.net

Michael Alexa · May 21st, 2009, 10:12 AM

brand new to vid world. thanks to all for every informative post. been researching thanks to all of you.

need help. using a canon XH A1S inside a small grocery store that has flourescent lights on above in ceiling. have camera set to HDV 24F in order to shoot my fictional narrative piece i am producing. great footage today EXCEPT as the actors were standing stationary, then slowly moved toward camera, all of the reflective areas in the produce cooler behind them, plus the bars of the grocery cart, were flickering and moving and dancing. almost like parts of the scene were being sent electric energy or something. like pulsing or reverberating.

first had shutter set to 1/60 then bumped it up to 1/100. left my app at 3.2. no nd filter. manaul mode. gain was set at 0. wb set to PRE turned other wb switch to indoor (incandescent) light. only have gam set to cine 2 on presets. rest set to default.

how can i have prevented this picture movement/distortion in background with proper settings?

can i fix this problem with final cut pro 6?

thank you. thank you

Ken Wozniak · May 21st, 2009, 10:22 AM

The fluorescent lights will be operating at 60Hz, so that could be the cause of the flicker.

When I shoot 24F, I always set my shutter to 1/48. So far, I've not had any experience like yours, and I have shot under fluorescent lights many times. Try shooting at 1/48.

Michael Hutson · May 21st, 2009, 04:30 PM

Michael

First off, I am about five months with my xha1 and I have never had the problem that you are talking about.

Ken is correct. Normally 24f is shot at 48/24. 30 and 60 is shot at 60/30.

Now onto your flickering....was there a flourecent with a bad ballast that was flickering badly or was it no matter the location through the whole store?

I am curious if the clear scan function would work for you. (pg 69 in the manual) "This feature is designed to allow you to record a computer's CRT screen or other equipment without displaying black band or flicker on the screen. You can adjust the frequency from 60.1 to 203.9 Hz." I don't know if it would help or not.

I am looking forward to hearing some input from the experienced folks about your situation and they have a solution for you.

Best of luck,
Michael H.

Michael Alexa · May 28th, 2009, 09:35 AM

somehow i think i realized the flicker has to do with fcp settings or something. when i watch the footage on the on camera lcd and/or the television via my a/v cable there is no flicker. it has something to do with my settings, i think.

Bill Pryor · May 29th, 2009, 07:29 PM

Even so, your shutter speed should be 1/48 unless you're looking for some effect. Your FCP setting should be HDV1080p24, and your sequence settings should be at 23.98

May 21st, 2009, 10:12 AM	#1
Michael Alexa New Boot Join Date: May 2009 Location: Fernandina Beach FL Posts: 16	help with flour lts and flicker/dancing background brand new to vid world. thanks to all for every informative post. been researching thanks to all of you. need help. using a canon XH A1S inside a small grocery store that has flourescent lights on above in ceiling. have camera set to HDV 24F in order to shoot my fictional narrative piece i am producing. great footage today EXCEPT as the actors were standing stationary, then slowly moved toward camera, all of the reflective areas in the produce cooler behind them, plus the bars of the grocery cart, were flickering and moving and dancing. almost like parts of the scene were being sent electric energy or something. like pulsing or reverberating. first had shutter set to 1/60 then bumped it up to 1/100. left my app at 3.2. no nd filter. manaul mode. gain was set at 0. wb set to PRE turned other wb switch to indoor (incandescent) light. only have gam set to cine 2 on presets. rest set to default. how can i have prevented this picture movement/distortion in background with proper settings? can i fix this problem with final cut pro 6? thank you. thank you

May 21st, 2009, 10:22 AM	#2
Ken Wozniak Regular Crew Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Bend, IN Posts: 179	The fluorescent lights will be operating at 60Hz, so that could be the cause of the flicker. When I shoot 24F, I always set my shutter to 1/48. So far, I've not had any experience like yours, and I have shot under fluorescent lights many times. Try shooting at 1/48. __________________ Woz

May 21st, 2009, 04:30 PM	#3
Michael Hutson Major Player Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Elgin, IL Posts: 249	Michael First off, I am about five months with my xha1 and I have never had the problem that you are talking about. Ken is correct. Normally 24f is shot at 48/24. 30 and 60 is shot at 60/30. Now onto your flickering....was there a flourecent with a bad ballast that was flickering badly or was it no matter the location through the whole store? I am curious if the clear scan function would work for you. (pg 69 in the manual) "This feature is designed to allow you to record a computer's CRT screen or other equipment without displaying black band or flicker on the screen. You can adjust the frequency from 60.1 to 203.9 Hz." I don't know if it would help or not. I am looking forward to hearing some input from the experienced folks about your situation and they have a solution for you. Best of luck, Michael H.

May 28th, 2009, 09:35 AM	#4
Michael Alexa New Boot Join Date: May 2009 Location: Fernandina Beach FL Posts: 16	somehow i think i realized the flicker has to do with fcp settings or something. when i watch the footage on the on camera lcd and/or the television via my a/v cable there is no flicker. it has something to do with my settings, i think.

May 29th, 2009, 07:29 PM	#5
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	Even so, your shutter speed should be 1/48 unless you're looking for some effect. Your FCP setting should be HDV1080p24, and your sequence settings should be at 23.98