EX3 Flicker problem - any ideas? (clip online)

[Jamie Kennerley]

Hi all,

I've noticed a bit of a flicker problem with my EX3. I first put it down to perhaps an HMI light flicker (although would still not have expected it) but have now noticed that it's doing it in natural light, or other domestic lighting.

There's a short clip online here:

EX3 Flicker Problem on Vimeo

Have also just added another clip here from a recent shoot in which the problem is VERY clear:

EX3 Flicker Piano on Vimeo

It's not the clearest video but the problem is clearly visible.

Any ideas what this might be?

Shooting at a pretty regular shutter speed of 1/50, but it also does it with the shutter off.

I've done an All Reset, and it 'seems' to have gone away I'm going to do a more thorough test now...). As soon as I load in my settings it comes back though, which clearly suggests it's something to do with those, but I've been using these for over a year, and it only recently started to happen.

Thanks in advance,

Jamie

[Paul Kousoulides]

Try changing the preset under 'flicker reduce' from 'Auto' to 'Off'

[Vincent Oliver]

The flicker on the piano shot is due to the lighting being out of phase with your shutter speed, In the US you use 60mhz so use a shutter speed of 1/30 or 1/60. In the UK we have 50mhz so a shutter speed of 1/25, 1/50 or 1/100 would cure the problem. You could also fine tune the shutter speed by setting the shutter to ECS and then select a more precise speed value.

As for the day light shot, I am not sure what the cure is, I also have experienced this on a couple of shots, it may be down to having Flicker reduce set on Auto as Paul suggests

[Piotr Wozniacki]

I agree that the piano example shows some interference with lighting. As to the sky example, I notice it very often when changing aperture - have no clue what's causing it.

[Thomas Nibler]

thats a common issue when using artificial light, no needs to be worried.
Just check if your NTSC/PAL-Setting is correct and try different Shutter-settings. For me "Shutter:off"
works best in artificial lights. But anyways cold catodes are allways difficult;
check this out, thats an extreme example: http://www.nhx-music.de/stuff/310_6779_01.jpg

[Jamie Kennerley]

Guys,

Thank you so much. I had Flicker Reduce set to Auto. I remember now that I had switched it on for a previous shoot and then forgotten to turn it off. And clearly it can even decide to kick in when shooting in natural light too, if it so decides! I think perhaps it does it with exposure changes in those circumstances as it perceives these to be a kind of lighting inconsistency that it needs to try to correct...

Thanks - you solved the problem.

Jamie

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Hmm... I 'm happy for you Jamie that your problems is solved, however I always have the Flicker Reduce filter off, and yet - especially in those rare cases of auto iris on - I'm getting those "pulsations" in the sky when aperture changes (usually closing down)...

But as I said above - this is something different than your second example, where evidently flicker-reduce is kicking in.