Rolling Shutter on TV at DVinfo.net

Philip Howells · June 17th, 2011, 04:51 PM

Like many here I've ventured from CCD to CMOS aware that I shall encounter the dreaded rolling shutter syndrome in our weddings, specifically from Z1 to EX1R.

The perceived wisdom is that the clients won't object to split screen flashes.- and my thoughts about that are that it depends how much they see it in other forms.

Tonight I breathed a little easier because the last part of the BBC serial "The Shadow Line" that was broadcast yesterday (and recorded on my PVR) concluded with a huge press conference with literally hundreds of flashes. The screen was full of split screen flashes and as yet I've not seen any "consumer reaction" complaining about it. I keep my fingers crossed with confidence!

Chris Harding · June 17th, 2011, 07:16 PM

Hi Philip

I changed both cameras in February and the new HMC's are also CMOS...I've only done 10 weddings with them so far but some weddings were very flash intensive (lots of enthusiastic amateurs shoots 5 exposures a second) so I did notice a few frames where the shutter caught the flash halfway....Not one bride seemed to bother about it ....one wedding the cake seemed to be an international celebrity with dozens of flashes blinding everyone yet I didn't yet see one rolling shutter!! Think I might have 2 frames affected in 10 weddings??????

We tend to get way too technical with our work!!! The bride is not looking for flashes, rolling shutter or poor exposure...she is purely watch the content and is delighted with it!!!!

Chris

Dimitris Mantalias · June 17th, 2011, 10:58 PM

The reality is that we are bothered by flashes, even more by rolling shutter. Those two are things that surpass the talents of any videographer to avoid them. Still, if we insist, some solutions may exist. NewBlue has released the VideoEssentials plugin (I think there are 4 packs of plugins). Amongst them, there is the flash remover and the other one that fixes rolling shutter. The strange thing is that they both work!

Philip Howells · June 18th, 2011, 01:10 AM

Chris you're absolutely right - I wish I'd been more circumspect about the rolling shutter effects when we agonised over the upgrade to EX1Rs.

Unfortunately Dimitris, NB don't support our present NLE with their newer products.

Since the BBC will have had full access to all the gadgets, I wonder if the decision was made that a press conference without flashes would have been unconvincing.

Chris Harding · June 18th, 2011, 02:43 AM

Hi Philip

Probably yes!! The BBC want the mood of the footage to reflect excitement as the cameras flash madly and viewers are getting involved in the action. We, as technical perfectionists, are looking for problems that probably don't exist !! Sitting back and enjoying the footage is more than likely how we SHOULD look at our work ...that's how the bride will be looking at it. Think of the flashes as automatic transitions that add to the mood of say, the cake cutting ... at the very worst she would say "Wow, a lot of people took photos at my cake cutting" not "Darn videographer has messed up again and allowed a rolling shutter "

To prove it's not only you that has this quest for technical excellence, I have spend the entire afternoon shooting identical sequences in 1080i, 1080 25P, 720 25P and 720 50P and comparing a downsize onto a DVD (without very much success) I shot the last 10 at 1080i, and did any bride say anything bad...of course not!!! We really need to worry a LOT less about things that don't really matter!!!

Chris

Philip Howells · June 18th, 2011, 03:03 AM

Absolutely right Chris.

Incidentally, any readers who get offered these BBC things in overseas sales etc, don't waste your time watching this 9 part serial. It's a very simple story, puffed and unnecessarily bloated with gratuitous violence, sex, marital infidelity, rent boy prostitution and dragged out by lingering furrowed brows and telephones ringing to extend a bog-standard drugs/police corruption story which the original Bill would have dealt with in 29 minutes.

June 17th, 2011, 04:51 PM	#1
Philip Howells Trustee Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Manchester UK Posts: 1,212	Rolling Shutter on TV Like many here I've ventured from CCD to CMOS aware that I shall encounter the dreaded rolling shutter syndrome in our weddings, specifically from Z1 to EX1R. The perceived wisdom is that the clients won't object to split screen flashes.- and my thoughts about that are that it depends how much they see it in other forms. Tonight I breathed a little easier because the last part of the BBC serial "The Shadow Line" that was broadcast yesterday (and recorded on my PVR) concluded with a huge press conference with literally hundreds of flashes. The screen was full of split screen flashes and as yet I've not seen any "consumer reaction" complaining about it. I keep my fingers crossed with confidence!

June 17th, 2011, 07:16 PM	#2
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: Rolling Shutter on TV Hi Philip I changed both cameras in February and the new HMC's are also CMOS...I've only done 10 weddings with them so far but some weddings were very flash intensive (lots of enthusiastic amateurs shoots 5 exposures a second) so I did notice a few frames where the shutter caught the flash halfway....Not one bride seemed to bother about it ....one wedding the cake seemed to be an international celebrity with dozens of flashes blinding everyone yet I didn't yet see one rolling shutter!! Think I might have 2 frames affected in 10 weddings?????? We tend to get way too technical with our work!!! The bride is not looking for flashes, rolling shutter or poor exposure...she is purely watch the content and is delighted with it!!!! Chris

June 17th, 2011, 10:58 PM	#3
Dimitris Mantalias Major Player Join Date: May 2009 Location: Arta, Greece Posts: 342	Re: Rolling Shutter on TV The reality is that we are bothered by flashes, even more by rolling shutter. Those two are things that surpass the talents of any videographer to avoid them. Still, if we insist, some solutions may exist. NewBlue has released the VideoEssentials plugin (I think there are 4 packs of plugins). Amongst them, there is the flash remover and the other one that fixes rolling shutter. The strange thing is that they both work! __________________ "A successful wedding videographer is the one that offers for viewing some excellent videos and some boring videos, and gets positive reviews for both".

June 18th, 2011, 01:10 AM	#4
Philip Howells Trustee Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Manchester UK Posts: 1,212	Re: Rolling Shutter on TV Chris you're absolutely right - I wish I'd been more circumspect about the rolling shutter effects when we agonised over the upgrade to EX1Rs. Unfortunately Dimitris, NB don't support our present NLE with their newer products. Since the BBC will have had full access to all the gadgets, I wonder if the decision was made that a press conference without flashes would have been unconvincing.

June 18th, 2011, 02:43 AM	#5
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: Rolling Shutter on TV Hi Philip Probably yes!! The BBC want the mood of the footage to reflect excitement as the cameras flash madly and viewers are getting involved in the action. We, as technical perfectionists, are looking for problems that probably don't exist !! Sitting back and enjoying the footage is more than likely how we SHOULD look at our work ...that's how the bride will be looking at it. Think of the flashes as automatic transitions that add to the mood of say, the cake cutting ... at the very worst she would say "Wow, a lot of people took photos at my cake cutting" not "Darn videographer has messed up again and allowed a rolling shutter " To prove it's not only you that has this quest for technical excellence, I have spend the entire afternoon shooting identical sequences in 1080i, 1080 25P, 720 25P and 720 50P and comparing a downsize onto a DVD (without very much success) I shot the last 10 at 1080i, and did any bride say anything bad...of course not!!! We really need to worry a LOT less about things that don't really matter!!! Chris

June 18th, 2011, 03:03 AM	#6
Philip Howells Trustee Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Manchester UK Posts: 1,212	Re: Rolling Shutter on TV Absolutely right Chris. Incidentally, any readers who get offered these BBC things in overseas sales etc, don't waste your time watching this 9 part serial. It's a very simple story, puffed and unnecessarily bloated with gratuitous violence, sex, marital infidelity, rent boy prostitution and dragged out by lingering furrowed brows and telephones ringing to extend a bog-standard drugs/police corruption story which the original Bill would have dealt with in 29 minutes.