LED Lighting for Image Mag

[btalbott]

Any suggestions? We're using Color Key fixtures and are experiencing a strobing effect. We've dialed the camera's as much as possible.


thanks.

[zactommo]

Have you tried changing the shutter speed of your cameras?

[Paris MkVI]

This is a problem with LED lighting that many folks do not discover - until after the install.

The solution to this, ultimately, is to move these LED units to off camera use. Put them somewhere doing another lighting job off camera. (It's a lousy answer, I know. But it is what I would do myself).

Quality units that do not create this problem are not cheap. Seladors, recently bought by ETC, are one solution.

[Esoteric]

I have never had this issue with Color Keys. If you are having that issue then your cameras will probably have that problem with everything except very high end units (ETC Selador, Coemar, etc).

But it has to be your camera. I have used every LED I sell (including Color Keys) with everything from $500 Handycams to $30000 broadcast units and never had an issue with any of them.

Mike

[Pastor Ryan]

I had a lot of trouble with my Canon XL1s all 3 of them actually.

The XL2 no issues.

[petereit]

No issues with our JVC GY-HD110U camera either. Shutter is turned off, which I believe defaults to 60fps. And our facility is full of cheap LED fixtures.

[Paris MkVI]

I may be too critical of less-expensive LED's. To me they're a bit of a gamble. Plus, I'm weird about the quality of on-stage LED's where they may cast light on people. I don't love the results on skintones with the lower-quality units.

But that's just my own personal weirdness shining through.

[Esoteric]

Originally Posted by Paris MkVI

I may be too critical of less-expensive LED's. To me they're a bit of a gamble. Plus, I'm weird about the quality of on-stage LED's where they may cast light on people. I don't love the results on skintones with the lower-quality units.

But that's just my own personal weirdness shining through.

I would never, ever use LEDs of any kind as front light. I only use them as stage washes and scenery lights.

Mike

[Esoteric]

Originally Posted by Pastor Ryan

I had a lot of trouble with my Canon XL1s all 3 of them actually.

The XL2 no issues.

Yeah, it is an issue with the camera. I have used a variety of cameras and LEDs.

Mike

[rogerdurbin]

I use cheap led's for background colors, I never experience strobing on live feeds, but found it showing up on video renders of around 30 fps.
I found the answer to be to render at 24 fps.
I assume that at 30 fps it is a multiple of 60 cycles per second (electric) and the flicker shows up in time with the electric.
Reducing to 24p solved my problem.

rd

[Esoteric]

Yeah, I have used ColorKey, Weidamark, and Elation and they all flicker at multiples of 30, but if you turn the frame rate down just a hair the flicker goes away.

Using Chauvet I can not get rid of the flicker (why I don't use them).

Using Coemar, ETC, etc they all flicker at very specific frame rates (which are not common, which is why they are "flicker free").

All LEDs will flicker at some frame rate or another (part of the beast), the key is to sync everything up.

In addition changing the intensity of the LED unit will alter the flicker.

Mike