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Still photography strobes when shooting 23.98 digital video


Andrew Russo

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I've always had problems capturing strobes when shooting digital video (either the shutter misses the strobe entirely or only captures a portion of it). I've used the paparazzi light from Lightning Strikes before and it's great, but for this scene I need to see the lights strobe in the frame as the actor takes pictures (actor needs to be able to pull the trigger on them).

 

1) Any strobes out there that are good to capture digitally? Shooting on the Alexa mini 23.98.

 

2) Any tricks? I can change the shutter if necessary.

 

Thanks.

 

-Andrew

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No amount of playing around with camera settings can fix this on a camera which has a rolling shutter, as the Alexa (and variants) do.

 

I am aware of only one device which will let you do frame synchronised strobe effects; the Outsight Creamsource LED panels with the Flashbandit accessory.

 

P

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yep some kind of LED solution would be useful or just shooting with a global shutter camera.

 

if you know someone handy who can do custom electronics you can have a high power rectangular LED circuit (like those 100w ones. will cost couple of dollars on ebay) modified to fit inside the prop flash housing and get it synchronised with the rolling shutter using custom made electronics.

the global shutter approach would be much much easier and faster though :mellow:

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The first time I did this, I had to build it. It's not too difficult, assuming you can get to a standard-def composite signal. There are sync separators which will provide an easy trigger pulse, and the rest of it is a bit of basic microcontroller code.

 

Now I just use this (apologies for the self-plug)

 

P

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