A Question Of Frame Rates - 23.98/ 50Hz - C100 MkII

[User]

I've started a film some time ago on on a Sony EX1 shooting 23.98p, 1/48 shutter speed in a 50hz country. That camera allowed me to dial in a setting that would get around the lights flickering, I can't remember what the setting was anymore.

The next camera that was employed on the film was the 5DM2 which at 23.98p, 1/50 shutter speed never showed any signs of lighting flicker at that frame rate.

Now I'm on a C100 MkII. To get around the lighting flicker, I have to set the camera into 50hz but that does not seem to allow me to shoot at 23.98, 1/48 shutter speed. Only 25p.

Given that I've already been shooting everything at 23.98, I think it is best to stay at this frame rate but I don't know how to enable this on the C100 while at 50hz.

Does anyone know if there is a good way forward?

[Mattias Burling]

24p in 60hz wont flicker much. The Hz isn't a setting in the camera, its a menu option to guide you.

What causes flicker is the frame rate when it doesnt match the Hz in the lights. So you need to avoid 30p, 60p and 120p in PAL-land.

25p, 50p and 100p are safe.

So are 24p and 96p because they are close enough. 

Do a quick test before to feel confident.

[User]

Hi Mattias, thanks for jumping in here. I'm in the thick of it out here in Asia so your comment is most welcomed.

I'll give your suggestion of staying at 60hz 23.98p a go but there is a good deal of flicker from fluorescent lights that can be clearly seen in the waveform that can also be seen slightly on the camera's OLED screen. And since this is a doc I'm shooting over the next year, and there will be a ton of material, I'm really trying to find a way to minimize this as much as possible. Ya know?

[Mattias Burling]

Hi Mattias, thanks for jumping in here. I'm in the thick of it out here in Asia so your comment is most welcomed.

I'll give your suggestion of staying at 60hz 23.98p a go but there is a good deal of flicker from fluorescent lights that can be clearly seen in the waveform that can also be seen slightly on the camera's OLED screen. And since this is a doc I'm shooting over the next year, and there will be a ton of material, I'm really trying to find a way to minimize this as much as possible. Ya know?

Have you tried on different lights. Some fluorescents flickr enough for my eyes to see it. Do some tests. But since you've already shot a bunch of it in24p you pretty much need to stick to that now. Worst case, if it flickrs, go outside. 

I wouldn't care to much about the waveform. Look at it on a TV or something. If it doesn't flickr there, then who will notice.

[Inazuma]

Have you tried shooting at 1/60th? 

[sgreszcz]

I am planning to do some shooting in Canada in December.  Previously I've used cameras (like older Olympus) that only had 30fps and I used 1/60s shutter in Canada and 1/50s in Europe to avoid flicker with indoor lights.

I now have a PAL Panasonic LX100 (24/25/50 fps) and Olympus E-M5 II (24fps plus PAL 25/50 and NTSC 30/60).  What would be the recommended settings for NTSC countries - 24 fps at 1/60s shutter?  It is easy in Europe as I just use 25fps and 1/50s indoors or around artificial lights.

It is a little frustrating that on most Panasonic cameras they split PAL/NTSC framerates where Sony and (newer) Olympus are world cameras.

[User]

Have you tried on different lights. Some fluorescents flickr enough for my eyes to see it. Do some tests. But since you've already shot a bunch of it in24p you pretty much need to stick to that now. Worst case, if it flickrs, go outside. 

I wouldn't care to much about the waveform. Look at it on a TV or something. If it doesn't flickr there, then who will notice.

I think I've managed to sort things out. I can shoot in 60hz to have 23.98p @ 48 shutter speed. When I check the waveform I only see a tiny amount of flicker. What I understand now is that when I switch from 60p to 23.98, the camera's shutter defaults to 1/60 and that's what was causing me to initially think that the camera was showing flicker at what I thought was 60hz 23.98 at 1/48 shutter speed. Too many hours with no sleep. Sorry for dragging you in here on my oversight, you were right that the flicker (so far) is minimal and manageable at those settings. Alright, back to the races.