60D picture time lapse flicker

[sunny_j]

my intervalometer came in a few days ago and I've been experimenting time lapse videos. i have the camera in manual, dialled in white balance white balance, auto lighting optimizer off, manual iso and i still my exposure is changing somehow. does anyone have any ideas on how to rectify this issue?
the time lapse is in the first 10 seconds of this video.
http://vimeo.com/27995976

 

[a1ex]

With MSU deflicker

Even if exposure settings are the same, you will still get flicker; shutter doesn't always move at the exact same speed, and aperture blades don't end up in the exact same position every time. From those minor variations you get flicker.

 

[sunny_j]

^^ thanks alex. i searched google and i can't find the mac version for MSU deflicker. can you post me the download link please?

 

[a1ex]

MSU deflicker is a plugin for VirtualDub, which is a Windows program. But it works well under Wine (that's how I run it under Linux).

 

[mr bill]

I'm surprised you get luma level variations as big as that. Everything - shutter, iso, aperture - is in manual, right?

 

[a1ex]

Yes, in bright light luma variations can be significant. It's normal. If you look closer, luma variations can be only on top half of the frame for a pair of pics, and on bottom half for another pair (for example).

This won't happen at relatively high shutter times (e.g. 1/30), but it's very noticeable at 1/4000.

 

[mr bill]

What I usually do is whack some nd on the lens and try for exposures that are 1-4 secs long. This seems to smooth out any lumps in the timelapse when you put it together, and helps emulate the kind of motion blur you get with with a film camera. Works for me..

 

[a1ex]

This is an excellent solution. With NDs you can even set your shutter speed according to the 180 degree rule.

 

[sunny_j]

MSU deflicker is a plugin for VirtualDub, which is a Windows program. But it works well under Wine (that's how I run it under Linux).

can you point me towards a link where i can learn how to run MSU on mac?

I'm surprised you get luma level variations as big as that. Everything - shutter, iso, aperture - is in manual, right?

yes, everything was manual

Yes, in bright light luma variations can be significant. It's normal. If you look closer, luma variations can be only on top half of the frame for a pair of pics, and on bottom half for another pair (for example).

This won't happen at relatively high shutter times (e.g. 1/30), but it's very noticeable at 1/4000.

What I usually do is whack some nd on the lens and try for exposures that are 1-4 secs long. This seems to smooth out any lumps in the timelapse when you put it together, and helps emulate the kind of motion blur you get with with a film camera. Works for me..

so using a longer exposure will reduce the luma variations?

 

[ICD Films]

Of course. It's digital shutter (not a spinning disk ) aaand usually, the cheaper the camera... the more lousy the shutter. You want a filmic motion blur, not a stack of pictures looking like stop-motion (well, some guys do, but they are obviously tasteless!)

 

[sunny_j]

Of course. It's digital shutter (not a spinning disk ) aaand usually, the cheaper the camera... the more lousy the shutter. You want a filmic motion blur, not a stack of pictures looking like stop-motion (well, some guys do, but they are obviously tasteless!)

no arguments there but i use the 60D mostly for video.

 

[mr bill]

can you point me towards a link where i can learn how to run MSU on mac?


yes, everything was manual




so using a longer exposure will reduce the luma variations?

Give it a go - the motion blur you get using longer shutter times seems more 'filmic' - I can't say it gets rid of flicker per se, but I don't usually get the kind of luma variations that you're experiencing. I'd double check everything is in manual mode..