Lightning bolts - GH4 in vertical mode?

I

Ian Swarbrick

New member
The summer lightning season is with us in the Alps and I would like to film clean footage of lightning bolts in video. By clean I mean void of the negative effect that a rolling shutter has on lightning shots, namely individual frames half exposed in either the top or bottom half depending on when the bolt occurs.
Most bolts trace a vertical path through the sky to the Earth. Which led me to wonder whether I could orientate my Panasonic GH4 in the vertical position to record a whole vertical strike. I`d only need HD not 4k, so I could crop into the image. Do you think this would work? Anyone ever tried this?
Thanks
Ian
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Greg, at the next lightning storm, I shall simply set up the GH4 on my balcony on a tripod and see. I`ll use the Rokinon 7.5mm as I`ll be cropping a lot anyway.
And it`s easy to export individual frames from After Effects so I can study what the result is.
 
Whatever came of this adventure? I just bought a GH4 and I am already trying to find ways to capture lightning. VERTICAL is a great idea! My next attempt will be to capture at a slower shutter speed to hopefully reduce the rolling shutter more dramatically. I'm thinking 1/15 at 60fps. That should def catch some bolts. my only worry is smearing from foliage as the wind is kicking them around quite a bit. Either way I am interested to see what you have come up with, if anything.
 
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