Shooting in Europe with 50 Hz lighting?

Tommy K

Tommy K

Well-known member
I did a search and couldn't seem to find anything. I will be shooting in Europe with my newly purchased 100B very soon. Upon reading the manual it says you must shoot at 1/100 and not 1/60 shutter speed if using 50 hz fluorescent or mercury vapor lighting. It says that it will interfere with the vertical rate of the cam and the white balance will periodically change. I most likely will shoot indoors using fluorescent type soft lights made for video. My partner who lives over there has a couple of sets of them. I have used them many times in the past with a Sony DSR-250 and VX1000's and never had any problems with flicker or WB change at 1/60. I assume they recommend 1/100 because it is a multiple of the 50 hertz line rate? Does anyone have any experience to share using a US model 100B in Europe? Thanks!
 
Don't have first hand experience with problems shooting under mercury vapor (they do use a transformer), but yes, you would be wise to set your shutter speed to some multiple of 50. Otherwise there is the chance of flicker with the fluorescents - but that would be obvious in the viewfinder. I have experienced white balance shifts when the shutter speed does not match the line frequency (ex: 1/48 instead of 1/60). It's not all that obvious on location because it happens gradually over several seconds. However, if you play the recording back and search (higher than normal speed) it becomes quite obvious.
 
I guess I better be on guard and shoot at 1/100 shutter speed to be safe. I will have plenty of light and shouldn't be a problem. Thanks
 
Shooting 24P or PA? Use 1/50th of a second shutter speed.

Shooting 60i? Why go all the way to 1/100th? I'd drop it down to 1/50th for that, too. Might be a teeny bit more motion-blurry, but...better than stuttery.

And, if shooting 60i...why'd ya get a DVX? :) (Just teasing)
 
This trip I will probably shoot 60i or 30p untill I fully understand what I am doing. My goal is to eventually shoot in 24P or 24PA. I sooo want to make an Indie someday soon. I wanted a DVX100 for a few years now. Glad I waited for the B. Next up is the HVX. I am saving my money! Thanks for the tips and yes I can take the teasing:)
 
GenJerDan said:
Shooting 24P or PA? Use 1/50th of a second shutter speed.
Click to expand...

True, though 1/50 isn't a standard shutter option on US cameras, you can dial it in using syncro scan in the camera setup menu IF shooting in 24p or 30p - and it probably would look better than 1/100.
 
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