Light bulbs..

dancook

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As I go through my live music images there are bulbs like this on pictured below, and they are sometimes on sometimes off as I look through the images - I suppose I caught them in between their cycle.

Is there anything I can do about this? I'm shooting around 1/100th - 1/250th depending on whether I want a sharp image or to capture movement.

View attachment 107217
 
Nothing you can do about it rather than dropping the shutter speed.

I believe in auto modes Canon does something to sync to cycling lights, but I've never read up on it.
 
Nothing you can do about it rather than dropping the shutter speed.

I believe in auto modes Canon does something to sync to cycling lights, but I've never read up on it.

is it 1/60th or 1/30th? - I Suppose either way, if it's less than 1/125th I won't be going any slower.. I will just have to keep taking my excessive shots to factor in for another variable ;)
 
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Nothing you can do about it rather than dropping the shutter speed.
is it 1/60th or 1/30th?
In the UK and Europe, our mains frequency is 50Hz which means that lights 'flicker' with a frequency of 100Hz. So if your shutter speed is a multiple of 1/100th (ie 1/100th, 1/50th, 1/25th etc), the shutter will be open for a whole number of cycles and the lighting will appear even and consistent. 1/100th isn't much slower than you're using already so I suggest it's probably worth trying.

In the USA the mains frequency is 60Hz so you'd want to use shutter speeds of 1/125th, 1/60th, 1/30th etc.

I believe in auto modes Canon does something to sync to cycling lights, but I've never read up on it.
Not quite. Newer Canon DSLRs have an 'anti-flicker' setting which is active in all modes. This was introduced with the 7D Mk II and I believe it's been in every DSLR since (though I haven't checked some of the low-end ones). What it does is slightly delay the shutter release to synchronise it with the flicker of the lights. For example, if you choose a shutter speed of 1/200th, the shutter will be open for only half of the cycle; so the camera will time it so that you get the brightest part of the cycle, at the top of the sine curve, when the light is 'fully on'.
 
My D750 has the option of automatic, 50hz or 60hz. (I never knew what it was for until reading this thread.:oops: :$)
One wonders why you would ever want to use it on a setting other than Automatic...
 
buy a d500 it does it automatically it cuts through the flicker for you
 
Do I need to take it with me, or can I just leave it at home having purchased one?

look in the manual then it will explain how to work the anti flicker
i take mine to ice hockey and it works a treat i think it delays the shutter
so how come your last post was oof the black and white shot was it with the d500 ?
 
look in the manual then it will explain how to work the anti flicker
i take mine to ice hockey and it works a treat i think it delays the shutter
so how come your last post was oof the black and white shot was it with the d500 ?

So I take an out of focus shot, in heavily back lit conditions, and your suggestion is to get the camera and lens professionally calibrated. (regardless of whether thousands of other shots are in focus without difficulty)

Light bulbs are caught between their cycles and your first suggestion is to buy into another camera system.

seems a bit extreme
 
So I take an out of focus shot, in heavily back lit conditions, and your suggestion is to get the camera and lens professionally calibrated. (regardless of whether thousands of other shots are in focus without difficulty)

Light bulbs are caught between their cycles and your first suggestion is to buy into another camera system.

seems a bit extreme

you seem to read into what i say a bit to much chill axe man

when i said buy a d500 it was a figure of speech not some critisism ffs
 
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