Rolling Shutter?

[Mitch Gross]

Eliminating skew issues and strobe-sync issues does not necessarily mean going to a global shutter. A rolling shutter can be used and the Phantom does it today. RED can do it as well and likely will in EPIC.

Skew is s result of slow write/read speed across the sensor. Speed up the process and with each frame you have a tiny bit of time as the lines begin charging, a whole lotta time as every photosite accepts light all together, and then a tiny bit of time again as the lines all discharge out.

Strobe sync is easy as well. just need to sync signals: one to state when each frame starts the charging cycle (this is important for absolute sync on such systems as motion control and 3D) and another to note the exposure duration in pulse form (industry standard is a 5 millivolt pulse IIRC). The sync pulse can be set to trigger dead in the middle of that long time the whole frame is getting exposure, and there would never be a sync issue again with strobe lights. And if the read/write cycles were quick enough then there would be no problem with skew or other motion-related issues, such as harmonic vibrations in car and helicopter shots. This is especially important in composite shots, like just about ever car commercial made these days (well, before the economy imploded).

 

[Yean Loon]

The ultimate point for us is that limitations are being lifted with each generation of electronic sensor. By isolating the sensor, and its closely associated companion electronics package, into a single, upgradeable box... moving forward becomes much less painful. A new box... not a new camera model.

Jim

I think that's the most concise and logical answer. Really explains everything.

cheers,

yean

 

[ericyoung]

...Strobe sync is easy as well. just need to sync signals: one to state when each frame starts the charging cycle (this is important for absolute sync on such systems as motion control and 3D) and another to note the exposure duration in pulse form (industry standard is a 5 millivolt pulse IIRC). The sync pulse can be set to trigger dead in the middle of that long time the whole frame is getting exposure, and there would never be a sync issue again with strobe lights...

Unfortunately that doesn't solve the problem with non-syncable strobes such as emergency service vehicle strobes or paparazzi flashfests.

 

[Mitch Gross]

Unfortunately that doesn't solve the problem with non-syncable strobes such as emergency service vehicle strobes or paparazzi flashfests.

And neither will a global shutter as you may get the exposure or may not.

But if you're clever and enterprising, then those strobes can be slaved as well. It's easy on a paparazzi flash, as you can feed a cable to a sync input port on any detachable camera strobe. Easy to rig. And I've seen on vehicle strobes rewired for this slaving use as well. Just depends on your budget really.

In the end there is absolutely no way to always get everything, even in film or on a global shutter. The sensor must refresh, even if only for a millisecond. The old adage in film when shooting guns was that if you saw the muzzle flash in the viewfinder then you didn't get it on film. Same problems no matter what the media.

 

[tj williams]

Since the new big brains are for STILL photos use also we must presume that there will be no artifacts in flash photography? Otherwise Nikon n Canon would win.

 

[Jannard]

Since the new big brains are for STILL photos use also we must presume that there will be no artifacts in flash photography? Otherwise Nikon n Canon would win.

Why would we want to do this and have Canon or Nikon win?

Jim