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Old 8th Aug 2011, 11:10
  #11 (permalink)  
Mark1234
 
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On a small technical note, it isn't the shutter speed that's at issue(*) The 'venitian blind' effect is a side effect of the way the sensor chip is read - it's known as rolling shutter:

CMOS type chips are read 'line at a time', in a a similar manner to the way a TV scans. So, for example, the top line is read, then a infinitesimal amount of time later, the second, third, etc., until the bottom is reached, then it wraps back to the top. Thus the bottom of the frame is captured some amount of time later than the top. If you pan rapidly sideways you may see a skew effect, vibration creates 'jelly wobbles', and props make venetian blinds because they're moving significantly in that scan time.

CCD chips are read differently - they have a 'global shutter'. The chip is switched on, then off, then read whilst off. As such, every pixel in the image is captured at the same time. This will stop the prop when the revolution is divides equally to the shutter frequency (usually about 30 frames per second), and make it turn forward/backward either side of that - a stroboscopic effect if you like. However it will not produce image distortion.

Personally I find the CCD effect far less intrusive. Sadly most video specific cameras are CMOS based these days.

(*) of course, if you slow the exposure down enough for the prop to move significantly during the time the shutter is 'open', the prop will blur, and neither of these effects will show...
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