Rolling shutter problem in helicopter videos

[Dick Smith]

Does anyone know if there is a small camera that works well in helicopters and does not have the rolling shutter problem – where you get a jelly-like effect when filming anything that is moving?

Surely by now someone has brought out a camera that solves that problem.

I would like to know if anyone has had any experience.

[Thunderbird_1]

Hi Dick,

Some people use a neutral density filter on their action cam which seems to solve the problem by slowing down the shutter. I'm using the Polar Pro ND filter with my GoPro 3 and it seems to work well.

Searching for "gopro jello" on the AU slapper site will take you to threads that talk about this topic.

Cheers
John

[army_av8r]

I've found that simply ensuring a very firm mounting point, and keeping the camera still goes a long way in preserving the natural scene quality. Long arms on those gopro mounts allow a surprising amount of flex, and cause the jelly image I think your concerned about.

[SnowFella]

Doesn't have anything to do with the shutter in digital camera's as when shooting video the shutter is left open while you film. It's totally up to the readout speed of the sensor, in essence an "electronic" shutter.

To fix it you would have to go towards higher end video camera's that use a global shutter or a hybrid shutter that works almost like the film cameras of old times.

[helimutt]

https://www.dronezon.com/aerial-photo-and-video/aerial-filming/fix-rolling-shutter-jello-effect-in-aerial-footage/

[Dick Smith]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

It seems amazing to me that one of the big companies like GoPro or Garmin don’t actually bring out a camera which reduces this problem. I bet they will one day, and that company will get the main share of the market.

[mickjoebill]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

It seems amazing to me that one of the big companies like GoPro or Garmin don’t actually bring out a camera which reduces this problem. I bet they will one day, and that company will get the main share of the market.

These guys make FAA approved GoPro mounts.

PEOVI | Professional Filmmaker Tools (http://www.peovi.com/)

Keeping camera locked to the vehicle usually is a good idea.

Global shutters usually have less dynamic range so they have lost favour over the last 7 years. However as DR increases to “more than enough” it may come back into favour. However heli interiors are a challenge due to high contrast range if exterior is included.

The key is to position camera looking inward rather than outwood of course:)

In the meantime readout speed of cmos is reducing and narrowing the gap between global and rolling...


Mjb

[HeliboyDreamer]

Thanks everyone for the advice.
It seems amazing to me that one of the big companies like GoPro or Garmin don’t actually bring out a camera which reduces this problem.

I was looking at the GoPro Hero 6 and they claim that they have image statbiliser. I would assume that this would solve the problem you report?

[Dick Smith]

HeliboyDreamer, no, I don’t think so. I think stabilisation and the jelly effect rolling shutter problem are quite different.

Thanks everyone for the information. It is really helpful.

[PPRuNe Towers]

GO Pro 6- same lens and sensor combination as the 5. 100% software stabilisation.

Go Pro claim 5% of image area discounted to provide the stabilisation area but independent testers maintain 14% is lost to the system.

So, Zero lens or sensor stabilisation with Go Pro. Other brands offer anything up to 5 axis mechanical stabilisation.

Rob

[BigMike]

Look at the Sony 4k x3000.
Optical stabilisation. Kills the GP in image quality too. It can have the "jello" effect as well, but there is an optional in between damper mount available from Sony to mitigate this. Part number, AKA-MVA.
Plenty of comparisons on YouTube. 😉

[Phoinix]

Increase fps... 24 will have problem, 30 is way better, 60 is a dream.

[SnowFella]

Indeed, increasing the fps will allow you to up the "shutter speed" if following the 180 degree rule.
Video at 24fps "should" be shot at 1/50 sec, 30fps at 1/60 sec and 60fps at 1/120sec. Any faster or slower will cause it to look "funny"

Perhaps we are having some "crossed wires" here inregards to the description of the problem.
Jello effect to me would be due to vibrations caught when filming, at the shutter speeds usually used for video vibrations can cause every single frame to be soft.
Rolling shutter on the other hand would be those wildly curved rotor blades or vertical bits rendered as leaning to the side if panning a shot.

[krautland]

SnowFella is right about shooting at higher speeds. Many more advanced cameras also have high frame rates available. i.e. the high-end Canons can often do HD in 120fps and the Sony FS7 can even hit 180fps, which looks like a dream when played back at 24fps (extreme slow motion).

One solution is to rent a global shutter camera from a place like lensprotogo or lensrentals. That's of course not free but it beats having to purchase i.e. an Ursa Mini 4K, which is one of the more affordable cameras that would make you happy. Again I would recommend the Sony FS7 if you are willing to figure out how it works (takes a day or two).

Finally, you could make the most of your rolling shutter by setting your shots up carefully. Experiment with the direction of movement in front of the camera. Left to right will be most visibly distorted but what would lessen the effect?

[Bull at a Gate]

For all of us here that aren't really sure what a "jelly-like effect" is, how about posting a video? We might be able to help if we only knew what the problem was.

[army_av8r]

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This video describes rolling shutter very well, the jelly image is caused by this rolling shutter problem plus an unstable mounting location or high vibration. The result makes the whole scene appeaser to be made of

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[ralphos]

Racelogic had a true global shutter camera called Video VBOX HD, but it has been discontinued. You may try to find a second hand one...