SLOW MO

[John Sharaf]

Phil,

I go with the recommendation of the rental house; shutter off gives you the widest shutter possible, and therefore the most blurr 9and less jutter) at the frame rate you choose. For example if you use the maximum slo-mo speed of 60 fps, the shutter speed (in off position) will be 1/60th of a second. If you use the 180 degree shutter on it will be 1/12oth of a second and so forth.

For the shot you describe I’d say shoot several versions, as you will not be able to visualize the results on location unless you also rent a FRC or bring a FCP machine. They would be 36, 48 and 60 fps.

Be carefull of including strong vertical lines in your panning shots, perhaps favor a blocking the has your actress running towards the camera.

JS

[Phil Summers]

Thanks so much for your help! I will folow your advice but am a little concerned about the picture looking creamy and soft with out the shutter in, is this a problem?

[John Sharaf]

Phil,

I don’t think you’re following my logic; I’m saying “leave the shutter off”. This way you’ll have the most “blurred” frames as possible; which could alternately be described as “creamy and soft”, although I wouldn’t use these words to describe the effect of shutter speed, but rather the effect of detail, selective focus and filtration.

JS

[Phil Summers]

Thanks for your patience JS, so if I take the shutter out and keep the focus sharp the image will stay sharp but everything welse will be nice and soft, the vital fact for me is that the model stays sharp and retains detail. Sorry if I am being a bit slow with this, your help is much appreciated!

[John Sharaf]

Phil,

Sure, in addition stage the action with distant background, use as long a lens as possible (telephoto) and as open an iris as possible (F1.8-2.8) through the use of the internal filters (D4) and add’l ND and/or Pola filters as necessary.

JS

[Phil Summers]

Thanks again, all I want is to get the best possible image! So just to settle my jitters, the image will retain all of its detail and stay sharp with the shutter off? Yes? I want minimum strobeing effects, if I wanted to strobe I would put the shutter in? Yes? If you could answer those 2 questions that would be great! Thanks again for your patience,
Phil

[Leo Ticheli]

I hope Professor Sharaf will permit me to jump in…

If the subject is moving in the frame, shutter off produces more blur, therefore less sharpness. Using a shutter reduces the exposure duration and makes each image sharper, but more likely to strobe.

Shooting at 60 fps with the shutter off yields an exposure duration of 1/60 of a second, which should be plenty fast enough for sharpness of a girl running on the beach.

If you want to emulate the look of a film camera, which cannot operate with no shutter, try a shutter angle of 180

[Phil Summers]

Thanks Leo – I would love to shoot some tests but have had this job thrown on me for tommorrow!! Does the shutter at 180 degrees mean that there will be a lot of strobing? or is it fairly minimal? I am after the most filmic look – beautiful, SMOOTH pictures – my biggest fear is that any shutter will make the image judder – am I worrying unnecessarily?

[Leo Ticheli]

If you like the look of 60 fps slow motion shot on film, you’ll like the result using a 180

[Chris Bell]

It has been my experience that shooting with the shutter off produces too much motion blur. The effect is a dull looking image. I prefer at least 180 degree shutter at all times. The only time I use a longer shutter time is when I need more exposure.

My 2 cents… your mileage will vary…. test, test, test!

Chris Bell