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s100 Video Issues

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Thronsen

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Hi all-

I recently started using the s100. I am getting some pretty severe exposure 'flickering' while taking videos. It will get lighter then darker then lighter then darker all in the space of a second during the video, even when the scene is pretty stable.

Separately, there are also what appear to be bands of slightly different exposure that roll up the screen.

Is this normal? Or should I return it for a new one.

Thanks,
 
Sounds pretty strange maybe the battery is low? Try resetting the camera back to default setting. The one I have does really nice HD video so I know it's possible. Play around with it for a while but yeah if you can't get it working right send it back. Good luck with it.
 
Are you shooting in artificial light? Artifical lights may flicker due to AC cycling, and if the shutter speed lines up with this flicker in the wrong way you can get this problem.
 
Thanks for all the helpful replies.

I pretty much suspected that the banding was due to a combination of artificial lights and the shutter speed, I guess I just had never seen it so bad before. No trace of it on the S95 for example.

The flickering exposure though happens everywhere, whether natural light or artificial. Even when the scene really isnt changing the camera will spend about 1 second in 10 rapidly flicking through different exposure levels.

If Im not wrong, that doesnt sound like the experience others are getting and may be worth a return.

Thanks,
 
Bump, just to see if anyone else has experienced this, whether its a flaw or if there is a workaround.

Im talking about the rapidly flickering exposure level while taking videos, not the banding caused by artificial lights.

Given the short supply of this camera, Im not confident of getting another one soon, so would really like to know if the exposure flickering is a fault or not.

Thanks,
 
I don't know if this is a defect or not, but wanted to let you know that I experienced the same effect in one video I shot. So far I only noticed it in the one, but it was dramatic.

Movie was shot outdoors in good light and got very quick pulses of light. It happened while I was zooming so maybe that had something to do with it?
 
Getting the same problem here fairly consistently. It seems to happen if it detects the scene brightening or darkening slightly, but can't quite decide whether to change the exposure setting or not, so it just flicks back and forth about a stop.
 
OP thanks for opening this thread, I’ve seen the same problem… However I couldn’t test the camera in the natural light…

On the weekend I was testing S100 among XZ-1, LX-5, J1 and I've noticed VERY heavy flickering on S100 as well. As you guys said it was probably due to artificial lightning and shutter speed not syncing with the light.

I haven’t seen this on XZ-1, however after seeing its AF hunting after 20 seconds I gave up on this otherwise great camera. LX-5 produced very heavy blue streak lines (due to CCD sensor). S100 was flickering like crazy.
The best of the bunch was Nikon J1, its 1080 @ 60P really gave me a WOW factor…

I’m planning on going to the same store to test LX5, S95 and S100 again… Pictures and videos… I’m still undecided… :-(
 
I don't know about your particular camera, but I am getting exceptional video from the s100 in all indoor and outdoor lighting situations. I have sold my 1080p camcorder - 'nuff said.
 
Jay I'm not trying to trash S100, all I'm saying is at the store I was testing the camera, the lights they've used were not CCD friendly, causing all kinds of problems. Thus I was able to reproduce OP's problem. Testing the S100 in the regular light or outdoor might not cause this flickering. LX5 was showing very bad purple/blue stricking lines... I'm planning on going to the store to test LX5, S95 and S100 indoor and outdoor (if the owner allows me to do so). I'm looking into one device solution. (video/photos). Any modern camera I've tested video (other than Oly XZ-1... grrrrr) blows out my F30 (640x480) and Sony miniDV cameras...
Jay_B said:
I don't know about your particular camera, but I am getting exceptional video from the s100 in all indoor and outdoor lighting situations. I have sold my 1080p camcorder - 'nuff said.
Click to expand...
 
I have also run into this problem... but since the camera has just arrived, it is hard to say if it is chronic. It was a difficult lighting situation, with flourescent lights and natural light mixed... But still: quite disturbing to see others reporting this, on a 450 euro point-and-shoot that everyone seems to love.
 
amd11,

1st - the s100 is a new Canon-developed CMOS, not CCD.

2nd - what I'm trying to say is that the camera will shoot excellent Full HD video in many situations where light is way below par. There may be some other issue that you encountered....

Just trying to help others benefit from my experience with the s100.
 
Jay,

I'm Sorry for not being clear, I'm aware s100 uses new CMOS. I'm thinking about getting one myself too. I have only 3 weeks of experience with S95 and 1 hour with S100 (bad indoor lights). It is quiet possible something else caused flickering or maybe it looks like it is flickering. I'll try to redo test at another store.

I just hope s100 produces as good pictures as s95... The reason why I returned s95 was lack of AF and zoom, otherwise I like what I saw. I hope extra $150 over s95 will be worth it.

Cheers,
Martin
Jay_B said:
amd11,

1st - the s100 is a new Canon-developed CMOS, not CCD.

2nd - what I'm trying to say is that the camera will shoot excellent Full HD video in many situations where light is way below par. There may be some other issue that you encountered....

Just trying to help others benefit from my experience with the s100.
Click to expand...
 
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