If you’re a regular reader, you know that I am on-the-record with a deep belief that photography and filmmaking are not all about speeds and feeds or how big your megapixels are compared to mine. Nonetheless, I do have a healthy respect for the technical side of the craft — and for those who dive in deep.
Like the guy who made this video, for example.
This optical illusion is “purportedly” made possible by synching the camera shutter speed with the rotation of the helicopter’s blades, giving the latter the appearance of “staticity.” Some cry hoax. Others say it’s real. Those who believe it is real have engaged in lengthy debate about how it was achieved. The two sides’ arguments break down like this:
SS: “As the title of the video suggests, the filmmaker synched his shutter speed with the rotation of the helicopter blades to make it appear as it does.”
FR: “This is a matter of frame rate, not shutter speed. The frame rate has to be synched such that with each frame exposure the blades are in the exact same position.”
So here’s the quiz – what’s your take? Real or fake? Shutter speed or frame rate?
Absolutely real, this is plain physics and relies on the framerate. Of course the shutterspeed has to be fast to avoid blurry rotors, but the framerate does the trick 🙂
Frame rate does not matter. That’s a function of the video file not how it’s captured.
Shutter speed is how many times the shutter opens per second. That is totally possible to sync. Like the person earlier said. 200 rps can translate to 20.
What people don’t seem to get is that shutter angle effects exposure speed. Meaning a 90 degree shutter is twice as fast as a180. this effects motion blur. But motion blur is perceived differently in film and video anyway. Go watch an action movie frame by fame if you don’t believe me.
I’m going to have to with fake as true blades would have curve to them due to the CMOS’ progressive capture method. If it was recorded with an CCD then it might be plausible but how many people are using these cameras these days?
REAL.
The rear blades rotate faster in a helicopter, and they move “slowly” in this video.
Both sync are required to achieve this: Frame rate and shutter speed.
Cheers.
It’s basically a much fancier version of filmmakers having to watch their shutter speeds when filming cars driving. If the rate is wrong, the wheels/rims will appear to spin in reverse relative to the car.