Upnorth Imagez Loc: Bemidji Minnesota

Greetings everyone. I attended a holiday light display this past weekend and shot a few images with my D90. I didn't think about it at the time but most lights have been changed over to LED's instead of the old tungsten type. What I saw with my eye did not match what the camera recorded. (suprise) At any rate I looked for info about LED flicker and wan't able to come up with much in terms of dealing with it inside a camera. As you can see in the image not all of the "NOEL" is visible. Any suggestions as to what shutter speed would have caught all lights on?

Not all lights lit.

gdwsr Loc: Northern California

Good question. LED effects are controlled by some sort of a control program that can vary all over the place. I think you are going to have to shoot at a shutter speed that you think will work, check it in preview and make adjustments until it is long enough to get the whole cycle. One of the problems will be if part of the display is on all the time and part is cycling the constant part will be more over exposed that the cycle part. In your image the two lights below the N will be much brighter when you go the SS right for the LEDs.

crazy4thread Loc: Minnesota

Is this Bentleyville? We are planning to go up there it will be good to hear the ideas.

2 Dog Don Loc: Virginia Beach VA

Here is a link to an article that talks to photographing LED lights hope it helps http://www.holidayleds.com/articles/how_photograph_led_christmas_lights

Al FR-153 Loc: Chicago Suburbs

Interesting question.... Especially considering that LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are a DC voltage device. DC (Direct Current) should not blink or pulse. However, LEDs being used for Christmas lights apparently have a transformer involved to convert the normal household AC type electricity over to DC or in reality, pulsating DC. That would mean that if there is a blink, it would be at 60 cycles per second (in the USA) or a multiple of that frequency.

This may explain some of the missing lights, they are not on the same transformer source (i.e. a different wall plug, different step-down transformer, etc.).

If my thinking is correct, you would want to divide that frequency to insure that you got all of the lights lite in the time frame of the photo (i.e. 1/30 sec, 1/15 sec) thereby allowing more than one transformer cycle and more opportunity to capture all of the lights on at any given time.

Now the disclaimer, I haven't shot any photos of AC powered LEDs, so I have not proven my theory on the timing.

One more smart a#$ comment..... If this was taken in Bemidji, the LEDs are still trying to warm up... :lol:

2 Dog Don Loc: Virginia Beach VA

One more idea might be to bracket at different shutter speeds 60cps would equal 1/60 so bracket at 1/120 1/60 and 1/30 this might work!

georgemc Loc: Mississippi, USA

I notice in the EXIF that your shutter speed was at 1/200.
You should be able to get what you're looking for with 1/60 or slower. (Of course with an adjustment to the f-stop.

Out of the Fog Loc: Eastern Edge of North America

When in doubt.....bracket, bracket, bracket.

Actually, I'm not sure if bracket is the right terminology. You want to keep the same exposure but vary your shutter speed. Keep it slow and rest the camera or use a tripod.

If you get a chance to reshoot, let us know how it worked out. Happy shooting.

Archy Loc: Lake Hamilton, Florida

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

2dogz

Just use a longer exposure time. Experiment with 1/60th and slower.

dooragdragon Loc: Alma , Arkansas

this past christmas was a neighborhood street that was litup with massive displays, tried to take photos but was so bright the almost all turned out blurry etc did get a few good photos but not near what i was expecting