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Chronos User Discussion / Re: Something rattling around in my Chronos...
« on: October 31, 2017, 02:12:05 AM »
No worries, no harm done!
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77
Chronos User Discussion / Re: Let's talk lighting
« on: October 31, 2017, 02:11:44 AM »I got screwed by Amazon. Bought a bunch of the 48 watt automotive LEDs. They claim 48 watts, they actually use only 8 watts.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M7TG8ID/ref=od_aui_detailpages01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Getting ready to return these units. Might have to go with a build-it-yourself approach.
To be fair to them, they don't claim they consume 48W in power, they say they are 48W LED output power.
All those LED spots of different types use '3W' LEDs in various arrays, so on that lamp they are using 16 x 3W = 48W.
I have four of those same spots and they're not to bad really, probably fairly close to the claimed LED output power, but they don't compare to the 100W Stratus.
78
Chronos User Discussion / Re: Let's talk lighting
« on: October 30, 2017, 03:34:28 AM »
I'm still waiting for my 24V PSUs to arrive for the 4 I've got. Planning to use them this Wednesday for the first time, so they better turn up tomorrow!
I might actually be able to stop the lens down a few stops!
I might actually be able to stop the lens down a few stops!
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Chronos User Discussion / Re: Let's talk lighting
« on: October 27, 2017, 01:39:53 AM »Anyone have good recommendations from Amazon in the Sub 200$ range? I have tried a few and no luck. The Stratus I got went out after maybe 4 uses so I am hesitant to use them. Anyone used halogen lights or something of that nature?
How were you powering it? Have you contacted Stratus about it?
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Chronos User Discussion / Something rattling around in my Chronos...
« on: October 26, 2017, 09:38:09 AM »
I noticed this today, so took the back off to find out what was loose in case something shorts out inside when it's on.
One of the small screws holding the sensor board onto the case had fallen out so I screwed it back in. The other one was slightly loose, so maybe they weren't fully tightened during assembly. I'm only mentioning it in case it helps with your QA.
I have to say now I've seen inside, the manufacturing quality and attention to detail is outstanding. As good as anything I've seen in electronics and I've seen a fair amount.
Thanks for a great product. Now, where's that firmware update!?
One of the small screws holding the sensor board onto the case had fallen out so I screwed it back in. The other one was slightly loose, so maybe they weren't fully tightened during assembly. I'm only mentioning it in case it helps with your QA.
I have to say now I've seen inside, the manufacturing quality and attention to detail is outstanding. As good as anything I've seen in electronics and I've seen a fair amount.
Thanks for a great product. Now, where's that firmware update!?
81
Chronos User Discussion / Re: Let's talk lighting
« on: October 17, 2017, 11:09:24 AM »
4 of the Stratus lights have just arrived.
Still waiting for the 24V PSUs to get here (cheapest I could find was £48 each but hey ho), but I've tried them out on a bench PSU which maxes out at 17V, and they're looking very usable.
Different colour temperature to the other LED spotlights I've been using, but that shouldn't notice too much. It's often difficult to get LED lights from different manufacturers to match exactly.
I'm going to make a cover for them to protect the PCB better. Should be trying them with the Chronos next week sometime.
Still waiting for the 24V PSUs to get here (cheapest I could find was £48 each but hey ho), but I've tried them out on a bench PSU which maxes out at 17V, and they're looking very usable.
Different colour temperature to the other LED spotlights I've been using, but that shouldn't notice too much. It's often difficult to get LED lights from different manufacturers to match exactly.
I'm going to make a cover for them to protect the PCB better. Should be trying them with the Chronos next week sometime.
82
Chronos User Discussion / Re: Shooting Actionsports with the chronos 1.4
« on: October 17, 2017, 09:38:06 AM »
Great footage, but would benefit a lot from some correction in post.
I'm sure you'll know this but for the sake of anyone reading who doesn't, here's a before and after frame grab:
I'm sure you'll know this but for the sake of anyone reading who doesn't, here's a before and after frame grab:
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Chronos User Discussion / Re: Focusing Troubles
« on: October 05, 2017, 06:39:53 AM »
Difficult to say with that subject matter. You other videos look OK apart from the red colour cast.
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Chronos User Discussion / Re: Focusing Troubles
« on: October 04, 2017, 03:56:34 AM »
Can you post a video here? I think it's likely you're just seeing some image softness as jefish says.
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Chronos User Discussion / Re: Video Clarity?
« on: September 30, 2017, 04:47:31 AM »
Lighting is definitely half the battle, which is why a histogram function would be very useful.
Back in the days of 16mm film, there were some remarkably good results to be had if you had the right combination of film stock, lens and lighting.
Top end C-mount lenses are hard to come by now and as has been said, if we're going to use what are essentially CCTV lenses wide open with not enough light, the results are not going to be great.
The #1 priority should be to get more light so at least you can stop down whatever lens you have.
If you have some SLR lenses then buy an adapter and try them, but they will also inevitably give you soft results if you don't have enough light to get them into the sweet zone.
There is quite a lot you can do to the video once you have it in an editor. Even basic editing software has color correction functionality these days.
Here'a a comparison of some original Chronos footage at 800x480 (top) which has then been color corrected and sharpened in Edius:
https://youtu.be/trwI64Uiwgs
There could also be more quality to be gained by playing around with the re-encoding and interpolation methods when converting the native resolution Chronos files to whatever final resolution you want to play it at.
Back in the days of 16mm film, there were some remarkably good results to be had if you had the right combination of film stock, lens and lighting.
Top end C-mount lenses are hard to come by now and as has been said, if we're going to use what are essentially CCTV lenses wide open with not enough light, the results are not going to be great.
The #1 priority should be to get more light so at least you can stop down whatever lens you have.
If you have some SLR lenses then buy an adapter and try them, but they will also inevitably give you soft results if you don't have enough light to get them into the sweet zone.
There is quite a lot you can do to the video once you have it in an editor. Even basic editing software has color correction functionality these days.
Here'a a comparison of some original Chronos footage at 800x480 (top) which has then been color corrected and sharpened in Edius:
https://youtu.be/trwI64Uiwgs
There could also be more quality to be gained by playing around with the re-encoding and interpolation methods when converting the native resolution Chronos files to whatever final resolution you want to play it at.
86
Chronos User Discussion / Re: Let's talk lighting
« on: September 30, 2017, 03:36:21 AM »and I quite like the modular approach.
If you mean the ability to light from multiple angles, I agree: that's been fun to play with. Maybe one Godox as the primary, plus the two Stratus.
Also the flexibility to bolt several modules together to make larger lighting units which mount on a single lighting stand.
One of the problems when you have multiple lights all up close to the subject is fitting all the lighting stands into a small area!
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Chronos User Discussion / Re: Let's talk lighting
« on: September 29, 2017, 10:08:01 AM »
Those Godox lights are good value, but each Stratus module + reflector + PSU is costing me £110 including shipping to the UK, so you get more lumens for your money and I quite like the modular approach.
If I bolt 4 x Stratus modules together into one fitting, that's going to give me 56,000 lumens. 3 of those fittings is going to put out a lot of light for under £1500 all in.
If I bolt 4 x Stratus modules together into one fitting, that's going to give me 56,000 lumens. 3 of those fittings is going to put out a lot of light for under £1500 all in.
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Chronos User Discussion / Re: Can't Play Files
« on: September 27, 2017, 11:00:01 AM »
I have had a few occasions where I've properly set the mark in and mark out point for a clip, then gone on to save a few more clips. Then I've used the eject SD card utility in the camera and put the SD card in a PC to copy off the files, but found that one of the clips has a filesize of 1KB and won't play. It's not always the last clip to be saved, so I don't think it has anything to do with not powering off before removing the SD card.
As I've only been running tests so far, it's no big deal but it would be useful to know if a clip has saved successfully on the card or not before flushing the buffer.
Could we have an on-screen message immediately after saving telling us the name, filesize and duration (at saved frame rate) of the file saved?
As I've only been running tests so far, it's no big deal but it would be useful to know if a clip has saved successfully on the card or not before flushing the buffer.
Could we have an on-screen message immediately after saving telling us the name, filesize and duration (at saved frame rate) of the file saved?
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Chronos User Discussion / Re: Let's talk lighting
« on: September 27, 2017, 10:50:26 AM »
Stratus LEDs are amazing. Give them money.
I have! I've got 4 coming and 4 x 24V 200W PSUs. That should be enough light to get me going I hope!
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Chronos User Discussion / Re: Let's talk lighting
« on: September 27, 2017, 06:23:58 AM »Took my two Stratus LEDs, removed their controller boards and replaced them with a couple boost converters:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019SYX7BM
Because, ya know, what's the worst that can happen?
With the Stratus boards:
Requires 24-28v @ 6-7A+ (for what??)
The lamp gets fed 27v
The fan gets 6v
With the new boards:
Requires 12v @ 2A (much easier to find)
The lamp still gets 27v, pulls 0.8-1A
The fan gets 12v (runs faster, lamp stays cooler)
With two of these lights placed 1m from the subject, I set the Chronos frame rate to 8,000fps, the shutter to 50%, and still had to stop the f1.8 lens down about halfway.
More trials to come, but after running for 30 mins, the heatsinks are cool to the touch, no flicker, and no change in amp draw.
I've just ordered some of these Stratus lights. For the money, nothing else seems to come close to the output once you add the parabolic reflectors.
I can get 200W 24V power supplies so I think I'll use those rather then mess around replacing the controller boards, as it will still give me the option of running off 6S LIPO batteries if I need to in the future.
Interested in hearing whether you have any long term issues they way you've done it.