Strange "goings on" in the F350 at DVinfo.net

Stewart Menelaws · February 1st, 2008, 01:29 PM

We have been doing various tests in our studio on a brand new F350 coupled with Fujinon X17 HD glass - and connected to a LMD 9050 monitor - then something very strange happened....

Having been filming one of the crew going through various tests for about 15 minutes, all of a sudden I was staring at a strange small white ball of very soft light on the monitor screen, (about 3cm in diameter on a 23" display) that had appeared in the lower right of the screen and slowly but surely made it's way with a few little loops up out of the top left of the screen.... I looked around (everyone wondered what was wrong) searching for whatever had crossed the camera lens.... nothing.... and no it was not a reflection of any kind, and yes it's there on playback. After trying to convince the studio manager that it was not a visitation from some long dead relative and mutterings about the studio being haunted, we set about trying to find out what was going on.

This happened while the camera was in slow shutter effect - 50fps - We later also saw tiny little orbs of very dim light appear and dart around then disappear - this was in HD25p 1/50. These two events lasted about 8 seconds in total on 2 hours of filming. When filming for an hour in DVCam format.... nothing happened.

Has anyone encountered anything like this before? we will run some more tests to see if it will happen again - looks like Silver Support is about to get another call on Monday.

We have the clip saved, but I'm not sure how you upload it to this site for folks to look at.

Regards: Stu
www.studioscotland.com

Paul Gale · February 1st, 2008, 01:37 PM

Blimey - send it to "Most Haunted" - they'll pay a fortune for "orb" footage! ;)

lol

Alister Chapman · February 1st, 2008, 04:02 PM

Sounds to be either real or optical too me. It's not the kind of behavior I would expect from an electronic fault.

Could it be dust reflecting light, a fly or bug crawling across the lens?

Stewart Menelaws · February 1st, 2008, 04:51 PM

Could it be dust reflecting light, a fly or bug crawling across the lens?

No!..... not a chance.... I've locked the camera away in a cupboard for the time being and it might not get out until Iv'e spoken with Silver Support :-)

Seriously though, I'll check the bug thing out... I have had tiny wee beasties get inside stills camera bodies when changing lenses, although this looked like a soft ball of white lightning dancing across the picture, it also has a translucent quality about it.

Regards: Stu
www.studioscotland.com

Mitchell Skurnik · February 3rd, 2008, 01:39 AM

Close incounters with the 350 kind

Greg Boston · February 3rd, 2008, 06:56 AM

Was in infrared remote being used during that time? If it reflected off os something, it might get recorded because as you know, cameras can see in the IR region.

You mention slow shutter, but how slow was it?

It would be cool (perhaps downright chilling) to see that clip.

=gb=

Stewart Menelaws · February 3rd, 2008, 09:38 AM

No Greg - Remote is off - I don't use it. Shutter was at 50fps

Okay... I went and unlocked the cupboard this morning and the camera is still sitting there in the same place I left it.... poked it a bit with a long stick and nothing happened.
Going to run a long test on it to see if I can get it to happen again, can't have this happening on a job.
If any one can tell me how to upload the short clip - will knock it down to an mpeg4 file then more than happy to upload it, if not I'll get the studio manager to put it up on our server on Monday.

However, if you don't hear from me again...... then they got me!!!!

Regards: Stu
www.studioscotland.com

Bob Hart · February 3rd, 2008, 04:00 PM

Might be a small bubble in the optical image stabilisation fluid prism making its way slowly to its permanent place of rest after the shipping and unpacking. That is of course if there is OIS in the camera. If not, then - ghostbusters??

You may not ever see the like of it again anless you store the camera in unusual positions.

Formally notify Sony though in case it becomes a feature of your life after the warranty runs out to establish it was a pre-existing fault.

Stewart Menelaws · February 4th, 2008, 04:03 AM

Spoke with Sony technical (Silver Support) this morning, they had another F350 camera sent into them two weeks ago, it's owner returned the camera with a clip of the same type of phenomenon as we had. Sony technical could not replicate the problem and have no idea what it could be. That particular owner has not reported any further issues.... at this time. We will try a long test today to see if we can get it to do this again, but it is reassuring to know that Sony told us that they will replace our camera right away.

Regard: Stu
www.studioscotland.com

Alister Chapman · February 6th, 2008, 02:20 PM

Spooky! Lets us know if the gremlins come back.

Mark Silva · February 6th, 2008, 05:37 PM

put it on you tube.

Andy Graham · February 8th, 2008, 02:21 PM

Hi folks, Stewart asked if i could post the clip of the strange orb for him so here goes.

http://www.box.net/shared/static/vf3j4lawwo.mp4

can't say iv ever seen anything like it myself, maybe you need an exorcist Stu!

Andy.

P.S just wondering, i take it Keith didn't see anything at the time?

Paul Gale · February 8th, 2008, 02:37 PM

Looks like it's hand drawn to me using a mouse or tablet! ;)

Mitchell Skurnik · February 8th, 2008, 02:46 PM

Looks like a piece of dust floating inside of the unit or something

Stewart Menelaws · February 9th, 2008, 05:22 AM

Thanks for uploading the clip Andy.... no Keith saw nothing floating around when it happened.

At first I thought it was dust, and as can be seen in the clip I walk in front of the lens for a moment, to see if I can figure out where it could have come from - It first caught my eye on the camera monitor, I then quickly looked over at the Sony LMD monitor and then looked at the scene being filmed - nothing. We tried to see if anything could have caused it, flakes, dust and other such things... nothing. Took the lens off and inspected as much as we could.... nothing. With Sony technical telling us that at least one other camera has shown the same phenomenon its all a bit strange. We have been using the camera a fair bit with no problems.....so far.

Regard: Stu
www.studioscotland.com

February 1st, 2008, 01:29 PM	#1
Stewart Menelaws Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Scotland (UK) Posts: 219	Strange "goings on" in the F350 We have been doing various tests in our studio on a brand new F350 coupled with Fujinon X17 HD glass - and connected to a LMD 9050 monitor - then something very strange happened.... Having been filming one of the crew going through various tests for about 15 minutes, all of a sudden I was staring at a strange small white ball of very soft light on the monitor screen, (about 3cm in diameter on a 23" display) that had appeared in the lower right of the screen and slowly but surely made it's way with a few little loops up out of the top left of the screen.... I looked around (everyone wondered what was wrong) searching for whatever had crossed the camera lens.... nothing.... and no it was not a reflection of any kind, and yes it's there on playback. After trying to convince the studio manager that it was not a visitation from some long dead relative and mutterings about the studio being haunted, we set about trying to find out what was going on. This happened while the camera was in slow shutter effect - 50fps - We later also saw tiny little orbs of very dim light appear and dart around then disappear - this was in HD25p 1/50. These two events lasted about 8 seconds in total on 2 hours of filming. When filming for an hour in DVCam format.... nothing happened. Has anyone encountered anything like this before? we will run some more tests to see if it will happen again - looks like Silver Support is about to get another call on Monday. We have the clip saved, but I'm not sure how you upload it to this site for folks to look at. Regards: Stu www.studioscotland.com

February 1st, 2008, 04:02 PM	#3
Alister Chapman Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bracknell, Berkshire, UK Posts: 4,957	Sounds to be either real or optical too me. It's not the kind of behavior I would expect from an electronic fault. Could it be dust reflecting light, a fly or bug crawling across the lens? __________________ Alister Chapman, Film-Maker/Stormchaser http://www.xdcam-user.com/alisters-blog/ My XDCAM site and blog. http://www.hurricane-rig.com

February 6th, 2008, 02:20 PM	#10
Alister Chapman Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bracknell, Berkshire, UK Posts: 4,957	Spooky! Lets us know if the gremlins come back. __________________ Alister Chapman, Film-Maker/Stormchaser http://www.xdcam-user.com/alisters-blog/ My XDCAM site and blog. http://www.hurricane-rig.com

February 8th, 2008, 02:21 PM	#12
Andy Graham Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Lanark,Scotland Posts: 736	Hi folks, Stewart asked if i could post the clip of the strange orb for him so here goes. http://www.box.net/shared/static/vf3j4lawwo.mp4 can't say iv ever seen anything like it myself, maybe you need an exorcist Stu! Andy. P.S just wondering, i take it Keith didn't see anything at the time? __________________ Actor: "where would that light be coming from?" DP: "same place as the music" -Andrew Lesnie- Last edited by Andy Graham; February 8th, 2008 at 03:16 PM.

February 1st, 2008, 01:37 PM	#2
Paul Gale Major Player Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Oxfordshire, UK Posts: 425	Blimey - send it to "Most Haunted" - they'll pay a fortune for "orb" footage! ;) lol

February 1st, 2008, 04:51 PM	#4
Stewart Menelaws Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Scotland (UK) Posts: 219	Could it be dust reflecting light, a fly or bug crawling across the lens? No!..... not a chance.... I've locked the camera away in a cupboard for the time being and it might not get out until Iv'e spoken with Silver Support :-) Seriously though, I'll check the bug thing out... I have had tiny wee beasties get inside stills camera bodies when changing lenses, although this looked like a soft ball of white lightning dancing across the picture, it also has a translucent quality about it. Regards: Stu www.studioscotland.com

February 3rd, 2008, 01:39 AM	#5
Mitchell Skurnik Major Player Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Rancho Santa Margarita, California Posts: 201	Close incounters with the 350 kind

February 3rd, 2008, 06:56 AM	#6
Greg Boston Wrangler Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: DFW area, TX Posts: 6,117 Images: 1	Was in infrared remote being used during that time? If it reflected off os something, it might get recorded because as you know, cameras can see in the IR region. You mention slow shutter, but how slow was it? It would be cool (perhaps downright chilling) to see that clip. =gb=

February 3rd, 2008, 09:38 AM	#7
Stewart Menelaws Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Scotland (UK) Posts: 219	No Greg - Remote is off - I don't use it. Shutter was at 50fps Okay... I went and unlocked the cupboard this morning and the camera is still sitting there in the same place I left it.... poked it a bit with a long stick and nothing happened. Going to run a long test on it to see if I can get it to happen again, can't have this happening on a job. If any one can tell me how to upload the short clip - will knock it down to an mpeg4 file then more than happy to upload it, if not I'll get the studio manager to put it up on our server on Monday. However, if you don't hear from me again...... then they got me!!!! Regards: Stu www.studioscotland.com

February 3rd, 2008, 04:00 PM	#8
Bob Hart Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: PERTH. W.A. AUSTRALIA. Posts: 4,476	Might be a small bubble in the optical image stabilisation fluid prism making its way slowly to its permanent place of rest after the shipping and unpacking. That is of course if there is OIS in the camera. If not, then - ghostbusters?? You may not ever see the like of it again anless you store the camera in unusual positions. Formally notify Sony though in case it becomes a feature of your life after the warranty runs out to establish it was a pre-existing fault.

February 4th, 2008, 04:03 AM	#9
Stewart Menelaws Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Scotland (UK) Posts: 219	Spoke with Sony technical (Silver Support) this morning, they had another F350 camera sent into them two weeks ago, it's owner returned the camera with a clip of the same type of phenomenon as we had. Sony technical could not replicate the problem and have no idea what it could be. That particular owner has not reported any further issues.... at this time. We will try a long test today to see if we can get it to do this again, but it is reassuring to know that Sony told us that they will replace our camera right away. Regard: Stu www.studioscotland.com

February 6th, 2008, 05:37 PM	#11
Mark Silva Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Pacific NW Posts: 431	put it on you tube.

February 8th, 2008, 02:37 PM	#13
Paul Gale Major Player Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Oxfordshire, UK Posts: 425	Looks like it's hand drawn to me using a mouse or tablet! ;)

February 8th, 2008, 02:46 PM	#14
Mitchell Skurnik Major Player Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Rancho Santa Margarita, California Posts: 201	Looks like a piece of dust floating inside of the unit or something

February 9th, 2008, 05:22 AM	#15
Stewart Menelaws Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Scotland (UK) Posts: 219	Thanks for uploading the clip Andy.... no Keith saw nothing floating around when it happened. At first I thought it was dust, and as can be seen in the clip I walk in front of the lens for a moment, to see if I can figure out where it could have come from - It first caught my eye on the camera monitor, I then quickly looked over at the Sony LMD monitor and then looked at the scene being filmed - nothing. We tried to see if anything could have caused it, flakes, dust and other such things... nothing. Took the lens off and inspected as much as we could.... nothing. With Sony technical telling us that at least one other camera has shown the same phenomenon its all a bit strange. We have been using the camera a fair bit with no problems.....so far. Regard: Stu www.studioscotland.com