AX53 moving from PAL to NTSC

[telelaci]

I got an FDR-AX53 camcorder. A type 50i for PAL, thats typed on the bottom. Is there any way to make it 60i NTSC ? Maybe with US firmware or something ? I use NTSC things and 30p would be very important, but I have only 25p or 50p.

Thanks.

[IamNic]

Hi @AlanatCBF,

the numbers are frame-rates - meaning how many video images the camera will record per second.

For countries with a 50Hz power frequency, you preferrably use 25 or 50 frames per second, since you won't be experiencing image flicker when filming under artificial AC-light.

- Nic

[AlanatCBF]

Thank you Nic,

Does this mean that my 60i camera should work in the UK but not so well under artificail light?

Are there any other drawbacks to buying a 60i camera in the USA (I was told by the retail outlet [Samy's Cameras in San Francisco] that it would work fine in the UK!!).

Alan

[telelaci]

Hi Nick,

I'm not so sure about that flashing reason. The old incandescent bulbs work with heat, a filament is heated up to white glowing, it can't stop doing that so quickly 50/60 times in a second, the heat has big inertia.

The newer LED lights work usually with DC, maybe PWM but not 50/60 Hz at all. You might be right, I donno, but I'm not sure.

Hi Alan,

Simply they are standards like NTSC (US) and PAL (Europe).

The 60i camera is NTSC and the 50i camera is PAL. All modern displays, TV's handles both standards, you won't notice any difference, you don't have to worry. But sometimes, some other devices in the video chain can't handle PAL/NTSC and vica-versa.

When you use a video device in the chain, or a software or a service, or anything , you always have to check whether it handles the video format what you used or it can't handle it. Meaning framerate(fps), comression codec, file format.

And in UK, you have almost 100% chance everything handles PAL standards (although UK also has stupid custom standards, but who doesn't) and in US everything handles NTSC standars.

In the latest years, in general every video devices handles every standards, that is quite common and usual. Or at least it's switchable, you have a menu and you switch between NTSC and PAL, ok fine.

But in case of this camera you can't switch, all is hard-coded and printed on the bottom 50i=PAL  60i=NTSC .

This is why I was upset, its like 15 years ago. Are we flying back in time or what?

But unless you have a specific reason to use a specific non-NTSC video mode, you won't have any problem with 60i camera. I've never seen a TV not handling NTSC signal. Maybe my grampa's TV.

What is 25 and 30 you asked. Those are the framerates, frames per seconds or fps. One makes 25 frames (still pictures) per second (PAL) other one makes 30 (NTSC). The quality is about the same because the video stream is 100Mbps, the 30 frames are a little more compressed (blocky) than the 25 frames. Most of people would choose 30fps rather than 25fps, and 60fps instead of 50fps, the higher framerate is a little more desirable.

I can't give any advice to Mac and PlayMemories sorry, I never used those things.

[IamNic]

Hi @AlanatCBF,

---

@AlanatCBF schrieb:

 Does this mean that my 60i camera should work in the UK 

---

yes, it will work.

---

@AlanatCBF schrieb:

but not so well under artificail light? 

---

 That depends on the type of light source you use. Incandescent bulbs and tube lights alternate their brightness when running of AC current. 

Here is a nice example of the effect you will see:

---

@AlanatCBF schrieb:

Are there any other drawbacks to buying a 60i camera in the USA (I was told by the retail outlet [Samy's Cameras in San Francisco] that it would work fine in the UK!!). 

---

Yes, there are drawbacks - if you have any issue with the camera, you won't get support in the UK.

You would need to travel back to the country you bought it (in this case the US) and send it to a repair from there.

- Nic

[darkframe]

Hi,

---

@telelaci schrieb:

I'm not so sure about that flashing reason. The old incandescent bulbs work with heat, a filament is heated up to white glowing, it can't stop doing that so quickly 50/60 times in a second, the heat has big inertia.

well, you're right and wrong at the same time.

Actually those old bulbs do go on and off several times each second. What I've read is that this flickering takes place a 100 times a second in a 50 Hz surrounding (can't explain why 100 times though). Whatsoever, you're right in saying that the filament can't completely stop glowing that fast and actually it says that luminosity decreases by 5 - 15% only in the "no-currency"-stages. This is however visible to any camera, causing the said flashing.

More information on this page: Avoid flickering lights

Cheers,

darkframe

[telelaci]

Hi Darkframe,

...can't explain why 100 times though..

Because the voltage crosses the x axis (0V) 100 times per second, 2 times in a period. Thats 50Hz sine curve.

And yes you are right, I've seen on the video Nic uploaded. Its flashing, undisputed.

Regards,

Laci

[telelaci]

Wow, and I watched your video :

More information on this page: Avoid flickering lights

, and it shows a very simple method to avoid flickering, very good idea, setting shutter speed or shutter angle.

Hopefully Alan also will watch it, he should know about that trick. Its perfect.

[darkframe]

Hi telelaci,

---

Because the voltage crosses the x axis (0V) 100 times per second, 2 times in a period. Thats 50Hz sine curve.

errm, feeling somehow stupid, all of a sudden... 

Yes, of course, I completely forgot about that when answering. Thanks!

Cheers,

darkframe

[derbian]

I am already past my warranty period for my AX53, and would love to use the OpenMemories tweak. However so far I have not succeeded, even in 24p mode and following the instructions on the tweak's page. If someone in here was able to get it working with an AX53, I would like to hear how you did it.