Why Do LED Lights Flicker on Video?
Have you ever noticed flickering in smartphone videos when you take a photo of an LED light? Or the frustrating flickering effect in professional videos? This phenomenon, while common, is particularly troublesome for content creators, videographers, and anyone trying to shoot high-quality videos under LED lighting. This article comprehensively analyzes why LED lights flicker in video? And how to avoid why LED lights flicker in video.
Why Do LED Lights Flicker in Video?
LED lights flicker mainly due to current fluctuations or unstable driving power supply. Although these flickers are often difficult to detect with the naked eye. If your LED strip has this problems, pls read Why are My LED Strip Lights Flickering?
In some cases, however, when these fluctuations are captured with a camera, they appear as bands or lines on the screen. This is especially noticeable in videos recorded at higher frame rates (such as 60fps or 120fps). Some Several factors can contribute to LED flickering:
Current fluctuation
The working principle of LED lights is to drive semiconductor chips to emit light through current. So if the current of the power supply is unstable or fluctuates, the light output of the LED will also change. Then the LED lights will definitely flicker on Video.
Especially when the DC power supply is not stable, this fluctuation will be more obvious. Common fluctuations may come from quality problems of the power supply, or design defects of the driving power supply (LED driver) itself.
Instability of the driving power supply
LED lighting need to regulate the current through the driving power supply to stabilize their light output. First, the quality of the LED driver may not be able to maintain a stable current output, causing the LED lamp to flicker when working.
The other is the dimming method. Especially when multiple devices are connected to the same circuit. This will cause inconsistent power delivery to the LED lamp, resulting in flickering.
Frequency response issues
If the output frequency of the power supply is unstable or the frequency is too low when dimming, it will also cause flickering that is not noticeable to the eye.
In addition, the design of the driving power supply of some lamps may not fully comply with the standard power frequency, or in some dimming modes, the frequency response does not reach a stable level, causing the light to fluctuate in a short period of time.
Camera settings and sync issues
Incorrect camera settings, such as shutter speed and frame rate, can exacerbate flicker. Additionally, if the camera’s frame rate is not synchronized with the power frequency, it can cause noticeable flicker.
Dimming settings
When using a dimmer to adjust the brightness, if the dimmer control method is unstable (such as pulse width modulation PWM), it may also cause the LED lamp to flicker frequently, especially at low brightness settings.
Lamp design and components
The design, drive circuit and control technology quality of ED lamps will also directly affect the degree of flicker. High-quality LED lamps are usually equipped with more stable drive power supplies and advanced dimming technology to reduce flicker.
Powering LEDs with DC and AC Power
LED lights can be powered by either DC (Direct Current) or AC (Alternating Current) power, and the choice of power source significantly affects their flicker behavior:
- AC Power: LEDs powered by AC often flicker because the current alternates direction 50-60 times per second. Without proper smoothing or a high-quality driver, this fluctuation translates into noticeable flicker on camera.
- DC Power: LEDs powered by DC offer a steady light output, eliminating the rapid on-off cycling that causes flicker. High-end video and photography lighting often rely on DC power for this reason.
How Do I Stop an LED from Flickering on My Camera?
To minimize or eliminate LED lights flickers on video, consider the following strategies: more, pls check How to Fix Flickering LED Strip?
Adjust the camera settings
- Power frequency: Note that the power frequency varies in different regions. Usually, the power frequency in Europe, Asia and other regions is 50Hz, while in the United States it is 60Hz.
- Shutter speed setting: The shutter speed of the camera should be set to a multiple of the power frequency. Common settings are 1/50 second (50Hz) or 1/60 second (60Hz). This ensures that the power fluctuations captured by the camera are synchronized with the brightness fluctuations of the LED.
- Frame rate matching: You should also ensure that the frame rate of the camera matches the power frequency. For example, set it to 30fps or 60fps, which is compatible with a 60Hz power frequency. If the frame rate is too high or too low, it may cause flickering.
- Use a slower shutter speed: In low-light environments or when encountering obvious flickering, you can consider using a slower shutter speed (such as 1/30 second or 1/60 second).
Use Flicker-free LED Lighting
You need to choose high-quality, flicker-free LED lights. Because some high-quality LED lights have adopted high-frequency PWM (pulse width modulation) dimming technology, which can control the brightness of LED light sources at higher frequencies (such as above 20kHz).
So when choosing LED lights, give priority to products marked with “flicker-free” or “high-frequency PWM” technology. These lights will perform more stably at full brightness, dimming or low brightness, and can effectively avoid flickering in video recording.
Upgrade LED drivers
Low-quality drivers often fail to provide stable current when the load changes, resulting in periodic flickering. Therefore, upgrading to higher-quality drivers, especially those with more stable current output, overvoltage and overcurrent protection, and efficient heat dissipation, can greatly reduce the possibility of LED light flickering.
High-performance drivers can better control the current and avoid the impact of current fluctuations on LED lights, thereby achieving more stable light output.
Using DC power
AC vs. DC power: LED lights usually have two power sources – alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC). AC may cause LED lights to flicker due to frequency fluctuations, while DC current is stable and suitable for eliminating flicker.
Test before shooting
Before the actual shooting, use the camera to test the lighting environment to see if there is flicker. If flicker is found, you can optimize it by adjusting the shutter speed, power settings, driver, etc. until the flicker is effectively controlled.
To effectively avoid LED flicker in camera videos, the most important thing is to adjust the camera’s shutter speed to match the power frequency, use high-frequency PWM flicker-free LED lights, upgrade the driver, and consider using a stable DC power supply. Pre-shooting tests are also very important, and you can ensure that the lighting is stable by adjusting the settings in real time to achieve the ideal shooting effect.
Power Supply is a Direct Cause of LED Flicker
Power supply and driver play a key role in preventing LED flicker. You need to choose a high-quality LED power supply with sufficient power. High-quality power supply and driver can provide stable and consistent power to LED lights, thus reducing the possibility of flicker.
In addition, some power supplies and drivers have built-in features to minimize flicker, such as high-frequency switching and active power factor correction.
Conclusion
LED lights flicker on video is a common but preventable problem caused by frequency mismatch, poor quality components and camera settings. So you need to understand the factors behind the flickering to help you take proactive measures to solve this problem. Essenled is a LED strip lights and neon strip supplier. If you have any questions, you can contact us.
