How to record lightning?

Atomazul 9 Jun 2011 00:05
I was hoping someone could kindly give me some tips on getting a decent video of lighting. I've been experimenting and can't seem to get it right. I don't exactly know how to explain what I mean, so I included what I've gotten so far on youtube. It's like the frames are too slow to capture a clean strike, and I get bands of black and light that look like my video is all screwed up. Do I need specialized equipment?

http://youtu.be/eZr1TBxU5uw

I have a Canon 60D with a 18-200mm lens
I used various settings, all with similar results.
720p/60 fps
125 and 160 exposures
3.5 and 4 f stops.
640,800,1000 iso

Thanks for any insight
gravytime 10 Jun 2011 03:18
It is almost impossible to capture lightning using a progressive scan chip (such as canon HDSLRS) You will have to get an interlaced camera, or keep the lightning fairly small on the screen (way in the distance). If a bright flash lights up significant portions of the sky then almost all bets are off with a progressive CMOS chip. This will explain it better:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_shutter
gravytime 10 Jun 2011 13:14
Unfortunately, no, the problem is the exposure time of video versus the length and intensity of the event (lightning flash). Lightning hits quick, and if the chip is halfway thru its progressive scan of the frame when a flash hits, then the top part of the frame will be normal, but the bottom half will be bright. It is a real problem.
vadervideo 10 Jun 2011 15:36
I have been shooting lightning for several years now. Short of getting s super high speed camera, there is really only one way. I have shot with 3CCD, 3CMOS, and of course our favorite HDSLR's - they all do a lousy job unless you get lucky once in a while. The 3CCD was the best when it came to lucky timing. The best way I have found is use an intervalometer and do a sequence of stills. Yes, it takes time. Yes, you have to hope you are aiming in the right place. Yes, and yes and more yes to all the questions you are thinking. But the payoff is great as you get both stills and video potential. Something along the lines of this:
Monsoon storm front wakes up at dusk timelapse - 2 into dusk HD-videomateriaallightning flashes over the city by night - 5 HD-videomateriaalHD ultra slow motion desert mountain daytime lightning strikes 6 HD-videomateriaalSuper sheet lightning purple haze Videomateriaalwide shot lightning storm vacuum monsoon weather powerful strikes time lapse HD-videomateriaalNight flashes montage - lightning vfx HD-videomateriaalHD 30p tight - v2-2 Lightning storm over Monument Valley, AZ HD-videomateriaalHD 30p Driving into the Haboob full on time lapse - eerie and dark HD-videomateriaalHD 24p night monsoon storm flashes behind city time lapse seq 1 HD-videomateriaalsuper slomo crawler lightning crosses clouds with saguaro and water drops HD-videomateriaalHD tight v2 mountain lightning storm intense time lapse bolts strikes monsoon HD-videomateriaalPowerful crispy lightning bolts over city - 1 pan left HD-videomateriaalsuper slo mo wide spread lightning crawler and strike  HD-videomateriaalPowerful lighting storm approaches - progressive HD-videomateriaallightning storm cell under the moon time lapse tight HD-videomateriaalsuper slomo sheet lightning flashes and branches 11 HD-videomateriaalRainbow through car windshield in the rain HD-videomateriaalSubtle lightning flashes during sunset over Tucson -1 HD-videomateriaalextreme weather super slo mo extreme day lightning strikes behind palm 3 HD-videomateriaalextreme weather palm tree silhouette gets lit by lightning slo mo 3 HD-videomateriaalFireworks & Lightning (7 of 9) HD-videomateriaalSuper slomo dramatic daytime monssoon lightning strike 1 HD-videomateriaalHD Vertical 30p - Thunderhead mushroom cloud look of lightning HD-videomateriaalextreme weather slo mo crawler sheet lighting 14 HD-videomateriaalextreme weather sunset storm starts thunderhead lightning into night time lapse HD-videomateriaalTraffic heading into storm at dusk Videomateriaallightning storm cell under the moon time lapse medium HD-videomateriaal2K Video 30p - Night time traffic at intersection subtle lightning Web FootageLightnng with severe thunder 3 Videomateriaal2K 30p Storm arriving at dusk with powerful lightning and rain 4 Web FootageVertical HD - lightning flashes over the city by night still sequence zoomed out HD-videomateriaalRain sounds pan right into thunderbolt Videomateriaal4K Video 30p Subtle magenta colored lightning strikes in the distance 4k or 4k+ Resolution4K UHD natural lightning cloud storm motion background 30s - 1 4k or 4k+ Resolution4K 30p - time lapse of a powerful and bright lightning storm Arizona - part 1 4k or 4k+ ResolutionFireworks & Lightning (9 of 9) HD-videomateriaalNight power lightning cluster #2 Videomateriaal4K UHD night monsoon storm flashes behind city time lapse seq 1 4k or 4k+ ResolutionLightning strike series - 12 HD-videomateriaal4K 24p film wide Intense Lightning Storm Time Lapse Tucson West SIde 4k or 4k+ Resolution4K 24p Dramatic sunset colored sky day to night powerful lightning time lapse 4k or 4k+ ResolutionTraffic coming out of storm at night Videomateriaal4K UHD night monsoon storm flashes behind city time lapse multi cut 4k or 4k+ ResolutionPowerful lighting storm approaches -progressive HD-videomateriaalsuper slo mo powerful sunset lightning strike 1 HD-videomateriaalCluster 2 of thunderbolts HD-videomateriaalSuper lightning monsoon storm in time lapse -  part 3 HD-videomateriaalPower lines with lightning - daytime Videomateriaal2K 30p tight - v2-2 Lightning storm over Monument Valley, AZ Web FootageSlomo cloud sheet lightning bursts and flashes - 12 HD-videomateriaalHD 30p Subtle magenta colored lightning strikes in the distance HD-videomateriaalHD Vertical - Mountain silhouettes show as lightning strikes - 1 HD-videomateriaalVertical - monsoon storm 2010 Tucson AZ - 1 - buildup over city HD-videomateriaalHD 30p - Night time traffic at intersection subtle lightning HD-videomateriaal4K 30p Storm arriving at dusk with powerful lightning and rain 2 4k or 4k+ ResolutionHD Vertical format Hi power storm passes through with intense lightning HD-videomateriaal4K UHD extreme intense lightning storm w snd 4k or 4k+ ResolutionVertical - monsoon storm 2010 Tucson AZ - 6 - the lightning show begins HD-videomateriaalHD 24p large thunderhead flashes behind palm tree tight time lapse HD-videomateriaalLightning strikes from a driver's POV - slo mo and normal speed - 4 HD-videomateriaalHD close 30p - Extreme monsoon lightning storm at night HD-videomateriaalHD Night storm sublte lightning on the horizon HD-videomateriaalVertical - monsoon storm 2010 Tucson AZ - 3 -gigantic rainbow builds up at dusk HD-videomateriaalsuper slomo sheet lightning cloud jumper HD-videomateriaalHD close up  Hi power storm passes through with intense lightning part 2 HD-videomateriaalHD 24p large thunderhead flashes behind palm tree wide time lapse HD-videomateriaaldark street nightdriving in the rain -loop VideomateriaalSheet lightning in blue while driving Videomateriaalsuper slomo sheet lightning flashes and branches 9 HD-videomateriaalHD 30p close- Night time traffic at intersection subtle lightning HD-videomateriaalextreme weather super slo mo microburst lightning strikes 1 HD-videomateriaalsuper slomo sheet lightning flashes and branches 7 HD-videomateriaalextreme weather dramatic microburst-storm-time lapse tight 2 HD-videomateriaalHD 30p - Lighting storm with silhouettes of palms and more HD-videomateriaal2K Film 24p - lightning flashes over the city by night still sequence zoomed in Web FootageHD 30p wide Intense Lightning Storm Time Lapse Tucson West SIde HD-videomateriaal4K Video 30p - lightning flashes over the city by night stills sequence 4k or 4k+ Resolution4K UHD dramatic sunset lightning storm powerful close strike time lapse 4k or 4k+ Resolution4K 30p wide Extreme and dynamic lightning storm 4k or 4k+ ResolutionSlomo cloud sheet lightning bursts and flashes - 4 HD-videomateriaal4K Video 30p - Super lightning storm 2010 series 1 4k or 4k+ Resolution4K Cine night monsoon storm flashes behind city time lapse seq 2 4k or 4k+ ResolutionHD 30p Traffic in the desert with lightning storm backdrop time lapse p1 HD-videomateriaalLightning strikes from a driver's POV - slo mo and normal speed - 5 HD-videomateriaalHD ultra slow mo lighting crawler left to right night time HD-videomateriaalintense lightning storm fish eye lens time lapse 3 HD-videomateriaalextreme weather slo mo crawler sheet lighting 12 extreme HD-videomateriaalSheet lightning while driving at night VideomateriaalHD 30p A powerful storm with lightning and flashes as it approaches time lapse HD-videomateriaal4K UHD Dry lightning storm in the clouds with up strikes time lapse slower 4k or 4k+ ResolutionHD 24p ti Dramatic sunset colored sky day to night powerful lightning time lapse HD-videomateriaalHD 30p 2 Late night lightning storm monsoon flashes with traffic in time lapse HD-videomateriaalSunset with storm with thunderhead building VideomateriaalSlomo cloud sheet lightning bursts and flashes - 11 HD-videomateriaal4K 30p Storm arriving at dusk with powerful lightning and rain 1 4k or 4k+ ResolutionHD 24p evening monsoon storm passing over mountains in AZ time lapse 4k or 4k+ ResolutionHD ultra slow motion desert mountain daytime lightning strikes HD-videomateriaalday to night sunset storm cell time lapse wide HD-videomateriaalHD 30p close Subtle magenta colored lightning strikes in the distance HD-videomateriaaldriving out of a building storm at dusk Videomateriaal
Atomazul 10 Jun 2011 15:41
Thank you for the insight. I wish it was just a settings issue and not a camera issue, but what you're saying and the link you provided make perfect sense. Oh well.
Atomazul 10 Jun 2011 15:48
Thanks vader, I wanted to get an intervalometer anyways, so that gives me another usage option to justify it. This also explains why the majority of lightning videos here seem to be animations or time-lapses.
zygistudio 10 Jun 2011 16:14
And one important thing vadervideo forgotten to mention: you must live in the place where you can see the lighting strikes often :) In Finland where I live there are only few days with few strikes / year. According to the weather forecasting the next strike will be on Wednesday next week.
Zygis
vadervideo 14 Jun 2011 03:57
They don't make high speed 2K and 4K cams yet.. but there are some nice HD ones for about 100K - Go look at http://www.visionresearch.com/ Phantoms -