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View Full Version : lightning stills via video



Jack Faller
08-06-2011, 11:22 AM
One can get shots of lightning strikes using expensive gear such as a lightning trigger and /or setting long exposure times using neutral density filters
[ see for example Robert Franz, Roman Kurywczak, or Daniel Valovich posts & replies.]
This works ok for an expansive area, but I haven't had much luck waiting for lightening in a modest thunderstorm where I live.

I recently tried using the HD video mode on a a Canon 7D, aiming at the sky, and just waiting it out while recording from a tripod for 15 minutes. Grabbing one or two of the frames during the time of a lightning strike allows you to get some images, albeit only at about 1 MB worth of pixels. It seems like the best plan is set it for an underexposed image, but I have only had one chance to try it. Are there any recommendations for the best settings from anyone else who has tried this?

I used the frame grab feature in Premier Pro, but I suspect here are other ways of extracting frames in photoshop extended.
Canon 7D; EF24-105mm@24mm
this one is not spectacular, but just shows that it works over a limited area.

James Shadle
08-11-2011, 09:25 AM
Jack,
Thanks for the info.
I can't help with settings, but it does make one think about the possibilities.
James