Real Time Aurora video shot with PMW-F3

You have to watch this. It is REAL TIME footage of the Northern Lights. Not the usual time-lapse that I have shot lots of in the past, but real time, as it happened footage. The motion you see in the Aurora is real, this is what I saw watching it. I was able to get this because the F3 with S-Log at +18db gain is 6400 ISO. That combined with a 2 frame slow shutter made it possible to shoot the Solar Storm of the 24th of January in real time. The current on-line clip is quite low quality. I’ll get a higher quality version online when I get home. The camera footage does not have the banding issues that the online versions have (caused by H264).

Also available to view on Vimeo.

460x150_xdcam_150dpi Real Time Aurora video shot with PMW-F3

17 thoughts on “Real Time Aurora video shot with PMW-F3”

  1. That is amazing! It’s incredible what you and that camera do. No noise AND colder than the camera is specced for – although I guess one good thing about the cold is less noise 😉

    The uncompressed version must be beyond stunning.

    1. Yes it is a shame that I cannot post the original file. I will post a full 1920×1080 version once I am home on 2nd feb.

  2. First this is fantastic video. I am an astronomer and educator. We just talked about aurorae last week in class and this is getting shown to my students on my very next class. I’m also interested in the music. What is title of the song and the artist that you used with your video? Thanks for sharing!

  3. Alister, Thank you for sharing this beautiful recording free of charge. It’s a small piece of the magic show going on around, and in us all, and without your talent and generosity, I would have missed it. A heartfelt, very big Thank you man. Roger

    1. YouTube Germany has different rules regarding what can be viewed compared to other countries, although I don’t know why this should be blocked as all the rights are cleared. Try the vimeo version:

  4. Thanks so much for this video– I’ve had friends ask whether my aurora photos “really look like that”– now I can point them to a realtime recording!

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