Fluorescent Digital

[4knewave]

Just have some quick questions about fluorescents in a lighting set up for digital.

First off do prosumer cameras like the HVX and EX1 flicker with fluorescents? Or is it the same concept as if you have a crystal sync motor on the camera and the lights are at 60hz?

Doing a scene in a laundry room that is made up of fluorescents on the ceiling. Since they give me a nice source of natural light I figure I'd augment them with some bounced units and then white balance for the correct color. In doing so I have to gel my tungsten lights with plus green, right?

 

[David Mullen ASC]

Generally you shouldn't have flicker problems with normal 60 Hz lights unless there is a faulty, old ballast or tube (but often you can see that with your own eyes). Yes, the camera is effectively crystal-speed. Now technically at 23.98P, there is some slight flicker with 60 Hz fluorescents, but it's pretty minor for the most part.

Yes, you'd need to match the color of the lights you add to the fluorescents, but how much to add depends on the particular fluorescents. Cool Whites are around 4800K and green -- generally you have to add at least 1/2 CTB + 1/2 Plus Green to a tungsten lamp to match their look (it's more like 3/4 CTB, which is why HMI's are a closer match to Cool Whites than tungsten...) But the tubes may be Warm Whites instead, which are closer to tungsten in terms of color temp, but you'll still need the Plus Green gel.