Fast Shutter Speeds - What exactly is happening?

[dykesc]

Sorry if this post is a little off the norm, but the need to understand this is bugging the daylights out of me.

If I record video on my camcorder tape at 1/250 sec shutter speed, at 2 fields per frame (interlaced) it would seem to me that I am capturing a complete frame about every 1/120 sec. That is, in one second I've captured about 120 complete frames.

If that same 120 frames is captured and played back at the standard NTSC rate of 29.97 fps, it would take 4 seconds to play back the 120 frames. That would appear as very slow motion.

I'm certain it doesn't actually happen this way. Can someone explain how fast shutter speed recordings are handled? Are frames being skipped during the recording or capture process? If so how noticeable is it when played back?

Many thanks.

[lordsmurf]

It's still 29.97, just shorter bursts by the shutter (micro-gaps in time), so the video may be stilted a bit, but it will not be blurred this way.

[dykesc]

It's still 29.97, just shorter bursts by the shutter (micro-gaps in time), so the video may be stilted a bit, but it will not be blurred this way.

What do you mean by "stilted" Lordsmurf, and thanks for the reply.

[lordsmurf]

Jerky, robotic.

[dykesc]

Jerky, robotic.

Thank you sir. I think I've got it now. I'm capturing at a 30 fps rate regardless of shutter speed. The fast shutter speed just insures that fast moving objects are captured without blurring at the expense of potentially some perceived jerkiness (due to micro gaps in time) during playback.

That was a pretty obvious answer looking back on it. Thanks for clearing this up for me.