BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

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ChrisMV

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BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostWed Aug 28, 2013 3:14 am

Hi, I just tested my BMPCC and it seems to have 1 dead pixel and it has some specks of white "stuff" that randomly flash over the footage, it almost looks like film emulsion but we all know that is not the case...

I saw it when reviewing my footage on the computer but after I saw it the first time now I can see it even on the small BMPCC screen...

Do I have a bad sensor? Should I return this camera? Could someone from BMD please advise...

Screen-Shot-2013-08-27-at-11.07.jpg
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Screen-Shot-2013-08-27-at-11.08.jpg
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Christian Schmeer

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostWed Aug 28, 2013 3:32 am

Could you possibly post some footage of this?
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ChrisMV

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostWed Aug 28, 2013 3:34 am

Yes, what is a good way to upload this? It's around 650megs
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ChrisMV

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostWed Aug 28, 2013 4:18 am

Here is the video, straight from the camera

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4LxCPb ... NaTUE/edit
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Luke Armstrong

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostWed Aug 28, 2013 9:16 am

Those white hot pixels that look like neg dirt have often been seen on cameras with faulty sensors on the 2.5k. I would get in touch with BMD and see what they have to say.
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ChrisMV

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostWed Aug 28, 2013 3:45 pm

Thanks for your input, will contact them today.
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ChrisMV

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostWed Aug 28, 2013 5:43 pm

Could anyone tell me who to contact? Sen't a PM to "Christine Peterson" but still no answer...
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Felix Steinhardt

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostWed Aug 28, 2013 5:48 pm

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ChrisMV

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostWed Aug 28, 2013 5:54 pm

Thanks
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Frank Glencairn

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostWed Aug 28, 2013 6:58 pm

ChrisMV wrote:Could anyone tell me who to contact? Sen't a PM to "Christine Peterson" but still no answer...


Christine isn't working for BM anymore, that's why.
http://frankglencairn.wordpress.com/

I told you so :-)
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Christian Schmeer

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostWed Aug 28, 2013 7:10 pm

Luke Armstrong wrote:Those white hot pixels that look like neg dirt have often been seen on cameras with faulty sensors on the 2.5k. I would get in touch with BMD and see what they have to say.

I seem to have a similar thing happening on my BMCC. White dots that show up in just a single frame every now and then: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4269#p26328

"Faulty sensors"? :shock:
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ChrisMV

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostWed Aug 28, 2013 8:07 pm

Frank Glencairn wrote:
ChrisMV wrote:Could anyone tell me who to contact? Sen't a PM to "Christine Peterson" but still no answer...


Christine isn't working for BM anymore, that's why.


Oh.... Thanks for the info.... That would explain it.
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ChrisMV

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostWed Aug 28, 2013 8:09 pm

Christian Schmeer wrote:
Luke Armstrong wrote:Those white hot pixels that look like neg dirt have often been seen on cameras with faulty sensors on the 2.5k. I would get in touch with BMD and see what they have to say.

I seem to have a similar thing happening on my BMCC. White dots that show up in just a single frame every now and then: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4269#p26328

"Faulty sensors"? :shock:


Does it still happen on your BMCC? I have a BMCC EF and never noticed anything like this... :?

Both are using the same sensor right?
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Luke Armstrong

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostWed Aug 28, 2013 8:48 pm

Christian Schmeer wrote:
Luke Armstrong wrote:Those white hot pixels that look like neg dirt have often been seen on cameras with faulty sensors on the 2.5k. I would get in touch with BMD and see what they have to say.

I seem to have a similar thing happening on my BMCC. White dots that show up in just a single frame every now and then: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4269#p26328

"Faulty sensors"? :shock:


I had two cameras that had other faults - exaggerated sensor split (very visible even when correctly exposed) and also another that had strobey horizontal lines on the sensor having worked just fine for 2 months. Both of those cameras displayed the white hot stuck pixels which show on single frames only. I've also heard this previously mentioned by people with similar issues.

I'd not seen that thread till now - perhaps I was mistaken in thinking it was related to a faulty sensor and it is simply another quirk of the camera.
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Felix Steinhardt

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostWed Aug 28, 2013 8:56 pm

This single white dot that sometimes appears in a single frame seems to be normal. I´ve seen it in so many different clips. My camera does it, too, once in a while.

It´s not really a problem, is it? The first thing I thought was "Lol, that´s like a piece of dust an 35 mill film"

If it really is a problem for you just use the repair tool in photoshop to mask it out
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Nikolay Smirnov

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostWed Aug 28, 2013 8:58 pm

Felix Steinhardt wrote:This single white dot that sometimes appears in a single frame seems to be normal. I´ve seen it in so many different clips. My camera does it, too, once in a while.

It´s not really a problem, is it? The first thing I thought was "Lol, that´s like a piece of dust an 35 mill film"

If it really is a problem for you just use the repair tool in photoshop to mask it out

It happens to me at the EXTREME low light conditions. So I guess that's pretty normal.
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Christian Schmeer

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostWed Aug 28, 2013 11:18 pm

I have had it show up in RAW footage, but not in ProRes, or at least not that I can remember. I'll do some tests when I get back to London. I also still need to send off the camera for the flange distance adjustment.

If I remember correctly, someone once suggested it could be a firmware problem related to the camera's ability to remap pixels (hide stuck pixels). Maybe every once in a while it lets a few stuck pixels slip?

EDIT: Typo fix.
Last edited by Christian Schmeer on Thu Aug 29, 2013 7:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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ChrisMV

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostThu Aug 29, 2013 3:59 am

Will shoot some more stuff this weekend, I did shoot some random things today with the sun out and the random white spots seem to have vanished... Still have 1 "stuck, dead" pixel = (

Any fix for that?

Screen Shot 2013-08-29 at 12.03.48 AM.png
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Luke Armstrong

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostThu Aug 29, 2013 8:36 am

ChrisMV wrote: Still have 1 "stuck, dead" pixel = (

Any fix for that?


As I understand it, turning the camera on and off should fix it as it remaps when you turn it on. Try that a few times and see. That's not dead or it would be black I think, its more of a hot pixel. :)

Christian Schmeer wrote:If I remember correctly, someone once suggested it could be a firmware problem related to the camera's ability to remap pixels (hide stuck pixels). Maybe every once in a white it lets a few stuck pixels slip?


I don't think it's that, otherwise they'd be constant surely? Most people are reporting single frames.
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ChrisMV

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostFri Aug 30, 2013 5:18 am

Bought a new lens, testing tomorrow.

Have a RMA in place just in case...
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Corrupt Frame, Inc.

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostSat Aug 31, 2013 4:41 am

I've noticed this same thing in my BMPCC footage. The dots are pretty small and dim but peppered around there are quite a few, some brighter than others. They do not change with focus, or use of a different lens. And they are apparent in footage of complete darkness.

The spots also register and align perfectly between clips taken at different times with different lenses.

They are more noticeable at higher ISO. And they stick out quite a bit in darker shots if I use neat video with sharpening applied.

So I think I've pretty well determined that it's the sensor. But could it just be dust? They showed up in footage from a fresh out the box camera though. And after cleaning the sensor with compressed air nothing has changed.

I don't think the problem is not so bad that I would send my camera back over it. But what worries me is the potential that it could be a degenerative defect that could worsen?

Not sure if I should contact support about it or not.
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Corrupt Frame, Inc.

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Re: BMPCC, Faulty Sensor?

PostSat Aug 31, 2013 4:59 am

Dust & Scratches filter in After Effects cleans it right up.

Like I said before, I can live with it, but I hope it's not degenerative.

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