Why does an LED display look incomplete or uneven in a phone photo?
Asked 6/21/2013
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2 answers
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I photographed an LED numeric display with an iPhone, and the display looked solid to my eyes but appeared incomplete or uneven in the photo. What causes this, and is it related to the display refresh/flicker interacting with the camera shutter speed?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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Almost certainly those LEDs are flickering. There are valid reasons why LED displays are designed so that only some of the LEDs are on at any one time, but I won't go into the electronics here. Apparently your shutter speed was faster then the total LED refresh interval, so the camera only caught some of the LEDs on.
Use a slower shutter speed, like 1/50 second, and you will probably see the LEDs as intended in the picture. Some may still seem brighter than others due to having been at the right time within the refresh cycles. You need about 1/4 second or slower so that there are enough refresh cycles in the exposure that plus or minus 1 won't make any difference.
Originally by user7603. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user7603
13y ago
0
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Yes. The most likely cause is the LED display refreshing or flickering faster than you can notice with your eyes, while the camera captures only part of that cycle during the exposure. Many LED displays are driven so only some segments are lit at any instant, and your phone caught the display mid-refresh, making digits look incomplete or uneven.
This is mainly a shutter-speed/exposure timing issue rather than a fault with the display. A longer exposure usually helps because it averages multiple refresh cycles together. Try using a slower shutter speed if your camera app allows it. Around 1/50 s may improve it, and a much longer exposure such as about 1/4 s or slower can average the refresh enough that brightness differences largely disappear.
So yes: it’s caused by the interaction between the LED refresh cycle and the camera’s exposure timing.
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