PANAVISION PANALUX SONARA 4:4, Manual, Page: 6 / 43

Flicker-Free Filming
The only way to guarantee flicker-free
filming at any frame rate and shutter
angle is by using pure DC power,
carbon arc sources, or daylight. There
is a chance of flicker in every other
scenario with artificial light, even with
tungsten mains-powered fixtures.
Visible flicker is also affected by
postproduction. Where the contrast is
increased, the flicker becomes more
visible.
SONARA has been validated flicker-
free at any dim position up to 10,000
fps. SONARA has been tested across
a range of dim settings, CCTs, and
colours with the high-speed Vision
Research Phantom camera as well
as Arri Alexa Mini, with the cameras
at multiple shutter angles. Not all
manufacturers are as thorough. Test
whenever in doubt, particularly when
shooting high speed.
Flicker factor, the relationship
between the maximum and minimum
illuminance exhibited in the flicker,
can be measured with a flicker meter.
100% means the light goes totally dark
at minimum. HMI electronic ballasts
tend to have a flicker factor around
1–3%, tungsten lights 0–10%.
With multi-colour LED fixtures, in
particular older Stage and Architectural
LED fixtures where compatibility with
film and digital cameras wasn’t a
consideration in their design, individual
colour channels can be out of sync,
causing different colour mixes on
different frames, which can cause
issues with high-speed filming, stop-
frame animation, and still photography.
If in doubt, test and review. Check
the footage after running a test, and
be aware that some digital cameras
do not replay raw footage, so it is
advisable to download files first and
then check.
Gel/Filter Emulations and
Source Matching
SONARA comes pre-loaded with a
range of LEE Filter gel emulations.
Since the base spectrum of the
SONARA at 3200K and 5600K is
not identical to a tungsten or daylight
source, the gel presets are merely
emulations. Due to the inherent
technology, no LED bi-colour or multi-
chip source can perfectly match the
spectrum of a subtractive filter laid
over a tungsten or daylight source.
Even if the x y coordinates appear to
be a good match, the spectrum will
be different, and the camera will read
subtle differences.
If in doubt, test before shooting.
LATEST VERSION AS OF JULY 2021 6 PANALUX SONARA 4:4 USER MANUAL