-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 0
Capturing Video for FlickerScope
Many modern phones — especially models from about 2020 onward — can record 240 fps slow-motion video out of the box, even if the default camera app does not make that obvious. On Android, the easiest way to get reliable clips for FlickerScope is Open Camera, a free, open-source app available on F-Droid and the Google Play Store. It gives much better control over frame rate, resolution, codec, focus, and exposure than most stock camera apps.
Open Camera is the best starting point for Android because it exposes the settings that matter for flicker capture instead of hiding them behind automatic modes.
- Install Open Camera from F-Droid or Google Play.
- Open video settings and set the frame rate to 240 fps, or enable Force 240fps if your phone supports it.
- Set resolution to 720p or 1080p. Lower resolution is often better for flicker work because it reduces processing and can make results cleaner.
- Turn image stabilization off.
- Set focus to infinity or use manual focus.
- Lock exposure so brightness does not drift during recording.
- Record a 5–10 second clip with the light source filling as much of the frame as possible.
- Transfer the video file to your computer and open it in FlickerScope.
This usually works well on many Samsung, Google Pixel, OnePlus, and Xiaomi phones, though the exact options vary by model and camera API support. iPhones also support 240 fps slow-motion in the stock Camera app on many models, but the workflow is different because you usually capture through Apple's built-in Slo-mo mode rather than Open Camera.
For iPhone, use the stock Camera app in Slo-mo mode, record your clip, then transfer the original video file to your computer using local file sharing or a direct device transfer method. If available, choose Keep Originals when moving files so the clip is not altered during transfer.
That is normal. Many phones save slow-motion clips with extra playback metadata, so the file may not always look obviously slow when opened in another app. What matters is the actual capture rate. If the phone recorded at 240 fps, FlickerScope can still analyze it even if playback looks normal-speed outside the camera app. iPhone slow-motion files in particular often behave this way when shared or exported.