Flicker-Free LED dimmer for film and photography lighting

LED lamps are increasingly used in the film and photography lighting industry. They are versatile, efficient, and have many advantages over traditional incandescent (halogen) lighting.

To make full advantage of LED lights it is necessary to adjust their light output to meet any lighting condition. Using PWM (pulse width modulation) to dim the lights is simple and effective, but can introduce a high-frequency flicker in the dimmed light. This is perfect for most situations, as such high-frequency flicker is not perceivable by the human eye at all.

If PWM dimming methods are used in the film and photography studios, this flicker can be picked up by a camera. It is usually referred to as "banding". Banding can also be visible in videos as dark bands move across the screen or even the whole screen flickers.


photo showing banding due to LED flicker

flicker-free dimmer for studio

Some PWM dimmers on the market try to solve the flicker issue by further increasing the switching frequency, pushing it out of the range of camera detection. Usually, the frequency is increased well into 20-50kHz ranges (making PWM pulses higher harmonics of several 100kHz and well into LW radio frequencies). While this works in reducing the banding, it can introduce high-frequency EMI (Electro-Magnetic Interference) that can interfere with sensitive audio or video equipment or even with some longwave radio equipment. Especially if wires, leading from the dimmer to the lights are not extremely short (more than several cm) or shielded. Connecting wires and even light itself can act as an antenna that transmits high-frequency EM waves into the surroundings.

Another option to reduce banding or image flicker is to adjust the camera shutter speed. This is not always possible or practical and can severely limit the options the photographer has to achieve desired lighting conditions.


STUDIO-800 dimmer offers a unique solution to the camera banding problem. It uses a linear method of dimming, that completely eliminates any light flicker or banding, independent of the light type (LED strips, COB, Mr16, even lamps not intended for studio use) while not causing any of the EMI emissions that high-frequency PWM dimmers can. This dimmer is particularly suited for illumination of video/photo sets, where light flicker is an issue. Anigmo's proprietary linear dimming method guarantees that no flicker or banding will be introduced on a video or an image, regardless of the LED lamp type, lighting level, or shutter speed. This dimming method also has extremely low EMI emissions, making it ideal for studios with high-end audio and video equipment or other applications, where EMI emissions could interfere with sensitive electronic signals.

It is also suited for installations with lots of reflections (such as showrooms, displays, etc) as multiple reflections can make flicker more apparent to the human eye.

Aditionally, STUDIO-800 dimmer offers all the safety features of the standard Anigmo dimmers, such as overcurrent, overtemperature and short circuit protection. It can be controlled by multiple means, including push button, double push button (up/down), 0-10V control, potentiometer, Anigmo touchless buttons or sensors.



Anigmo universal flicker-free LED dimmer

STUDIO-800
Supply input current 8,0A
Supply input voltage (nominal) 12-24V DC
Supply input voltage (min-max) 8-30V DC
Output current max. 8,0A
Output power max.
@12V
@24V
96W
192W
No-load proof Yes
Short circuit protection Yes, current limiting, reversible
Overload protection Yes, automatic shutoff, reversible
Overheating protection Yes, reversible
Dimming mode Linear
Dimming range 0-100%
Control voltage 1-10 V DC (0V - OFF)
Control current max 0.1mA
Control options • 0-10 V control voltage
• 100KOhm potenciometer
• Open collector, Dry Dontact
• Single momentary switch
• Double (up/down) momentary switch
Housing dimensions 64mm x 88mm x 26mm (Aluminum)
Input and output connection Stripped wire
Temperature range -20°C to 60°C
Learn more
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STUDIO-800 - universal Flicker-Free LED dimmer 21-Nov-2021 178 kb PDF
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