Flicker-Free Shutter Calculator
Check whether your shutter speed will band under 50 Hz or 60 Hz mains lighting, and get the flicker-safe shutter speeds for your region.
Mains-powered lights pulse at twice the grid frequency — 100 times a second on 50 Hz, 120 on 60 Hz. If your exposure doesn't span a whole number of pulses, each frame catches a different slice of the pulse and you get rolling bands. On 50 Hz mains, 1/50 and 1/100 are safe; 1/60 (a very common default) bands badly. Travelling videographers get caught by this constantly: the shutter that was clean at home flickers abroad. Cheap LED and fluorescent fixtures flicker hardest; flicker-free cinema LEDs run on high-frequency drivers and don't care.
Rule / Formula
Check whether your shutter speed will band under 50 Hz or 60 Hz mains lighting, and get the flicker-safe shutter speeds for your region.
About Flicker-Free Shutter Calculator
Check whether your shutter speed will band under 50 Hz or 60 Hz mains lighting, and get the flicker-safe shutter speeds for your region. Mains-powered lights pulse at twice the grid frequency — 100 times a second on 50 Hz, 120 on 60 Hz. If your exposure doesn't span a whole number of pulses, each frame catches a different slice of the pulse and you get rolling bands. On 50 Hz mains, 1/50 and 1/100 are safe; 1/60 (a very common default) bands badly. Travelling videographers get caught by this constantly: the shutter that was clean at home flickers abroad. Cheap LED and fluorescent fixtures flicker hardest; flicker-free cinema LEDs run on high-frequency drivers and don't care.
How to use Flicker-Free Shutter Calculator
- 1Enter your values into the fields in Flicker-Free Shutter Calculator.
- 2The result and any pass/fail verdict update instantly as you type — no button to press.
- 3Check the substituted formula and worked example to see exactly how the result was derived.
- 4Copy or note the result for your spec, delivery or planning.
Why use Flicker-Free Shutter Calculator?
- ✓Runs entirely in your browser with instant, private results — no data leaves your device.
- ✓Built on a published reference: Mains-flicker photography practice (100/120 Hz pulse).
- ✓Shows the governing formula and a worked example, so you can trust and check every result.
- ✓100% free with no sign-up, no watermark and no usage limits.
- ✓Works on any device — desktop, tablet or phone — and keeps working offline once loaded.
Frequently asked questions
What does Flicker-Free Shutter Calculator do?+
Check whether your shutter speed will band under 50 Hz or 60 Hz mains lighting, and get the flicker-safe shutter speeds for your region. Mains-powered lights pulse at twice the grid frequency — 100 times a second on 50 Hz, 120 on 60 Hz.
Is my data private?+
Yes. Flicker-Free Shutter Calculator runs entirely in your browser — your inputs are never uploaded, stored or logged.
What standard or source is Flicker-Free Shutter Calculator based on?+
It follows Mains-flicker photography practice (100/120 Hz pulse); ARRI HMI/LED flicker-free shutter tables. Always confirm against the current official document, as specifications and rates can change.
What formula does it use?+
Flicker-Free Shutter Calculator uses: lights pulse at 2 × mains Hz; shutter is safe when exposure time = n ÷ (2 × mains). The tool shows this formula with your own numbers substituted so you can verify the result.
Is Flicker-Free Shutter Calculator free to use?+
Yes — it is completely free with no account, no sign-up and no usage limits. There is no watermark and no paywall.
Embed Flicker-Free Shutter Calculator on your website
Want Flicker-Free Shutter Calculatoron your own site? Paste this snippet into any HTML page — it's free, with no API key or sign-up. The tool loads in an iframe and keeps working exactly as it does here.
<iframe src="https://tooljolt.com/tools/flicker-free-shutter-calculator" width="100%" height="640" style="border:1px solid #e5e7eb;border-radius:12px;max-width:680px" title="Flicker-Free Shutter Calculator — ToolJolt" loading="lazy"></iframe>Related Broadcast tools
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