Greetings Holy Grail shooters,
I have been testing various motion control components of the HG process to get the best results. My latest configuration is shooting with Nikon Z6II,14mm, Arsenal 2.053, Genie (for motion). Processing with LRT (6.2.1) / Lightroom Classic 12.1

Is there anyone out there using the Arsenal?

The issue I am trying to solve is that after setting the Arsenal up for the day to night transition and then moving the camera for sunrise the next day, I get banding in the morning as the sun rises going though golden hour to sunrise. I do not get this banding at sunset…even shooting with the setting sun in the frame.

Here are my initial Nikon ZII with Arsenal settings for sunset:
20 sec interval - ISO 100 - F22 - shutter 1/25

For those who already use Arsenal, you know you can set the priority of ISO/Shutter/f stop to maximize each individual defined range.

So for the setting sun, I typically get ISO 100 - F22 - 1/25 resulting in about a 29 MB RAW file.

For the rising sun, (Arsenal running on auto) I get ISO 100 - F22 - 1/8 resulting in about a 33 MB.

However after processing in LRT (6.2.1) the banding/blooming (for a lack of a better description) is pulsing, not graduated line the sunset.

Has anyone else seen this? And have a solution? My favorite saying is, “9 moving parts with 10 different solutions”

Here is my configuration:
Nikon ZII set to manual
Arsenal set to (20 sec interval) / first priority shutter speed / second priority ISO / last is aperture.
Processing with LRT (6.2.1) / Lightroom Classic 12.1

I don't use or know Arsenal, but from what you describe it sounds like overexposure.

I have both Arsenal 1 & 2, they are pretty disappointing for the price. The timelapse ramping is probably the best feature but you can do the same with QDSLRDashboard for much less.

I have done a few day-to-night-to-day and not seen what you describe.

Here is a test I did recently https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1akbU4W1bUc

and a low res comparison https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFQPRD4yJC0

and an older overnight timelapse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af7M_Ub0K30

Are you shooting in RAW, what colour space are you using and what resolution ?

Hello Cymru,
Thanks for the reply.
Great shot with the zoom and meteor.
Here is my problem....
I get banding in the morning as the sun rises going though golden hour to sunrise. I do not get this banding at sunset…even shooting with the setting sun in the frame.

I think banding is normally due to insufficient colour space depth, are you shooting RAW and then processing in the highest quality ? have you tried different qualities ? I doubt it has anything to do with the Arsenal. Maybe Gunther can comment on why banding normally occurs ?

Just use the search feature here for "banding", we already discussed this topic multiple times.