What is sync drift and how much is acceptable?
Learn what drift looks like and when it becomes a problem for church edits.
Before you start
- Make sure you are signed in to NodeCam on the phone you are using.
- Open the correct recording session before changing settings or recording.
- If you are working with volunteers, confirm who is the session owner and who is contributing a camera angle.
Steps
- Think of sync drift as cameras slowly becoming less aligned over time.
- In editing, look for claps, drum hits, lips, or hand movements that do not line up between cameras.
- Small differences under about one frame are usually hard to notice.
- Larger differences can make worship, preaching, and audience reactions feel off.
- If drift is high, improve WiFi, keep phones on the same network, and re-record a short test before the main service.
What to expect
- NodeCam tracks timing information to reduce manual alignment work.
- Long recordings reveal drift more clearly than short tests.
- Audio and visual cues are the easiest way to spot drift after recording.
Common gotchas
- Do not judge sync from a single camera preview; compare cameras in the editor or exported timeline.
- Very poor network conditions can increase uncertainty before recording even starts.
- If the service is already recorded, send sync details to support rather than deleting files.
If you still need help
Contact NodeCam support with your session name, device model, iOS version, and a screenshot of any warning or error message. Do not delete recordings until upload, export, or transfer has been verified.