Why do horizontal bands increase over time in dark frames from my camera sensor?
Asked 6/17/2020
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I'm seeing strong horizontal banding/striping in dark frames (lens cap on) from a camera sensor. The first frames after power-up look mostly normal aside from typical CMOS noise, but the longer the camera remains powered/connected, the more obvious the bands become. The effect is visible on all units we have to some degree, and it can also show up on evenly lit scenes or high-contrast edges, though it's worst in low light. Higher analog gain seems to make the stripes less noticeable. Sensor temperature stays around 37°C and within the stated operating range, and I've also tried an external power supply. What could cause this progressive horizontal banding?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
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These are dark images (cap on). With severe stripes it can be very noticeable on uniform lighting and sharp contrast transitions as well but it is most prominent in low light scenarios.
The increase is likely caused by the buildup of heat in the sensor. The longer a sensor is energized, the warmer it will become and the noisier the output will be until the system eventually reaches equilibrium. Sometimes the sensor can be permanently damaged before equilibrium is reached. Many digital cameras used for photography as defined in the context of this community have safeguards in place that will shut the sensor off before it becomes hot enough to be damaged.
When there is no signal (light) striking the sensor, it's much easier to see noise, because that's all there is. The signal to noise ratio is basically 1:1, or 1.00. Even when there is some weak signal (low light scenario), noise is still much more noticeable than when there is strong light. As the light level increases the signal-to-noise ratio also increases.
Without knowing where exactly the camera's internal temperature sensor is located, it's hard to know if it is accurately reflecting the temperature of the sensor at the places where it matters: the photosites that capture photons and the circuitry that amplifies the signal from those photosites. This can be particularly a problem where a camera has multiple amplifiers that each process a portion of the sensor's output, usually in an interleaved pattern. Each amplifier circuit will not respond exactly the same to increased heat or increased light.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
6y ago
0
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The most likely cause is sensor heat buildup increasing the sensor’s noise over time. As the sensor remains energized, it warms up and its output gets noisier until it reaches thermal equilibrium. In dark frames, where there’s essentially no image signal, that noise is much easier to see, so fixed-pattern or row/line noise can appear as horizontal bands.
That also explains why the issue is most obvious in low light and dark frames, and why it may look less significant at higher gain: the overall signal chain changes, so the banding can be less visually dominant relative to the amplified image.
Even if the reported temperature is within the stated operating range, that doesn’t guarantee low noise performance—only that the device is operating within spec. If the pattern keeps worsening while powered, the sensor or readout electronics may simply be heating up, or in a worse case could be suffering damage.
Practical steps: compare behavior from cold start to fully warmed up, allow cooling intervals, check whether the banding stabilizes after some time, and contact the manufacturer/vendor since this may be a hardware or thermal-management issue rather than a user setting problem.
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