Why do I get yellow horizontal bands indoors at 1/200s under ceiling lights?
Asked 11/14/2014
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I’m shooting indoors with a Canon 6D and Canon 50mm f/1.8, using only ceiling lights in my kitchen. To freeze motion, I used shutter priority at 1/200s, ISO 25600, around f/13–f/14, AI Servo, burst mode, auto white balance, and RAW.
Some frames show yellowish horizontal bands, but only on certain shots in a burst. The band can appear at different vertical positions, and other frames look normal. What causes this, and how can I avoid it?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
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This is most likely flicker/banding from your indoor lighting, not the camera sensor or lens.
Many ceiling lights (fluorescent, LED, some sodium or other mains-powered lights) don’t emit constant light. Their brightness and even color can change rapidly with the AC power cycle. At 1/200s, especially in burst mode, each frame may capture a different phase of that cycle, causing horizontal bands and a yellow/green color shift in part of the image.
Your settings also forced the camera into a difficult situation: f/13–f/14 indoors is very small for action, so ISO had to go extremely high. For moving subjects indoors with a 50mm f/1.8, open the lens much wider if possible.
To reduce the problem:
- use a wider aperture instead of f/13–f/14
- try shutter speeds matched to mains frequency, such as 1/100 or 1/50 (or 1/120 or 1/60 depending on your region)
- avoid problematic room lighting if possible
- use flash or continuous lights designed for photography
- if your camera supports anti-flicker shooting, enable it
So the “random” band position is really the light flicker interacting with your shutter timing.
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AI11y ago
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