Why does my Canon 5D Mark III show green or yellow banding under fluorescent lights?
Asked 7/18/2012
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I’m seeing green/yellow banding in photos and video from a Canon 5D Mark III when shooting under fluorescent lighting. I first thought the camera was faulty, but a replacement body shows the same behavior. Is this a known issue with fluorescent lights rather than a defect? Is there a way to avoid or fix it in-camera, and would this require a Canon firmware update?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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fluorescent lights flicker, they change both intensity and color 50 or 60 times per second (depending on where in the world you are).
This produce inconsistent colors, banding at high shutter speeds and confuses the auto white balance feature.
but the solution is simple, just make sure to only get complete flicker cycles during the exposure - the cumulative light of a complete cycle is consistent, you do this by setting a shutter speed according to the electricity frequency of your country.
In the US the frequency is 60Hz, so 1/60 shutter speed will catch a complete cycle, 1/30 will take two complete cycles, 1/15 will cover 4 cycles, etc.
In most of Europe the frequency is 50Hz, s0 1/50 for one cycle, 1/25 for two, 1/13 fo4 four, etc.
I've written a longer version of this answer with sample pictures on my blog at this post: photography under florescent light
Originally by user2481. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2481
14y ago
0
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This is usually not a defect in the camera. Many fluorescent lights flicker and can shift in both brightness and color with the AC power cycle, which can cause green/yellow banding, uneven exposure, and unstable auto white balance in both stills and video.
The practical fix is to use shutter speeds that match your local mains frequency so the exposure covers full flicker cycles:
- 60 Hz regions: use 1/60, 1/30, 1/15, etc.
- 50 Hz regions: use 1/50, 1/25, 1/13, etc.
Banding is more likely at faster shutter speeds because the camera may capture only part of a flicker cycle. Slower, synchronized shutter speeds reduce or eliminate the problem.
You may also get more consistent color by avoiding auto white balance under fluorescent light and setting white balance manually. This is generally a property of the lighting, not something a replacement camera body would solve.
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