topic Re: Canon R5 M2 Fast ISO Rolling Shadow Effect in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

Canon R5 M2 Fast ISO Rolling Shadow Effect

AllNatImages — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 20:32:02 GMT

Dear All - Wondering if anyone else has come across this issue? NEW R5 M2 - In certain low light & fast ISO situations (with light coming from multiple sources/locations - chandelier, Christmas Tree lights, outdoor party lighting), a strange “rolling shadow” effect appears during STILL SHOOTING, not video. For example - using the same ISO, shutter, and with the aperture at 2.8 aiming at the same subject - one shot looks fine and evenly lit, then the next shot has a massive shadow swath through the middle of the frame, then the next shot, the shadow is lower in the frame. I just picked the body up from Canon servicing and they said there was nothing wrong with it but I have never seen anything like this in my 25 years of shooting with Canon cameras. When I dropped it off at the servicing center, the representative did say he had heard of this issue and that maybe it is a strange combination of the type of artificial lighting and the shutter - but I have not had a true explanation or any suggestion of how to avoid this. Pretty frustrated that Canon just returned the camera and told me it’s fine. This is a real problem for anyone using this camera on professional jobs requiring low light shooting without a flash. Has anyone out there hear of this?

Thank you very much!

Re: Canon R5 M2 Fast ISO Rolling Shadow Effect

Peter — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 20:57:19 GMT

Are you talking about flickering light? The same if you use slow shutter speed like 1 second?

Re: Canon R5 M2 Fast ISO Rolling Shadow Effect

AllNatImages — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 21:07:31 GMT

Hi Peter, thanks for the question. No flickering lights present when shooting and getting this effect. In one setting, I was at 2.8 with a 1/250 shutter. I took multiple exposures - some would have a large swath of shadow across the subjects in the frame, others, no shadows. Very strange but it happens in different settings, always with low light (from light fixtures) and high ISO. No doubt, this is a quirk with this camera but I can’t get a straight answer out of Canon on how to address it or what to do differently.

Re: Canon R5 M2 Fast ISO Rolling Shadow Effect

shadowsports — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 23:05:33 GMT

Are you shooting with canon glass? Please upload 2-4 RAW images to a file sharing service and post a link for us here. We'll take a look for you.

Re: Canon R5 M2 Fast ISO Rolling Shadow Effect

Anonymous — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 11:18:50 GMT

You mention no flickering lights but also different light fixtures, are you very sure none of these is fluorescent or LED light, maybe even a screen/monitor?
You certaily have enough experience shooting Canon for 25 years but how long with mirriless/electronic shutter? There's a world of difference between DSLR's and MIL's.

Here's some information: https://community.usa.canon.com/t5/EOS-DSLR-Mirrorless-Cameras/Banding-on-photos/td-p/397840

Re: Canon R5 M2 Fast ISO Rolling Shadow Effect

shadowsports — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 12:38:44 GMT

Hopefully he posts some RAW images for us to review.

Re: Canon R5 M2 Fast ISO Rolling Shadow Effect

Anonymous — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 13:40:04 GMT

Would be polite but 's not been a day, we're not all glued to the keyboard😉

Re: Canon R5 M2 Fast ISO Rolling Shadow Effect

Waddizzle — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 14:05:40 GMT

“ No doubt, this is a quirk with this camera but I can’t get a straight answer out of Canon on how to address it or what to do differently. “

Your descriptions of the issues are consistent with light flicker associated with artificial light sources.

I suggest that you go into the menu system and enable high speed light flicker. The shutter speed you are reporting suggests that it’s not enabled.

Also, light flicker compensation is not compatible with the electronic shutter in photo mode.

[EDIT] This is an HDR imag from 5 shots. Notice how half the tree seems unlit.

Re: Canon R5 M2 Fast ISO Rolling Shadow Effect

SignifDigits — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 17:40:51 GMT

Just seconding what everyone else was saying. I was shooting for a local volunteer group and took my camera to the Christmas party (R6 Mark ii, 24-105 f4 lens, silent/electronic shutter) and caught some nice candid shots. LED lighting (I didn't know at the time) and 1/100th of a second and the shots were good. I shared the pics with the leader. She liked them and asked me to come shoot another meeting of hers, different group, same location.

I changed to 1/125th as it was more kids and while I liked a bit of blur I was afraid of bad results . I noticed that I was getting some banding and thought maybe it was because of shooting 20 fps, so I went to one-shot and no drive mode.

So, as you've guessed by now I was doing everything wrong - electronic shutter, flicker mode was off and 125th of a second was wrong for the LED lighting, so I got wide banding. (you get narrower banding shooting higher data rates). 100th of a second for that building is ok, 125th is bad.

So if LED lighting is dominating, and we're not actively taking steps (mechanical shutter, experiment with "correct" and "incorrect" shutter speeds and anti-flicker on) we're asking for trouble. Thankfully they weren't that particular and it was just volunteer work, and I don't do this for a living 🙂 I'm sharing so that pros here can get a chuckle and pass along my failures in the hopes others don't repeat them.

Re: Canon R5 M2 Fast ISO Rolling Shadow Effect

AllNatImages — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 19:30:48 GMT

Hi All!

I replied to Rick last night but somehow the post didn’t go up, so I apologize for the delay. I really appreciate the feedback and Rick, I am local to the Bay Area as well!

Here is a link with a few RAW images:

https://we.tl/t-bIHRz8FtWy

Password: thankyou

Responding to pcs1, indeed this is my first mirrorless, so I don’t doubt that I am doing something wrong setting-wise. In terms of the lights - I saw the effect in multiple locations with multiple types of lights, from Xmas tree lights to bulbs in a chandelier - not sure if those were LED or not.

I am having the issue in photo mode - haven’t seen it in video mode. I saw the suggestion to switch to high speed light flicker - if that works in photo mode. Will respond to the other suggestions. Thanks everyone - really appreciate the help and feedback!

Re: Canon R5 M2 Fast ISO Rolling Shadow Effect

AllNatImages — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 19:38:41 GMT

Waddizzle - thank you! Looking in the menu, I see an option for “anti-flicker shoot” and for “HF anti-flicker shooting.” I am having the issue in photo mode, not video (that I have noticed anyway) and I am new to mirrorless, so this appears to be a quirk I am not used to. The photo you posted of the tree looking partially lit is similar or the same as the issue I am having. The Anti-flicker option gives a warning that the shutter release time lads longer. As far as you know, do these anti-flicker settings apply to photo mode or to video mode only? And of course, I’ll test these things on my own. Thank you for the recommendations.

Re: Canon R5 M2 Fast ISO Rolling Shadow Effect

Waddizzle — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 21:36:20 GMT

“ The photo you posted of the tree looking partially lit is similar or the same as the issue I am having. The Anti-flicker option gives a warning that the shutter release time lads longer. As far as you know, do these anti-flicker settings apply to photo mode or to video mode only? “

YES. Any menu options that you aee in any photo or video mode appy to that camera shooting mode.

The menu system in Canon bodies “adapts” itself to the shooting mode that you have selected on the top shooting mode dial. Try switching the top dial to Green [A*] and half the menu system goes away.

The menus will also adapt to whether you have selected photo or video mode.

Re: Canon R5 M2 Fast ISO Rolling Shadow Effect

AllNatImages — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 23:17:04 GMT

Thank you very much for those tips and I will definitely try those settings. I appreciate your feedback - far more helpful than the techs at Canon. Thank you again.

Re: Canon R5 M2 Fast ISO Rolling Shadow Effect

Waddizzle — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 12:03:25 GMT

“ Thank you very much for those tips and I will definitely try those settings. I appreciate your feedback - far more helpful than the techs at Canon. Thank you again. “

You are most welcome.

I think that the Canon repair center gave you good feedback. Their job is to diagnose and repair gear. They seem to avoid advising on setting up the camera.

Canon has a help center. It’s a separate group that directly interacts with users having setup of configuration questions.

Re: Canon R5 M2 Fast ISO Rolling Shadow Effect

AllNatImages — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 20:27:29 GMT

Good to know. Thank you again!