topic Re: R3 Anti-Flicker in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

R3 Anti-Flicker

emdash — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 02:27:07 GMT

I shot in a local ice rink the other day and the flicker of the halogens was producing red on my images. I used anti-flicker, but still had the issue. It wasn't all images, but most. In a sports photo group, someone stated to change the anti-flicker to 60hz vs 50hz. I don't see how I can change it unless I set the HF anti-flicker and that changes my shutter speed to whatever I'm setting it to. Obviously, I need my shutter to be faster than 1/50. Any advice on this? I don't want to spend hours post-processing red out of images. This is for still images and not video. I shoot in manual. Lenses: RF 24-70 2.8, EF 70-200 2.8 IS II, EF 400mm 2.8 IS II. This was happening on both my R3 bodies. Shutter varied from 1/320 - 1/1000 except when panning. I tried auto WB and also set the Kelvin. ISO was set to auto and went from 4000-12,800

Re: R3 Anti-Flicker

Waddizzle — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 08:31:26 GMT

Anything that is automatic is rarely perfect. You may be dealing with flicker from different light sources that are randomly out of phase with each other, but let’s hope not.

The R3 has a setting that you can enable that allows the camera to adjust the shutter speed slightly to adjust for multiple light sources. Instead of 1/1000, you might get 1/1024.32 or something.

Re: R3 Anti-Flicker

advrider329 — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 04:26:19 GMT

I have had the same issue. HF anti flicker pulled my shutter too low. I tried to use manual HF to choose a set the shutter speed, which I ended up around 1271.7. The issue was this prevented my lens (sigma EF 120-300 2.8) from locking focus. So I had to use a normal shutter speed.

Re: R3 Anti-Flicker

Waddizzle — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 11:56:42 GMT

Please start a new thread for [your] issue. Thanks, ahead of time.

Re: R3 Anti-Flicker

ebiggs1 — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 14:56:27 GMT

" I don't want to spend hours post-processing red out of images."

Neither would I. This is one click in Lightroom and it can be applied to all the images at once with just two clicks.

Always shoot Raw format though. You could further balance it but this was just one click in LR for WB. It is slightly underexposed too which doesn't help.

Re: R3 Anti-Flicker

emdash — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:02:56 GMT

I always shoot RAW and JPEG separately. I know I can post process in LR or PS but would rather figure out how to get it right in camera. Unfortunately I haven’t been back to the rink to shoot, but manually upping shutter with HF anti flicker once I get a baseline may be the best option. I just need to try it.

Re: R3 Anti-Flicker

ebiggs1 — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:35:35 GMT

"I always shoot RAW..."

That's good. I don't see any need to save a jpg but whatever. I personally, and I am not saying it is the best way since time began but, am very comfortable with LR and PS. So I leave WB on average and set WB in post. Raw does not save WB so adjusting it to your liking in post is actually the best way to get it perfect. One of the very few things that does get saved and set in a Raw file is exposure. Raw does get you a huge latitude to adjust exposure but getting it right is a top priority. Your sample is underexposed and that is part of the issue with WB.

You know that LR has a simple tool for grey scale/WB to automatically correct it? You can apply it to all images with sync.

Re: R3 Anti-Flicker

ebiggs1 — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:38:29 GMT

I don't have an R3 but I am sure it has all kinds of new features I simply don't use or even don't want or feel I need.

I guess I am too old school but that's how I shoot sports.

Re: R3 Anti-Flicker

emdash — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:53:26 GMT

I get it. For wire service, I have to shoot both. Transmit FTP JPEG and save a RAW for possible future commercial use.

Re: R3 Anti-Flicker

Waddizzle — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 16:44:12 GMT

What shooting mode and exposure settings are you using? How many legs of the Exposure Triangle is the camera controlling. You should not let the camera control more than one leg, regardless if you using Tv, Av, or M. The wide range of ISO settings you reported are a separate issue from the red tint issue.

If you are shooting indoors, then lighting should almost be constant. If you are using ISO Auto, I recommend dialing in a set value.

The red tint is likely being caused by solid state lighting. The high speed flicker mode should not adjust shutter speed by more than 1%. There is very little difference between 1/1280 and 1/1271.2.

Re: R3 Anti-Flicker

emdash — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 16:49:05 GMT

I shoot manual. I had originally set my ISO, but then due to the flicker, the exposure was all over the place, over exposed, under exposed. So I set it to auto ISO to try and compensate.

Re: R3 Anti-Flicker

Waddizzle — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 16:58:16 GMT

Leave the ISO on manual. Enable Hi-Speed flicker.

Re: R3 Anti-Flicker

ebiggs1 — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 17:34:44 GMT

Any of that will help but ultimately Lightroom is the best place to make the best photo. Sounds like you need and want high quality images

Re: R3 Anti-Flicker

wq9nsc — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 18:38:14 GMT

That probably isn't halogen lighting because halogen is an incandescent source with halogen gas added to reduce emissions from the heated filament being deposited on the glass. Incandescent lamps have far too much thermal lag to flicker which is why they are a nice light source but they are generally far too inefficient for lighting large sports venues. So you are dealing with either a discharge type lamp (sodium most likely) or newer LED lighting.

Setting to auto white priority is probably going to give you the best results for the JPG files you need instantly. In a setting like this, the camera can generally find something white and set color temperature based upon it. With RAW files you can change color temperature in post but with JPG files you need immediately, auto white priority will probably provide the most consistent color temperature match.

Flicker at 50hz would occur in Europe and some other parts of the world, if you are shooting in North America the line frequency is 60hz. BUT with a lot of newer lighting, flicker is no longer tied to the line frequency nor is it even stable so you can end up with multiple flicker rates across an arena that are all constantly changing and this impacts both color temperature and exposure. I have shot on football fields where the white balance is radically different over small sections of the same field and with the newer lighting with lots of additional controls including the goofy "celebration" modes, it isn't going to get any better.

Most of the stuff can be fixed in post pretty easily but that doesn't help with the images that need immediate upload. So give auto white priority a try and see if that improves the percentage of good captures.

I have never been a fan of anti-flicker because it does impact burst rate and it wasn't infallible even with old school high intensity discharge lighting that flickered at a stable line rate.

Rodger

Re: R3 Anti-Flicker

emdash — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 20:16:36 GMT

I shoot soccer for two teams where the LED stadium lights vary across the stadium and half the field has LED signage at field level, so I fluctuate between auto WB and setting K temp. Light varies in intensity in different parts of the field and it’s not consistent from game to game either. I also fluctuate between setting ISO and auto ISO. The teams do a light a show every time they score , so lights go from full bright to completely dark and colors from white to green and yellow and purple within fractions of a second. It’s not pleasant. And unfortunately shooting for wire service, you can only do minimal editing in post after the fact but have to submit live with no ability to edit. So I definitely try to get it right in camera as much as possible.

Re: R3 Anti-Flicker

Waddizzle — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 22:53:55 GMT

“ So you are dealing with either a discharge type lamp (sodium most likely) or newer LED lighting. “

My best guess says the red tint is coming from a scoreboard or something similarly overlooked like “EXIT” lights.”

Re: R3 Anti-Flicker

Orville — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 00:42:02 GMT

So random, but your photos are gorgeous