M50 MKII - Color shift in pictures

[R0ma_N0]

 Hi everyone,

During a recent shoot, I noticed a color shift in my pictures (see example). Despite doing a color balance and keeping the same settings, I noticed that when i take several single shots of the same moment in a row, the image turns greenish. 

Im using the 50mm 1.8 with no flash, those shots were taken at 1/250, f2, ISO 800.

Any ideas ? 

[rs-eos]

What were the lighting conditions? Possible it was under flourescent due to the green tint.  Were different lights on/off throughout the shoot?   If you did a custom white balance, but then the lighting conditions changed, you'd have to re-do the custom white balance.

[R0ma_N0]

Hi Ricky,

Thank you for the quick reply.

Yes, the lighting was actually fluorescent, and it would make sense.

Is there a workaround to ensure correct color, or is the best method to continue shooting multiple shots and select the correct ones ? 

[rs-eos]

For the most accurate color, you'll want to either do a custom white balance or dial in an exact Kelvin value and deal with the tint offsets.  But will need to do that whenever lighting conditions change.

Also, forgot to mention earlier, do capture in RAW.  While getting things in camera is great to do, in case things get messed up, since color balance is not baked into RAW images (like they are with JPEG), you can adjust in post.

[WoodyH]

True.  Check your Menu for a selection which might be labeled Flicker Reduction.  'Auto' works for me.

[BurnUnit]

I think rs-eos has put you on th right track with his reply. Certain LED lamps can also cause color-shift problems under the same conditions. A/C powered LED lamps also have a "flicker" like flourescent bulbs. The color-shift problem occurs at higher shutter speeds. Try some test shots at 1/60 or 1/30 second or slower with the same lighting and see if you still have the same problem.

[R0ma_N0]

I guess i will continue to manually white balance, shoot RAW for the future important shoots and try to lower rhe shutter speed (i usually shoot around 1/250 for sharp portraits).

Thanks for the quick help  ! 👍

And l

[BethanyAnn]

Roma, thank you so much for your question. The exact same thing happened to me. The lighting and camera settings never changed, yet subsequent images showed inconsistent color, with a green cast. I wonder of it is just something that happens with fluorescent lighting?! Have you heard anything new? My settings were 1/320, f1.6, iso 800 with the 56mm/1.4 sigma lens. White balance was set to kelvin. 

 

 

[BethanyAnn]

So I think I found the answer—I need to slow my shutter speed to below 1/100 (not possible) or use a flash. 

“Fluorescent lights can flicker at twice the frequency of the current feeding them, which implies an entire cycle of the flicker will take between 1/100 and 1/120 second. During each cycle the light's intensity and its color temperature can change. Thus, if you're using a shutter speed of 1/100 second or faster, you might observe exactly these phenomena.”

(https://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/4115/do-fluorescent-lighting-and-shutter-speed-create-a-pr...)

[WoodyH]

BE SURE AUTO WHITE BALANCE IS TURNED OFF.  Select a camera preset which looks best in pre-view and shoot with it thru-out the shoot.  Still, if you move to a new view of the subject which has a different balance of lighting between/among the fluorescents and tungsten and yet other light sources, color renditions will change.  Example:  stadium (near daylight in quality, lots of blue) providing highlights;  fluorescents (discontinuous spectrum with an overload of green) illuminating shadows:  with AWB, camera will be influenced by what it sees the most of, momentarily adjusting its balance.  In any case this would be an ugly lighting situation.