5DM3 - Problems with tungsten lighting

[rj79in]

Hi,

I was trying out my new 5DM3 late this evening and I notice strange color rendering in the pics. The color seems to change in every progressive shot.

Even more strangely, the problems seems be alleviated by stopping the lens down.

These were clicked with the 50mm lens at f/1.4 in low-speed continuous mode.

I've tried other combos with the 17-40 and the 24-105 on the 5DM3 and the problem is pretty much the same. I've also tried the 50mm on the 7D (again under tungsten light) and even the 7D seems to have a problem, though less so.

Is this normal? Any thoughts would be welcome ... I want to be sure that the camera doesn't have a problem.

PS: I've not yet tried this in daylight and propose to do this tomorrow morning
PPS: I don't rule out user error :-)

[rj79in]

Can't post pics for some reason ... The page goes blank once I attach the pic in the reply

[Mt Spokane Photography]

What shutter speed?  Fast shutter speeds might be able to cause this, the effect is horrible with fluorescent lighting that does not use electronic ballasts.  Do you have a dimmer on the tungsten lights?  That can flicker at slow enough speeds to cause issues. 
 
Check and make certain that there is no fluorescent lighting that might be off to one side but still contributing to the overall light, and no dimmer.  A slow shutter speed (1/60 or less) should not show effects of lighting color changes, try that and see what happens.

It is unlikely to be a camera issue.
 
BTW, there is a limit to file size on uploads.  Make a copy of your file reduced to 800 X 800 @ 96 dpi and it should upload fine

[rj79in]

Thanks Mt Spokane ... the shutter speed was 1/320 sec. I tried using a lower shutter speed and it is loads better.

The fluorescent lighting was normal white light used indoors and I don't think it would be using electronic ballasts.

Point noted on the limit on file size while uploading images ... will be careful in future.

[rj79in]

Clicked some more pics ... works perfectly!

Thanks Mt Spokane ... I can stop worrying and get back to shooting :-)

[Ryan708]

Just to explain what Mt. Spokaine said, Flourescent lights flicker really fast (too fast for the eye to see) and while flickering the color temp is changing. I think they flicker 60 times a second to match the housold 60 Hertz. so if you are using a quick shutter speed you are only capturing a small part of this changing spectrum. But if you are below 1/60th you are going to capture a whole wavelength of the spectrum, Making the color consistant. Congrats on your purchase!

[Ryan708]

Oh, and BTW tungsten is the type of metal used to make the filament in a traditional lightbulb. Much different than flourescent. :-) Tungsten does not show a flickering effect as pronounced because it is literaly a red(so bright it appears white) hot piece of metal, and does not have time to cool down enough to flicker

[rj79in]

Thanks for the information Ryan708.

Where I was shooting it had a mixture of both tungsten and white fluorescent (can't say which one was predominant). Now I'm home and have tried it with only the while fluorescent and it works perfectly. 

[Brand B]

. I think they flicker 60 times a second to match the housold 60 Hertz. so if you are using a quick shutter speed you are only capturing a small part of this changing spectrum. But if you are below 1/60th you are going to capture a whole wavelength of the spectrum

Actually they flicker 120 times per second.  AC current goes up to 120 volts, and down to -120 volts for each cycle, going through 0 volts in the process.  So two flickers per hertz.

60 would be awful, a lot of people can see that frequency, including me.

[Ryan708]

Yeah I was thinking about half wave DC retifiers, only 60 times a sec. for those, you are right 120/sec for most AC things