What's wrong with my camera?

[strokeofg]

I shot these in a quick burst, Why is there such a color disparity?!?!?!? It's driving me crazy, it sucks, and the guys with Nikons next to me don't have the same issue. Argghh! Please help me make some sense out of this. Thanks.

[strokeofg]

two more. I don't really care about the composition of the players at this point. Just how can I beat the quality of the Nikon guys. i think I should be able to do it with a 40D.

[clarence]

It's the cycle freq of the field lights

your EXIF shows shutter speed of 1/320"

The lights are cycling at 1/60"

[strokeofg]

It's the cycle freq of the field lights

your EXIF shows shutter speed of 1/320"

The lights are cycling at 1/60"

Is there a way to circumvent this problem? Does everybody deal with this?

And how do you view the EXIF data?

[watchtherocks]

Shoot slower than 1/60, or shoot RAW and adjust each picture to your liking.
To view exif right click>properties.

[Eddie Heptinstall]

Those look just like my photos at the football games I have been told either to slow your shutter speed down to 60 which won't stop action or use a flash. Some of my better pictures have been the ones with the bad lighting. It is much worst when I do a 4 or 5 shot burst.I tried a flash but didn't have something set right they were terrible.

[cecilc]

... and the guys with Nikons next to me don't have the same issue.

Yes, they do !! Everyone that shoots under stadium lights has that same problem - I don't care if you're shooting with Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus .... it doesn't make any difference what make your camera is .... The lights do the same cycling for everybody and everybody has to deal with it ....

[strokeofg]

Yes, they do !! Everyone that shoots under stadium lights has that same problem - I don't care if you're shooting with Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus .... it doesn't make any difference what make your camera is .... The lights do the same cycling for everybody and everybody has to deal with it ....

That's good to know. Maybe I wasn't privy to their "disposable shots". We'd shoot a sequence then, usually I had time to see one shot they had taken and it was always so much better with regards to detail and lighting. And yes, we had the same settings. It's just frustrating to see that kind of thing.

All of your comments have helped immensely, by the way. Now I know that I have a 50 / 50 chance of getting a good shot.

[tmcman]

You can correct the color balance in most any picture once you get it on the computer. On a jpg you would use the levels tool or layer in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. With a raw file you could use the raw converter that comes with your camera to change the temperature and tint.

[Woolburr]

Is there a way to circumvent this problem? Does everybody deal with this?

And how do you view the EXIF data?

One way to circumvent it is to shoot at a shutter speed that is not a multiple of 60....that part is a fairly simple fix...the problem comes with having ample light to shoot at shutter speeds faster than 1/320. You might only be able to get to 1/250 on some fields....which can show some motion blur.

The Exif data is viewed by way of an installed Exif viewer...Opanda works very well.

[bobbyz]

In my limited shooting, I haven't seen this problem at local high schools around here. Sure WB changes a bit but not like this. But I am using flash at 1/250.

[tomcat360]

Just curious, how did ya'll figure that the lights are cycling at 1/60th? Is that just the standard? Also what specific kind of lights cycle? I've never dealt with the issues on all the fields I've shot on. And explain the theory behind not shooting on a multiple of 60?

[Dan-o]

I've never seen it this bad before.

[cstewart]

I have shot in hockey rinks where the lights cycle so badly when I look at the thumbnail images they look like Christmas lights....ie one has blue tint, one red tint, one yellow tint, one green tint, one normal WB.

To help with this problem I will try and use a custom white balance setting taken off the ice surface. Although I find my Auto WB setting works very well too on my 40D. For your field situation I am not sure if a custom WB would help. Maybe try a custom setting?

[eigga]

Images like this show up about every week. Its the same issue - the lights cycle. There are exactly 3 ways to fix the issue.

#1 shoot RAW and deal with the changes in processing
#2 add light (flash) and your images will all be same
#3 lower your shutter speed under 1/60

One of the many reasons shooting sports is a challenge.

Another Thread on issue http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=595094

[ahhhlawn]

hope you get the issue resolved... damn those NIKON guys =P

[serviceover]

nothing you can do for cycling light except shoot in RAW or use strobes...shooting sports at 1/60th or below isn't an option...

either that or get a Nikon :lol::lol:

[ChunkyDA]

60 Hz is the cycle for alternating current in the US, it is different in other parts of the world.
I posted this before and it is discussed at length elsewhere on POTN. Note that the flicker is different in front and behing the players but the light around #21 and #17 is pretty constant.

[tjketa]

Just curious, how did ya'll figure that the lights are cycling at 1/60th? Is that just the standard? Also what specific kind of lights cycle? I've never dealt with the issues on all the fields I've shot on. And explain the theory behind not shooting on a multiple of 60?

Tomcat, that's simply the standard for electrical current here in the US -- 60 Hz. All lights cycle, but the efficiency of the output is also dependant on the type of lamp that is used.

Tom

[wile_e_coyote_n_taz]

In my limited shooting, I haven't seen this problem at local high schools around here. Sure WB changes a bit but not like this. But I am using flash at 1/250.

I'm curious why this is happening. I've never seen this either. Just shot 1000+ football photos without flash in past few weeks and not a single one even close to this.


bill

[Colorblinded]

60 Hz is the cycle for alternating current in the US, it is different in other parts of the world.
I posted this before and it is discussed at length elsewhere on POTN. Note that the flicker is different in front and behing the players but the light around #21 and #17 is pretty constant.
That's a great illustration of the problem.

[wile_e_coyote_n_taz]

I don't want to come across as saying there's no problem, just wondering why I haven't seen this before. If and when it does happen to me I would like to know how to correct it. These sample images had WB corrected all at the same time, they were not done individually.
http://billsphotography.smugmug.com/photos/413316982_FbdD8-S-1.jpghttp://billsphotography.smugmug.com/photos/413317244_v3hhP-S-1.jpghttp://billsphotography.smugmug.com/photos/413317493_rYcdA-S-1.jpghttp://billsphotography.smugmug.com/photos/413317765_vYza4-S-1.jpghttp://billsphotography.smugmug.com/photos/413318044_6cofG-S-1.jpghttp://billsphotography.smugmug.com/photos/413318370_hWAoL-S-1.jpg

bill

[clarence]

wile-

Looks like your field was well lit. Maybe your stadium had large arrays of lights on offset cycles?

Maybe sodium vs fluorescent vs metal halide vs mercury vapor etc... some might not die down as much between 60 Hz cycles

[eddarr]

I think the reason some locations show worse that others has to do with the quantity of lights and the quantity of lights grouped together on a single circuit.

If there are fewer lights on more circuits you have a better chance of them balancing each other. When you have more lights on fewer circuits (which is typical of high school football fields) the effect will me more profound.

I'm not an electrical engineer but I believe this is true. Think about an NFL game compared to a high school game. The NFL game usually doesn't show the change in white balance as much. It may be because they have 500 lights all cycling at different times. A high school game has 50 lights cycling.

[wile_e_coyote_n_taz]

wile-

Looks like your field was well lit. Maybe your stadium had large arrays of lights on offset cycles?

Maybe sodium vs fluorescent vs metal halide vs mercury vapor etc... some might not die down as much between 60 Hz cycles

I think the reason some locations show worse that others has to do with the quantity of lights and the quantity of lights grouped together on a single circuit.

If there are fewer lights on more circuits you have a better chance of them balancing each other. When you have more lights on fewer circuits (which is typical of high school football fields) the effect will me more profound.

I'm not an electrical engineer but I believe this is true. Think about an NFL game compared to a high school game. The NFL game usually doesn't show the change in white balance as much. It may be because they have 500 lights all cycling at different times. A high school game has 50 lights cycling.

That makes perfect sense. Thank you.


bill

[strokeofg]

Images like this show up about every week. Its the same issue - the lights cycle. There are exactly 3 ways to fix the issue.

#1 shoot RAW and deal with the changes in processing
#2 add light (flash) and your images will all be same
#3 lower your shutter speed under 1/60

One of the many reasons shooting sports is a challenge.

Another Thread on issue http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=595094

great link. i followed the bread crumbs to this conversation and photo test.
http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=20873

[tomcat360]

Thanks for the answer, and that chart above it really cool.