Flash and color shifts..

Anyone ever get color shifting from their monolight? I've been unhappy with some pictures I've taken recently with mine and tonight just showed something really odd..

Test Image

Now, if I don't use my flash all the text is black, unlike the above picture with my monolight. The light in question is a Flashpoint 320 II shooting through a 24" x 24" softbox.

Looks like CA.

But it only shows in the pic with the strobe, not with another light source. I can reproduce the same results with my 24-70L. Color shift with monolight, no color shift with a hot light.

Not sure what lens you're using but many lenses such as the 50mm f/1.4 (Canon and Nikon) show considerable amounts of CA and purple fringing in a high contrast scenario.

It's very common.

The real question is whether it appears or affects you when doing real world shooting.

Have you tried the same shot stopped down?

It's not the strobe. So don't worry about your light(s).

Color shifts are nothing like what you're experiencing.

This was the 100mm f/2.8 (non-L). Reason I did this was I was not pleased with some pictures I took over the weekend and wanted to check sharpness.

I just find it odd, like I said, that is only happens when I'm using my monolight. I stopped down to f/4 on my 24-70L with the monolight in use and still have the shift.

If it's CA, then I have 2 lenses that suffer the same exact effects in the same way.

It's late. I'll mess around with this tomorrow after work.. Prob go out and shoot some stuff downtown and see.

One from the weekend

That was a shot I did for my "daily photo" on Saturday with the 100mm.

I'm just annoyed and obsess about something when it seems to be wrong.

Consumer glass will do that. It's not odd at all. High contrast and strongly backlit scenes will bring out the CA, especially when using wide apertures. It should go away if you stop down but if you're finding the lens(es) aren't giving you what you want in other areas then it may very well be time to upgrade your glass.

Once again, it's not the strobes. They can not produce the results you're getting. It's an impossibility.

What can I upgrade my 24-70L to? It's on the list of doing the same.. But like I say. I obsess. I end up nit picking like crazy over things.

But at least I don't think I'm going crazy after what all you and everyone else has said. I think I'll just go relax, have a drink of whiskey and go to bed.

It is CA. There's no reason to continue thinking it may be color shift.

But wait.. let's back up a minute.

There seems to be 2 issues. You initially mentioned that you weren't happy with the IQ. Then you said that in your testing you discovered the CA.

If you're not happy with the IQ of your 24-70mm f/2.8 then you either have a bad copy or something's going on with the lens. Regardless of CA, a 24-70mm should produce excellent images.

I have NEVER seen this kind of "CA" with the 100 f/2.8...why is it green at one end and purple at the other?