COLOR SHIFT ISSUES WITH 5DMKII IN LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS

I've noticed that when I crank up the ISO in low light situations for sports photography (which requires higher shutter speeds) I get a green/red color shift across some images. One image will be reddish, the next greenish, and then some are a smear of both colors.
I've adjusted through all of the white balance menu options from tungsten to flourescent, etc, and nothing seems to matter.
is there some mystery setting I'm neglecting or should I be concerned about my 5D.
currently unable to post examples, but would appreciate any input you can offer.
Typical situation: ISO4000 at shutter speed of 1250 or so. Very grainy with color shift beyond usable levels.
Any ideas?

I would think your exposure is off for those shots. Sounds underexposed, without seeing anything. That's the deal with shooting at high ISO's...less forgiving if you are off a stop or two.

Shooting sports with a 5DMk2?

I would imagine focusing and getting usable action shots would be your primary problem. But that's just me... I leave the 5D2 in the bag for such things and grab the 1D3.

tharmsen wrote in post #8648152
Shooting sports with a 5DMk2?

I would imagine focusing and getting usable action shots would be your primary problem. But that's just me... I leave the 5D2 in the bag for such things and grab the 1D3.

I use a 30D for my "banger" camera on most sports shoots, but the little league fields and middle school football fields I cover have terrible lighting. I would have thought the 5D's exceptional ISO range would make some headway through the dim light. Maybe I'm overestimating this camera's abilities to handle bad lighting?

I'm out on a limb here, but perhaps you've hit a resonant frequency of the incandescent / fluorescent light sources? Can you try shooting at a slightly slower shutter speed to see if it disappears? Is it only under artificial light that you experience this issue?

That's the only thing I can think of that would cause images to differ one after the other ....

Cheers


David

village idiot wrote in post #8647944
I've noticed that when I crank up the ISO in low light situations for sports photography (which requires higher shutter speeds) I get a green/red color shift across some images. One image will be reddish, the next greenish, and then some are a smear of both colors.
I've adjusted through all of the white balance menu options from tungsten to flourescent, etc, and nothing seems to matter.
is there some mystery setting I'm neglecting or should I be concerned about my 5D.
currently unable to post examples, but would appreciate any input you can offer.
Typical situation: ISO4000 at shutter speed of 1250 or so. Very grainy with color shift beyond usable levels.
Any ideas?

Any fluorescent lights around, that can cause odd colour shifts for shutter speeds faster than the local mains period, in that case the fluorescent setting will not help as the light colour spectrum changes throughout the main period.

Guys, I appreciate the help. I've also noticed issues whenever I use the 580Speedlite attachment, as well. The 30D and XT give accurate color representations when I use the flash, but the 5D almost always has a slight color variation (probably a temp setting) that tends to the warm side. Orange and Pink blossoms have a deeper shade of red than in reality. I bought the 5D for low light conditions (and the full sensor 21.1 megapixies) primarily for nature photography, but thought it would also serve me well under low light conditions for sports (indoor events, dimly lit outdoor venues, etc.) but I'm beginning to think I might have to acquire a 50D for sports and use the 5D for the birds and landscapes. www.wizardpixphotograp​hy.com for my website, if you're interested...

village idiot wrote in post #8648494
Guys, I appreciate the help. I've also noticed issues whenever I use the 580Speedlite attachment, as well. The 30D and XT give accurate color representations when I use the flash, but the 5D almost always has a slight color variation (probably a temp setting) that tends to the warm side. Orange and Pink blossoms have a deeper shade of red than in reality. I bought the 5D for low light conditions (and the full sensor 21.1 megapixies) primarily for nature photography, but thought it would also serve me well under low light conditions for sports (indoor events, dimly lit outdoor venues, etc.) but I'm beginning to think I might have to acquire a 50D for sports and use the 5D for the birds and landscapes. www.wizardpixphotograp​hy.com for my website, if you're interested...

The lighting issue will exist with any body if you use a high shutter speed under lights that cycle. I'm not sure about your flash issue, but anytime you mix light sources, you have a recipe for some color balance issues. Many people will gel the flash to match ambient light temps for a more accurate color balance. Based on looking at your shots, I think these two issues are really the crux of your problems, and changing bodies won't make a great deal of difference (if any at all).

And I'd just like to add that using the Neutral color profile as a starting point (or Camera Neutral in ACR) should help with overcooked reds.

bacchanal wrote in post #8648990
The lighting issue will exist with any body if you use a high shutter speed under lights that cycle. I'm not sure about your flash issue, but anytime you mix light sources, you have a recipe for some color balance issues. Many people will gel the flash to match ambient light temps for a more accurate color balance. Based on looking at your shots, I think these two issues are really the crux of your problems, and changing bodies won't make a great deal of difference (if any at all).

And I'd just like to add that using the Neutral color profile as a starting point (or Camera Neutral in ACR) should help with overcooked reds.

Thanks for the suggestion (and critique). I'll try the neutral color profile option tonight (if the monsoon stops and I can cover the game!) Thanks again for the help.

village idiot wrote in post #8649951
Thanks for the suggestion (and critique). I'll try the neutral color profile option tonight (if the monsoon stops and I can cover the game!) Thanks again for the help.

FYI, if you want to try gelling the flash, the Rosco swatchbook can't be beat. The sample size gels fit almost perfectly over a speedlight. I either tape them on with electrical tape or stick one inside a Stofen omnibounce.