Z5 colour distortion with ambient led lighting at DVinfo.net

Godfrey Dee · March 24th, 2013, 09:14 AM

Had interior wedding function shoot with two z5s. The ambient lighting was with a number of blue and red mobile led lights and one of the cameras locked into the red and washed the scene in that colour or produced red blotches on the subject. Camera was set to manual 2.8f and 9db shutter fixed at 50 fps and awb set to indoors

The second camera was running on auto and 0 db and awe

Sony say the colour wash and overblown red is known feature with such hd cameras but if that was the case then the other z5 would hve had the same result.

Should add that the same scene was filmed with a z1 and did not suffer from those led to sme extent. Is this a CMOS v chip problem

Anyone had same problem?

Godfrey

Mark Morreau · April 1st, 2013, 05:30 PM

I've seen something similar when shooting theatre shows lit with LED lights, where the lighting designer has gone for the kind of saturation you just can't get with tungsten lights and gels.

I have not found a solution, but will need to, since LED lights are rapidly replacing tungstens in the theatres in which I shoot.

Rob Morse · April 10th, 2013, 08:02 PM

There is nothing that can be done. Whenever I shoot with this particular DJ, his lights kill my video, especially the red ones. Unfortunately, more and more are starting to use them now.

Don Bloom · April 10th, 2013, 09:21 PM

LEDs as used by lighting companies or DJs are very hard to white balance to. Actually you're probably better off leaving the camera in auto white since you're chances of acquiring a proper WB and keeping it thru out an event that has a bunch of the LED lights going and changing intensity or color is pretty small.
I did an event a month or so ago and the LEDs were supposed to be a reddish color. The photog whom I've worked over 100 events with in the last 10 years showed me her LCD screen and asked me to compare my image to hers. They both showed as yellow with orange edges. Didn't matter if the cams were on auto WB or if I we WB'd on a white card away from the lighting that was on the perimeter of the room. Nothing we tried would make the whites truly white.
I have grown to hate these lights.
IMO all you can do is the best you can and go on from there.

March 24th, 2013, 09:14 AM	#1
Godfrey Dee New Boot Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: London Posts: 5	Z5 colour distortion with ambient led lighting Had interior wedding function shoot with two z5s. The ambient lighting was with a number of blue and red mobile led lights and one of the cameras locked into the red and washed the scene in that colour or produced red blotches on the subject. Camera was set to manual 2.8f and 9db shutter fixed at 50 fps and awb set to indoors The second camera was running on auto and 0 db and awe Sony say the colour wash and overblown red is known feature with such hd cameras but if that was the case then the other z5 would hve had the same result. Should add that the same scene was filmed with a z1 and did not suffer from those led to sme extent. Is this a CMOS v chip problem Anyone had same problem? Godfrey

April 1st, 2013, 05:30 PM	#2
Mark Morreau Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Kentish Town, London, UK Posts: 157	Re: Z5 colour distortion with ambient led lighting I've seen something similar when shooting theatre shows lit with LED lights, where the lighting designer has gone for the kind of saturation you just can't get with tungsten lights and gels. I have not found a solution, but will need to, since LED lights are rapidly replacing tungstens in the theatres in which I shoot.

April 10th, 2013, 08:02 PM	#3
Rob Morse Major Player Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 427	Re: Z5 colour distortion with ambient led lighting There is nothing that can be done. Whenever I shoot with this particular DJ, his lights kill my video, especially the red ones. Unfortunately, more and more are starting to use them now.

April 10th, 2013, 09:21 PM	#4
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	Re: Z5 colour distortion with ambient led lighting LEDs as used by lighting companies or DJs are very hard to white balance to. Actually you're probably better off leaving the camera in auto white since you're chances of acquiring a proper WB and keeping it thru out an event that has a bunch of the LED lights going and changing intensity or color is pretty small. I did an event a month or so ago and the LEDs were supposed to be a reddish color. The photog whom I've worked over 100 events with in the last 10 years showed me her LCD screen and asked me to compare my image to hers. They both showed as yellow with orange edges. Didn't matter if the cams were on auto WB or if I we WB'd on a white card away from the lighting that was on the perimeter of the room. Nothing we tried would make the whites truly white. I have grown to hate these lights. IMO all you can do is the best you can and go on from there. __________________ What do I know? I'm just a video-O-grafer. Don