5D MkIII AWB

[M_Six]

Got a question for the 5D MkIII crowd. Do you find auto white balance to be consistent in the same lighting? Mine has a flaky AWB, I think. I can shoot on continuous and end up with 4 or 5 frames taken in a second where two of them will have different WB than the others. And shooting in unchanging lighting during a session will always give me wildly differing WB. It makes it hard to correct one image and apply that correction to a set. My 6D is far more reliable when it comes to consistent WB. I'm just wondering if my MkIII has a correctable issue. Below is an example. I realize they're OOF. I'm still trying to get used to BBF and sometimes I forget to hit the button when changing subjects.

[peety3]

For the sake of asking, why not choose a WB preset that matches the lighting you're in? Or why not set/forget the WB and shoot in RAW, then batch-adjust in post to match the lighting you were in?

[M_Six]

For the sake of asking, why not choose a WB preset that matches the lighting you're in? Or why not set/forget the WB and shoot in RAW, then batch-adjust in post to match the lighting you were in?

Many of these buildings have mixed lighting, so presets are difficult. I do have a gray card, but forgot to bring it with me. I do shoot in RAW and correct in post, but I'd still like to know why a $3000 camera can't get WB correct. My T1i, 7D, and 6D all do fine. If the MkIII can't settle on a decent WB, then maybe there is a problem with my copy.

Am used to seeing some subtle shifts when AWB is used. Nothing like what you've got going on there though. Must confess to normally using presets or custom WB just to make my editing go easier. Is this something relatively new to your camera since a firmware update maybe?

No, it's always done this. Like I said above, the rooms on this campus are a WB nightmare with combination lighting and lots of windows. I can understand changes from one shot to another if the lighting and background conditions change, but when I have two identical shots taken a second apart like the examples I posted and the WB is vastly different, I have to think something is amiss.

[HDNitehawk]

Fluorescent lighting in the room?
That is what it looks like to me, the unsteady lighting of fluorescent.

[M_Six]

Fluorescent lighting in the room?
That is what it looks like to me, the unsteady lighting of fluorescent.

That may be it. I should have thought of that. I've been burned by that before with orange banding when shooting at high shutter speeds. The shutter speed is faster than the cycle time of the fluorescent lighting, so you get the banding. I bet that's exactly what's happening here. As I think back, all my WB issues with the 5D MkIII have been when I was shooting campus events in these buildings, which all have some form of fluorescent lighting to some degree.

Now I feel stupid. Although I'm glad it's not an issue with the camera. Thanks, Hawk. I appreciate the education.

[HDNitehawk]

I do not have the 5D III, but I have never had much luck with the AWB of the 5D II with inside building lighting. I always thought it was one of Canon's weaknesses.
Anymore I do like petty3 suggested and just take care of it in PP.

[Kayaker72]

+1 with issue with fluorescent/mixed lighting. Not so much the inconsistency you are seeing, but definitely not as accurate.

[Thom Deevers]

I have had this happen before when shooting available light in the same condition you mention. The Fluorescent light is not a constant color light thus its color temperature fluctuates causing what you see. Try adding some additional flash gelled to match and POW consistent results!

[iso79]

I have a 5D Mark III and never have trouble with white balance. What metering mode are you using? The metering mode makes a big difference.

[peety3]

I have a 5D Mark III and never have trouble with white balance. What metering mode are you using? The metering mode makes a big difference.

Care to enlighten us on which metering mode serves you best? I'm having a hard time believing that metering mode and AWB are interrelated, but I'm intrigued to try it.