Discoloration on pictures

[johnnyshinta]

In the center of my pictures there is a slight hue. It looks sort of green. And it is visible through the camera app. Only on the rear camera. the front facing camera doesn't have it.

harder to see if the subject is dark. but pointing the camera at a piece of white paper you can easily tell

 

[johnnyshinta]

apparently its from florecent lights

 

[johnnyshinta]

Here is a picture under normal lighting

Is that normal?

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[johnnyshinta]

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[johnnyshinta]

With flash

So it is related to lighting. But is it normal

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[johnnyshinta]

Tried another camera app and see the same thing.

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[scodoublet]

dumb question, but did you take off the plastic film cover from the camera lens? I forgot to do this when I first got my Thunderbolt and the pictures sucked and I couldn't figure out why lol

 

[johnnyshinta]

Yeah I took it off. So that doesn't look normal?

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[johnnyshinta]

am i just being overly critical or should i go get an exchange.i'm still in my 14 days.

 

[dannychaos]

I would take a picture with a vzw stores demo TB. compare that way first.

 

[johnnyshinta]

i would but they have that stupid security thing attached to the back of the phone

 

[johnnyshinta]

More examples

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[johnnyshinta]

Pictures outside look much better

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[FrankXS]

am i just being overly critical or should i go get an exchange.i'm still in my 14 days.

It's all about the lighting. Incandescent bulbs (normal light bulbs) have a serious yellowish color. And they show as yellow light when taking a picture without flash and only the incandescent bulbs (color "temperature" around 3200 Kelvin if I remember right). Outside sunlight (and flash) has more "white" lighting color (color temp around 5200 Kelvin). So it is "normal" that inside pics using lightbulbs for lighting will look yellower than pictures using sunlight.

About flourescent... they can be any color from Green to Red to Blue. Usually not white and usually not yellow. Just, weird.

-Frank

 

[johnnyshinta]

my friend who's into photography said it may be an issue with the sensor not picking up enough light in the center. could someone take a picture of a blank piece of paper under incandescent bulbs and see if it has the same issue? the thunderbolts in my local verizon have that security thing and it blocks the camera.

also they are very quick to tell you its all in your head. i went in because there was dust under the screen and they said they didn't see anything then told me it was on the outside. then said if it gets under the screen its because i keep the phone in my pocket and it wouldn't be covered cuz its my fault.

not fond of trying to get exchanges through them

 

[johnnyshinta]

It's all about the lighting. Incandescent bulbs (normal light bulbs) have a serious yellowish color. And they show as yellow light when taking a picture without flash and only the incandescent bulbs (color "temperature" around 3200 Kelvin if I remember right). Outside sunlight (and flash) has more "white" lighting color (color temp around 5200 Kelvin). So it is "normal" that inside pics using lightbulbs for lighting will look yellower than pictures using sunlight.

About flourescent... they can be any color from Green to Red to Blue. Usually not white and usually not yellow. Just, weird.

-Frank

that does make sense. however the entire picture should have a yellow tint. not just the center. right

 

[FrankXS]

that does make sense. however the entire picture should have a yellow tint. not just the center. right

Well, it depends on a whole spectrum of things (pun intended ). Anyway, when you delve into lens tests the center verses the peripheral areas are one of the items rated that make a difference between good lenses and bad lenses. So is color transmission. It's a very complicated procedure usually done in a lab.

On cell phone cameras (and lenses) we usually settle for more of a "thumbnail view" (pun intended again! ) using the naked eye because we expect cell phone cameras/lenses/color correction to be much worse than actual "cameras".

All this is doubly complicated because digital cameras have "color correction" built-in. It may work good or it may not. The color correction (AKA "auto white balance") can differ between cameras. And it may work better in brighter light (of any color) than darker light.

Bottom line... just my opinion... (your suggestion of using a blank sheet of white paper is good - in lab tests they actually use gray, but white should work for this) Take a pic outside with good lighting of a white piece of paper. It it looks good, you're okay. If not, you're not. However, don't be too critical of small variations across the picture. These will occur pretty much no matter what on a white piece of paper in anything other than a professional camera.

-Frank (Yeah, I used to be a professional photographer, too - Gawd I'm old!)

 

[johnnyshinta]

thanks for the detailed explanation frank. i took a picture of my driveway (white) outside and there is no noticeable discoloration in the center. so it appears to only occur in artificial light.

so at this point my option is to always use flash inside even in good lighting

 

[FrankXS]

so at this point my option is to always use flash inside even in good lighting

Yep. That is usually the pros solution. If not a camera mounted flash (for aesthetic reasons), still, artificial (white) flash lighting equipment.

-Frank

 

[johnnyshinta]

so when you take a picture inside without flash. do you have this kind of issue?