Got a question from a reader on Twitter over some strange camera performance.
@SomeGadgetGuy 1. Could you explain why this happens? I assume its static electricity? 1/2 pic.twitter.com/t8xUPzZO6n
— Vincent Soon (@Vsmh96) September 16, 2015
The first time I ran into something similar on my DSLR I had a minor panic attack that my sensor was damaged. While it can be frustrating to deal with, it’s a fairly common issue we face with consumer fluorescent lights.
The light that comes from a bulb is not constant. The electricity we use is AC, or alternating current, and cycles between 50 or 60 times a second. This refresh rate is fast enough that the human eye perceives it as constant. You can also think about film and video, where 24fps and faster frame rates produces fluid movement, even though each individual frame is a still photo. Continue reading “Ask Juan: Why do Dark Lines Form on Photos Shot Under Fluorescent Lights?”