Q3 43 - strange color issues

[reemas]

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This weekend I noticed my Q3 43 camera would render colors (or white balance) in a very strange way occasionally - too cool/blue. There was really no way to predict which colors or temperature the camera would "see". I had to move the camera away to a different scene and refocus many times until finally it looked normal. It was still just luck if it picked up the scene as cool/blue or normal.

Has anyone had this issue or know if I'm doing something wrong? I tried resetting it (battery pop out), I also tried changing the white balance setting from Auto to manual. When changing WB, the issue was the same just more cool or warm depending on which manual WB I picked. Regardless, it still looked completely off.

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Edited May 5 by reemas
Those are fake AI generated faces for privacy :)

[zlatkob]

There's a big orange flame in each photo. Then there's a different color light source in the rest of the room (daylight?). A big orange light source will certainly throw off auto white balance. But whether auto or manual, white balance can only match one color temperature, not two disparate color temperatures.

[LocalHero1953]

Is that a real flame? In which case, as the dominant/brightest thing in the room, the camera is adjusting WB to stop it looking too warm/yellow. That makes the rest of the room blue.

I'd expect any camera to do the same.

Edited May 5 by LocalHero1953

[Doc_P]

The situation you mention is a real challenge for Automatic White Point selection, no doubt. When the Q3 43 was released, some reviews mentioned a tendency towards cool colors… Correctable of course in RAW development, but nonetheless… I really hesitated to bget the Q3 43 but finally bought it. Then i loaded my first shoots in Adobe Lightroom and found the mentioned „cooler“ colors. In Capture One as well as Dxo Photolab the color rendering was as expected and seen during exposure… No challenge for me since i still use either Capture One or Dxo Photolab. Might be worth a try… And not to forget: Congrats on your aquisition: imho the Q3 43 is a gem…

[LocalHero1953]

Strange - I've had the Q3 43 since launch and always edit in LR. I just don't see cooler colours - they look neutral to me (in conditions where I'd expect neutrality, unlike the OP's images!)

[reemas]

Good call it could be the flame. I guess the camera would get stuck for a while with one color tone and nothing would work to break it out. 
 

Luckily I haven’t this issue outside of this. What threw me off was the color was also fine in the same situation a few times. 

Edited May 5 by reemas

[Mikep996]

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I have found automatic WB to occasionally - sometimes often in other than daylight - get the colors quite wrong.  Of course that can be fixed in post but I prefer it be right in the camera so I usually select WB based on the lighting, seldom selecting auto.  

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[jaapv]

And if the situation gets really difficult say a photograph with LED and tungsten/ daylight mixed the result will be really off with the part lit by LED bright yellow and only to be corrected in postprocessing using sophisticated techniques. The solution in that case is to use grey card white balance. In a pinch you can use a sheet of white paper slightly underexposed or even a tablecloth as “grey card”. In postprocessing you will only need to warm the colour up a bit with your yellow-blue slider. 

[jaapv]

On 5/5/2025 at 11:21 PM, reemas said:

 

Luckily I haven’t this issue outside of this. What threw me off was the color was also fine in the same situation a few times. 

That depends on the size, position and actual (changing) colour and intensity of the flame in relation to the rest of the light.  The camera will always average based on a reasonably intelligent algorithm. 
In any case it will always be different from the colours you remember as the brain has a sophisticated Photoshop built in. Try looking at a blue square on a white background for a couple of minutes and then look away at a white sheet of paper. You will see a yellow square. 
https://www.medicaldaily.com/memory-color-shades-why-human-brain-struggles-remember-color-336396

[PhotoCruiser]

Am 5.5.2025 um 21:51 schrieb reemas:

I also tried changing the white balance setting from Auto to manual. When changing WB, the issue was the same just more cool or warm depending on which manual WB I picked.

When the same/similar happen with manual white balance then auto or a preset, then white balance is not the problem.

What Jaapv wrote, could be the artificial illumination in the room or simply your eyes fooled you after being a while in the room.

What Software do you use to view and edit the photos, it may be a import filter/setting of your software leading to that result.
Photos are DNG or JPG? Do they look the same or one is better as the other?

Chris