Why are my panoramas blue?

February 9, 2014 2:54 AM

I have a SONY NEX-C3 and have been trying out the "Sweep Panorama" shooting mode. For some reason, the panoramas are coming out very blue. The white balance is set to "auto" and the main other mode I use on the camera is just the "intelligent auto". Why is this happening? It happens in both 2D and 3D panorama modes.
posted by treehorn+bunny to Media & Arts (3 answers total)

Location and geography also matter. I get blue shots with an auto white balance in Kenya, for example, particularly out in the countryside. My own suspicion, though not confirmed, is that there are far fewer particulates in the air due to lack of industrialization etc and so the light changes beyond what may have been tested in Japan.

Are you out in the countryside where there's little industry/smog/pollution?
posted by infini at 7:16 AM on February 9, 2014

Response by poster: Interesting idea, Swiss Meringue Buttercream, but I feel like the scene is not very different from one end to the other - these are landscapes. I have a sample one here, what do you think? The other ones I have tried look very similar in blueness and also are pretty much water, sky, and trees. I wouldn't say they are necessarily out in the countryside though, that sample photo is overlooking a moderate sized city, but another one I tried was very far from any significant town. infini did you find any way to combat the blue panoramas with auto in Kenya?
posted by treehorn+bunny at 12:31 AM on February 10, 2014

Not with auto or without, but that was only with my Sony cameras. I'll try the new Canon and see how it goes. I've never had consistent success with African light conditions.
posted by infini at 12:34 AM on February 10, 2014