Why Do I See Lines in My Photos or Videos?Updated 2 days ago
Seeing Lines in Your Content? Here’s What’s Going On, and How to Fix It.
If you’ve noticed faint grey or wavy lines appearing in your photos or videos when filming with your CosmoGlo Light, you're not alone. The good news? It's not a defect—it’s just a camera setting mismatch, and it's a super easy fix. We highly recommend watching this helpful Reel by @vaudelashes for a visual explanation of what’s happening and how to adjust your camera settings for the best results.
What’s Actually Happening?
Those lines you’re seeing are caused by a phenomenon called light banding, and it occurs when your phone’s camera shutter speed isn’t in sync with the LED flicker rate of your CosmoGlo light.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the key terms:
Light Banding: Wavy or grey lines visible in photo or video content due to mismatched timing between camera and light flicker.
Rolling Shutter: The way most phone cameras capture images—one line of pixels at a time, rather than all at once.
FPS (Frames Per Second): How many frames your camera captures in one second. Common options include 30 FPS or 60 FPS.
LED Flicker Rate: LEDs (like the ones in CosmoGlo) turn on and off at extremely high speeds; speeds so fast your eye can’t detect it. The dimmer knob adjusts the flicker speed to brighten or soften the light.
The camera captures each frame in slices. If those slices happen when the LEDs are dimming or powering up, your phone records that, and that’s what creates those flickering lines.
How to Fix It
Luckily, this is an easy fix with just a few camera adjustments:
Change Your Frame Rate: Most phones let you toggle between 30 FPS and 60 FPS in video settings. Try switching between them to see which eliminates the flicker.
Adjust Your Exposure Settings: In your camera’s manual or pro settings, adjusting the exposure can often help sync better with your lighting. Reducing exposure time can sometimes reduce or eliminate banding.
Use a Different Camera App (Optional): Some third-party camera apps give you more control over FPS, ISO, and shutter speed. This can help fine-tune your filming setup.
Check the Dimmer Setting: Try adjusting the brightness on your CosmoGlo light. Sometimes a slight tweak can realign the flicker rate enough to avoid visible banding.
Light banding is a normal camera + LED interaction, not a defect. With a quick adjustment to your frame rate or exposure settings, your content will be flicker-free and glowing beautifully in no time.
If you need help adjusting your camera settings or still see issues, feel free to reach out to our support team, we’re always happy to assist!