The primary event in vision is the light-driven cis-trans isomerization of the 11-cis-retinal chromophore in the G-protein coupled receptor rhodopsin. Early measurements showed that this photoisomerization has a reaction quantum yield phi of approximately 0.67 [Dartnall (1936) Proc. R. Soc. A 156, 158-170; Dartnall (1968) Vision Res. 8, 339-358] and suggested that the quantum yield was wavelength independent [Schneider (1939) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 170, 102-112]. Here we more accurately determine phi(500) = 0.65 +/- 0.01 and reveal that phi surprisingly depends on the wavelength of the incident light. Although there is no difference in the quantum yield between 450 and 480 nm, the quantum yield falls significantly as the photon energy is reduced below 20 000 cm(-1) (500 nm). At the reddest wavelength measured (570 nm), the quantum yield is reduced by 5 +/- 1% relative to the 500 nm value. These experiments correct the long-held presumption that the quantum yield in vision is wavelength independent, and support the hypothesis that the 200 fs photoisomerization reaction that initiates vision is dictated by nonstationary excited-state vibrational wave packet dynamics.