Beginner with an advanced subject needs help...

[Blazer1]

So shooting a picture to adjust white balancing does not work, I keep getting the "no gd" message. I am guessing it is because it is out of range to what the camera can adjust for? An anomaly I noticed while trying to shoot white balance is if viewing with the screen I get a constant scroll of bars, no picture? Is this due to the pwm on the individual leds?

 

[cherylynne1]

If it's so blue that white balance can't correct it, then you have two choices. Either you can change the lighting or you can embrace the color. You might notice that pictures of concerts or plays often don't correct the white balance....they use different colored lights for a reason, and the pictures reflect that. The same thing often happens with sunset pictures. They want that golden glow, rather than making the sunlight appear white.

It's probably part of the aesthetic of the tank to be very blue, so you might want to capture the way that feels.

 

[snowbear]

Can you post an example?

 

[Blazer1]

Please be kind, I have only been doing this for a week!
The pictures do not "pop" and the color is off. In the full tank shots there is no detail it is hard to make out the small things.

 

[snowbear]

Is this closer to the real colors?

 

[Blazer1]

Is this closer to the real colors?

View attachment 114174

Yes! How did you do that?

 

[snowbear]

Using Lightroom, I picked the eyedropper tool in White Balance and selected the little bit of gravel against the glass at lower right - I assumed it was white or light grey. Lightroom will alter the WB based on that selection.

You should be able to set a custom WB in camera by shooting an all white or all black object in the aquarium light (maybe a piece of white plastic put against the back wall.

It really shouldn't matter what color the light is; the key is shooting the white/black object in the light and the camera will adjust appropriately. Be aware, you'll have to turn off auto focus because the camera will just hunt, since there is no contrasting elements to focus on.

 

[Blazer1]

I have tried that exact thing using the free software that came with my camera, I think it is called NX2? It is Nikons photo edit software. Is lightroom that much better?

 

[snowbear]

I don't see an eyedropper tool in ViewNX2 for white balance adjustment - only sliders.

View NX2 will give you the very basics. Lightroom will provide more editing tools as well as photo management (library, rating, export, setting color space). As I understand the newer versions of LR (I have LR3) hve a lot of processing features.

I use LR for 85 - 90% of my processing. Photoshop only comes into play 10-15%

 

[Blazer1]

I have tried for an hour to set the white balance shooting a white card under the light and get "no gd" every time! I must have taken 200 photos and it still will not "take". I know other cameras such as Canon will adjust by shooting a white card under these lights anyway to get this Nikon adjusted?

 

[snowbear]

Sorry, I'm not familiar with the error code. Try this as a test - shoot the white card in regular light (or fluorescent) and see what you get.

 

[snowbear]

Maybe try moving the card so it's more directly under the light (if possible) or bump the ISO a couple of stops. It looks like the error code could mean it's too dark. I know the link is for a D53xx but it looks like the procedure is the same.

Nikon | Imaging Products | Digitutor | D5300

 

[Blazer1]

Yes, I can walk into the kitchen and shoot the same card under incandescent lighting and it takes the first try.

That is the same procedure.

 

[snowbear]

Try bumping the ISO to at least 3200 (the last example is 1600) and set the aperture to wide open. Let's see if the camera thinks the tank is too dark

 

[Blazer1]

I have done that thinking the same thing, I made sure the exposure meter was centered. I have the aperture wide open and have tried different shutter speeds and iso setting. I don't mind continuing experimenting if it is my procedure but I don't want to waste my time if the camera just cant adjust to this high a kelvin rating.