Colour Temperature

[Sarah Elizabeth]

I have a canon 30d. When I am shooting in low light (indoors)do I have to change the temperature settings on my camera? When in low light I get an orangeish colour so as a result I have altered the temperature and it seems to fix it. My question is, do I always have to change the colour temperature depending on which type of lighting I am in or is there a way for the camera to do it manually for me?

 

[Sideburns]

it all depends on the TYPE of lighting.

Take a picture of a white piece of paper filling the frame, and then go to the menu option "custom white balance".

Choose the picture you just took, then change your white balance setting to custom.

This should correct any colour differences you are seeing. Remember that every time the lighting changes you will need to do this again because the colours will change.

 

[Garbz]

The camera can autowhite balance but it often gets it horribly wrong. Your best bet is manual. If it's something very sensitive where your whites really need to be perfectly neutral then your best bet is shoot in RAW which allows you to pick a colour balance afterwards.

 

[Flash Harry]

Here's a chart roughly explaining CT:emperatureTypical Sources 1000KCandles; oil lamps 2000KVery early sunrise; low effect tungsten lamps 2500KHousehold light bulbs 3000KStudio lights, photo floods 4000KClear flashbulbs 5000KTypical daylight; electronic flash 5500KThe sun at noon near Kodak's offices 6000KBright sunshine with clear sky 7000KSlightly overcast sky 8000KHazy sky 9000KOpen shade on clear day 10,000KHeavily overcast sky 11,000KSunless blue skies 20,000+KOpen shade in mountains on a really clear day

 

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Thank you so much guys! I love the ability to do this all manually. Thanks again for the advice and Flash Harry the chart rocks my socks. Thanks ya!

 

[Big Mike]

Also,
I suggest shooting in RAW (recording RAW files rather than JPEG). RAW files give you the option of changing the white balance on the computer, after them image has been shot.

Personally, I almost always leave it on Auto WB and just tweak the WB at the RAW stage of post processing.

 

[Sideburns]

I shoot in RAW, but I find that if I want the white balance right the ONLY way to do it...is through the camera's custom settings...otherwise you get it slightly off...

 

[Iron Flatline]

Yeah, RAW works well, but if you've got a constant environment (meaning you're not wandering from room to room) and the shoot is important enough, you may as well set the WB manually. You'll get better results later on - AND less work when you get back in front of the computer ;-)

 

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Thanks guys. I am more of a get it right the first time kinda shooter. So this would Be the "k" setting on the camera yeah? It prompts me to use K and I listen but I am not one for conforming either.

 

[ksmattfish]

The tungsten wb setting on cameras is for tungsten photofloods (3200 & 3400). Notice that the color temp from household tungsten bulbs (2000 - 2500) is still warmer than that, so even on tungsten wb, household bulbs will cause a bit of color cast.

I shoot raw, so unless I want to see the effect of changing the wb in the LCD I just adjust wb later. Although it may be faster in the big picture to correct before the shot, I'm often in situations where the shooting time is crunched, while I have plenty of post-processing time later.

 

[Helen B]

The tungsten wb setting on cameras is for tungsten photofloods (3200 & 3400). Notice that the color temp from household tungsten bulbs (2000 - 2500) is still warmer than that, so even on tungsten wb, household bulbs will cause a bit of color cast.
...

Household tungsten lamps generally have a higher colour temperature than 2000 - 2500 kelvin; it is more like 2850 K for 100 W lamps. Though the currently available tungsten-balanced film is balanced for 3200 K (Type B film*, studio tungsten lamps) I have noticed that a lot of digital still cameras have the 'incandescent' setting at a lower temperature, more suitable for household lamps. Professional video cameras generally use 3200 K for the tungsten preset, however.

*There might still be some Type A, 3400 K film for P1 photofloods knocking around somewhere.

Best,
Helen

 

[Mike_E]

Just keep a sheet of bright white copy paper and do a custom setting.

2 seconds and you're done.

 

[ksmattfish]

I have noticed that a lot of digital still cameras have the 'incandescent' setting at a lower temperature, more suitable for household lamps.

Household incandescent bulbs are all over the place. While some may be closer to 3000 than others, just as many are close to 2000, particularly smaller, decorative bulbs. All of the digital cameras I've had the opportunity to investigate have the tungsten wb set to 3200, even the point-n-shoots. Most of the instruction manuals list color temps for the different wb settings so it's easy enough to check.

 

[Helen B]

Household incandescent bulbs are all over the place. While some may be closer to 3000 than others, just as many are close to 2000, particularly smaller, decorative bulbs.

I agree. Decorative low wattage lamps can have a very low colour temperature. I was referring to the ones commonly used for practical household illumination - ie those between 60 W and 150 W. They tend to be around 2800 kelvin - slightly lower for 60 W, slightly higher for 150 W. This is based on my experience as a cinematographer, using a calibrated colour meter.

All of the digital cameras I've had the opportunity to investigate have the tungsten wb set to 3200, even the point-n-shoots. Most of the instruction manuals list color temps for the different wb settings so it's easy enough to check.

Well that is why I was careful to refer to the 'incandescent' setting being lower than 3200 kelvin, rather than the 'tungsten' setting. The incandescent setting on a D40x, for example, is about 3000 K.

Best,
Helen

 

[RyanLilly]

Just keep a sheet of bright white copy paper and do a custom setting.

2 seconds and you're done.

I completely agree, I have come from a video background and white balance is paramount. With digital still in a controlled environment it saves so much time just to set white balance manually.