Setting White balance

[UUilliam]

Okay what i need to know is:

when setting white balance yourself, do you need to Fill the frame with the 18% grey / white or can it just be a small section of the frame?

Can you shoot white or 18% grey to set white balance?

Since i dont have an 18% grey card yet i just take a picture of something white then set it (not true white though but i maily shoot raw so i can always fix it if its off)
just would be easier to set my WB there and then.

 

[dxqcanada]

Fill the frame ... that way the camera has only one reference.

You can use either white or grey.

Find something really white.

When using an app to white balance you will need a good reference. I you use something other than a grey card or a known pure white object ... then you could be slightly off.

 

[Josh66]

The only reason not to use white is because it could become blown out.

A grey card is unlikely to get blown out.

If your white/grey card did get blown out, your white balance reference would be worthless. All color values would be maxed out.


If you use white, just make sure it's properly exposed.

 

[table1349]

The only reason not to use white is because it could become blown out.

A grey card is unlikely to get blown out.

If your white/grey card did get blown out, your white balance reference would be worthless. All color values would be maxed out.


If you use white, just make sure it's properly exposed.

If you are exposing properly you will not get a blown out white card as you are exposing for white. A proper exposure for white balance is just as important as the exposure for the photographs that follow.

Also, keep in mind that white is not white. To our eyes it takes a significant amount of coloration, relatively speaking, to distinguish white from an off white color. The sensor sees white. Use a proper white target, not something like a white piece of paper, since it may not actually be white. There are many fine products out there for setting white balance.

 

[KmH]

The human eye and brain make things appear white that the camera doesn't see as white.

That's the advantage of using an 18% gray card. Using the back of your hand usually gives a better custom white balance than something your eye perceives is 'white' that is actually several shades off.

IMO the best 18% gray cards are mage by RawWorkflow and are known as Whibal cards.

 

[Josh66]

IMO the best 18% gray cards are mage by RawWorkflow and are known as Whibal cards.

That's what I use.

 

[UUilliam]

reason i asked about filling the frame was because i dont understand the key chain sized 18% grey cards ,as if they would work i would by that as its cheaper and im on low budget tbh
but i guess that would mean i would have to be either: really close to it or use a zoom lens...
so mkight get the studio size
But is this too big for carrying around with me? (~i have a lowepro AW 300 if it helps thati could put it inside)

 

[Josh66]

It depends on how you're setting it.

If you're doing a custom white balance in the camera, you need to fill the frame.

Those small grey cards are for setting WB in PP. You just select the WB dropper, then click on the grey card.

 

[Andrew Boyd]

Setting a custom white balance is a great idea when you have a tricky mixed-light situation. Maybe you're going to shoot in a particular stadium that's known to have some weird mix of incandescent and metal halide or sodium vapor lighting...the most important thing to remember, once you fill that frame, is to have the white/gray card at the proper incidence angle to the camera. This means you want the card to approximate the light that will be hitting your subject: not too steep and angle, nor too flat an angle, to camera. Just try to position it in an average position relative to the light that's falling on it. This sounds more complicated than it is, go out and try it and you'll understand quickly.
If you DON'T have a tricky mixed light situation, I wouldn't waste time on setting a custom balance. Our modern cameras do a phenomenal job on white balance most of the time. Concentrate on shooting great pictures instead.:mrgreen:
Andrew Boyd
TheDiscerningPhotographer.com

 

[SpeedTrap]

In an every day shooting I will let the camera White Balance, but I shoot in RAW so I can tweek it after if needed. If I am shooting with strobes I always set a custom White Balance and depending on the shoot I may Shoot several through the day.

 

[Josh66]

Personally, I leave my camera set to daylight all the time.

If in doubt (sometimes, there is no doubt - I know it will be wrong), I shoot a WhiBal and fix it later.

 

[Josh66]

[...]
so might get the studio size
[...]

I have the 2x3 one (or something close to that - credit card sized).

Now, I wish I had a bigger one (5x7, or close to that, maybe bigger).

Next time I order something from B&H, I'll throw one in the cart.

 

[Reese's PB Luver]

I prefer white-balancing lens caps. They are so much easier and they can replace your regular lens caps (so you don't have to carry around both for each lens/lens diameter).

I used to use a WhiBal, but I get better results with the lens cap and it is easier/faster to use.

 

[JerryPH]

The D700 has 5 custom WB settings (D0 to D4). I use D0 for the current conditions and D1 through D4 to correct for anything from 1 to 4 1/2 CTO gels that I use. This setup, becuase I use CTO gets *a lot* and this gets me through 95% of my WB issues.

That last 5%, I use a white sheet of paper that I carry with me, fill the frame with it and let the camera set the WB for me on the D0 setting. It has yet to be off even a little, and I've been in a few weddings with really funky lighting!

I shoot nothing but RAW in case it needs tweaking later.