WB with a pice of paper

[Seanbell]

:) how do i use costom WB i shot a pice of paper and set it to it on how to i use it ?

[kbreit]

Funny, I just posted about a similar topic.

What camera do you have?

[kbreit]

Stupid me, you have a 20D. Your manual will say. However, this is how you do the 350D.

Take picture with card taking up most of center area of shot. Go to your menu #2 and custom WB. Select the picture you just took. Then go to your white balance area and select the custom white balance. You should be good.

[Robert_Lay]

The procedure for setting and then using a Custom White Balance is as follows:

1) Set the Custom White Balance by using the WB control and choose Custom White Balance. At the point where you actually do the "Set" you should be pointing to a white or neutral colored target as close to full frame as possible, but certainly at least as big as the [ ]. Different model cameras may have slightly differing ways of doing that step.

Once step (1) is completed, the correct white balance is now stored and memorized in that camera until you do it over.

2) In most camera models the Custom White Balance mode will continue to be in use until you explicitly take it out of that mode. Therefore, to use the Custom White Balance setting that you established in step (1), you simply leave the camera in the Custom White Balance mode and take pictures. So long as you leave it in Custom White Balance mode, all pictures taken will be color balanced for that setting.

Note that some models, such as the G5, allow you to set and retain 2 separate CWB settings.

The DSLR cameras, such as the Rebel XT, use a different approach in that Step (1) actually takes a photograph and you use that photograph to set the White Balance. In Step(2) you have to explicitly choose the Custom White Balance mode for taking the subsequent pictures. See the Rebel XT User's Guide pages 57 and 58.

[bcblair]

Should the card be held on the subject and read from the same distance? Can you move in closer to make the reading, so long as you are not blocking any of the lighting. What size card would be needed for shooting a band on stage at a night club?

[SkipD]

Should the card be held on the subject and read from the same distance? Can you move in closer to make the reading, so long as you are not blocking any of the lighting. What size card would be needed for shooting a band on stage at a night club?As Bob said above, you need to have the card filling most of the frame when you capture the custom white balance value. If you can't get on stage, then you'll need a giant card.

Another way to set a "custom" white balance in the "can't get near the subject or its lighting" scenario requires you to use RAW mode for the best results. If there is a known white object that you are photographing in the subject, you can use an eyedropper tool when converting the first RAW image to an editable form (.TIF or .PSD). Doing that will give you values that you can then use to convert the rest of the shots.

If the band is using constantly varying colored lights to illuminate the stage, you really can't do anything about the white balance that is going to make sense.

[bcblair]

This is probably most usefull for portraits and such, isn't it? How would you do it for say a landscape?

[SkipD]

This is probably most usefull for portraits and such, isn't it? How would you do it for say a landscape?The key is to have the same light source hitting the card so that the white balance is meaningful to the image. For a landscape, you probably have only one light source - the sun. Just make sure that you and the subject have the same cloud cover, etc., so that the color of the light is the same.

[Robert_Lay]

Should the card be held on the subject and read from the same distance? Can you move in closer to make the reading, so long as you are not blocking any of the lighting. What size card would be needed for shooting a band on stage at a night club?

This is why it is necessary to actually understand the basis for the procedure and not just try to follow someone's high level suggestions.

The card must be illuminated by the same light as the subject - that has a host of implications.

The card should face the camera - that's simple.

The card must fill the frame, at least to the extent that the White Balance reading area (as specified in the users guide) is completely enveloped by the card - otherwise the White Balance setting is going to be contaminated by something other than the card - many implications there, also.

I hope that helps, without trying to micro-manage you. I'm a firm believer in do-it-yourself-so-you-understand - not just blindly following a recipe.