White Balance Using 550EX

[jimmyd]

Has anyone run any white balance tests when using the 550EX or other flash unit? That is, which white balance setting to use? (i.e., AWB, Flash, Daylight.) An example: while shooting in daylight, would it be better to use the "daylight" setting or the "flash" or the "awb," inquiring mind is hoping to know....

[robertwgross]

That's a trick question, right?

Of course, the 550EX is a flash unit, so set the camera to "flash" for white balance.

There might be exceptions, if you are trying to get some special color effect.

---Bob Gross---

[jimmyd]

Well, actually no, I don't think it's a trick question. If I were shooting with daylight film (i.e., the color balance of the film is 56K) there's no color temp. setting on the film camera, so I'm shooting in daylight filling with whatever is the exact color temp. of the flash. I guess what I'm saying is that I assumed the color temp. of the flash unit is also 56K. But I guess not, huh?

[Yavor75]

Actually, many folks have had better luck using the daylight setting with strobes.

Bob

[robertwgross]

I don't think that you are shooting daylight film in any digital camera.

Further, the color temperature of 550EX flash is around 6000 degrees Kelvin, and not 56K.

As I had indicated previously, you normally match the color balance to the color temperature of the light (in this case, the 550EX), unless you are trying to achieve a special color effect (warming, cooling, or whatever).

---Bob Gross---

[jimmyd]

robertwgross wrote:
I don't think that you are shooting daylight film in any digital camera.

Further, the color temperature of 550EX flash is around 6000 degrees Kelvin, and not 56K.

---Bob Gross---

I meant shooting film in a "film" SLR. Thanks for the info on the color temp. of the flash. 6K Kelvin would be moving towards the 'bluer' end of the spectrum. So I guess the original question can only be answered by personal taste-- whichever the shooter likes best.

[robertwgross]

That's correct. 6000 Kelvin would be slightly bluer than the normal 5600 or 5500 that I think of as "normal".

Some folks will put a color filter over their 550EX head to warm or cool its normal light. But, try doing that with your camera set to Auto White Balance and you might be fooling yourself.

Somebody asked me "Who is this Kelvin guy, anyway? What is his web site address?"

---Bob Gross---

[jimmyd]

robertwgross wrote:
Somebody asked me "Who is this Kelvin guy, anyway? What is his web site address?"

---Bob Gross---



http://www.csun.edu/~hchum001/bookcase/th361/sp96/kelvin.html

[Hatem Eldoronki]

I might not be the expert, but so far, I had the best results with manually setting the WB. I always do that, unless I have little time, then I go AWB, which I think is a close guess by the camera..
Unless you want to use Photoshop of course..

[RajaBhat]

Hi,
With my G3 I find that if I use a Canon E-TTL flash, I get an orange like complexion on faces with the white balance set to auto. Even fill flash in daylight. So now I set it to Flash White Balance any time the flash is used, even fill flash.....
I don't know about the 10D, but my G3 does *not* seem to know that I'm using flash even when I set it to flash or use the 380EX flash.
Raja