Question about ExpoDisc?

[Dooglla]

Just was wanting to know if anyone has one are they worth buying to get the white balance? Am thinking about getting a few for my lenses of different sizes.

[mjordan]

I think they are too expensive for what they do. There are a number of ways to get white balance for a lot cheaper... if not free that work just as well.

If you do buy one, don't buy one for each size lens. All you need is one for your largest lens, then hold it over the lens for those that are smaller and you can't actually put it on the lens. No use spending more money than you have to for a piece of plastic. But it is way over priced for what it does.

Mike

[defordphoto]

Yeah, they are good, but they are pricey. 2-3 white, paper coffee filters will do just about the same thing. I keep some in all my bags.

[photographer unknown]

I love mine. I tried the coffee filters even the pringles lid, they both helped but not near as much as the expodisc. That said I wouldn't buy one for each lens, I would buy one to fit the largest lens you have (i.e. 77mm or whatever) and then use it for each of your lenses by just holding it in front of your lens to capture your custom white balance. You only need it if front of the lens long enough to push the shutter button. Very easy to do.

photographer--unknown

[defordphoto]

The 77mm version is what? $100?

[Dooglla]

The 77mm version is what? $100?

Yeah, I will get the 77 and use it to get my white balance. Appreciate it much for the help.

[Jesper]

Before you spend $100 on a piece of plastic, have you tried the white coffee filter trick? It costs almost $0 and works really well.

[Dooglla]

Yes I have tried that one. Maybe I will go back to that and save some money. Thanks all.

[dhbailey]

Or just use your wordprocessor to create an 18% gray card -- keep 2 or 3 in your camera bag, and reprint them as needed.

[Redbird_xo]

Or just use your wordprocessor to create an 18% gray card -- keep 2 or 3 in your camera bag, and reprint them as needed.
i'm a little confused...isn't gray card for setting correct exposure?

[scottbergerphoto]

i'm a little confused...isn't gray card for setting correct exposure?
Yes. But it is also for setting a custom white balance. Welcome to digital.
Scott

[Jesper]

Or just use your wordprocessor to create an 18% gray card -- keep 2 or 3 in your camera bag, and reprint them as needed.Yes, but if you print a gray card yourself in this way it will most likely not be very accurate. It will probably have a (noticeable) colour cast and it will not be exactly 18% gray. Better buy a gray card in a shop.

[yenoram]

Rather than spend $139.95 on a 77mm Expo Disc, I purchased the 72mm version ($101.96) and then added a cheap stepping ring to fit my lenses. Now I leave my Expo Disc on as a lens cap so it's right there when I need it. Yes, it's expensive but I have no regrets about the money I spent; I've certainly spent $100 on more useless things to be honest.

[beech1]

The cost of the item is not important if you are using it to photograph in a professional environment. The time it saves you at the computer correcting photos is time you can use to be with your family or shooting more jobs. It is a time saver to the nth degree. It will help you produce accurate color balance for all types of jobs.

If on the other hand you do not make a living doing this and you have all kinds of time use the coffee filter.



Don

[dhbailey]

Yes, but if you print a gray card yourself in this way it will most likely not be very accurate. It will probably have a (noticeable) colour cast and it will not be exactly 18% gray. Better buy a gray card in a shop.

Well, all I know is that I printed such a card, used it to set white balance in a room lit with a combination flourescent light (more at the orange end of the scale) and an incandescent bulb, and when I took a picture of a white music book open on a black music stand, they came out looking white and black just as they should be. In other words, to my eyes, the picture had a very accurate white balance in it.

I printed the cards on a b/w laser printer, by the way, not a color inkjet mimicing black by combining the colored inks.

[defordphoto]

If on the other hand you do not make a living doing this and you have all kinds of time use the coffee filter.


You'd be surprised how many professionals use the coffee filter technique. In comprehensive tests the coffee filters and ExpoDisk were neck and neck.

[robertwgross]

Yes, but real photo professionals use the L coffee filter, and they cost a nickel more.

---Bob Gross---

[CyberDyneSystems]

:lol: :lol:

They import those from Germany? No?

[defordphoto]

Yes, but real photo professionals use the L coffee filter, and they cost a nickel more.

---Bob Gross---

Thanks for pointing that out Bob. I figured everyone would know to get the coffee filters with the red stripe. My bad. Imagine the hell to pay if someone used a non-L filter. Sheesh, I'd be chased off the boards.

[pcasciola]

Wouldn't the L coffee filters be putty colored though? :D

[msvadi]

IMHO, some things are quite useless. For example, cheap flash diffusers. The ExpoDisk, well, I have it for more than a year now, and I practically stopped using. Just shoot RAW, adjust white balance during conversion, and you are okay. It's one of the advantages of digital. Sometimes, I shoot a frame using the ExpoDisk, I keep the file just in case I decide to use it later for RAW conversion. But it almost never happens.

If you decide to buy an ExpoDisk, buy only one, it does not have to fit on all your lenses. You can simply hold it in front of the lens.

New expodisks are quite expensive, so watch the ebay. They appear on the ebay every couple of weeks. I got mine for less that $20 including shipping.

[wolf]

Thanks for pointing that out Bob. I figured everyone would know to get the coffee filters with the red stripe. My bad. Imagine the hell to pay if someone used a non-L filter. Sheesh, I'd be chased off the boards.

The meLitta brand.

http://www.wolverineenterprises.com/photo_net/filter.jpg

[defordphoto]

The meLitta brand.

http://www.wolverineenterprises.com/photo_net/filter.jpg

AHA! Perfect! I'm heading out to the local Kitchens and Things store first thing tomorrow!

MeLitta it is! I love that handy flap right at the L designation.

[CyberDyneSystems]

It's white, so this must be one of there telephoto MeLitta filters...

It uses expensive Flourite in the filter.

[Redbird_xo]

Yes. But it is also for setting a custom white balance. Welcome to digital.
Scott
Thanks Scott. I learn something new here almost every time! :)

[robertwgross]

It uses expensive Flourite in the filter.

CDS, I know we've gone through this before.

Flourite is made out of wheat.

Fluorite is made into expensive lenses.

---Bob Gross---

[wolf]

I think CDS is right about using organic Fluorite in the "L" series coffee filters. http://photography-on-the.net/forum/images/icons/icon12.gif

[pcasciola]

I use the newer L filters which are putty colored and USM.

http://www.casciola.com/pics/lfilter.jpg

[mjordan]

IMHO, some things are quite useless. For example, cheap flash diffusers. The ExpoDisk, well, I have it for more than a year now, and I practically stopped using. Just shoot RAW, adjust white balance during conversion, and you are okay. It's one of the advantages of digital. Sometimes, I shoot a frame using the ExpoDisk, I keep the file just in case I decide to use it later for RAW conversion. But it almost never happens.

New expodisks are quite expensive, so watch the ebay. They appear on the ebay every couple of weeks. I got mine for less that $20 including shipping.
They are listed on e-bay alright, by the same person and except for one that has a starting price of $99 all are well over a $100. And he's charging $15 shipping in the US. Must be a heavy piece of plastic... or he's shipping them 4 hour express. :lol: Don't you just love people that like to improve their profit by tacking it onto the shipping.

Mike