Confused on white balance

[sugar_babygirli]

It's me again with yet another question.

I have the Canon EOS 20 D (just so you'll know if it helps) and I am very confused on how to set a white balance to match the lighting you're using? I know HOW to, but how do you know what numbers to set it on? (example 5200 is daylight, right?) I'm using this kind of bulb:

http://www.gelighting.com/na/home_lighting/products/imgs/reveal/reveal_collage.jpg

It's not a tungsten, so what exactly is it? Also, I know you're supposed to hold up a white card or something to take the reading off it, but do you do that under the lighting you're using, and can I use a white piece of paper?

Sorry for such dumb questions. I tried to google it, but didn't help me much. :rolleyes: Please try and explain as simply and as detailed as possible. Thanks!

[Medic1]

I know you're supposed to hold up a white card or something to take the reading off it, but do you do that under the lighting you're using, and can I use a white piece of paper?


Yes, when you are setting a custom WB for any lighting situation, you must use the lighting in which you are going to take the image. Otherwise, your WB will be optimized for the lighting you set the WB in, not the one you are taking the picture in.

If you are going to use a white piece of paper, then make sure that it is true white and not some off colour degree of white. Take the picture and then use the image to set the custom WB.

Now, I may be wrong on this, but I think you would get a more accurate WB setting if you used an 18% gray card instead of a white piece of paper.

[sGu]

You certainly can use a sheet of white paper, as long as it's under exact lighting condition of your shoot object, don't forget to set camera to custom white balance before you take the shot!

Also you can try coffee filter or an expensive solution but does the same thing - ExpoDisc. You simply fit filters in front of lens, point it to the light source, take a shot, again, in custom white balance mode, then set it in camera as white balance.

[Tom Reid]

I own a 300D, sad to say with the new 350 now out there!! I use a gray card pretty much religiously. I have on occassion found myself without the card so tried this...

1 - WB on Auto
2 - Take picture of whatever it is you want to shoot
3 - Open WB settings menu and set that shot to be used for the WB
4 - Change WB to Custom and take shot again.

I've tried this and the colors turn out about as close to their natural look as a gray card can provide, especially under difficult lighting.

[robertwgross]

The GE bulb appears to have a tungsten element, but it is not a normal tungsten bulb. The neodymium in the glass is going to radically change the spectrum of the light given off.

This is a perfect case of where a Custom White Balance should be used. A standard Tungsten White Balance is likely to be way off, and Auto White Balance might be even further off.

---Bob Gross---

[Moments]

Unless you know the color temp of any given light source, you should do a custom white balance. If you really wish to be tecky and exact, any of the preset selections (Daylight, Shade, Tung, etc) will get you close but not exact. The only way to get exact is to use a expensive color temp meter and set the color temp (Kelvin)setting on the camera to match, or do a custom white balance. Personaly, I use a expodisc for a custom colorbalance. Prior to the expo disc, I used a Digital Calibration Target by Westcott which has on one side, a equal strip of Black /18% Grey / White, (for exposure) on the other side white (for Color Balance).
The expo disc has worked out even better and I'm much happier with it's results. The expo disc is also easy to use while out on different locations. I have read about people using coffee filters to do the same. I don't know if they use a new one each day and then make coffee in the morning with it , or keep it until they think it might be dirty or just too tattered to use. I know I will take flac for that, but I just don't understand cutting corners for a critical proceedure. Purchasing a 18% grey card is really the cheapest way to go. Even when we used them just for exposure, we would replace them about once a year when they got dirty in the commercial studio I worked in.

Pete
http://www.memorablemoments.net

[Marvinspu36]

Canon recommends the use of an 18% gray card for setting custom white balance. I use a Delta 1, 18% gray card. It works great. You can pick them up for around $10 for a pack of two 8x10 cards at your local photography supply store. It is worth the small expense. "White" paper is not always true white, so it is not, in general, good to use "white" paper.

Hope this helps.

PS: If you want to see a lengthy discussion about setting custom white balance, check out this post:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=56710

[Tparr]

You might want to try a simple,inexpensive way to set wb for almost any situation. The first thing is to get a plastic lid off of a yogurt or pringles can - place it against the lens and shoot a picture pointing the direction that you will be shooting. then use that image (which will be a blured white/grey image) as the image to use for custom wb. I have used this a number of times in gyms and other indoor situations.It works great and is much less expensive than buying an ExpoDisc!

[wolf]

I have been using a coffee filter to set custom white balance for a few months now because I found it convenient to carry it in my shirt pocket when I'm out and about. This discussion prompted me to do a controlled test using a coffee filter and a grey card to set CWB. I won't be using a coffee filter any longer. Below are the results using the same set up for both tests using studio strobes and two different CWB settings.

CWB with coffe filter
http://wolverineenterprises.com/photo_net/coffee1.jpg

CWB with grey card
http://wolverineenterprises.com/photo_net/grey1.jpg

CWB with coffee filter
http://wolverineenterprises.com/photo_net/coffee2.jpg

CWB with grey card
http://wolverineenterprises.com/photo_net/grey2.jpg


A definite blue tint to the image with the coffee filter CWB setting.