20D White Balance Correction

[Tom Reid]

I'm a brand new 20D owner, recently upgraded from a Drebel. I've broken all the rules taught in Man School and read the manual. Yes, I'm ashamed to say I followed each page to learn the various features!! Tonight I headed off to the rink with one of my daughters to take a few shots at her hockey practise and test what I have read. I am having extreme difficulty grasping how to correctly use and adjust the White Balance Shift graph. Is there a simple explanation out there in the WWW that a fellow can read?

:confused:

[Jim_T]

The graph is there to make it easier to adjust the color temperature.. Rather than simply choosing a four digit number that represents degrees kelvin, you can see what you're doing better with the graph.

A better way would be to set up a custom white balance under the arena lights using an expodisk or a pringles lid :)

The best way is to not worry about color balance at all and shoot RAW.

You can then get the color as perfect as possible at home on the computer. One trick is to use the white balance 'color picker' tool to select a white or neutral area in the shot. Actually I've found the ice itself makes a good white reference point in hockey rinks.

[etaf]

ahhh the old pringles test
pringles lid
original flavour I assume
:) :) ;)

I use tights to get a softfocus effect sometimes, amazing how usefu these objects are to photography - and a lot cheaper

I read on this forum recently http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=60801&highlight=coffee that you should shot through a coffee filter to set a custom white balance. Not tried it yet.

[pierrot]

Oh yes, do not forget the Melitta (size #4) method!
Works like a charm, really ; give it a try ;)

[etaf]

sorry wrong side of pond - had to google for Melitta :) :) :)
good to drink too....

[Tom Reid]

Thanks Jim...almost visited your city last weekend. We were on a return trip from Edmonton, supposed to overnight in Winnipeg but flight was cancelled due to an aircraft snag.

I have no problem setting up the initial white balance. I generally use a grey card unless I find myself without, then I use the ice trick. What I want to learn is how to use the White Balance Shift graph to fine tune the colors. For some strange reason, my daughters team jersey turns out blue when it should be green. I had this same problem with the Drebel which tells me the problem is in the lighting of the arena, which I must add is very poor. The lighting has almost a reddish hue to it. I tried adjusting the White Balance Shift graph but not really understanding where to move the dot on the graph to compensate for color shifting only lead to frustration. I can fix the color once home but have to do it through Selective Color and adjust the blues. That allows me to get the jersey green without affecting other colors but is time consuming having to do every picture.

That leads me into the RAW vs JPeg. I hear what you're saying about the advantage of RAW but I shoot approx. 200 pix per game and would not have the time to process them all. This is just a hobby for now but is quickly turning me into a perfectionist!!

[Jon]

The lighting in the rink is probably some kind of gas-discharge (sodium or mercury are the commonest), which has a discontinuous spectrum. As you say it has "almost a reddish hue", it's likely sodium-vapor which is orangey-yellow. Coupled with synthetic dyes and materials that don't reflect consistently, even CWB may have problems. If the blue jerseys are showing as green, you'd need to add magenta and possibly some blue. But once you've established the correction you need to use, you should be able to dial it in whenever you're in the rink (until they change the lights!).

[Tom Reid]

Thanks Jon, appreciate the help. I'll try that next game or practise.

In the meantime, is there a website that you are aware of that can guide me to correct for any lighting problem or should I head to the bookstore??!!

[Jon]

". . . any lighting problem" is a pretty broad request. Colour balance issues using the WB graph, take a look at references on colour printing. I can't point to any particular site since I've been playing with colour corrections for all too many years, film and digital.

[R1 Kid]

A thought on this subject just hit me when I was reading an article. I drive a "blizzard white" truck. Meaning its just plain white. Not pearl white or anything else, but just very bright white (when clean). My question in relation to this subject is when I shoot outdoors. Do you think I could use the side of the truck that faces the sun as the basis for setting my custome white balance?

[Jon]

If you're sure it's
1) A neutral white without extra brighteners (some whites are just ever so slightly off, or contain UV-sensitive brighteners that will throw things off).
2) Clean (a thin film of dirt may induce a colour shift).
3) Not overexposed (if you blow out the truck in your exposure, white balancing will be impossible).
4) the same lighting conditions you'll be shooting under (a sunlit truck won't work when you'r ephotographing someone under the trees in the shade).

[glangston]

Look into ExpoDisc. Get the one that will fit your largest lens. Works as a lens cap too. It's essentially doing what a pringles lid is doing but a little more precisely. Flash lighting options for difficult or mixed lighting situations too. About $80-90 so you might try the Pringles/Melitta method first to see if you can get some mileage from that. With a 20D you just select manual focus and shoot a frame from the position of the subject and towards the light source through the disc, then select it in the CWB. Each different lighting situation is an easy change.

www.expodisc.com

[Jon]

I have to wonder why people are so eager to spend $80-$90 on the ExpoDisc when a perfectly good grey card can be had at 2 8x10s for about $11-$12, and you can cut them in half for practical use.

[whereismykit]

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/188033/0#1531036 I read this on Freds forums if you read what Mr. Mohaupt has to say it will help out. Its about half way down.

[R1 Kid]

Those are some great hockey shots! Yeah I know about the expodisc and the grey cards and I agree that both are great. BTW IMO buying the expodisc is like buying Nike when a good pair of Wal-Mart shoes works just fine. Both serve the same purpose but some just like Nike.

Honestly I use a plain white peace of paper OR moreover just shoot RAW and adjust. That way you get all the custome balance you want.