grey cards white cards...white balance..

[felix21685]

hey guys,

im trying to make myself some cards that i can use for manual WB settings..

would the original cardboard color be better than covering them with white paper?
thanks for the help

[tim]

Is the "original cardboard color" white? If not, then no.

[rent]

if you have a grey card (18%) around you can use that for manual white balance too. works just as well. -alex

[Jerry Morris]

I have been using a white number 4 coffee filter inside a 3inch knitting hoop and it works like a champ. You can buy the hoop at any sewing store or a crafts store. As for the coffee filter.. well, use a new one...

[felix21685]

for now..if i tape white paper over the cardboard or a coffee filter would that work? ill make sure no tape shows on the front of course

[malcolmx]

in the uk you can by a gadget that scews into the end of the lens like a lens cap that sets up the custom white balance may be elseware try jacobs or jessops it is on one of the internet sites i havent tried it myself but it gets good reviews in the press hope this helps

[WyzMan]

Malcolmx - Can you give me some better idea of where to find this in the UK? The Jessops site doesn't give any results for "white balance" in its search page.
Alan

[BrianEE93]

You could buy one of these:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=300868&is=REG

or some white poster board at Walmart etc. and cut a piece off.

[malcolmx]

the item is called expodisc and it is availiable from jacobs at £65 and it scews into the filter tread on your lens you need to give a lens size between 58-82 it works in all lighting conditions . the web is www.jacobs-photo.co.uk hopes this helps

[PhilHannah]

Dunno about elswhere but I find some Scottish roads are about 18% grey.. Makes a great greycard and they go on for miles..

White Tee shirts,white ceilings, white vans also make a great white balance tool..

[Az2Africa]

I use the Expodisc and it works great. It does not screw on the lens, it just snaps on and off quickly.

[DavidEB]

If the object looks white to you in the lighting that you're shooting in, and you set your white balance so the same object looks neutral in the final image, then you will get good results.

I use a piece of white plastic about 3x7 inches, cut from a food container. It doubles as a flash deflector (attached with a rubber band).

One caution is to expose the object properly - if your calibration image is shot so the white object is blown out (ie, looks pure white) then it won't work right. Properly exposed, your white object will look gray.

[PhotosGuy]

Have you seen this?
Gray Card…White Paper. What’s best? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=58677)