Which (18% GRAY CARD) do you use?

18% (some will argue 12%) grey is what your camera is trying expose for. So there is more to this than just WB. When shooting in a gym, I take my grey card out to the gym floor and snap a pic of it at head level.

This does two things, first it gives me my exposure settings that I will use for the game, and second, it gives me a custom WB shot.

If I were to do the same with a white card, all of my shots would be underexposed.

rabidcow wrote in post #2288911
18% (some will argue 12%) grey is what your camera is trying expose for. So there is more to this than just WB. When shooting in a gym, I take my grey card out to the gym floor and snap a pic of it at head level.

This does two things, first it gives me my exposure settings that I will use for the game, and second, it gives me a custom WB shot.

If I were to do the same with a white card, all of my shots would be underexposed.

Thanks!

Just a question, when you say exposure settings, I don't think you are referring to the "exposure lock" button, so could you expand on that for me. Doesn't the camera "set" the exposure by adjusting the shutter speed say, if you are shooting in AV? Unless of course you manualy lock the exposure for a specific scene due to sontrast situations, something I have done in the past.

TIA

Joe

I shoot on manual. This way the camera does not think that it needs to change the shutter speed when the lighting is the same but the contrast of the scene has changed.

For example, if I am shooting a game and on team has white uniforms and the other team has black uniforms then my camera will get VERY confused as to what the proper exposure should be because it is reading the contrast changes from the uniforms, not the actual light itself.

The amount of light falling on the uniforms is the same, so shutter speed should not change.

That said, there will be "black holes" in every gym or sports field and it is important to know this so that I can make changes when my shooting takes me there, but for the most part the lighting is not changing so why should my exposure control?

so whats the difference between buying a 30 dollar piece of plastic vs going out and buying a gray colored construction paper for a dollar

I can use my pop-out grey card in any weather. In studio a paper grey card is fine, but in the elements, plastic is much preferred.

what happens if you laminate it?

Then it gets shiny.

im just trying to justify buying a piece of plastic for 30 bucks

I have a 18% gray microfiber lens cloth. I just use that.

speedracersong wrote in post #2292127
so whats the difference between buying a 30 dollar piece of plastic vs going out and buying a gray colored construction paper for a dollar

The construction paper is NOT going to be a guaranteed NEUTRAL gray that is correct to use as a color (white balance) reference. Also, the reflectivity of a standard gray card is specially designed to represent the reflectivity of an "average" subject.

speedracersong wrote in post #2292456
im just trying to justify buying a piece of plastic for 30 bucks

People here justify $3000 lenses and $6000 and they don't get paid a dime for their photography. So who needs justification? I spent $30 on a piece of plastic because it saves me time, and in this business, time is money, so it saves me money.

Have a look at the Latolite Xpo Balance

http://www.lastolite.c​om/xpobalance.php

I believe it would be ideal for setting your histogram in the gym.

Whibal.

Heatseeker99 wrote in post #2292689
I have a 18% gray microfiber lens cloth. I just use that.

Yep, I use the Clean Star 18% gray microfiber cleaning cloth. It easily drapes over the subject for a test shot.

i use this: