Speelite temperature and White Balance Question

I read that the temperature of canon speedlites is 5200k. If I am in a tungsten lighted room, set my flash to "K" or Kelvin temperature 5200, and increase the shutter to 1/250 to blast away the ambient light, will I theoretically get a perfect white balance?

Should be. Or you can use CTO gels in case you need to get ambient in the shots.

I thought it was closer to 5800K.

The power of RAW is glorious.

tim wrote in post #7112497
I thought it was closer to 5800K.

This is also what I know.

From Canon: http://cpn.canon-europe.com …/flash/speedlit​e_range.do

Thanks, Mike, for that reference. It applies only to the 580EX and later, and only in E-TTL mode, it seems. (Not when radio-triggered.) I wonder what happens when the 580 is on-camera and mastering a slave 430EX.

My reason for posting the link is that it says the flash temperature is not constant. It seems to say that the temperature changes with flash duration and flash power.

I did not know that.

Thanks, Mike. I always thought that the 580 ex II (and other flashes) emitted only one color temperature, but apparently it varies. So now I'm thoroughly confused. How do you get consistent flash color (i.e. with gels)?

John E wrote in post #7116201
Thanks, Mike. I always thought that the 580 ex II (and other flashes) emitted only one color temperature, but apparently it varies. So now I'm thoroughly confused. How do you get consistent flash color (i.e. with gels)?

The best way would be the use of a gray card (like Whibal ), you take a shot at beginning of the photoshoot and you correct color discrepancies in post processing with the shots of the gray card for each scenario you were doing.

John E wrote in post #7116201
Thanks, Mike. I always thought that the 580 ex II (and other flashes) emitted only one color temperature, but apparently it varies. So now I'm thoroughly confused. How do you get consistent flash color (i.e. with gels)?

Color temp shouldn't vary that much unless you shoot when it's not charged, it'll change by a few hundred K at most IMHO.

eduardofrances wrote in post #7117623
The best way would be the use of a gray card (like Whibal ), you take a shot at beginning of the photoshoot and you correct color discrepancies in post processing with the shots of the gray card for each scenario you were doing.

Those of you following along at home will see the flaws in this plan... ie that the color temp changes with each shot, not per situation.

I suggest people stop worrying about tiny things, shoot studio work on RAW + JPEG and use the JPEG if it's ok or switch to RAW if you need changes.

John E wrote in post #7110725
will I theoretically get a perfect white balance?

tim wrote in post #7118656
I suggest people stop worrying about tiny things.

I'm with Tim here.

Fer cryin' out loud, there are so many things that can affect the color temperature of the light that actually hits your subject. Bounce your flash off the ceiling or use a bounce card or modifier of any kind and it will change the color temp. What are you gonna do outdoors? Buy a colorimeter and take a reading every five freakin' minutes?

You can shoot a grey reference if you want a "theoretically perfect" white balance. But this is rarely the best white balance.

Curtis N wrote in post #7122066
You can shoot a grey reference if you want a "theoretically perfect" white balance. But this is rarely the best white balance.

This is the key point. The correct WB might not be the best WB for a given shot.

Getting a perfect white balance will NOT happen. Getting a useable white balance is really quite easy.

When shooting paintings for artists you need to get as absolutely correct as you can. I shoot a white balance with every shot. And then end up tweaking it with the artist sitting next to me with the painting at the computer.