5d Custom White Balance

[panchucko]

Does a gray card or white card work better with the 5D? I was watching the Better Flash video by smartshooter.com and he mentioned that the 5d does better with a white card.
I have been using a gray card for awhile, am I missing something here?

Thanks

david

[swampler]

I didn't think it mattered as long as it was neutral, but I don't have a 5D either. What does the manual say?

[JohnC]

It should not matter, as long as it is neutral. The problem with white cards is that they may be too bright and not give an accurate reading. The problem with all cards is neutrality. Some photographic "gray cards" are not spectrally neutral. They reflect a certain perccentage of light, which is helpful for light metering, but they are printed on a printing press and the color balance can be off from neutral gray. White paper, on the other hand, often contains whiteners and bluing agents, which will throw off the white balance even though the paper looks white to your eye.

[panchucko]

Originally Posted by JohnC

It should not matter, as long as it is neutral. The problem with white cards is that they may be too bright and not give an accurate reading. The problem with all cards is neutrality. Some photographic "gray cards" are not spectrally neutral. They reflect a certain perccentage of light, which is helpful for light metering, but they are printed on a printing press and the color balance can be off from neutral gray. White paper, on the other hand, often contains whiteners and bluing agents, which will throw off the white balance even though the paper looks white to your eye.

I have been using the gray card and expo disc for the last couple of years. I am happy with the results.
In the video Will Crockett mentioned that the Canon 5D and Nikon d100 work better with a white card than a gray card.

Thanks for the reply

[ohenry]

Wouldn't be the first time Crockett gave poor advice, IMO.

[Pony]

When in doubt,use the gray card.
Ditto what ohenry said.

[kgphoto]

The manual says you will get good results with a white card and BETTER result with a gray card. Probably for all the reasons spelled out on the Whi-Bal website. Just make sure that whatever you use, is color neutral for the most accurate results.