What do you use to set a white balance?

[cyclohexane]

I use whatever's handy at the time that's white/close to white as a reference. Usually, this means I pull a white index card out of my pocket. It works well enough, and if it really doesn't look right I adjust the WB in the RAW file. If I had a meter that also read color temperature, I'd dial in Kelvin settings off of it.

My Nikon D2H has a WB sensor on top of the prism, but it sucks unless I'm using it in bright sunlight or something similar. The best result I got from it was when I held the camera under strong stage lights. I tend to avoid this method as it is quite unreliable.

[Blinky]

I typically shoot on Flash or Daylight and adjust the RAW file. If the color is critical I shoot tests with a color checker or grey card for reference. Usually I can find a white or a black in an image to set WB in ACR using the little eydropper/sampler thingy.

If the color is critical, don't use a random white anything to preset WB because it's likely to have UV brighteners in it which won't register. That's why it's often innaccurate. Use a grey card and protect it from light when it's not in use.

I'm sure there are other, better ways, that's just the process I've pieced together for myself over time.

Chip

[mikej]

I shoot in raw as well, but I will shoot a balance checker as one of my images and use that to adjust all of the images taken under the same lighting when I convert to tiff files. I have used the Digital Calibration Target, a small fold up reflector type panel that has calibrated black/gray/white bands on it. I also have the WhiBal that I just started using. It has calibrated black/gray/white areas on a small card. I have also used a gray card and a McBeth chart.

The WhiBal card is probably the most handy but I think I like the Digital Calibration Target a bit better right now. I'll see how the WhiBal works out in the field. I just got a flier from the guy that sales the Digital Calibration Target today and he's having his spring sale, so I think I'll get the 24" one to go with my 14" one.

If you do your color balance after the fact, having a neutral black and white source within the picture will save you a lot of time and effort. You can use the color picker eye droppers in levels and set your white balance with 2 clicks.

Mike

[Rense]

I shoot in raw, using the whibal, to get some whitebalance references.
If i'm macro shooting i'm using an expodisk.
If I want the colors really perfect I use the color version of qpcard.
Afterwards in photoshop I use curvemeister for correcting the colors.

[dlew308]

I started to use whitbal, before that, pringles lid

[Shortie]

Hi

As Binky said shot RAW and there should not be too much of a problem

Also try an even shade of grass as I beleive it is almost 18% gray - don't laugh - although it sound funny it works

Shortie

[ohenry]

I shoot Raw mode, generally in auto. During Raw conversion, I use the eyedropper and select a neutral tone by watching the RGB data. From there, I'll add warmth or coolness as the image requires to give me the mood that I'm seeking for the image. I will often do a batch conversion for WB, again using the eyedropper tool and the RGB numbers to determine my selection point, then adjust the individual pictures if I need to do so. If I know that I'm doing a series in the same light, I will use Expodisc to get the WB data when I think of it and make a custom WB shot.

[dc2]

Also try an even shade of grass as I beleive it is almost 18% gray - don't laugh - although it sound funny it works
Shortie
We taliking WB not what you smoke
Sorry mate but it did sound funny

I tend to change WB in PS and I also shoot in raw

[Mark McCall]

PhotoGuy,
Your not specifiying where your color's not accurate.
Are you saying it's not accurate on your monitor or in your prints?
Is your monitor calibrated as well? Is your lab correcting?

You may very well have perfect color already, but a misaligned monitor will make you think otherwise.
I'd suggest not using your camera's LCD to judge color. The temperature difference between what you'll see, and what's in the file can be huge, depending on the camera make and model, (or what day of the week if was manufactured). LOL.

If your using a white peice of paper, the "whiteness" of the paper will make a small difference in the color temp. produced by the camera.
The paper packaging will give a whiteness value.

Believe it or not, Canon actually prescibes white paper for the white balance method in the 20D owner's manual.
(haven't checked the 30D manual).

White balance for your main light souce.
I do it in studio about once every couple of months. (Your camera's WB shifts, just like your monitor does so it's necessary to do it fairly often).
There is only about a 50 degree Kelvin difference between my studio lights and on-camera Metz....not enough for me to create a separate WB for on camera flash.

I still use white paper too. WB is critical for me because I have the lab print with no changes. If it's correct in camera, and correct on your monitor, you should be in the clear.

[ascending Phoenix]

Count me in as another Grey Card or BUSt CWB shooter.have tried wjite paper,etc what ever LOOKED WHITE..But as stated.paper can have acast not visable to the eye.Or it floreses (sp) So I just bought a double pacl of 8x10 18% grey cards.Cut one sheet on 1/2 keep both halves in my camera bag.Convenient ALWAYS 18% as it covered in bag when not in use.

Proven to be a lot more accurate.And I shoot 90% JPG

[J.A.F. Doorhof]

Shoot in RAW.
Now use everytime you change background, lightsetup a graycard for the first shot.
In Camera RAW or any other programm get the first picture and sample it for neutral gray, now use that colortemp for all other shots with that setup.

At the moment I'm using dynatech cards which are wonderful and cheap

[aam1234]

Kodak white/gray card.

[Blinky]

White. The idea is that's it's color neutral.

[aam1234]

White for WB, gray for exposure. Though you can use gray for both (didn't try it myself).

[Blinky]

I should've specified that I mean't using it in post during RAW conversion... I don't remember ever trying a grey card to preset WB, but it seems like it should still work. Hmmm, hafta try it out now.

Chip

[aam1234]

It takes like 10 seconds to set CWB, real easy.

[ascending Phoenix]

Originally Posted by B

I should've specified that I mean't using it in post during RAW conversion... I don't remember ever trying a grey card to preset WB, but it seems like it should still work. Hmmm, hafta try it out now.

Chip

Its been dead on accurate for me in JPG mode.Use the grey scale shot as CHOSEN IMAGE for CWB set and shoot.As stated by another poster.YES!! critical to reshoot a CWB shot to adjust for any location or lighting changes.

[Blinky]

Originally Posted by TJPhotoGuy

That brings up another question. "how" do you know "when" to re-shoot the wb?? Daschund said that any time you change your background or setup. Is that a good rule of thumb? Cuz the other day, i changed my background but not my setup. that may have been my problem. I changed it from orange to black.

Almost everything has a color that it reflects when light hits it. If the light hitting your set changes, it's possible that the color also changed... but that's picking nits. Just consider that anytime the lighting on a set change appreciably, you may want to shoot another CWB. I actually don't shoot CWB too often but rather set the WB in post using a grey card reference... which I shoot every tome the light hitting the set changes appreciably. You can do it either way or both... doesn't take long once you have a system.

Chip

[J.A.F. Doorhof]

DON'T use the white area of the cards.

I always set the colorbalance with the gray part (the dyntech cards only have a gray set )

You can't use the white for the following reason.

Color consists of 3 colours Red, Green and Blue.
When we want to have a neutral color we have to correct the colorinfection.
When you use a white patch it's possible one of the color channels is blown, at that time youre correction is not 100% good.

let's say white measures 230 blue, 240 red, 276 green.
Your camera will register 230 blue, 240 red, 255 green leaving out 26 green.
When it corrects the final result will be 26 to much green.

When you use 18% gray or 50% gray for that matter you will not blow out any color channel for sure thus having a perfect reference point.

I for one STRONGLY believe in this system and it gives me dead on color everytime, even when I remeasure it with a spectrum radio meter.
When using white it often works but you can see fluctuations very easily.

At the moment I'm working together with www.dynatech.info to promote the use of their cards and to work on better understanding of the use of the cards, many photographers still claim they can set the color temp for the flash color stated in the manual and they forget the background or the clothing the model wears or the reflections from the walls in the studio.

Greetings,
Frank

[dc2]

Originally Posted by J.A.F. Doorhof

DON'T use the white area of the cards.

Darn your just a hour or so late I used grey and after reading some I just reset my CWB using white.
Oh well .
Thanks.