WB card question

[Ryan Drummond]

Setting a custom WB with a 135 lens means that in order to fill the viewfinder it is impossible to maintain focus.

Options?
Use a wider lens to fill the viewfinder and have the card in focus then change to 135 and continue.

or shoot the card oof as it makes no difference.

[Leo Theron]

OOF makes no difference for WB.

[janosa]

I always thought it was supposed to be out of focus. Well, you learn something new every day. I've always stuck the camera on manual focus, turned focus to infinity and filled the frame with the card. Works perfectly.

I started doing it that way 'cause I get a "no Good" response from the camera if the cards is in focus. With the exact same exposure settings, if I defocus the lens, I get a "Good". Might just be something I do that causes this.

[Ryan Drummond]

Thanks for clearing that up for me

[Sella174]

Why not get one of the WB filters?

[Ryan Drummond]

Decided to shoot RAW and set to 5200K, I am happy with it.

[Leo Theron]

Decided to shoot RAW and set to 5200K, I am happy with it.

Sorry - but this will work out in the midday sun. If you move into shade, artificial light, fluorescent lit scenes and flash your WB will be OUT.

[HeinrichR]

isnt it easier to use a whibal card and just let the model /or yourself hold it in the first shot,(no need to fill the frame with it , you just need it visible somewhere in the first shot) and then just take a reading in photoshop and adjust all photos taken in the same setting/light afterwards to the correct white balance? the cards start @ us$20,95.

[Sella174]

If you shoot RAW, then WB is irrelevant because you adjust it afterwards in post-processing - using, amongst other things, the histogram. Getting WB right on the camera is only necessary when shooting straight to JPEG - and even then it isn't that important, as you can still adjust it afterwards.

Otherwise, get a WB filter.

[Trevor Ives]

If you shoot RAW, then WB is irrelevant because you adjust it afterwards in post-processing -

Yes, and No.... Allegedly, if you set your WB to 2000 and shoot a scene that's 10000, you won't have the leeway to correct it, as the data in the file is apparently skewed so far that sufficient correction cannot be done. Not done it myself.

[Sella174]

Ah, then apparently RAW isn't really "raw" sensor data.

[Riaanvdb]

Yes, and No.... Allegedly, if you set your WB to 2000 and shoot a scene that's 10000, you won't have the leeway to correct it, as the data in the file is apparently skewed so far that sufficient correction cannot be done. Not done it myself.

I am not so sure about this, can you supply a source for the information.

[Andrew Roos]

Allegedly, if you set your WB to 2000 and shoot a scene that's 10000, you won't have the leeway to correct it, as the data in the file is apparently skewed so far that sufficient correction cannot be done. Not done it myself.

I tested this by taking two pics. Both were taken in the shade, with a high colour temperature. One was taken using the "incandescent" WB setting on the camera (2680 K). The other was taken using the "shade" setting (7124 K). Then I used Bibble 5 to apply a "shade" WB setting to the image that was originally captured using the incandescent setting.

The images are below. I don't see a noticable difference, which is consistent with what I thought, that WB is only applied to the image data when generating the JPG. However info about the camera WB setting is included in the raw file so the raw converter can use the WB that was set in camera if desired.

Andrew



captured with incandescent WB converted the Shady in Bibble



Captured with shady WB in camera

[Ryan Drummond]

I work differently. I have set my camera to a Manual white balance of 5200 and leave it there permanently. This means colours change as they should - ie red skies at stay red instead of the camera compensating for them. Obviously I can change it later.

To Quote a friend, we all had. I should add, I shoot 5200K under studio conditions that I work in. (School halls) In other situations I shoot RAW and AWB