Beginner Question #2 (White Balancing & Flash)

Chris Caron · May 3, 2002

Here's another question for you guys.
(and thanks for the advice on the previous issue)

How come when you use White Balancing (in conjunction with the measuring white light from say a white piece of paper) the pictures are soooooooo great AS LONG as the flash is never used

Thats normal right? I mean, to turn the flash on and get like a blush tint?

But with it off the pictures are perfect (or dark, given the fact that if i needed the flash, there wasn't enough light to begin with)?

Given my own educated guess.. i'm assuming that the color you adapt to is the color currently in the room, so by throwing on a flash your using artificial bright light (which is changing the way the camera interprets colors or white) er.. if that made any sense at all...

Then my next question is... if this being the case... or inevitably these photo's are coming out blue-ish(with the flash on), that the white balancing measuring feature should only be applied when there is a significant amount of light present? (thus the flash not needed?)

I think i should add that i currently own a Nikon CoolPix 995.

Thanx alot!

jtv · May 3, 2002

The white balance preset is best used when using lighting other than the speedlight, as you have discovered. It helps compensate for various lighting temps (fluorescent, incandescent, sun, mixed, etc.). If you fire the flash the white balance is thrown off from your preset measurement (this is obvious since you are introducing a light source not present when you made the preset measurement).

When you have to use the flash, I would suggest setting the white balance to AUTO, or SPEEDLIGHT and checking youf results to see what works best. good luck

Chris Caron said:
Here's another question for you guys.
(and thanks for the advice on the previous issue)

How come when you use White Balancing (in conjunction with the
measuring white light from say a white piece of paper) the
pictures are soooooooo great AS LONG as the flash is never used

Thats normal right? I mean, to turn the flash on and get like a
blush tint?
But with it off the pictures are perfect (or dark, given the fact
that if i needed the flash, there wasn't enough light to begin
with)?

Given my own educated guess.. i'm assuming that the color you adapt
to is the color currently in the room, so by throwing on a flash
your using artificial bright light (which is changing the way the
camera interprets colors or white) er.. if that made any sense at
all...

Then my next question is... if this being the case... or inevitably
these photo's are coming out blue-ish(with the flash on), that the
white balancing measuring feature should only be applied when there
is a significant amount of light present? (thus the flash not
needed?)

I think i should add that i currently own a Nikon CoolPix 995.

Thanx alot!

Grant Youngman · May 3, 2002

Chris Caron said:
How come when you use White Balancing (in conjunction with the
measuring white light from say a white piece of paper) the
pictures are soooooooo great AS LONG as the flash is never used

If you have done a manual preset white balance on ambient -- say incandescent --light, and then use the flash, you are taking the photo with a primary light source (flash) which is not the same color temperature you balanced for. And yes, it will be very blue.

If you're having trouble with flash color balance, I'd recommend setting the camera to Flash white balance, and then use the variable settings in the menu (there are a total of 7 steps) to get a balance you're happy with.

Grant Y.

ISOMatrix · May 3, 2002

Chris Caron said:
Here's another question for you guys.
(and thanks for the advice on the previous issue)

How come when you use White Balancing (in conjunction with the
measuring white light from say a white piece of paper) the
pictures are soooooooo great AS LONG as the flash is never used

Thats normal right? I mean, to turn the flash on and get like a
blush tint?
But with it off the pictures are perfect (or dark, given the fact
that if i needed the flash, there wasn't enough light to begin
with)?

Given my own educated guess.. i'm assuming that the color you adapt
to is the color currently in the room, so by throwing on a flash
your using artificial bright light (which is changing the way the
camera interprets colors or white) er.. if that made any sense at
all...

Then my next question is... if this being the case... or inevitably
these photo's are coming out blue-ish(with the flash on), that the
white balancing measuring feature should only be applied when there
is a significant amount of light present? (thus the flash not
needed?)

I think i should add that i currently own a Nikon CoolPix 995.

Thanx alot!

What your seeing is normal. When you do a manual white balance preset on a white piece of paper, your balancing the white balance for that particular light source ONLY. When using the flash you should select either Auto white balance or FLASH white balance. Your seeing a blueish tint when using flash w/ your preset white balance due to the fact that the camera is actually adding more blue to the image to correct for the overly yellowish/orange color of normal household incandescent lites.

Each type of light has it's own color characteristics. Sunlight and Flash light are very similar. Incandescent bulbs are orange in color, Fluourescent bulbs are typically a greenish color.

As you can see, one can run into trouble when shooting pictures that have a mix of light color sources..i.e. household lighting and flash. Normally this isnt a problem due to the fact that the flash will overpower the weaker household lighting. When using flash indoors I would still set the camera to either auto or flash white balance. If your shooting a pic that has both incandescent and flourescent lite sources I would do one of the following:

1) Decide which lite source is the dominant one and select the white balance preset for that lite source (incan. or fluorescent)

2) Or possibly better still do a manual white balance preset using white paper which is placed rite where your subject will be.

There are other techniques to deal w/ mixed lite sources as well, including doing some processing work in photoshop--CP5000, OM-2n

Scotty B · May 3, 2002

an old trick that works very well with the CP995...

...everyone talks about the "white piece of paper" but usually when I need one, I don't have it with me.

A styrofoam coffee cup works just fine. I always have one stuffed in my 995 bag....(or pick one up off a table at a wedding reception, ball game, whatever.)

--
scott b.

'Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter.'-Ansel Adams

Chris Caron · May 3, 2002

Thank you jtv! I think I get it.
So I'm guessing that speedlight is used more often then white measuring?

jtv said:
When you have to use the flash, I would suggest setting the white
balance to AUTO, or SPEEDLIGHT and checking youf results to see
what works best. good luck

Chris Caron said:

Here's another question for you guys.
(and thanks for the advice on the previous issue)

How come when you use White Balancing (in conjunction with the
measuring white light from say a white piece of paper) the
pictures are soooooooo great AS LONG as the flash is never used

Thats normal right? I mean, to turn the flash on and get like a
blush tint?
But with it off the pictures are perfect (or dark, given the fact
that if i needed the flash, there wasn't enough light to begin
with)?

Given my own educated guess.. i'm assuming that the color you adapt
to is the color currently in the room, so by throwing on a flash
your using artificial bright light (which is changing the way the
camera interprets colors or white) er.. if that made any sense at
all...

Then my next question is... if this being the case... or inevitably
these photo's are coming out blue-ish(with the flash on), that the
white balancing measuring feature should only be applied when there
is a significant amount of light present? (thus the flash not
needed?)

I think i should add that i currently own a Nikon CoolPix 995.

Thanx alot!

Click to expand...

Chris Caron · May 3, 2002

ahh, that makes sense.
Thank you ISOMatrix

All your amatures and professionals never cease to amaze me.

I have concluded one thing from asking questions about digital cameras. Not only do you have to take the photo, but it seems that the cool ones, or the ones that stand out from the crowd are always edited first... for noise, lighting, ect. (using PhotoShop or whatever)

ISOMatrix said:
Chris Caron said:

Here's another question for you guys.
(and thanks for the advice on the previous issue)

How come when you use White Balancing (in conjunction with the
measuring white light from say a white piece of paper) the
pictures are soooooooo great AS LONG as the flash is never used

Thats normal right? I mean, to turn the flash on and get like a
blush tint?
But with it off the pictures are perfect (or dark, given the fact
that if i needed the flash, there wasn't enough light to begin
with)?

Given my own educated guess.. i'm assuming that the color you adapt
to is the color currently in the room, so by throwing on a flash
your using artificial bright light (which is changing the way the
camera interprets colors or white) er.. if that made any sense at
all...

Then my next question is... if this being the case... or inevitably
these photo's are coming out blue-ish(with the flash on), that the
white balancing measuring feature should only be applied when there
is a significant amount of light present? (thus the flash not
needed?)

I think i should add that i currently own a Nikon CoolPix 995.

Thanx alot!

Click to expand...

What your seeing is normal. When you do a manual white balance
preset on a white piece of paper, your balancing the white balance
for that particular light source ONLY. When using the flash you
should select either Auto white balance or FLASH white balance.
Your seeing a blueish tint when using flash w/ your preset white
balance due to the fact that the camera is actually adding more
blue to the image to correct for the overly yellowish/orange color
of normal household incandescent lites.

Each type of light has it's own color characteristics. Sunlight and
Flash light are very similar. Incandescent bulbs are orange in
color, Fluourescent bulbs are typically a greenish color.

As you can see, one can run into trouble when shooting pictures
that have a mix of light color sources..i.e. household lighting and
flash. Normally this isnt a problem due to the fact that the flash
will overpower the weaker household lighting. When using flash
indoors I would still set the camera to either auto or flash white
balance. If your shooting a pic that has both incandescent and
flourescent lite sources I would do one of the following:

1) Decide which lite source is the dominant one and select the
white balance preset for that lite source (incan. or fluorescent)

2) Or possibly better still do a manual white balance preset using
white paper which is placed rite where your subject will be.

There are other techniques to deal w/ mixed lite sources as well,
including doing some processing work in photoshop--CP5000, OM-2n

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Beginner Question #2 (White Balancing & Flash)

Chris Caron

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jtv

Forum Enthusiast

Grant Youngman

Forum Enthusiast

ISOMatrix

Senior Member

Scotty B

Senior Member

Chris Caron

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Chris Caron

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