Just got a grey card WOW

Mike McId · Dec 5, 2002

I just got a Kodak grey card and took a few shots both inside and outside - 1D. I converted the RAW files, clicking on the grey card to set WB. WOW...the color is 100% right on! I have been able to get very good color before using various other techniques but this is a no-brainer. I will be using it a lot for those shots that count.

One problem though....because of the lack of contrast on the card I cannot AF on it very well. Any suggestions how to do that? I thought of putting a black X in the middle of the card, it should not affect the WB

john cornicello · Dec 5, 2002

Focus on the edge of the card and then recompose to shoot it. Or leave it out of focus.

JC

Mike McId said:
I just got a Kodak grey card and took a few shots both inside and
outside - 1D. I converted the RAW files, clicking on the grey card
to set WB. WOW...the color is 100% right on! I have been able to
get very good color before using various other techniques but this
is a no-brainer. I will be using it a lot for those shots that
count.

One problem though....because of the lack of contrast on the card I
cannot AF on it very well. Any suggestions how to do that? I
thought of putting a black X in the middle of the card, it should
not affect the WB

vtrac · Dec 5, 2002

I was startled by the grey card at first too.

There's no need to focus.. grey is grey.

Mike McId said:
I just got a Kodak grey card and took a few shots both inside and
outside - 1D. I converted the RAW files, clicking on the grey card
to set WB. WOW...the color is 100% right on! I have been able to
get very good color before using various other techniques but this
is a no-brainer. I will be using it a lot for those shots that
count.

One problem though....because of the lack of contrast on the card I
cannot AF on it very well. Any suggestions how to do that? I
thought of putting a black X in the middle of the card, it should
not affect the WB

--
Canon EOS D60
Canon 20-35, Canon 28-135IS, Canon 50 1.8, Canon 70-200 2.8LIS

http://www.pbase.com/vtrac/

Chris Maddock · Dec 5, 2002

Mike McId said:
I just got a Kodak grey card and took a few shots both inside and
outside - 1D. I converted the RAW files, clicking on the grey card
to set WB. WOW...the color is 100% right on! I have been able to
get very good color before using various other techniques but this
is a no-brainer. I will be using it a lot for those shots that
count.

One problem though....because of the lack of contrast on the card I
cannot AF on it very well. Any suggestions how to do that? I
thought of putting a black X in the middle of the card, it should
not affect the WB

Just switch the lens to manual focus, so that it doesn't try to AF. You don't need your grey-card shot to be in focus.

KRs
Chris

Amy Kleck111811 · Dec 5, 2002

Mike McId said:
I just got a Kodak grey card and took a few shots both inside and
outside - 1D. I converted the RAW files, clicking on the grey card
to set WB.

Would you ellaborate on this, "clicking on the grey card"? In the RAW conversion software?

Mike McId said:
WOW...the color is 100% right on! I have been able to
get very good color before using various other techniques but this
is a no-brainer. I will be using it a lot for those shots that
count.

One problem though....because of the lack of contrast on the card I
cannot AF on it very well. Any suggestions how to do that? I
thought of putting a black X in the middle of the card, it should
not affect the WB

Manual focus?

UncleMikey · Dec 5, 2002

For example: I have a shot that is mostly in the shade but areas of direct sunlight are in the background? I assume that the WB is set for the focal point of the composition?

vtrac said:
There's no need to focus.. grey is grey.

Mike McId said:

I just got a Kodak grey card and took a few shots both inside and
outside - 1D. I converted the RAW files, clicking on the grey card
to set WB. WOW...the color is 100% right on! I have been able to
get very good color before using various other techniques but this
is a no-brainer. I will be using it a lot for those shots that
count.

One problem though....because of the lack of contrast on the card I
cannot AF on it very well. Any suggestions how to do that? I
thought of putting a black X in the middle of the card, it should
not affect the WB

Click to expand...

--
Canon EOS D60
Canon 20-35, Canon 28-135IS, Canon 50 1.8, Canon 70-200 2.8LIS

http://www.pbase.com/vtrac/

UncleMikey · Dec 5, 2002

Amy Kleck111811 said:
Would you ellaborate on this, "clicking on the grey card"? In the
RAW conversion software?

-----------------------------------

I used the Canon Software for a quick and easy conversion. (normally I use Yarc, and more recently PhaseOne).

In any event, most, if not all, conversion software gives you the option of setting a custom white balance for the conversion. Generally there is a 'dropper' tool that you touch (and click with mouse) upon a neutral part of the image. With the card in the shot you just click on the card.

By the way I got my cards from B&H for about $14 for two cards. They are rugged heavy cardboard in a plastic pouch and should last a long long time.

Mike

WalterK · Dec 5, 2002

Mike McId said:
I just got a Kodak grey card and took a few shots both inside and
outside - 1D. I converted the RAW files, clicking on the grey card
to set WB. WOW...the color is 100% right on! I have been able to
get very good color before using various other techniques but this
is a no-brainer. I will be using it a lot for those shots that
count.

Since you already have the Kodak cards, try using the white side to set the AWB. I have found that I get slightly better results in lowlight situations with the white side of the cards.

--
Walter K

WalterK · Dec 5, 2002

--
Walter K

Amy Kleck111811 · Dec 5, 2002

So the deal is that one of your shots in a given series is of the grey card, and this tells the software RAW conversion software how to adjust WB for the rest of the series?

UncleMikey said:
In any event, most, if not all, conversion software gives you the
option of setting a custom white balance for the conversion.
Generally there is a 'dropper' tool that you touch (and click with
mouse) upon a neutral part of the image. With the card in the shot
you just click on the card.

By the way I got my cards from B&H for about $14 for two cards.
They are rugged heavy cardboard in a plastic pouch and should last
a long long time.

Mike

WalterK · Dec 5, 2002

dachshund1 said:
So the deal is that one of your shots in a given series is of the
grey card, and this tells the software RAW conversion software how
to adjust WB for the rest of the series?

There are two methods here. One is to shoot the gray card, select Custom White Balance, and use that image as the WB image. The, when you convert the images, you choose Custom White Balance, or "As Shot," (whichever is on your software menu) and the white balance of your images will be correct.

The other method is to use the eyedropper in the software instead of picking one of the White Balance choices from the dropdown list. The way the eyedropper works is that you click it on something that is supposed to look neutral gray in the image, and if it is not neutral, the software will adjust the color balance so that it becomes neutral.

If there is nothing that should be neutral gray in the image, that technique won't work. You could put a gray card into the scene for that purpose, but what would you do afterwards? Clone it out?

--
Walter K

Lee Rothman · Dec 5, 2002

on my 1D with Matrix 1 Setting. And I own a grey card but haven't had a reason to need it since I had a D30 before....

Mike McId said:
I just got a Kodak grey card and took a few shots both inside and
outside - 1D. I converted the RAW files, clicking on the grey card
to set WB. WOW...the color is 100% right on! I have been able to
get very good color before using various other techniques but this
is a no-brainer. I will be using it a lot for those shots that
count.

One problem though....because of the lack of contrast on the card I
cannot AF on it very well. Any suggestions how to do that? I
thought of putting a black X in the middle of the card, it should
not affect the WB

Val Patel · Dec 5, 2002

Mike,

B&H shows two Kodak Grey Cards. One R-27 and the other R-27Q. Which one did you get?

Val

Mike McId said:
I just got a Kodak grey card and took a few shots both inside and
outside - 1D. I converted the RAW files, clicking on the grey card
to set WB. WOW...the color is 100% right on! I have been able to
get very good color before using various other techniques but this
is a no-brainer. I will be using it a lot for those shots that
count.

One problem though....because of the lack of contrast on the card I
cannot AF on it very well. Any suggestions how to do that? I
thought of putting a black X in the middle of the card, it should
not affect the WB

JohnM31499 · Dec 5, 2002

at what a difference a custom WB can make. I agree the 1D is FAR better at AWB than a D30/D60, but even shots that appear to be perfect will sometimes get slightly better with a custom WB

-John

evan cohn · Dec 5, 2002

Can someone give me a good reference as to how and why to use a grey card? I would like a step by step method to get better WB with the D60 particularly inside...

jim powers · Dec 5, 2002

Here's what the short course on the D60 says...

Set Mode Dial to any one in the "Creative Zone." 1. Photograph a white subject that fills the partial metering part of the viewfinder, and then press MENU to the left of the monitor.

2. Turn the quick control dial to highlight CUSTOM WB and press SET to display teh prompt "Select an Image."

3. Turn the quick control dial to display the picture you want to use to set the white balance and press SET to select it.

4. Press the MENU button to exit the menu.

5. Press the AF/WB button and turn the quick control dial to select the icon for customer white balance which is the last icon on the list.

So why do it? Try it and you'll see. Go into the basement, turnon on the lights and take a quick shot of your significan other. Then take the white side of the grey card, shoot it, set the custom white balance to it, and take another shot of the significant other. Download and compare. You'll see the difference.

Post your samples, too.

evan cohn said:
Can someone give me a good reference as to how and why to use a
grey card? I would like a step by step method to get better WB
with the D60 particularly inside...

Diane B · Dec 5, 2002

WalterK said:
If there is nothing that should be neutral gray in the image, that
technique won't work. You could put a gray card into the scene for
that purpose, but what would you do afterwards? Clone it out?

You could also shoot the grey card, then choose the option in BB of 'use this WB for all images' and convert.
--
Diane B
http://www.pbase.com/picnic/galleries
B/W lover, but color is seducing me

Mike McId · Dec 5, 2002

Well, the packaging on the back says "publication R-27" It was $14.95 I think

MIke

valpatel said:
B&H shows two Kodak Grey Cards. One R-27 and the other R-27Q.
Which one did you get?

Val

Mike McId said:

I just got a Kodak grey card and took a few shots both inside and
outside - 1D. I converted the RAW files, clicking on the grey card
to set WB. WOW...the color is 100% right on! I have been able to
get very good color before using various other techniques but this
is a no-brainer. I will be using it a lot for those shots that
count.

One problem though....because of the lack of contrast on the card I
cannot AF on it very well. Any suggestions how to do that? I
thought of putting a black X in the middle of the card, it should
not affect the WB

Click to expand...

jim powers · Dec 5, 2002

There's a guy on ebay selling new Kodak grey cards for about $7.00. The package comes with two 8X10 and one 5X7 (or 4X6). Small shipping charge, too.

valpatel said:
B&H shows two Kodak Grey Cards. One R-27 and the other R-27Q.
Which one did you get?

Val

Mike McId said:

I just got a Kodak grey card and took a few shots both inside and
outside - 1D. I converted the RAW files, clicking on the grey card
to set WB. WOW...the color is 100% right on! I have been able to
get very good color before using various other techniques but this
is a no-brainer. I will be using it a lot for those shots that
count.

One problem though....because of the lack of contrast on the card I
cannot AF on it very well. Any suggestions how to do that? I
thought of putting a black X in the middle of the card, it should
not affect the WB

Click to expand...

Jonathan Lefcourt · Dec 5, 2002

valpatel said:
Mike,

B&H shows two Kodak Grey Cards. One R-27 and the other R-27Q.
Which one did you get?

B & H also sells a 8.5X11 plastic grey card. I picked one up a few weeks ago. Don't remember the price. Plastic is nicer because it can get wet without worry. Maker is Delta 1/CPM, Inc., it's called "The Zone System of Photography".

--
Jonathan Lefcourt
D60
24-70L, 70-200L 2.8 IS
15-30 Sigma (wish it was 2.8!)
50 1.4, 28-135 IS, 550EX
and a lot of other stuff I drag around!

Just got a grey card WOW

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