I thought this would be another good topic for all of us just getting to know our Rebels a little more intricately. Getting correct WB can be difficult under certain lighting situations, and there several different methods mentioned in the book and in this forum on how to handle these situations. There is Auto-WB, preset-WB, and custom WB. Custom is where it seems many are getting good results under difficult lighting. However, which method works the best for most of you? There are suggestions to use everything from grey cards, to coffee filters, to cheese cloth. And how far from the camera should you have the object your going to shoot, to set the custom WB? If some of you that have experience with custom WB could explain the correct method for setting custom WB, it could help a lot of us get a head start using it. Thanks!
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Let's talk about custom White balance
- Thread starter BigMike
- Start date
DWBell
Leading Member
Stick an opaque grey Pringles lid over the end of the lens (fits nicely inside the hood of a 50mm f1.8), set the lens to MF, take the shot (try to aim at something "white" in the room) and use this to set the custom WB image. Seems to work for me. Would be interested in a more indepth discussion though...
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Kind Regards
DWBell
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Kind Regards
DWBell
Stan Richard
Senior Member
I find the AWB works for most situations pretty well. I keep a white piece of paper in the bag to get a CWB to shoot for difficult situations. I just hold the paper at arms length in front of the lens and shoot it. If the lighting changes you need to shoot it again. I don't use the presets much.
Stan
Events in the Night Sky
http://www.nightskyevents.com
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Stan
Events in the Night Sky
http://www.nightskyevents.com
Would a regular printer paper work well for this?
Which flavor works best? Just kidding of course
I have heard of the pringle can lid idea, but haven't tried it yet.Bill Bertera
Well-known member
yes, but only if you put a stack of pringles on it first.
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http://www.redbill.us/gallery.htm
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http://www.redbill.us/gallery.htm
Wild-Mike
Veteran Member
I shoot photos under different conditions with a white paper and then name the images accordingly. When I am going to shoot in those conditions then I load the image onto the flash card and set the WB accordingly.
Otherwise, I just set it on site or shoot raw.
Regards,
Mike
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300D Gallery:
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Joy in looking and comprehending is nature's most beautiful gift. -- Albert Einstein
Otherwise, I just set it on site or shoot raw.
Regards,
Mike
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300D Gallery:
http://tkis.com/mike/
Joy in looking and comprehending is nature's most beautiful gift. -- Albert Einstein
nubui
Senior Member
been using a pringles lid for a couple of months and it always works just amazingly well for a freebie!
My Photography: http://nubui.com/gallery/newcam
New 300D users, please read the 300D FAQ first! Chances are that your questions have already been answered: http://www.marius.org/cgi-bin/fom?file=68
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My Photography: http://nubui.com/gallery/newcam
New 300D users, please read the 300D FAQ first! Chances are that your questions have already been answered: http://www.marius.org/cgi-bin/fom?file=68
Thanks Mike. By under the same conditions, do you mean under the same type of lighting, even if it's a different location, or do you mean you save them for use again in that same exact location?
nubui
Senior Member
for me it's either custom white balance or auto. whereas auto doesn't really do a good job apart from daylight.. in case I got the WB wrong, I later on choose a shot from a series that has some white or gray bits in them and use those for WB (I shoot RAW) and apply that correction to the other pictures taken in the same light setting.
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My Photography: http://nubui.com/gallery/newcam
New 300D users, please read the 300D FAQ first! Chances are that your questions have already been answered: http://www.marius.org/cgi-bin/fom?file=68
--
My Photography: http://nubui.com/gallery/newcam
New 300D users, please read the 300D FAQ first! Chances are that your questions have already been answered: http://www.marius.org/cgi-bin/fom?file=68
You put the lid over the lens, and then aim at something white to shoot? What's the point of the lid then? I'm lost
Wild-Mike
Veteran Member
Edward Magowan
Leading Member
I think it's because the lid is a little translucent? That's my guess...
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http://www.pbase.com/annellyse
--You put the lid over the lens, and then aim at something white to
shoot? What's the point of the lid then? I'm lost
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http://www.pbase.com/annellyse
banzai
Senior Member
Put the [blank] in front of your lens (pringles lid, coffee filter, etc).
Set the lens to MF
Set camera to P mode (or any auto exposure mode)
Point at light source.
Shoot.
Why point at the light source? Because you want to see the color of the light coming out of the source - why settle for just a bounce off a white object? Go to the source!
Why a lid/filter/cloth/etc? Because without it you'd get a point light glaring into your lens. That's no good. The lid/filter/cloth/etc will catch the light and diffuse it across its surface, creating a nice, even look at the light.
However the key is to get a neutral lid/filter/cloth/etc that won't introduce a color cast of its own.
Why shoot in P or other auto exposure mode? Because you want the image to be well exposed. If it's too dark or blown out, you won't be giving the camera enough good information to work with.
Also check the manual to see exactly what portion of the image is used for custom WB calculations.
Set the lens to MF
Set camera to P mode (or any auto exposure mode)
Point at light source.
Shoot.
Why point at the light source? Because you want to see the color of the light coming out of the source - why settle for just a bounce off a white object? Go to the source!
Why a lid/filter/cloth/etc? Because without it you'd get a point light glaring into your lens. That's no good. The lid/filter/cloth/etc will catch the light and diffuse it across its surface, creating a nice, even look at the light.
However the key is to get a neutral lid/filter/cloth/etc that won't introduce a color cast of its own.
Why shoot in P or other auto exposure mode? Because you want the image to be well exposed. If it's too dark or blown out, you won't be giving the camera enough good information to work with.
Also check the manual to see exactly what portion of the image is used for custom WB calculations.
Fredy Ross
Veteran Member
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fredyr
banzai
Senior Member
If you get the WB correct at the time of the shoot, then you're saving yourself a step in post processing. Also you might not have a neutral target to use in your pic(s) to set the WB in your RAW processor. You'd have to either make sure that you shoot a neutral target for calibration or get the WB right in-camera or - the worst case scenario - just guess in the RAW processor.
Or, as I always stress, don't worry about getting perfect WB. I only worry about it when the lighting is terrible - gym lights make human skin look sickly green. But there are plenty of times when "incorrect" WB is vastly superior to "correct" WB.
Test the theory: find a beautiful sunset. Custom WB. Shoot. Prepare to be disappointed.
Or, as I always stress, don't worry about getting perfect WB. I only worry about it when the lighting is terrible - gym lights make human skin look sickly green. But there are plenty of times when "incorrect" WB is vastly superior to "correct" WB.
Test the theory: find a beautiful sunset. Custom WB. Shoot. Prepare to be disappointed.
Bakul Vyas
Senior Member
I am a bigginer.
After getting shot through Pringle lid / Coffee filter, what is next?
Can you please explain the post - process in detail? or suggest some good site.
This may sound funny to pros - but I am a bigginer.
Thanks in advance
Bakul Vyas
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