White Balance - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

05/29/2008 09:48:21 AM · #1

I have manually set my white balance by putting my camera up to my white reflector. When I look at my LCD screen everything that is white through the camera looks cream colored. Should I use a white balance preset or get a grey card to apply for my white balance?

bobonacus

Canon EOS-7D

05/29/2008 09:50:56 AM · #2

It sounds like it has not accepted the manual white balance to me. I've set mine manually loads of times with just a piece of white paper.

Are you sure you are on custom white balance and you've told the camera to use that image as the white balance reference?

bobonacus

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

05/29/2008 09:52:59 AM · #3

the other option would be to shoot in RAW and sort it out after

Buckeye_Fan

05/29/2008 10:00:51 AM · #4

Go to Photo Vision and click on digital calibration target. I love mine!! I have a 34" and the 6". Love them!! You can them custom white balance any situation.

Prof_Fate

05/29/2008 10:04:59 AM · #5

Proper white balance will affect exposure - wrong WB can mean your exposure will be off. There are several ways to do a custom white balance but no one method is best for every shoot.
Expodisk or photovision targets are my preferred choices. You can ghetto it with a piece of paper or coffee filter or any number of other things, but you need something that is truly neutral in color and most things are not, so that will 'tint' you WB a bit one way or another.
White paper comes in 100 different grades of white, reflectance, etc. Gray cards work well, but like any solid sheet you fill the viewfinder with you must get the exposure correct- too bright or dark and that too will cause your custom WB to not be as accurate as it could be.

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

05/29/2008 10:13:02 AM · #6

im sure its on my custom white balance and i do shoot in RAW.....maybe its my flash or something...so grey is not good to use?

bobonacus

Canon EOS-7D

05/29/2008 10:17:18 AM · #7

I assume that the reflector is held away from the camera and not right up to the lens and it fills the shot?

If you are using the flash I assume you are setting the white balance with the flash firing as that will change the white balance if not

Olympus 7-14mm f/4.0 Zuiko Digital Zoom

05/29/2008 10:47:54 AM · #8

i put the lenses right up to the reflector and saved it as a custom balance...maybe i should back up so the reflector is still in the shot but not on it...maybe thats why the pictures come out werid

one2one

Olympus E-5

05/29/2008 10:56:54 AM · #9

Originally posted by yungskeeme:

i put the lenses right up to the reflector and saved it as a custom balance...maybe i should back up so the reflector is still in the shot but not on it...maybe thats why the pictures come out werid

Just fill the frame with it, it doesn't matter how near or far you are from the object. Use the zoom if you have to. Make sure it's focused well and your exposure is correct. Use all lighting that will be used while photographing to make your white balance adjustment. I have 4 possible presets on my camera. The first is for my studio fluorescent lights. The second is for my studio strobes. The other 2 I use for on location shooting.