White Balancing a Dslr

Guys, I;m trying to figure out something with my canon T3i, my intended aim after to recording my footage is to color correct it and grade afterwards in Post Production, to somewhat give it that cinematic/film look in terms of its color.
I know most people say to shoot with the camera in a flat profile, but i want to know after setting a flat profile, do I still need to white balance the camera? Or should I just factory reset the camera and then set the flat profile, use one of the custom white balance in the camera depending on what I'm shooting and then shoot the footage?
Because I run into so many problems when I try to white balance these Dslr's using the a white paper or something.

The Profile and white balance are two different things.
The picture profile involves sharpening, contrast, brightness, saturation and hue.
White balance is removing unwanted color casts.
You do not want to do that in post, maybe slight corrections.
How to set white balance is explained in the manual. At least in mine (Nikon).
Besides the camera comes with a whole bunch of white balance preset.
If you know the color temperature of the lighting you can set a Kelvin value.

Similar Messages

Sunrise/Sunset and White Balance

I have a question about overriding Automatic White Balance when photographing sunrises and sunsets. A few days ago, I got my first DSLR, an EOS 5D Mk III. I know the ISO triangle after shooting film on my Canon A-1 that I bought 34 years ago, which still works). However, this white balance thing is a fourth dimension. Films are balanced for daylight and the ISO is also dictated. For photographing a sunrise or sunset, to me, it makes sense to set the white balance to 5200 Kelvin (daylight). I got one response from a camera club member who said his photos were all in the 5000 range. Others have said "Shoot in RAW and fix it in post processing". The second response of "Fix it later" just doesn't ring my bell. What about getting it right the first time? Should I set white balance to daylight or some other setting? I can always experiment with changing white balance; after all, I'm not wasting film. Below are a series of sunrises that I took using Kodak Portra 400, -2/3 stop, on my Canon A-1. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ralphhightower/sets/72157633079358301/ Thanks, Ralph
Solved!
Go to Solution.

It might be helpful to just think of the digital camera's white balance capabilities as a built-in and very complete set of color conversion and color correction filters, such as we used to use with film. Now, for your convenience, all those filters are right there, inside the camera.... much easier to carry around and use!
If shooting during Golden Hours, the camera's Automatic White Balance (AWB) can tend to overcorrect and remove some of the lovely golden nature of the light. One solution is as others have recommended, to shoot RAW and make your adjustments later. This is no different from making the adjustments in-camera, at the time of exposure, and can make for much greater control and precision. It's not really a "fix it later" thing... It is more a matter of doing fine-tuning and optimizing the image (more on this below). RAW simply retains all the data from the original capture and is a good thing to use, anyway.
All digital cameras essentially capture a TIFF image file with a lot of proprietary data attached and an embedded "preview/review" JPEG... that's what the RAW file is. If you make JPEGs in-camera, a lot of data is thrown away, following the directions laid out by the settings in the camera. If, instead, you save the entire RAW file, you can change those directions later in post-processing... or just make a JPEG from the image "as shot", using the exact same set of instructions as were set in the camera at the time of exposure. One of the beauties of RAW is that so long as you store the original image file, you can always go back and re-process it another way, if you wish. This is particularly helpful when new to digital and uncertain about your settings. Something you might want to do is shoot RAW+JPEG initially. That way you have both the full data stored, along with the potential to make changes if you wish, plus the JPEG produced according to your camera settings. The JPEG can serve as a post-processing learning tool, using it as a point of comparison with your own RAW file conversions.... and as feedback about your camera settings. (Don't trust the image display on the camera's LCD screen... it's not calibrated and is too subject to ambient light variations. The histogram display is generally more informative, but even that is subject to the camera's settings, since it's done from the embedded JPEG and not directly from the full RAW file.)
But, I agree, it's also good to "get it right the first time". Or at least come as close as possible.
The most ideal way to do that would be to set a Custom White Balance for every shot. Use a standardized target, bathed in the same light as your subject/scene, and take a shot of it... then tell the camera to use that as reference. However, it's just not practical to do that.
Nor is it a good idea to set one particular color temp and use it for everything (i know photogs who do that and have had to work with their images.... it makes for a lot of extra work!)
Thus there are all the "presets" you can choose among, looking for one that's most appropriate for your particular situation... And there is AWB, which allows the camera to try to choose for you. Outdoors in daylight I've found Canon AWB to be pretty darned good. Shots in the shade can be a little overly cool. And indoor shots with tungsten or other artifical light are when a Custom WB is most likely to be needed.... especially with weird, uncalibrated lighting such as sodium vapor and mercury vapor lamps.
To set an accurate Custom WB, get yourself a gray card or similar (I use Lastolite EZ Balance targets, which are sort of like a foldable/flexible gray card). This also can be helpful arriving at an accurately metered exposures. Something else I use in certain circumstances are Warm Cards... these have slight tints that "fool" the camera into slightly tinting the image.... a light blue/cyan target will cause the camera to render a slightly warm color balance. Warm Cards would be particularly helpful shooting during the Golden Hours, if wanting to retain some of the warmth of the light at those times of day. It's more accurate doing this than simply manually setting a particular color temp, although that's possible too.
And, yes, you should spend some time getting to know how your camera handles color. Each model can be a bit different. You'd do well to shoot a bunch of test shots with AWB, Custom WB and, if you wish, the various presets... to see how they perform.
Of course, you don't always have time to think about or make settings... sometimes to catch fleeting light you have to run to catch an image quickly, shoot RAW and "fix it later" in post-processing!
If you haven't already done so, you might want to calibrate your computer monitor. As concerned as you are about rendering accurate color or manipulating it the way you want it, in case you are unaware of it... your computer monitor is lying to you. All computer monitors are different, none are really very accurate and virtually all are way too bright. If you make prints using an uncalibrated monitor, you will usually find them coming out too dark. This is because an overly bright monitor causes you to adjust the image too dark. If you don't already have them, you might want to get computer calibration software and hardware and use them regularly (about once every month or two, usually... monitors change over time and with use).
The way the calibration device works is by first running a test on your particular monitor, and then providing a profile that the computer will use when rendering images on the display. Some of the more sophisticated calibration suites can also be used to develop printing profiles (unique for each ink/paper/printer combination), projectors and other viewing devices. (I use a Datacolor Spyder, one of several different calibration devices/softwares available).
Hope this helps!
Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7D(x2), 50D(x3), some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & PRINTROOM

Nikon NEF White Balance encryption

Hi,
I've read quite a bit about the encryption of white balance information in NEF files. I'm in the market for a D50 but this seems to be a problem for me. I'v shot with a 350D and the CR2 files are fine. I got my hands on a D200 and I can only open them with Lighroom.
Any D50 users out there using iPhoto? Does iPhoto decrypt the WB information or do you need to send the NEFs through Nikons software before imporing?
I'd hate to get an overpriced Canaon simply because of an encryption problem...
Thanks!
Matt

Hi Matt,
I use the Nikon D70 and I just shot a bunch of
pictures using Raw format (NEF). Yes, indeed the
white balance in the adjustment panel started off in
non-zero value.
You're talking about iphoto here, right? If iphoto can open the files, so could preview, for example.
I guess your analogy is correct that
iPhoto is able to read the picture information from
NEF. In fact, I think the quality of the adjusted NEF
picture is much better than if you adjust a similar
image shot in JPG. I'll go home and test this tonight.
Yeah, I bet they are! That's a main reason I want a dslr. Sure there are some point and shooters that do some kind of RAW, but if I go 'advanced amateur' I'm gonna go all the way!
btw, what's the rest of your photo-gear?
Thanks for writing!
Matt

808 flashlight = white balance red?

Dear friends,
I just buy a pureview 808. When I take photo indoor with daylight lamp at night, the flashlight is on. However, the photo is incredibly a red one, nothing like the scene. I believe it is a wrong white balance. I do not find an option for "flash light" in the white balance selections. All options result in a red colored photo with the coldest one (bluest one) as weaker.
Any walkthrough or walk arounds?
Thank you!

Cheers for replying
Being a long term DLSR photographer I always use creative mode and started out using AWB. Even in AWB mode there shouldn't be so much variation as in my sample pics, so I decided to use fixed white balance with the intent of forcing the colour balance ot be the same. but you're right, often with a dynamic scene there's not time or place to mess about trying different settings to correct waht a fixed AWB shoudl get right in the first place
I think there's a bug, but it's not an easy thing to get manufacturers to always admit this. I will soon twitter Damian Dinning, the guy who was heavily involved with the development of the 808's camera and see if he has some comment.
I appreciate the 808 is the first Pureview model, but that shouldn't mean a lack of after-release updates to fix problems.
Another weird scarnio I've come across is that when setting manual ISO to something higher in order to force a faster shutter speed, the 808 still choose s toexpose with lower shutter speeds. For example on my DSLRs if I use auto mode and it selects something like. ISO 100 / 1/50s. For the same scene, if I preset ISO400 the speed jumps to 1/200s as it should. This doesn't happen on the 808. The speedwill remain at 1/50 on many shots, and unwanted motion blur remains
There's some weird stuff going on
When the 808 getr's it right it takes amazing pics for a phone, and in fact that's the reason I bought it. I still ahven't put a SIM card in it :

Extended white balance range

I made this request back during beta 3, I think. I shoot an IR-converted dSLR, and would love it if Lightroom's white balance range didn't stop at 2000k. As it is, I have to make radical adjustments to other settings to make images look "correct" in color. Extending the WB range would help considerably.
I would also love it if LR could be made to recognize Canon's "color styles" settings.

Actually this has been requsted a few times previously. So you are not alone.
Don
Don Ricklin, MacBook 1.83Ghz Duo 2 Core running 10.4.8 & Win XP, Pentax *ist D
http://donricklin.blogspot.com/

White Balance Metadata not showing in Adobe Bridge CS6

Hi there, I am running Bridge CS6 on a Mac, and use Canon 5D and 5DMark 111 cameras. I have an issue with Bridge which I can not seem to figure out. Whether I shoot Raw or JPG and I am trying to do some testing for white balance, once I open the images in Bridge, in the little icon panel just below the folders/favourites panel etc I can see the f stop info, speed, metering , ISO etc, but the only icons I get for WB are if use auto - then I see AUTO. But when I do a manual WB like 'cloudy', 'tungsten', or 'shade' etc all I get are the symbols for 'Custom" or "Manual". How do I get the actual symbols for what type of WB i've chosen to show up?
I have purged the Cache - both in the individual folder and the overall Cache in preferences. I have checked that all the boxes are ticked in the preferences panel for the Metadata. So not sure what else to do.
Cheers D

Ok thanks for that, at least I wont be chasing my tail.
I did install the DNG converter 8.3 but I still NEF files as a NEF icon. Any clues to what I may not be doing right there?

Adobe Bridge - White balance metadata

When I browse raw files from my Canon EOS Rebel XT/350D in Adobe Bridge I always look at the Metadata tab to check for the f-stop value, speed, white balance settings, etc. of the currently-selected raw image file.
I noticed that the pictures shot in Automatic White Balance appear on the upper-left portion of the Metadata tab as an icon indicating AWB. However, whenever I take pictures with manually-set white balances, such as shade, day light, tungsten, etc., the metadata tab no longer indicates the white balance I chose, instead, it either shows an icon of a camera or two dashes, as in --.
Is there any way I can set Adobe Bridge to show the appropriate White Balance icon for pictures I take with manually-set white balances?

Hi Curt,
Thanks for your reply. Yes, White Balance is checked in preferences/metadata. All of the Exposure metadata entries are also checked.
I forgot to mention that my version of Camera Raw is 4.5 (the latest).
You know, although White Balance is checked, I cannot find a White Balance text entry on any of the metadata lists (File properties, IPTC core, Camera Data (EXIF), etc.). The only place where I can see the White Balance setting in on the upper left corner of the Metadata tab, under the f-stop value.
Here is a personal question for you: When you browse your pictures in Adobe Bridge and you select one that was taken with a specific White Balance (not Auto), does your Adobe Bridge display an icon for that particular White Balance setting? I just want to eliminate the possibility that this happening only in my computer.
Thanks a lot for your time and attention.

Imported images are given "flash" as white balance

Since I implemented LR3 and played around a.o. with some presets, all of my images (RAW) at import are transformed to the "flash" white balance, as shown in the Library right colomn and as can be seen in the image.
The images come out of the camera with a wb-info as the one set to the camera when shooting the image, so no problem with the camera. So I suspected some initial preset, but couldn't find it. Then, I imported the files into Photoshop 4 and Elements, and exactly the same thing happens: they convert immediately to the flash WB. So, is there a settings file that is shared by all three programs?
I checked the same files on my lap-top with LR3, and there LR shows the wb settings that I set on my camera; so the problem is with settings on my one PC.
Has anybody any idea how to get rid of this setting?
Rob

robijsselstein wrote:
My surprise is that the other programs use the same defaults apparently
The Default you set in LR is valid for ACR, no matter whether used under LR or under PS/PSE. Their values are also stored in the Camera Raw settings directory, not in the LR directory.
Beat

Can you remove the camera white balance setting in Aperture

I have a Canon 7D and use Aperture for processing and storing my images.
With the Canon I shoot both video and still and frequently adjust the white balance in the camera. I make a frequent mistake in leaving the wrong white balance setting on - eg when taking video indoors in the evening I set the white balance to indoors (the Canon seems poor at white balance decision making on video) and then I forget I'm not using auto white balance and switch to taking a photo with flash. The result is a horrible blue photo - which if I don't spot the problem at the time seems very hard to correct afterwards.
I use the Aperture white balance adjustments frequently but unless there is a patch or white or grey I an use the dropper on, I find this particular situation seems to be right off the scale of what I can fix in Aperture. I end up with sliders at the extremes of the scales and no intuitive sense of what numbers to type in manually to try and get realistic colour - so I often end up discarding these photos even if the shot itself is something I'd like to use.
So my question is given I'm importing RAW, is there a way to show the phoo without the (wrong) white balance setting I applied in the camera, to let me choose white balance from scratch?
Or if not, do you have any advice about how to adjust from this very bluey unrealistic colour of image?

Kirkby - thanks for the quick reply.
Didn't know you could drag inside a value field - that's helpful.
But being able to get different numbers on the slider isn't the root of my problem.
In a specific example I have two photos - one taken with white balance set to flash and the photo was with flash, where after a bit of tweaking to get the colour I want the temp slider is at 5000K (and tint 0). The second photo has my shooting error with interior lighting white balance but taken with flash. The two shots were taken from almost the same point of the same view (but different people in frame). The shot with the white balance error comes off camera horribly blue coloured. I can fiddle with the two sliders - I take temperature to 20000K and tint to 40 to do the best with it I can, and with those settings one of the two faces is approaching flesh colour but the wall behind the subjects (which is a light blue in reality) is now appearing light yellow in places. I just can't get a good looking colour effect no matter ow extreme the slider settings.
I may have phrased my question badly - as I totally agree you can't show a raw without a colour setting - so maybe I'm better asking to be able to use a different colour setting on the raw data rather than having to start with adjustments on top of my white balance mistake.
Given the two shots were in the same place against the same background and the same lighting (both with flash) it seems to me I ought to be able to get a similar colour effect on both and I just can't. To illustrate here are the two photos (the one on the left was shot with flash wb and in Aperture I'm viewing it with 5000K and 0 tint, the one on the right was shot with indoor wb and in Aperture I'm viewing it with 20000K and 40 tint and it looks terrible!)
https://www.box.com/shared/qle3t6ovyhrd1egez3vc

Lightroom: Why does auto white balance no longer work after changing the camera calibration profile?

I'm using NEF raw files from Nikon.
Lets say for example I import a NEF file into Lightroom (v4) and click on 'auto' for white balance. The white balance in the image is adjusted correctly (somewhat). However, if I then change the camera profile (in the camera calibration section) from 'adobe standard' to 'camera standard' then the white balance in the image becomes very wrong. I then have to set the white balance back to 'as shot' and correct it manually instead.
Why would 'auto white balance' no longer work just because I change the profile from 'adobe standard' to 'camera standard'?
Any ideas?

Works as expected here...
Which Lr version and what OS??

White Balance Correction

Hi all,
This might be a question which is too "simple" for Aperture but here goes...
I am used to using Adobe or Nikon products to edit my RAW images, in those apps you could change white balance as if you were in camera (ie: daylight, shade, flash etc...). In Aperture it seems the only way I can adjust white balance is to click somewhere in the image which is white, is this correct?
Appreciate it.
MBP 15'' 2.16 Mac OS X (10.4.6)

I think it what would put Aperture in a
better position would be to use the same system as
the competition
How can Aperture surpass the competition by copying them? The current system is workable for saving presets. I am looking for something much better out of Apple in the next revision of Aperture than just 'copying' the competition.
Aperture is innovative and ground-breaking software in many areas. We will have to wait a bit longer for them to fill in some weaker spots in a application.

White Balance Tool

I am using the following:
latest CS4 version
latest camera raw version
MAC 10.5.5
Can anyone help please - I open bridge, then open a raw file in camera raw. I then use the white balance tool. I go over the image with this tool to see the pixel values - but there are no pixel info showing on the R G B settings on the right (just below the graph). In Photoshop, this tool is working fine.
Is there a preference setting to activate this tool to work properly in camera raw?

Well, I have tested it again and the preference to start Bridge at log in, seems to be doing it. I ticked this off, closed down and started Bridge manually and the tool fully works OK with my work space. But could be something else, I don't know, but starting Bridge at log in on my computer seems to be this.
The saved work space I have set up as follows - on the left side of screen I have placed my favorites, folders, collections panels at top left, then underneath these, I have placed filter, metadata, keywords panels. I have no panels on the right and just have big thumbnails on the main area.
Anyway, thanks again, I can live with this now, I just start Bridge manually :-)

White Balance Setting Problem

APPLE COMPUTER:
THREE BASIC QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED.
1. HOW DOES THE WHITE BALANCE TOOL WORK IN APERTURE?
2. HOW DO YOUR SOFTWARE ENGINEERS AND "PHOTOGRAPHIC CONSULTANTS" USE IT TO SET WHITE BALANCE?
3. WHAT ARE THE SIMILARITIES AND/OR DIFFERENCES IN ITS USE AS COMPARED TO SIMILAR TOOLS IN CAPTURE ONE PRO AND ADOBE PHOTOSHOP?

Test Results:
Aperture 1.1:
Image Temperature: 3594
Tint: -17
When using the white balance tool on a white section of a photo, the RGB values changed from R 255 G 234 B 192 to R 255 G 230 B 197 and the Temperature changed to 3946 and Tint to 12.
The photo still remained unacceptable.
When usint the white balance tool on a grey section of the same photo, the RGB values cahnge from R 211 G 178 B 126 to R 208 G 180 B 162 and the Temperatue changed to 3154 and Tint to 2.
The photo still remained unacceptable but was notably improved.
Using Capture One Pro, the results were as follows:
Temperatue: 3850
Tint: -10
When using the white balance tool on a white section of the same photo, the RGB values changed from R 255 G 241 B 200 to R 244 G 244 B 244 and the Temperature changed to 2500 and Tint to -16.
Photo was very acceptable with no perceivable colour cast.
When using the white balance tool on a grey section of the same photo, the RGB values changed from R 190 G 153 B 108 to R 153 G 153 B 153 and Temperature to 2550 and Tint to -2.
Photo was very acceptable with no perceivable colour cast.
From this quick test on a photo, I can draw the following conclusions:
1. Aperture interprets temperature and tint data differently from Capture One Pro, although this likely due to the use of a camera profile within Capture One Pro;
2. Using the white balance tool in Aperture on a "white" section does not neutralize the RGB values;
3. Using the white balance tool in Aperture on a "white" section does not correctly remove a colour cast within a photograph;
4. Using the white balance tool in Aperture on a "grey" section does not neutralize the RGB values; and
5. Using the white balance tool in Aperture on a "grey" section does not correctly remove a colour cast within a photograph, although it does work better.

White balance for infrared images

Hello there,
I love making infrared photos with my digital camera (Canon dSRL).
When I take an IR shot, I usually set the custom white balance inside the camera, so that false colours appear correctly. If I open the CR2 RAW file using the software provided by Canon (Digital Photo Professional) the image appears correctly; on the contrary, if I use Adobe Camera Raw (which I prefer to) it seems that my custom white balance is not properly displayed.
So I'm wondering if this is an issue of CR or there is something to do that I don't know. Can you help me?

This tutorial by Sean MacCormick shows how you can edit the camera profile so that White Balance for IR images is brought within the adjustment range that Camera Raw and Lightroom http://lightroom-blog.com/2009/05/creating-ir-camera-profile.html

White balance

What is the best way to correct white balance shifts post production.
If shooting underwater, there is either a big jump to very blue, or to red.
Will I have to select different underwatercolour ranges and correct them each, or is there an easier way?
Is it best to use 3 way colour corrector, or other effects, or a combo?
I also have Adobe after effects 6.5, is there something in there recommended, as superior?

Underwater footage is fascinating stuff but it will not necessarily respond to conventional color correction. Unless properly lit, filtered or balanced the colors simply do not exist; there's no color data to correct.
The #1 advice form the kenstone.net articles: Shooting underwater successfully requires knowing what you're doing long before diving.
http://www.kenstone.net/fcphomepage/lighting_below_thewaves.html
The loss of color is deceiving. The human brain compensates for much of the color loss and even at depths below 30 feet, your eyes will still see some red. But a fact which we must understand is that the camera is really dumb. It has no brain, so therefore it will not compensate. To overcome this problem, artificial light sources must be used.< </div>
When working in water with a greenish tinge, as in the west coast of our continent from Seattle north to Vancouver Island, a magenta filter will produce good results. For blue caribbean waters, I always prefer my red color correction filter. < </div>
POST PRODUCTION FILTERS. As in topside video work, occasionally we misjudge the lighting conditions and must attempt a repair within Final Cut Pro. There are a few filters in the browser which I have discovered work well with underwater video footage. The Proc Amp filter can be used to put some vibrancy into an otherwise washed out shot. The RGB Balance filter is another which if used sparingly can save an otherwise interesting piece of footage from the cutting room floor.
But these filters are definitely no substitute for getting it right in the first place. The best angle of attack is to concentrate on the basic principals of lighting so that your footage can go untouched from the camera to the timeline.<
bogiesan

White Balancing a Dslr

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for