Custom WB: Is it worth it?

ChrisMClark

ChrisMClark

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Is it worth setting your custom white-balance (pointing and clicking at a sheet of white card etc) or is it no better than using your presets on the camera? Just curious. I always have mine set to custom...but end up changing to one of the presets because I'm a lazy sod!
 
For some types of photography custom white balance is essential.

Snow for example will always need a custom WB. Without it, the snow will have a blue tint.

Custom WB can also be useful for wedding and studio photography.
 
Absolutely crucial for some types of photography. I took some photos in a lightbox with a white background. All the presets gave me funny colours ranging from orange to blue. Thank god for custom WB!! At least I got somewhere close!
 
Maybe it's time I stopped being so lazy then :D

Thanks peoples!
 
It's essential for infrared, but for "normal" photography you have the debate whether to use a sheet of white card, or an 18% gray as this is what the camera interprets as "white", hence why snow doesn't seem to come out right...
 
Flash you've just educated me. It's off to buy a grey card for me then...

Presumably high key shots on white backgrounds shoud be white balanced with a grey card too then?
 
Never thought about setting white balance before just used auto had a mess with my camera. Wow what a difference.
dont mean to hijack this thread but is there any circumstance where custom wb is not better
 
so when doing a studio shoot is it essential to use custom WB , And use a grey card.
 
thebigdogsix said:
Never thought about setting white balance before just used auto had a mess with my camera. Wow what a difference.
dont mean to hijack this thread but is there any circumstance where custom wb is not better
Click to expand...


when it is set wrong...
 
Surely if you shoot RAW its not that critical? Shooting JPG though its essential.

Underwater there are obvious blue (or in uk green) colour casts due to no red light. Manual WB is essential then for JPG shooting but for RAW i dont bother, keep it on cloudy and fix in PP.

Constantly setting manual WB can be a pain in places where the light is changing a lot and so on.
 
gnirtS said:
Surely if you shoot RAW its not that critical? Shooting JPG though its essential.

Underwater there are obvious blue (or in uk green) colour casts due to no red light. Manual WB is essential then for JPG shooting but for RAW i dont bother, keep it on cloudy and fix in PP.

Constantly setting manual WB can be a pain in places where the light is changing a lot and so on.
Click to expand...

:plusone:
 
ok guys i'm in a studio how do i set a grey card with a set of lights on flash...


:thinking:


i'm :shrug:


md:thumbs:
 
gnirtS said:
Underwater there are obvious blue (or in uk green) colour casts due to no red light.
Click to expand...

Nothing better than seeing that little graze on your arm turn green :D I don't suppose you're Julian Calverly are you? :D
 
Like gnirts said, assuming you're shooting in RAW then some WB 'adjustment' is 100% necessary for studio and other stuff, however this can be done on camera or as part of your PP workflow. If the light sources stay the same temp ('k') for the whole shoot then you can take the WB adjustment from one image and paste across the whole batch in about 30 seconds. No need for a card then.
 
I always used auto white balance until a couple of days ago when i started playing about with it, id say it's more for studio work than it is anything else...?
 
..MD.. said:
ok guys i'm in a studio how do i set a grey card with a set of lights on flash...


:thinking:


i'm :shrug:


md:thumbs:
Click to expand...



You use your Expodisc and point it back towards the flash

Or, assuming you have the exposure correct, you shoot the grey card and make that the grey point in PP

Weddings can be a nightmare for WB as everywhere is different and has different light sources or reflections making colour changes (sandstone churches vary a lot in colour for example). Expo's make life easier in PP, but can slow you down during the Wedding. If it's obvious I'll be dealing with lots of WB variation I often shoot in WB Flash and sort it with a few clicks later in batch processing

Getting it right first time makes life easier (or more accurate) where your monitor & printer aren't calibrated

DD
 
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