WB gels and flash

**BarryE** · 01-02-2020, 05:12 AM - **1 Like**

Well that took a while to work out !!

I was using a full cut of CTO (orange filter) and playing with the K-1s WB. The idea was to let the ambient light be controlled by the camera's WB and spot flash the subject with an orange glow. Could I get it to work? Not, until I found buried in the custom settings a setting to override WB when flash is being used. As this is the default, changing WB was having no effect. So switched this setting to allow camera's WB to be effective when flash is being used and I can now control the ambient WB and the flash's colour independently with gels.

Just thought I'd mention it as I was getting a little confused (not unusual with TTL, me being a manual kind of flash photographer)...

rubenr · 01-02-2020, 07:21 AM

I don't have a K-1, but... where is this setting to override WB when flash is being used?

Maybe it can help someone else if you share your discovery

swanlefitte · 01-02-2020, 07:47 AM

Do you mean WB defaults to flashWB and AWB Doesn't work unless unlocked in the menu?
I would think you could still set any manual WB. For instance set to tungsten under tungsten lights and use the cto to get daylight.

**BarryE** · 01-02-2020, 08:09 AM

It's C3.17. "Sets the white balance setting when using a flash." Options are: Auto White Balance (the default); Multi Auto White Balance; Unchanged. I changed to Unchanged to regain WB control.

rubenr · 01-02-2020, 09:01 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by BarryE

It's C3.17. "Sets the white balance setting when using a flash." Options are: Auto White Balance (the default); Multi Auto White Balance; Unchanged. I changed to Unchanged to regain WB control.

Thanks!

**AstroDave** · 01-02-2020, 10:03 AM - **1 Like**

You might want to look at/set appropriately C3.15 and C3.16 as well. The equivalents of these have given me grief with previous cameras (notably K-5). The camera may think it is smarter than you are and diddle the color balance even though you thought you had "set" it!!!!!

**BarryE** · 01-02-2020, 10:18 AM

Originally posted by AstroDave

You might want to look at/set appropriately C3.15 and C3.16 as well. The equivalents of these have given me grief with previous cameras (notably K-5). The camera may think it is smarter than you are and diddle the color balance even though you thought you had "set" it!!!!!

Thanks Dave for highlighting this. I've tended to shoot RAW and let auto white balance do its bit and fix in post. These settings are ones I've never considered before, but after getting stuck with the mixed light sources and flash I'll now try and remember these as well. Yes, unlikely I know ;-)

stevebrot · 01-02-2020, 11:03 AM

Originally posted by BarryE

It's C3.17. "Sets the white balance setting when using a flash." Options are: Auto White Balance (the default); Multi Auto White Balance; Unchanged. I changed to Unchanged to regain WB control.

In case it is not clear, what this does is use the same WB for flash as what is set for non-flash photos. The nice thing is that "Unchanged" works for non-dedicated flash as well (duh!); the other two only apply when a Pentax-dedicated flash is detected.

Steve

bschriver11 · 01-02-2020, 07:31 PM

Those options are available in the K-3ii as well, there are four options to choose from.First thing i did when i got the k-3ii was look through the menu to see what settings i could customize and what the default setting were. It is in the menu of the camera but i wouldn't say it is buried and required a lot of digging.

**BarryE** · 01-03-2020, 01:07 AM

Originally posted by bschriver11

Those options are available in the K-3ii as well, there are four options to choose from.First thing i did when i got the k-3ii was look through the menu to see what settings i could customize and what the default setting were. It is in the menu of the camera but i wouldn't say it is buried and required a lot of digging.

Yep, I did the same, but that was 3 years or so ago and my needs changed. Then I thought why would I need that esoteric function? Since then I'd forgotten about these options and just got on ad used the camera. Interestingly, I was adopting a technique that another Nikon shooter had referred to - guess he didn't have these Pentax options:-)

01-02-2020, 05:12 AM - 1 Like	#1
BarryE Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Hampshire, UK Posts: 1,653	WB gels and flash Well that took a while to work out !! I was using a full cut of CTO (orange filter) and playing with the K-1s WB. The idea was to let the ambient light be controlled by the camera's WB and spot flash the subject with an orange glow. Could I get it to work? Not, until I found buried in the custom settings a setting to override WB when flash is being used. As this is the default, changing WB was having no effect. So switched this setting to allow camera's WB to be effective when flash is being used and I can now control the ambient WB and the flash's colour independently with gels. Just thought I'd mention it as I was getting a little confused (not unusual with TTL, me being a manual kind of flash photographer)...

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01-02-2020, 07:21 AM	#2
rubenr Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Guatemala City Photos: Albums Posts: 337	I don't have a K-1, but... where is this setting to override WB when flash is being used? Maybe it can help someone else if you share your discovery

01-02-2020, 07:47 AM	#3
swanlefitte Pentaxian Join Date: May 2015 Location: Minneapolis Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,068	Do you mean WB defaults to flashWB and AWB Doesn't work unless unlocked in the menu? I would think you could still set any manual WB. For instance set to tungsten under tungsten lights and use the cto to get daylight.

01-02-2020, 08:09 AM	#4
BarryE Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Hampshire, UK Posts: 1,653 Original Poster	It's C3.17. "Sets the white balance setting when using a flash." Options are: Auto White Balance (the default); Multi Auto White Balance; Unchanged. I changed to Unchanged to regain WB control.

01-02-2020, 09:01 AM - 1 Like	#5
rubenr Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Guatemala City Photos: Albums Posts: 337	Originally posted by BarryE It's C3.17. "Sets the white balance setting when using a flash." Options are: Auto White Balance (the default); Multi Auto White Balance; Unchanged. I changed to Unchanged to regain WB control. Thanks!

01-02-2020, 10:03 AM - 1 Like	#6
AstroDave Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2007 Location: Flagstaff, Arizona Posts: 1,637	You might want to look at/set appropriately C3.15 and C3.16 as well. The equivalents of these have given me grief with previous cameras (notably K-5). The camera may think it is smarter than you are and diddle the color balance even though you thought you had "set" it!!!!!

01-02-2020, 10:18 AM	#7
BarryE Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Hampshire, UK Posts: 1,653 Original Poster	Originally posted by AstroDave You might want to look at/set appropriately C3.15 and C3.16 as well. The equivalents of these have given me grief with previous cameras (notably K-5). The camera may think it is smarter than you are and diddle the color balance even though you thought you had "set" it!!!!! Thanks Dave for highlighting this. I've tended to shoot RAW and let auto white balance do its bit and fix in post. These settings are ones I've never considered before, but after getting stuck with the mixed light sources and flash I'll now try and remember these as well. Yes, unlikely I know ;-)

01-02-2020, 11:03 AM	#8
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by BarryE It's C3.17. "Sets the white balance setting when using a flash." Options are: Auto White Balance (the default); Multi Auto White Balance; Unchanged. I changed to Unchanged to regain WB control. In case it is not clear, what this does is use the same WB for flash as what is set for non-flash photos. The nice thing is that "Unchanged" works for non-dedicated flash as well (duh!); the other two only apply when a Pentax-dedicated flash is detected. Steve

01-02-2020, 07:31 PM	#9
bschriver11 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Maryland Photos: Gallery Posts: 558	Those options are available in the K-3ii as well, there are four options to choose from.First thing i did when i got the k-3ii was look through the menu to see what settings i could customize and what the default setting were. It is in the menu of the camera but i wouldn't say it is buried and required a lot of digging.

01-03-2020, 01:07 AM	#10
BarryE Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Hampshire, UK Posts: 1,653 Original Poster	Originally posted by bschriver11 Those options are available in the K-3ii as well, there are four options to choose from.First thing i did when i got the k-3ii was look through the menu to see what settings i could customize and what the default setting were. It is in the menu of the camera but i wouldn't say it is buried and required a lot of digging. Yep, I did the same, but that was 3 years or so ago and my needs changed. Then I thought why would I need that esoteric function? Since then I'd forgotten about these options and just got on ad used the camera. Interestingly, I was adopting a technique that another Nikon shooter had referred to - guess he didn't have these Pentax options:-)