Decent white balance cards?

**JimJohnson** · 08-29-2013, 02:48 PM

I still have a Kodak Pocket Master Photoguide from the 1970's. All those paper calculators still come in handy on a number of occasions. The next to the last page is two facing pages of calibrated neutral gray. You don't need a 'white' card to do white balance. All you need is a card where the sensor will read the red, green and blue channels as equal.

richardstringer · 08-29-2013, 03:50 PM

Kobayashi.K

Did you not read the review of those white balance filters or something because it clearly stated that the expodusc and clear white were the joint best. The expodisc works great but you just have to use it how its supposed to be used or it can give bad results, but thats obvious.

Kobayashi.K · 08-30-2013, 08:05 AM

Originally posted by richardstringer

Kobayashi.K

Did you not read the review of those white balance filters or something because it clearly stated that the expodusc and clear white were the joint best. The expodisc works great but you just have to use it how its supposed to be used or it can give bad results, but thats obvious.

Product Comparison: White Balance Filters (Professional Photographer Magazine Web Exclusives)

" ... But the surprise of the test is the Melitta. It delivered a perfectly neutral fog and was slightly cool in the others, but no worse that most and better than the Lally CAP and the Mennon!
To pick a winner, I’d say, with the conditions tested here, it’s a tossup between the ClearWhite and the ExpoDisc. But in a pinch, stop by a supermarket and pick up a bag of Melitta Junior Basket coffee filters."

For the price of the Melitta's, its my winner !

richardstringer · 08-30-2013, 11:37 AM

Yeah but price vs results though, yeah the Melitta's are good and get you a good result for the amazingly low price but the result is, there's a toss up between the two winners. I've already got the Expodisc and it does excellent in most situations, it's only really tripped up sometimes if walls are yellow like my 1 bedroom flat walls, the yellow'ish light from the ceiling lights shines onto the yellow walls and makes the whole room have a yello tint. So that can trip up the Expodisc, but everywhere else it's been great.

Kobayashi.K · 08-30-2013, 02:12 PM

Due to your post I have been thinking about the properties of those filters. I think they are simply white diffusers with a flat transmission spectrum. I'm going to do a small DIY project to test various materials and light sources to get some more insight, and probably end up with a cheap and good working filter.

richardstringer · 08-30-2013, 02:49 PM

Yeah from what I know the front is a diffuser. I wanted to find something white that I could use like paper, the back of a birthday card, something and keep testing things out until I find something that gives me even better accurate white balance but I use my tv as a computer monitor fed via HDMI from my graphics card and I can't afford a calibration device for quite a while so I wouldn't be able to properly see which ones truly gave me accurate colours.

08-29-2013, 03:50 PM	#17
richardstringer Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Boston, Lincolnshire Posts: 145 Original Poster	Kobayashi.K Did you not read the review of those white balance filters or something because it clearly stated that the expodusc and clear white were the joint best. The expodisc works great but you just have to use it how its supposed to be used or it can give bad results, but thats obvious. Last edited by richardstringer; 08-30-2013 at 01:42 AM.

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08-29-2013, 02:48 PM	#16
JimJohnson Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Summer:Lake Superior - Michigan Winter:Texas Hill Country Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,772	I still have a Kodak Pocket Master Photoguide from the 1970's. All those paper calculators still come in handy on a number of occasions. The next to the last page is two facing pages of calibrated neutral gray. You don't need a 'white' card to do white balance. All you need is a card where the sensor will read the red, green and blue channels as equal.

08-30-2013, 08:05 AM	#18
Kobayashi.K Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Photos: Albums Posts: 716	Originally posted by richardstringer Kobayashi.K Did you not read the review of those white balance filters or something because it clearly stated that the expodusc and clear white were the joint best. The expodisc works great but you just have to use it how its supposed to be used or it can give bad results, but thats obvious. Product Comparison: White Balance Filters (Professional Photographer Magazine Web Exclusives) " ... But the surprise of the test is the Melitta. It delivered a perfectly neutral fog and was slightly cool in the others, but no worse that most and better than the Lally CAP and the Mennon! To pick a winner, I’d say, with the conditions tested here, it’s a tossup between the ClearWhite and the ExpoDisc. But in a pinch, stop by a supermarket and pick up a bag of Melitta Junior Basket coffee filters." For the price of the Melitta's, its my winner !

08-30-2013, 11:37 AM	#19
richardstringer Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Boston, Lincolnshire Posts: 145 Original Poster	Yeah but price vs results though, yeah the Melitta's are good and get you a good result for the amazingly low price but the result is, there's a toss up between the two winners. I've already got the Expodisc and it does excellent in most situations, it's only really tripped up sometimes if walls are yellow like my 1 bedroom flat walls, the yellow'ish light from the ceiling lights shines onto the yellow walls and makes the whole room have a yello tint. So that can trip up the Expodisc, but everywhere else it's been great.

08-30-2013, 02:12 PM	#20
Kobayashi.K Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Photos: Albums Posts: 716	Due to your post I have been thinking about the properties of those filters. I think they are simply white diffusers with a flat transmission spectrum. I'm going to do a small DIY project to test various materials and light sources to get some more insight, and probably end up with a cheap and good working filter.

08-30-2013, 02:49 PM	#21
richardstringer Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Boston, Lincolnshire Posts: 145 Original Poster	Yeah from what I know the front is a diffuser. I wanted to find something white that I could use like paper, the back of a birthday card, something and keep testing things out until I find something that gives me even better accurate white balance but I use my tv as a computer monitor fed via HDMI from my graphics card and I can't afford a calibration device for quite a while so I wouldn't be able to properly see which ones truly gave me accurate colours.