[tele_pathic]

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Hey there. Just getting my set-up finalized. I was curious what ya'll are using for a white balance device. A card? A lens cap? Do you have a favorite device to help set white balance? Do you have one you absolutely hated/would not recommend?

Thanks,

TP

[scorpioh]

RAW period

[blackcloudbrew]

While I would tend to agree with the answer above, my personal favorite is the WhiBal cards from RawWorkflow.com Digital Photography - RawWorkflow.com - WhiBal Certified Gray Card for White Balance

They have a size that would fit every need.

Tim

[attack11]

Hey there. Just getting my set-up finalized. I was curious what ya'll are using for a white balance device. A card? A lens cap? Do you have a favorite device to help set white balance? Do you have one you absolutely hated/would not recommend?

Thanks,

TP

the Gray Card app on my iPhone. It's got presets for a lot of types of light.

RAW period

raw doesn't give you correct white balance; it just lets you fix or mess it up.

[and]

WhiBal for me as well, can be annoying to get it in the shot the correct way, but when you do it produces the most correct results and with just one click

[woof]

RAW for sure, but getting the right WB up front as well is a good idea.

I've been messing around with this actually.

I was hard pressed recently. I got set for a WB adjustment, took out my whitish/opaque body cap, put it over the lens, pointed in the direction of the shot, and fired off about a second at B(ulb). Accepted the WB adjustment setting.

The reason I let the exposure run a second or so was that the light was actually quite low (tungsten) and it needed the time to register and work for the adjustment. I'd think you'd go less time with more light.

Anyway, it was really actually quite close. I have to play with this some more. Definitely want to mess with the grey card mentioned in this thread. Seem a little less... of a hack.

woof!

[Russell-Evans]

You'll need a micro cloth anyway, so why not make it a 18% gray micro cloth?



I tested it against an neutral Expodisc, and it is exactly 200 K warmer, i.e. the same as an Expodisc Portrait. Folds up rather small, light, if you drop it it won't roll, dent, or break, and when folded in quarters, you can hold it in the palm of your hand for use in setting manual WB. If you have a lot of bags, having one in each bag isn't going to be expensive as they are only a few dollars each if you buy multiples. I've actually seen them in camera stores now, so you don't have to buy just from Ebay anymore.

The Expodisc was my first WB tool purchased. It has three uses, setting manual WB, sensor cleaning, and turning the camera meter into an incident light meter. Manual WB is pretty easy, just clip the Expodisc on the lens, and run though setting a manual WB. For sensor cleaning, I thought I wouldn't need it with the K20D' built in dust map, but it still comes in handy when I don't have a white wall to use. Just clip it on the lens and point the camera at a light source and either use the dust map feature, or on the older cameras, capture a jpeg. For the incident light meter same deal, clip it on the lens, point the camera at the light source and either lock the AE, or if in M mode, hit the green button to set the exposure.

I didn't actually explain all the ways to use the Expodisc as a incident light meter, but you can read the Expodisc digital camera manual to find out more.

Thank you
Russell

[D W]

Macbeth pocket size 18% gray with colour checker (24industry standard square) on the reverse.

[Mike Cash]

Since so much of my photography is done from my truck I have found it convenient to set white balance using the white paint of road markings. Probably not 100% accurate, but it does help with consistency.

[wlachan]

Just wear a white t shirt.

[D W]

Anything white should work unless you are getting super critical within 1K.

However you have to be sure of road markings being white without any additives. Some paint for road has reflecting particles embedded in them to make the more white when reflecting lights.

White clothing material has UV brighteners added. They make the White fabric stand out in the store display. It is washed out after a few washings

[jmbradd]

I use my poor mans expodisc. Got 2 UV filters cheap when ritz was closing, cut out some coffee filters and boom, good custom white balance. I haven't don't enough to check its accuracy vs a grey card but to my eyes it looks great!

[séamuis]

I use my poor mans expodisc. Got 2 UV filters cheap when ritz was closing, cut out some coffee filters and boom, good custom white balance. I haven't don't enough to check its accuracy vs a grey card but to my eyes it looks great!

thats a neat idea. quite creative.

[jmbradd]

if only I could take credit for it =)

Here is where I got the idea from

Bishop Laboratories - DIY ExpoDisc - CheapoDisc

you don't need nice UV filters either, some cheapo scratched up used filters from a photo store should work nicely.

[Russell-Evans]

I use my poor mans expodisc. Got 2 UV filters cheap when ritz was closing, cut out some coffee filters and boom, good custom white balance. I haven't don't enough to check its accuracy vs a grey card but to my eyes it looks great!

I did this when I first got the expodisc to see how close the different DIY WB tools get to a commercial product and posted it to DPR.

All the shots used to determine the values, used the same light source for each group of measurements, with the WB being taken using the manual white balance procedure outlined on page 125 of the K10D operating manual.

There is probably a way to pull the information directly from the exif data, but as anyone can download Raw Therapee, I thought using it would be easier. Raw Therapee has two measurements, Temperature and Tint, both independent of each other.

First light source
Coffee Filter
Temperature: 2148
Tint: 0.956

CD/DVD sleeve
Temperature: 2166
Tint: 1.016

Piece of Tyvek from a Express Mail Envelope
Temperature: 2154
Tint: 1.019

Costco White paper
Temperature: 2248
Tint: 1.007

Expodisc Neutral
Temperature: 2259
Tint: 1.043

Second light source
Coffee Filter
Temperature: 2000
Tint: 0.835

CD/DVD sleeve
Temperature: 2000
Tint: 0.875

Piece of Tyvek from a Express Mail Envelope
Temperature: 2000
Tint: 0.861

Costco White paper
Temperature: 2137
Tint: 0.823

Expodisc Neutral
Temperature: 2000
Tint: 0.810

Third light source
Coffee Filter
Temperature: 2584
Tint 1.129

CD/DVD sleeve
Temperature: 2445
Tint: 1.125

Piece of Tyvek from a Express Mail Envelope
Temperature: 2467
Tint: 1.136

Costco White paper
Temperature: 2653
Tint: 1.151

Expodisc Neutral
Temperature: 2573
Tint: 1.161

Thank you
Russell