White balance

fekish · 09-27-2010, 07:10 AM

Hello,

i was wondering how many of you change the white balance when taking photos.

I went to a wedding and was talking for a long time to the photographer - who was the same guy i used for my wedding. And he told me that he manually controls everything on the camera. He showed me even an orange stripe that he uses on his camera sometimes in church in order to have a better colour.

I used to change it sometimes on my P&S, however i never bothered to change it on my K-X...

JeffJS · 09-27-2010, 08:01 AM

I don't change it at all typically and leave it set on auto in the K7. It's actually pretty good but if it fails, I usually adjust it in post processing.

jimH · 09-27-2010, 08:05 AM

Originally posted by JeffJS

I don't change it at all typically and leave it set on auto in the K7. It's actually pretty good but if it fails, I usually adjust it in post processing.

Same with me. For the most part the auto setting on my K10D does pretty good. If adjustments need to be made, they are done in PP.

**Lowell Goudge** · 09-27-2010, 10:24 AM

you need more options.

I change WB when I know I don't want to deal with harsh color casts and the lighting is predictible, but othewise I shoot daylight balanced and correct in PP. Thi sis even though I shoot JPEGs.

WOrks just fine for me.

Big issues, stage lighting because it is all over the map.

also shade mode does not properly account for green cast in the forest

r0ckstarr · 09-27-2010, 10:49 AM

I leave it on Auto and shoot RAW. If needed, I fix it during processing. The K7 does a great job with Auto WB. Some lighting throws it off (street lights, parking lot lights), but it's nothing PP the RAW won't fix.

NicoleAu · 09-27-2010, 04:25 PM

I leave it on cloudy, as it gives a warmer tone to shots and then if I need to, I change it in lightroom. I shoot everything in RAW as well.

mattdm · 09-27-2010, 04:38 PM

The K-7 has amazingly good auto white balance. Much improved from my earlier K10D, which was already pretty good. Usually, I find the preset options to be too strong / not a great match, so if I'm in a difficult situation I generally correct after the fact.

StarDust · 09-27-2010, 10:50 PM

Indoors with bad lighting my K10D tends to turn photos a bit yellow. I change it to the light bulb setting then. When I do some studio work (it sounds cooler than it is, mainly a large piece of paper and some flashes) I whip out my gray card and take calibrate the WB from that.

fekish · 09-27-2010, 11:32 PM

So from the responses some people use the WB...

But from the poll, almost no one uses it!

hcc · 09-28-2010, 04:34 AM

Originally posted by JeffJS

I don't change it at all typically and leave it set on auto in the K7. It's actually pretty good but if it fails, I usually adjust it in post processing.

+1
I use P and auto WB. If necessary I adjust the WB in PP.

RioRico · 09-28-2010, 10:04 AM

I've long shot with digicams -- three copies of the 5mpx Sony DSC-V1, and its little sibling the 5mpx -P10, and before them the ancient 1mpx -P20. (All of which I still use.) All generate JPGs; and when I started with the K20D, I also shot JPGs only. With all, I leave WB on AUTO. With all, I customarily PP with PaintShopPro3 and use the REMOVE COLOR CAST option, because ALL of them fail to auto-set WB correctly.

Now I shoot RAW ONLY on the K20D, and I still leave WB on AUTO, and I still have to fix the WB / color temp in PP. If I'm going to shoot artifacts in my cabinets lit by tungsten-filtered CF's, then I'll set WB to TUNGSTEN, and I'll usually have less to fix in PP. When shooting IR with any camera, I'll try to set WB. Otherwise I just accept the inevitable -- light temp is too variable to adjust WB for every shot, so I'll fix it later. That's just part of the process.

**BigDave** · 09-28-2010, 07:38 PM

I shoot almost exclusively by manually choosing the WB and in Raw. It allows me to use graduated warming filters and "cooling" filters effectively. Overall WB can still be adjusted in D Dkrm if necessary but I do not need to mask or fix other areas which would take much more time in Post Process.

KxBlaze · 09-29-2010, 12:06 PM

I voted No because I can change the WB with photoshop (I shoot only RAW files).

daniel_1234 · 10-01-2010, 06:00 PM

I'm using a K-x and I don't shoot JPEG much but when I do I use Auto WB. The K-x does a really good job with it.

**dadipentak** · 10-01-2010, 06:29 PM

I use auto all the time but I'm not always happy with the results and I'm not very good with color in pp so it can be a bummer. This is something I'm starting to work on and it's pretty intimidating.

View Poll Results: Do you change manually white balance?
Yes - on every shot	7	9.59%
Yes - only when i have plenty of time for the shot	18	24.66%
No	48	65.75%
Voters: 73. You may not vote on this poll

09-27-2010, 07:10 AM	#1
fekish Banned Join Date: Jun 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 190	White balance Hello, i was wondering how many of you change the white balance when taking photos. I went to a wedding and was talking for a long time to the photographer - who was the same guy i used for my wedding. And he told me that he manually controls everything on the camera. He showed me even an orange stripe that he uses on his camera sometimes in church in order to have a better colour. I used to change it sometimes on my P&S, however i never bothered to change it on my K-X...

09-28-2010, 07:38 PM	#12
BigDave Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Hudson Valley, NY Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,626	White Balance for filter use I shoot almost exclusively by manually choosing the WB and in Raw. It allows me to use graduated warming filters and "cooling" filters effectively. Overall WB can still be adjusted in D Dkrm if necessary but I do not need to mask or fix other areas which would take much more time in Post Process.

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09-27-2010, 08:01 AM	#2
JeffJS Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,484	I don't change it at all typically and leave it set on auto in the K7. It's actually pretty good but if it fails, I usually adjust it in post processing.

09-27-2010, 08:05 AM	#3
jimH Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Central Nebraska - USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,771	Originally posted by JeffJS I don't change it at all typically and leave it set on auto in the K7. It's actually pretty good but if it fails, I usually adjust it in post processing. Same with me. For the most part the auto setting on my K10D does pretty good. If adjustments need to be made, they are done in PP.

09-27-2010, 10:24 AM	#4
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,892	you need more options. I change WB when I know I don't want to deal with harsh color casts and the lighting is predictible, but othewise I shoot daylight balanced and correct in PP. Thi sis even though I shoot JPEGs. WOrks just fine for me. Big issues, stage lighting because it is all over the map. also shade mode does not properly account for green cast in the forest

09-27-2010, 10:49 AM	#5
r0ckstarr Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,507	I leave it on Auto and shoot RAW. If needed, I fix it during processing. The K7 does a great job with Auto WB. Some lighting throws it off (street lights, parking lot lights), but it's nothing PP the RAW won't fix.

09-27-2010, 04:25 PM	#6
NicoleAu Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Central Coast, NSW, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 539	I leave it on cloudy, as it gives a warmer tone to shots and then if I need to, I change it in lightroom. I shoot everything in RAW as well.

09-27-2010, 04:38 PM	#7
mattdm Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Boston, MA Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,948	The K-7 has amazingly good auto white balance. Much improved from my earlier K10D, which was already pretty good. Usually, I find the preset options to be too strong / not a great match, so if I'm in a difficult situation I generally correct after the fact.

09-27-2010, 10:50 PM	#8
StarDust Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Uppsala, Sweden Posts: 400	Indoors with bad lighting my K10D tends to turn photos a bit yellow. I change it to the light bulb setting then. When I do some studio work (it sounds cooler than it is, mainly a large piece of paper and some flashes) I whip out my gray card and take calibrate the WB from that.

09-27-2010, 11:32 PM	#9
fekish Banned Join Date: Jun 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 190 Original Poster	So from the responses some people use the WB... But from the poll, almost no one uses it!

09-28-2010, 04:34 AM	#10
hcc Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,005	Originally posted by JeffJS I don't change it at all typically and leave it set on auto in the K7. It's actually pretty good but if it fails, I usually adjust it in post processing. +1 I use P and auto WB. If necessary I adjust the WB in PP.

09-28-2010, 10:04 AM	#11
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	I've long shot with digicams -- three copies of the 5mpx Sony DSC-V1, and its little sibling the 5mpx -P10, and before them the ancient 1mpx -P20. (All of which I still use.) All generate JPGs; and when I started with the K20D, I also shot JPGs only. With all, I leave WB on AUTO. With all, I customarily PP with PaintShopPro3 and use the REMOVE COLOR CAST option, because ALL of them fail to auto-set WB correctly. Now I shoot RAW ONLY on the K20D, and I still leave WB on AUTO, and I still have to fix the WB / color temp in PP. If I'm going to shoot artifacts in my cabinets lit by tungsten-filtered CF's, then I'll set WB to TUNGSTEN, and I'll usually have less to fix in PP. When shooting IR with any camera, I'll try to set WB. Otherwise I just accept the inevitable -- light temp is too variable to adjust WB for every shot, so I'll fix it later. That's just part of the process.

09-29-2010, 12:06 PM	#13
KxBlaze Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: California Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,602	I voted No because I can change the WB with photoshop (I shoot only RAW files).

10-01-2010, 06:00 PM	#14
daniel_1234 New Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: NE Florida, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 21	I'm using a K-x and I don't shoot JPEG much but when I do I use Auto WB. The K-x does a really good job with it.

10-01-2010, 06:29 PM	#15
dadipentak Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,590	I use auto all the time but I'm not always happy with the results and I'm not very good with color in pp so it can be a bummer. This is something I'm starting to work on and it's pretty intimidating.