White balance customization question

Sew-Classic · 07-05-2009, 05:20 AM

My (Panasonic FZ28) has a feature where I can set the white balance for any given lighting by pointing the camera at a white item and pushing a button. The camaer sets the white balance based on that. In fact, I can store up to 2 custom white balance settings. I used and liked this feature.

So far, I am not able to find anything like that on the K20D. Does this type of feature exists on this camera?

brecklundin · 07-05-2009, 05:49 AM

Originally posted by Sew-Classic

My (Panasonic FZ28) has a feature where I can set the white balance for any given lighting by pointing the camera at a white item and pushing a button. The camaer sets the white balance based on that. In fact, I can store up to 2 custom white balance settings. I used and liked this feature.

So far, I am not able to find anything like that on the K20D. Does this type of feature exists on this camera?

New K20D user here too...nearest I have found is accessing the WB settings and select the icon which looks like a box on top of two wedges...then take a test shot of something white select the section of that shot you want to use as your WB reference and boom you are done or you can refine the setting further.

I like this because it gives me more control that just a test shot the camera uses to determine what is white for me.

FWIW, I had not tried it until your post...so THANKS for axing the question.

Sew-Classic · 07-05-2009, 05:59 AM

OK, I saw that too, but the instructions just didn't sink in. yep, that's almost exactly like what I was able to do with my FZ28. Thanks!

brecklundin · 07-05-2009, 06:08 AM

cool...it was the only thing I had yet to try for WB so I guess that had to be it. So, I guess it proved the theory that even a blind squirell finds a nut once in a while.

imtheguy · 07-05-2009, 07:05 AM

Glad that works well for you gents. I get the dreaded 'NG' 98% of the time unless my light source is as bright as the surface of the sun, and forget about trying to shoot the source through a coffee filter! Makes the already difficult tungstun WB setting for the K20D almost impossible to get correct. Its enough to make me go RAW!

Somewhere there is a trick to getting better results, maybe mounting my f1.4 lens just to set WB. I just dont know it yet.

brecklundin · 07-05-2009, 07:19 AM

Using the fast prime for WB might work, neat idea...though I have found WB can vary a bit from not just lens model to lens model but copy to copy of any given lens, still it might be a way to get really freaking close.

I can offer that I shoot only RAW and this method is so far more flexible than what I had to do on my old system. I could set a custom WB shot but it, of course only works for JPG though the WB data is somehow passed along with the RAW file. But if I was taking a lot of shots under the same lighting, I also would take a shot just for creating the WB settings in LR. I would then adjust that shot to get the white I wanted and apply those settings to all the other shots as a lot. After that I could edit each shot to refine those which needed some help...or throwing out. hehehehe...

But the way the Pentax setup works this is MUCH easier to have the the adjustments for WB set much closer in camera...I love it.

07-05-2009, 05:20 AM	#1
Sew-Classic Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Ohio, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 238	White balance customization question My (Panasonic FZ28) has a feature where I can set the white balance for any given lighting by pointing the camera at a white item and pushing a button. The camaer sets the white balance based on that. In fact, I can store up to 2 custom white balance settings. I used and liked this feature. So far, I am not able to find anything like that on the K20D. Does this type of feature exists on this camera?

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07-05-2009, 05:49 AM	#2
brecklundin Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Photos: Albums Posts: 1,674	Originally posted by Sew-Classic My (Panasonic FZ28) has a feature where I can set the white balance for any given lighting by pointing the camera at a white item and pushing a button. The camaer sets the white balance based on that. In fact, I can store up to 2 custom white balance settings. I used and liked this feature. So far, I am not able to find anything like that on the K20D. Does this type of feature exists on this camera? New K20D user here too...nearest I have found is accessing the WB settings and select the icon which looks like a box on top of two wedges...then take a test shot of something white select the section of that shot you want to use as your WB reference and boom you are done or you can refine the setting further. I like this because it gives me more control that just a test shot the camera uses to determine what is white for me. FWIW, I had not tried it until your post...so THANKS for axing the question.

07-05-2009, 05:59 AM	#3
Sew-Classic Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Ohio, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 238 Original Poster	OK, I saw that too, but the instructions just didn't sink in. yep, that's almost exactly like what I was able to do with my FZ28. Thanks!

07-05-2009, 06:08 AM	#4
brecklundin Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Photos: Albums Posts: 1,674	cool...it was the only thing I had yet to try for WB so I guess that had to be it. So, I guess it proved the theory that even a blind squirell finds a nut once in a while.

07-05-2009, 07:05 AM	#5
imtheguy Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Virginia Beach Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,950	Glad that works well for you gents. I get the dreaded 'NG' 98% of the time unless my light source is as bright as the surface of the sun, and forget about trying to shoot the source through a coffee filter! Makes the already difficult tungstun WB setting for the K20D almost impossible to get correct. Its enough to make me go RAW! Somewhere there is a trick to getting better results, maybe mounting my f1.4 lens just to set WB. I just dont know it yet.

07-05-2009, 07:19 AM	#6
brecklundin Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Photos: Albums Posts: 1,674	Using the fast prime for WB might work, neat idea...though I have found WB can vary a bit from not just lens model to lens model but copy to copy of any given lens, still it might be a way to get really freaking close. I can offer that I shoot only RAW and this method is so far more flexible than what I had to do on my old system. I could set a custom WB shot but it, of course only works for JPG though the WB data is somehow passed along with the RAW file. But if I was taking a lot of shots under the same lighting, I also would take a shot just for creating the WB settings in LR. I would then adjust that shot to get the white I wanted and apply those settings to all the other shots as a lot. After that I could edit each shot to refine those which needed some help...or throwing out. hehehehe... But the way the Pentax setup works this is MUCH easier to have the the adjustments for WB set much closer in camera...I love it.