[joelw135]

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I had posted this on dpreview, but I screwed up on the way I captured the photos, so the cap made the photos blue. I retested the unit and retook the photos indoors with cool white fluorescent tubes. There is no PP other than resize, and the walls in my office are white. This cap cost $4.99 including shipping. The colors are more saturated in first photo, but more true to life with manual WB

Auto WB on K100D Super:

Manual WB using cap:

[AVANT]

Lots of ways to white balance for sure. Nice to see another cheap solution. But since you said the walls were white, I probably would have just customed WB off a well lit part of the wall.

[joelw135]

Lots of ways to white balance for sure. Nice to see another cheap solution. But since you said the walls were white, I probably would have just customed WB off a well lit part of the wall.

I agree, under normal circumstances I would use the wall, but I wanted to show how the cheap cap does it. For $4.99 including delivery and available in different sizes I think it a great cheap option. It seems that the Auto setting puts yellow tinge into many pictures, and this gives pure white.

[Edvinas]

For me bleached coffee filter works very well. Costs close to nothing

[joelw135]

For me bleached coffee filter works very well. Costs close to nothing

What I like best about the cap is that it has a wrist loop or a chord loop which allows it to hang off the strap. It can also be used as a lens cap making it even better. Here is the cap listing even less money than I paid.
White Balance Lens Filter Cap 52 55 58 62 67 72mm 77mm - (eBay item 320173313374 end time Oct-28-07 21:04:59 PDT)

[Miserere]

This is a neat idea. The problem is that if I use it I cannot possibly pretend to know what I'm doing when shooting in front of my wife. As you know, a true pro can instinctively know the tempreature of a scene by simply looking at it with a look of quiet determination on his face.

[mattdm]

What I like best about the cap is that it has a wrist loop or a chord loop which allows it to hang off the strap. It can also be used as a lens cap making it even better. Here is the cap listing even less money than I paid.
White Balance Lens Filter Cap 52 55 58 62 67 72mm 77mm - (eBay item 320173313374 end time Oct-28-07 21:04:59 PDT)

So, that listing says "52 55 58 62 67 72mm 77mm". Does it actually function as a lens cap as well, or is it just a hold-in-place thing?

[Mike Cash]

This is a neat idea. The problem is that if I use it I cannot possibly pretend to know what I'm doing when shooting in front of my wife. As you know, a true pro can instinctively know the tempreature of a scene by simply looking at it with a look of quiet determination on his face.

You reminded me of my high school days in Machine Shop class, taught by 40+ year tool and die maker Chris Wiese who had taken up riding herd on us after retiring from industry. One day I was turning a piece to a specified diameter on a lathe, stopping often to apply the micrometer and see how much more I had to remove. He came by and asked how it was going. I told him I was just finishing the last cut, upon which he placed thumb and forefinger to the still-rotating stock and said, "Nah, needs about another thousandth (of an inch) taken off."

I slammed the stop button, grabbed a micrometer, and declared, "Alright, Old Timer....we're gonna see!"

It was exactly one-thousandth of an inch oversize still.

[joelw135]

So, that listing says "52 55 58 62 67 72mm 77mm". Does it actually function as a lens cap as well, or is it just a hold-in-place thing?

The cap comes in those sizes, I bought the 62mm from another seller and paid $4.99 including shipping. I felt if it only worked as a lens cap I would at least have a spare cap. But it works well as a White Balance card and a push on lens cap. To be honest I tried it with my 52mm and just held it in front of the lens and it worked fine. It works very easy with my 62mm 18-250 Tamron.

[ronald_durst]

How far from the lens do you hold it?

[Peter Zack]

I picked up one of those as well and got a 77mm version. You just hold it in front of the lens tight to the front so no other light gets in. Using the larger size means you only need one for all your lenses. I used to use a coffee filter between 2 stepping rings but after punching holes in a couple decided to break the bank....

[Takman]

Saw an ad in Pop Photo for the Lally Cap:

Lally Cap

No affiliation!

[joelw135]

How far from the lens do you hold it?

I bought the 62mm one which snaps on and I use a step ring for my 52mm. It is just like a lens cap. I might buy another as they are so inexpensive.

[joelw135]

Saw an ad in Pop Photo for the Lally Cap:

Lally Cap

No affiliation!

Let me think, $29.00 or under $5.00, I can buy 6 for the cost of that one. But you can buy a larger size and use it for all your lenses.

[Mike Cash]

I used to use a coffee filter between 2 stepping rings but after punching holes in a couple decided to break the bank....

That's why I always recommend using a clear lens guard filter for one side of the coffee filter holder. No punch-through problem.