Hi

So today I go to a Best Western to shoot footage for a promotional video, and I go to white balance and I received a message saying "cannot proceed". If I push the WB button I get "White Balance Preset" even though I am switched to "A" or "B". All 3 switch selections give me "cannot proceed" and I'm just stuck.

I don't believe I have changed anything from the last time I shot. I have a PP set to Vortex' suggested outside settings, and one for inside. So switching between the two PPs does give me a 5600k / 3200k.

Any suggestions short of resetting the whole camera?

Thanks.

Hi Chad,

Here we go again. This question pops up about once a month.

That's one of the common problems I cover in my EX3/EX3 Field Guides.
Vortex Media's XDCAM Field Guides (http://www.vortexmedia.com/FIELD_GUIDES.html)
Unfortunately, I didn't find out about in time to mention it in my EX1 DVD. Keep in mind that when I did the DVD, my camera was one of only two in the country.

It has nothing to do with your PP. Go to the OTHERS menu page and scroll down to the Direct Menu setting. Change it to "PART" and leave it there. You probably have it on ALL and tht disables several of external controls on the camera.

Sony really blew it with this "function". I mean, if you're going to put a big "gotcha" in the camera, why not have an error message that suggests a cause or solution?

Hi Doug.

Thank you! I do have your EX1 field guide and DVD, but as you said - the info isn't there. I was confused because I didn't change anything. But of course it must be user error, and I guess I had to have accidentally changed the setting.

Thanks again.

Chadfish

Actually, it is in the EX1 Field Guide on page 22 (page 25 of the EX3 book) next to a red "WARNING" logo. I only missed mentioning it on the DVD. The Field Guide wasn't published until a year later. so I had plenty of time to include it on that one.

Good to know! Thanks.

Oh Chad. Did you buy the cheaper EX1 model that didn't come with the User Manual? Seriously, this darn "feature" bit me in the butt the very first day I unboxed my EX1 and walked outside to shoot my first footage. Luckily, I bought the one WITH the manual. As I love to say, "RTFM". ;-)

Oh I have the manual, and Doug's Field Guide. I just forgot about the function. I set it a year ago, then I forgot it. I have no idea how it got changed, but I was worried. So I'm happy now.

The one white balance issue that frustrates me at times is the 'white balance is out of range' or something like that. I can't manually white balance in early morning or late evening, even though it would seem there's enough light to do so.

"Out of range" is a new one on me. If the light is so low you can't pull a white balance, maybe white balanced colors wouldn't look right? What about opening up your iris? Or just going with a standard 5600, or 3200? Then color correct in post.

and it helped when I changed partial menu/full menu to other setting in the menu

Having read about this problem, I debated to set it to Part or Full when I rented an EX1R. I am 90% sure before shooting, set it to Part. However, I got the Cannot Proceed message when I pressed the S&Q button. Should I have gotten that message when it's set to Part or is my memory of setting it to Part wrong?

Doug's answer fixed the problem.