Warm Cards

[Bob Andren]

Anyone use warm cards with their XL1? Suppose to improve flesh tones. I use the presets when it comes to white balancing as I've found they are better 99% of the time in getting a good image, so I'm wondering if using these cards and going manual for white balance will improve the image.

[Ken Tanaka]

Hi Bob,
The WarmCards perform as advertised. They will require some experimentation to learn. Whether or not they will "improve the image" for you will depend largely on the settings in which you apply them.

Personally, I like the flesh tones that the XL1S generally produces with normal white card white balance. People look alive. So I do not use them to enhance people on the XL1S. But that's largely a matter of preference.

[Bob Andren]

Thank you Ken for the prompt reply.

Also belated thanks to you and a few others who responded to postings I did about a month and a half ago about lens questions I had for the XL1; May and early soon were rough months, had a lot of unexpected developments to deal with, hence the delayed Thank You to you and the others. Was much appreciated.

[Ken Tanaka]

Happy to help, Bob.

One last tip particularly applicable to WarmCards. Be very careful to (a) fill the frame with the card in focus, and (b) set proper exposure on the cards -before- you strike your white balance. This latter point is particularly important since the cards' effects are highly dependent on their calibrated colors being faithfully seen by the CCD's.

Have fun!