White balance lens cap at DVinfo.net

Michael Wisniewski · June 25th, 2004, 06:07 PM

Neat invention (click here), it's probably old news to some, but I'm going to have to pick one up!

Jeff Donald · June 25th, 2004, 06:41 PM

Before you spend $100, try using unbleached coffee filters over your lens. There was a huge thread about it at Fred Miranda's Canon forum a few months back. Those that tried it raved about the results.

Ed Baatz · June 27th, 2004, 07:58 AM

Jeff,

I couldn't locate the "coffee filter" thread...

It does sound interesting though! Might work well with a mattebox?

Please tell me more.

== Ed ==

Jeff Donald · June 27th, 2004, 09:31 AM

Basically, they were using 3 bleached coffee filters, layered together, to white balance through. When compare to other methods, including the expensive commercial versions, the color accuracy of the coffee filters won every time. Someone even figured a way to sandwich the filters between two UV filters, for a more permanent WB device.

Ed Baatz · June 27th, 2004, 09:42 AM

If I can figure out a way to "snap" this home-made white balance device onto the front of my mattebox it would be convenient to use... Or, maybe I could just rig a 4x4 slide-in filter mount using these bleached coffee filters as the media? Kind of a new aspect of mattebox "filters"?

Andre De Clercq · June 27th, 2004, 09:51 AM

These filters belong to the "incident light" WB world which was used on all camcorders 20 years ago. Remember however that the light that falls on yr cam isn't allways the scene light.

Linda Schodowsky · July 10th, 2004, 10:32 PM

Jeff...

I tried your suggestion - 3 unbleached coffee filters. But I'm thinking you might've meant "bleached" instead? Anywho.... I went ahead and bought some bleached ones.

The results were awesome! Good idea! Thanks for the suggestion. I've been white-balancing off of pieces of white paper, and when I'm at home... the side of my stove.

Whodathunkit... coffee filters! Thanks again!

Jeff Donald · July 11th, 2004, 06:15 AM

thanks for the correction Linda. Yes, I most certainly meant the bleached (white) coffee filters.

Ed Baatz · July 11th, 2004, 09:01 AM

Hey Jeff, is there a way to read archives of this subject thread on Fred Miranda's Canon Forum that you referred to?

I looked but couldn't see any link...

Thanks, Ed

Jeff Donald · July 11th, 2004, 11:01 AM

If you can find it. That board has terrible software and searching is almost impossible. That's why the same topics get asked again and again.

Matt Stahley · July 11th, 2004, 05:16 PM

Im a little confused. Do you just thru the filters say attached to your lens or do you WB off the filters set up in the shot instead of the regular white paper?

Linda Schodowsky · July 11th, 2004, 05:52 PM

I assumed that Jeff meant for me to kind of cup the filters over the lens and aim it towards whatever I was shooting at. However... in my case, I just pointed my camera down towards the floor. Results were the same.

If I was supposed to do something different, I'd sure like to know!

Jeff Donald · July 11th, 2004, 07:48 PM

The discussion on the other forum was white balancing through the filters. In other words placing them over the lens and pressing the WB button. This is the incident method of WB (or metering) that Andre referred to above.

Andre De Clercq · July 12th, 2004, 02:25 PM

What I wanted to explain, is that the method of putting a diffuse filter (white paper,coffee filter..) in front of the lens is simular as that used on older camcoders with the separate sensors and white window. It measures (and compensates for) the light falling (incident) onto the cam, this light spectrum can be different from the light falling on the subject. Using an optical transparant (color) filter (not adviseable for coffee making!) is a different storry, and if the filter is taken off after white balancing, the results are like using colored cards for white balancing.

Ed Baatz · July 12th, 2004, 03:20 PM

"Remember however that the light that falls on yr cam isn't allways the scene light."

So, this would possibly be along the same lines as color balancing using a white piece of paper close to the camera and then shooting something in different light??? (A stage scene for instance?) The result would be that you'd not get an accurate white balance setting???

But it is also possible that a white balance using the "incident" light method could yield a perfectly accurate balance if the color tempearture of the light at the camera is the same as what is lighting up the subject you are shooting?

But not necessarily so always...

June 25th, 2004, 06:07 PM	#1
Michael Wisniewski Wrangler Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Makati, Metro Manila Posts: 2,706 Images: 32	White balance lens cap Neat invention (click here), it's probably old news to some, but I'm going to have to pick one up!

June 25th, 2004, 06:41 PM	#2
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	Before you spend $100, try using unbleached coffee filters over your lens. There was a huge thread about it at Fred Miranda's Canon forum a few months back. Those that tried it raved about the results. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

June 27th, 2004, 09:31 AM	#4
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	Basically, they were using 3 bleached coffee filters, layered together, to white balance through. When compare to other methods, including the expensive commercial versions, the color accuracy of the coffee filters won every time. Someone even figured a way to sandwich the filters between two UV filters, for a more permanent WB device. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

July 11th, 2004, 06:15 AM	#8
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	thanks for the correction Linda. Yes, I most certainly meant the bleached (white) coffee filters. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

July 11th, 2004, 11:01 AM	#10
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	If you can find it. That board has terrible software and searching is almost impossible. That's why the same topics get asked again and again. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

June 27th, 2004, 07:58 AM	#3
Ed Baatz Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 120	Jeff, I couldn't locate the "coffee filter" thread... It does sound interesting though! Might work well with a mattebox? Please tell me more. == Ed ==

June 27th, 2004, 09:42 AM	#5
Ed Baatz Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 120	If I can figure out a way to "snap" this home-made white balance device onto the front of my mattebox it would be convenient to use... Or, maybe I could just rig a 4x4 slide-in filter mount using these bleached coffee filters as the media? Kind of a new aspect of mattebox "filters"?

June 27th, 2004, 09:51 AM	#6
Andre De Clercq Major Player Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Belgium Posts: 804	These filters belong to the "incident light" WB world which was used on all camcorders 20 years ago. Remember however that the light that falls on yr cam isn't allways the scene light.

July 10th, 2004, 10:32 PM	#7
Linda Schodowsky Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Berea, Ohio Posts: 139	Jeff... I tried your suggestion - 3 unbleached coffee filters. But I'm thinking you might've meant "bleached" instead? Anywho.... I went ahead and bought some bleached ones. The results were awesome! Good idea! Thanks for the suggestion. I've been white-balancing off of pieces of white paper, and when I'm at home... the side of my stove. Whodathunkit... coffee filters! Thanks again!

July 11th, 2004, 09:01 AM	#9
Ed Baatz Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 120	Hey Jeff, is there a way to read archives of this subject thread on Fred Miranda's Canon Forum that you referred to? I looked but couldn't see any link... Thanks, Ed

July 11th, 2004, 05:16 PM	#11
Matt Stahley Major Player Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Waynesboro, PA Posts: 648	Im a little confused. Do you just thru the filters say attached to your lens or do you WB off the filters set up in the shot instead of the regular white paper?

July 11th, 2004, 05:52 PM	#12
Linda Schodowsky Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Berea, Ohio Posts: 139	I assumed that Jeff meant for me to kind of cup the filters over the lens and aim it towards whatever I was shooting at. However... in my case, I just pointed my camera down towards the floor. Results were the same. If I was supposed to do something different, I'd sure like to know!

July 11th, 2004, 07:48 PM	#13
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	The discussion on the other forum was white balancing through the filters. In other words placing them over the lens and pressing the WB button. This is the incident method of WB (or metering) that Andre referred to above. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

July 12th, 2004, 02:25 PM	#14
Andre De Clercq Major Player Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Belgium Posts: 804	What I wanted to explain, is that the method of putting a diffuse filter (white paper,coffee filter..) in front of the lens is simular as that used on older camcoders with the separate sensors and white window. It measures (and compensates for) the light falling (incident) onto the cam, this light spectrum can be different from the light falling on the subject. Using an optical transparant (color) filter (not adviseable for coffee making!) is a different storry, and if the filter is taken off after white balancing, the results are like using colored cards for white balancing.

July 12th, 2004, 03:20 PM	#15
Ed Baatz Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 120	"Remember however that the light that falls on yr cam isn't allways the scene light." So, this would possibly be along the same lines as color balancing using a white piece of paper close to the camera and then shooting something in different light??? (A stage scene for instance?) The result would be that you'd not get an accurate white balance setting??? But it is also possible that a white balance using the "incident" light method could yield a perfectly accurate balance if the color tempearture of the light at the camera is the same as what is lighting up the subject you are shooting? But not necessarily so always...