White Balance: Presets better than one touch? at DVinfo.net

Kevin Carter · January 25th, 2007, 02:48 PM

I'm on HDR-HC3
I just tested camera with tungsteen (lowell lights) and window light indoors. The auto WB looks terrible, orangy etc.

I tried the indoor preset and it was great.

I then tried the manual one touch, and it looked horrid like the autoWB did. So bit surprised honestly that preset was so much better.

Patrick Benda · January 25th, 2007, 05:35 PM

I use the one touch as a manual WB. ie in a room I zoom to a patch of white in my case the closet door and set it up and most of the time afterward the colour rendering is fine.
I hope it might help
Cheers
Patrick

Kevin Carter · January 25th, 2007, 08:43 PM

thanks Pat, that did not tell me anything useful

Jamie Hellmich · January 26th, 2007, 10:49 AM

I believe Patrick did relay the proper info.

Did you perform the one touch while filling the shot with a white object? If you didn't, it just used the same auto WB setting, it sees what it sees.

That is what one touch (or push) is for... using a white object to balance the colors, not using a normal shot to set it. You are telling your camera what the color white should look like in a particular light situation when you use one touch.

You can warm and cool the colors by using different color cards or paper for the "white" with that function as well.

The preset is just that, a "typical" setting for indoor or outdoor. You also need to give the camera time to adjust in different lighting situations when in auto, at least 10 seconds or so after power up before shooting.

Jamie

Stu Holmes · January 26th, 2007, 03:49 PM

For custom white balance to work / be useful / accurate, the white card that you are using during the procedure HAS to be placed in the light that you are going to be shooting in.

Now, when you have a mix of light like some tungsten and some window daylight, every yard you step closer to, or further away, from the windows (or vice versa the tungsten lights) will alter the white balance. And since custom white balance is fixed at one level AT THE POSITION that you fixed it for, custom white balance really is not going to be the mode to choose for this situation UNLESS you're only going to be shooting one subject/scene that is positioned at the exact point that you white-balanced in.

Summary : for a mixed-light scene, its always going to be a little tricky, because if you pan slightly towards the windows, then the whole scene will start to look "blue" and if you pan back towards the areas more illuminated by tungsten light, that will look orange. Somewhere in the middle will look about right.

So decide what scene you're going to shoot exactly, and if its largely tungsten illuminated then yes an indoor preset will work fine. If the subject is standing, say, right by a window, then use AWB or Outdoor preset.

Kevin Carter · January 26th, 2007, 07:00 PM

thanks guys, yes Stu, you agree that those presets are pretty good. I've discovered that also in my still photography -- that custom or auto is usually not as good as presets. I filled the camera with white sheet paper in exact place of shooting. And I also think that white may be wrong choice. I think light grey may do that better.

January 25th, 2007, 02:48 PM	#1
Kevin Carter Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: los angeles, CA Posts: 235	White Balance: Presets better than one touch? I'm on HDR-HC3 I just tested camera with tungsteen (lowell lights) and window light indoors. The auto WB looks terrible, orangy etc. I tried the indoor preset and it was great. I then tried the manual one touch, and it looked horrid like the autoWB did. So bit surprised honestly that preset was so much better.

January 26th, 2007, 10:49 AM	#4
Jamie Hellmich Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Ormond Beach, FL Posts: 105	I believe Patrick did relay the proper info. Did you perform the one touch while filling the shot with a white object? If you didn't, it just used the same auto WB setting, it sees what it sees. That is what one touch (or push) is for... using a white object to balance the colors, not using a normal shot to set it. You are telling your camera what the color white should look like in a particular light situation when you use one touch. You can warm and cool the colors by using different color cards or paper for the "white" with that function as well. The preset is just that, a "typical" setting for indoor or outdoor. You also need to give the camera time to adjust in different lighting situations when in auto, at least 10 seconds or so after power up before shooting. Jamie Last edited by Jamie Hellmich; January 26th, 2007 at 06:13 PM.

January 25th, 2007, 05:35 PM	#2
Patrick Benda New Boot Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Myersville MD Posts: 14	I use the one touch as a manual WB. ie in a room I zoom to a patch of white in my case the closet door and set it up and most of the time afterward the colour rendering is fine. I hope it might help Cheers Patrick

January 25th, 2007, 08:43 PM	#3
Kevin Carter Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: los angeles, CA Posts: 235	thanks Pat, that did not tell me anything useful

January 26th, 2007, 03:49 PM	#5
Stu Holmes Major Player Join Date: May 2005 Location: Europe Posts: 844	For custom white balance to work / be useful / accurate, the white card that you are using during the procedure HAS to be placed in the light that you are going to be shooting in. Now, when you have a mix of light like some tungsten and some window daylight, every yard you step closer to, or further away, from the windows (or vice versa the tungsten lights) will alter the white balance. And since custom white balance is fixed at one level AT THE POSITION that you fixed it for, custom white balance really is not going to be the mode to choose for this situation UNLESS you're only going to be shooting one subject/scene that is positioned at the exact point that you white-balanced in. Summary : for a mixed-light scene, its always going to be a little tricky, because if you pan slightly towards the windows, then the whole scene will start to look "blue" and if you pan back towards the areas more illuminated by tungsten light, that will look orange. Somewhere in the middle will look about right. So decide what scene you're going to shoot exactly, and if its largely tungsten illuminated then yes an indoor preset will work fine. If the subject is standing, say, right by a window, then use AWB or Outdoor preset.

January 26th, 2007, 07:00 PM	#6
Kevin Carter Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: los angeles, CA Posts: 235	thanks guys, yes Stu, you agree that those presets are pretty good. I've discovered that also in my still photography -- that custom or auto is usually not as good as presets. I filled the camera with white sheet paper in exact place of shooting. And I also think that white may be wrong choice. I think light grey may do that better.