topic Re: White balance w/EOS utility in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

White balance w/EOS utility

comet — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 23:23:54 GMT

I just started using an old Rebel XSi to do some photos at work. I really had no familiarity with this camera or utility but figured out some basics. I shot an 18% grey backdrop to set a manual white balance and it worked fine. I retook the backdrop shot a couple times and reset the white balance without issue.

But then for some reason on a reshoot/reset it turned dark. No matter what I try it still comes out too dark and I can't get anything to look right. If I set the exposure level higher it sort of gets to where I need to be but every photo then is kind of washed out. I cannot figure out what changed or why it doesn't work all of a sudden. I didn't change lighting or the camera in any way. Any assistance appreciated.

Re: White balance w/EOS utility

Mark35mmF2 — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 06:00:14 GMT

Hi there,

That sounds a bit strange, would you happen to be able to take a test shot and post it with the EXIF data (exposure settings) you used? That would probably point us in the right direction to get this figured out, or at least tell us if its a hardware or a software issue.

Re: White balance w/EOS utility

Waddizzle — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 14:53:58 GMT

How old is the lens? You could be having an issue with the aperture.

Re: White balance w/EOS utility

ebiggs1 — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 16:20:18 GMT

"I didn't change lighting or the camera in any way."

It certainly sounds like something failed. An XSi is getting along in years now as is its lens. A sample or two or more would be great help.

Re: White balance w/EOS utility

comet — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 16:40:31 GMT

The lens is new 50mm

Re: White balance w/EOS utility

ebiggs1 — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 16:55:14 GMT

OK, good that probably lets it out of consideration for the issue. Just for kicks and grins, reset the camera back to factory defaults. Then try you shots again.

Samples?

Re: White balance w/EOS utility

comet — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 17:20:45 GMT

I will have to google how to reset unless you can tell me quick. FYI when I put it manual and try to set white balance the view screen is now bright green! I don't know what is going on.

Re: White balance w/EOS utility

comet — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 18:06:44 GMT

Reset got rid of the weird green but still too dark on test shot. Not sure how to compare what I did yesterday to today but here is exif from a test shot of the 18% grey that I just took. Below this data I will put data from a shot yesterday but it is not a shot of the grey background, it's just a good image that I took after the white balance was set without issues.

Grey test (too dark)

Make : Canon
Model : Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi
Orientation : 6
XResolution : 72 [72/1]
YResolution : 72 [72/1]
ResolutionUnit : 2
DateTime : 2020:11:05 12:03:54
YCbCrPositioning : 2
ExifIFDPointer : 196
ExposureTime : 0.02 [1/50]
FNumber : 5.6 [56/10]
ExposureProgram : Shutter priority
ISOSpeedRatings : 100
ExifVersion : 0221
DateTimeOriginal : 2020:11:05 12:03:54
DateTimeDigitized : 2020:11:05 12:03:54
ComponentsConfiguration : YCbCr
ShutterSpeedValue : 5.625
ApertureValue : 5 [327680/65536]
ExposureBias : 0.3333333333333333
MeteringMode : Pattern
Flash : Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
FocalLength : 50 [50/1]
MakerNote : [8580 values]
UserComment : [264 values]
SubsecTime : 32
SubsecTimeOriginal : 32
SubsecTimeDigitized : 32
FlashpixVersion : 0100
ColorSpace : 1
PixelXDimension : 4272
PixelYDimension : 2848
InteroperabilityIFDPointer : 9506
FocalPlaneXResolution : 4865.603644646925 [4272000/878]
FocalPlaneYResolution : 4876.712328767123 [2848000/584]
FocalPlaneResolutionUnit : 2
CustomRendered : Normal process
ExposureMode : 0
WhiteBalance : Manual white balance
SceneCaptureType : Standard
thumbnail : [undefined values]

image from yesterday

Make : Canon
Model : Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi
Orientation : 1
XResolution : 72 [72/1]
YResolution : 72 [72/1]
ResolutionUnit : 2
DateTime : 2020:11:04 13:53:56
WhitePoint : [2 values]
PrimaryChromaticities : [6 values]
YCbCrCoefficients : [3 values]
YCbCrPositioning : 2
ExifIFDPointer : 320
ExposureTime : 0.07692307692307693 [1/13]
FNumber : 5.6 [56/10]
ExposureProgram : Aperture priority
ISOSpeedRatings : 100
ExifVersion : 0221
DateTimeOriginal : 2020:11:04 13:53:56
DateTimeDigitized : 2020:11:04 13:53:56
ComponentsConfiguration : YCbCr
ShutterSpeedValue : 3.625
ApertureValue : 5 [327680/65536]
ExposureBias : 0.3333333333333333
MeteringMode : Spot
Flash : Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
FocalLength : 50 [50/1]
MakerNote : [8580 values]
UserComment : [264 values]
SubsecTime : 50
SubsecTimeOriginal : 50
SubsecTimeDigitized : 50
FlashpixVersion : 0100
ColorSpace : 65535
PixelXDimension : 4272
PixelYDimension : 2848
InteroperabilityIFDPointer : 9642
FocalPlaneXResolution : 4865.603644646925 [4272000/878]
FocalPlaneYResolution : 4876.712328767123 [2848000/584]
FocalPlaneResolutionUnit : 2
CustomRendered : Normal process
ExposureMode : 0
WhiteBalance : Manual white balance
SceneCaptureType : Standard
undefined : 2.2 [22/10]
thumbnail : [undefined values]

Re: White balance w/EOS utility

jrhoffman75 — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 20:56:02 GMT

Switch the camera to green square auto, set lens to AF and go outside and take a photo of your house in good daylight.

What happens.

Re: White balance w/EOS utility

Waddizzle — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 21:13:48 GMT

@comet wrote:
The lens is new 50mm

What shooting mode do you have set on the top dial?

What is shutter mode? One Shot, Continuuous, Shutter Delay, etc.?

Re: White balance w/EOS utility

ebiggs1 — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 15:27:57 GMT

"Reset got rid of the weird green but still too dark on test shot."

It is beginning to sound like the camera has a problem. It is not a good candidate for repair either. Resetting should have made it work "normally".