Canon GX10 AWB issue.

[vstrglv]

There is a very strange Automatic White Balance behavior of GX10. If White balance (WB) is set to AWB and I turn on a cam, sometimes it sets Day light WB instead of AWB. There is no sun icon on display of course. I have tried this in LED illuminated room. If cam sets Day light instead of AWB an image has a yellow casts and it does not change for a long time. If cam off-on WB sets to AWB, but sometimes Day light again. The same issue takes place if I change WB in FUNC. For example, if WB is set to Day light (or another WB) and then is set to AWB sometimes WB goes to correct AWB, but sometimes it goes to Day light WB. It’s a random procedure. I have tested P and M mode and full manual mode. What is the problem?

[vstrglv]

V.1.0.4.

[Inapickle]

There was an issue with AWB that was fixed with firmware update 1.0.2.0

https://community.usa.canon.com/t5/Camcorder-Discussion/Canon-Legria-GX10-colours-flickering/m-p/331...

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@vstrglv wrote:
V.1.0.4.

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So are you saying that updating to 1.0.4.0 has resolved the problem or that it persists ?

[vstrglv]

No. Not fixed.

[vstrglv]

I bought this cam several days ago. It was v.1.0.4. It was a little strange for me because a battery date of issue was 2017. So AWB issue is for v.1.0.4.

[Nick2020]

Hi vstrglv,

Thanks for checking in with us!

There are two white balance settings on the camera, the one that you can select by pressing FUNC. and navigating to WB and the one in the menu under WB PRIORITY. Think of the white balance in the FUNC. menu as your current selection and WB Priority as a saved setting to which you can quickly revert.

When you're so inclined, you can tap the WB button on the shooting screen to revert to the white balance setting in the menu under WB Priority. That might be helpful if you go inside for a bit and then want to quickly switch to a daylight WB setting when you go back outside, for example.

[vstrglv]

Thank you for reply, Nick2020. 

First of all there is no "the WB button on the shooting screen".

I have tried several combinations of settings. For example, WB Priority is set to Daylight, the white balance in the FUNC is set to AWB and I have set WB for button  4. If I am inside I can change WB by button 4 from Daylight to AWB and back. It works, but sometimes WB goes to Daylight after Daylight, not to AWB. So I have to press the button 4 again and again. It is to annoying. Also if I filmed with AWB  and then camera off and on sometimes WB changes to Daylight.

I think it is AWB issue, isn't it?

[Inapickle]

I've read your first and last posts several times over and I'm still struggling to understand what the issue actually is. Your descriptions are very hard to follow - example .." sometimes WB goes to Daylight after Daylight, not to AWB....". What does that mean ?? You seem to be implying that AWB simply chooses the most appropriate WB preset for the prevailing light conditions (but does not show the preset icon), which is definitely not how it works. It is far more complex and refined than that.   

It would be much more informative if you could upload a video that clearly demonstrates the issue, as perceived, and the light conditions under which it occurs. I very much doubt you will get a constructive response based on the information you have provided..

[vstrglv]

Thank you for reply, Inapickle! I'll try explain an issue again step by step.

First example. I am indoor with LED lamp. Cam is an AUTO mode (switch M-AUTO)

Turn on cam. Colors are good  and  are changing during time (about 10 sec.) a little. It means that AWB works OK.

Cam off. Cam on. Again AWB works OK.

But sometimes after Cam off-on there is yellow cast and colors are not changing during time (i tried several minutes).

It means that AWB  don't work. This is wrong case (WC). Sometimes this WC occurs several times consecutively.

After that again cam off-on AWB works OK. So this wrong case  occurs randomly.

Second example. I am indoor with LED lamp. Cam is a M mode (switch M-AUTO). Other settings: P mode, MENU/Set WB

Priority/Automatic, FUNC/AWB.

The same situation as for an example one. Sometimes there is WC after cam on.

Third example. I am indoor with LED lamp. Cam is a M mode (switch M-AUTO). Other settings: P mode, MENU/Set WB

Priority/Automatic, FUNC is opened.

Click  any white balance exсept AWB, then click AWB. Colors are good  and  are changing during time (about 10 sec.) a little. It  means that AWB works OK.

 Again click  any white balance exсept AWB, then click AWB. Sometimes there is WC also.

When WC occurs, colors looks very similar to Daylight WB. I have tried to reset cam to factory defaults. It did not help.

Video :  https://youtu.be/Pc-ep5q3fNE

[Inapickle]

 OK, so you are saying that the AWB is not consistent and that when switching from other WB presets it (sometimes) fails to establish neutral white balance under the same lighting conditions - specifically it sets a higher (cooler) color temperature than expected creating a yellow (warm) cast. Correct ?

What is LED lamp you are testing with - is it an LED panel designed and calibrated for photograpy/videography specifically?

What is the color temperature of the LED lamp as specified by the manufacturer and as determined by the camcorder when setting a manual white balance ? The color temp will appear on the screen after setting the WB.

Ideally you should use a calibrated 18% neutral grey card for setting manual WB, but if you don't have one a sheet of white paper would suffice for the purpose of this exercise. Have the light shining from behind the camcorder onto the card/paper when you set the WB and note the color temp reading.Take a couple of manual WB readings (several minutes apart) after turning on the lamp to see if the color temperature of the lamp is stable. Obviously you need to test in a dark room with no extraneous (and possibly changing) light sources (lamps, window light etc) that could impact the color temperature. And keeping every fixed in the same position.

Now, having excluded other variables, run your AWB tests again (in Manual camera mode) under the exact same conditions. Do you still see the inconsistent behaviour when switching to AWB from other WB presets and allowing time for the camcorder to adjust ?