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White balance settings?

Tintype_18
Authority
Authority

Couldn't find the dog show photo. Someone edited it with proper WB. Is there a rule of thumb for setting WB or set to Auto? I had used the shade icon as the exhibition center is shaded but open sides and artificial lighting.

John
Canon EOS T7; EF-S 18-55mm IS; EF 28-135mm IS; EF 75-300mm; Sigma 150-600mm DG
13 REPLIES 13

johnrmoyer
Mentor
Mentor

I use auto white balance, but I almost always change the white balance in DPP. When indoors under artificial light that is not changing, I have photographed something white or gray and used that to create a custom white balance, but I am usually outdoors and often end up using daylight, cloudy, shade, or auto white priority.

 

Since my photos are usually viewed on a screen and if printed I do not control the printing process, I do not bother to calibrate my monitor. Also, before cataract surgery colors looked very different to me than after cataract surgery so I sometimes trust the camera more than I trust my eyes unless there is some part of the image that I think I know what the colors should be.

 

Your circumstances are likely different and you might make different choices.

 

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https://www.rsok.com/~jrm/

ebiggs1
Legend
Legend

"I use auto white balance, but I almost always change the white balance in DPP."

 

Spot on!

It is a little confusing when people say Raw doesn't set WB. It is true it isn't a saved setting, as are almost any setting, when you shoot Raw. 

However, your post editor whether it be DPP4 or LR or PS does use the jpg so-called tag file which does include your WB settings to make you a viewable image. Raw is not viewable until converted in to some other format. It is simply ones and zeros.

 

In most cases you don't need any extraordinary measures to set WB.  WB is pretty much a subjective look or feel anyway. I usually leave it on Auto WB. Almost every photo you take will have something at or near 18% neutral grey. Then a very simple process to adjust it in post edit. One click in levels in PS for instance. The other editors are just as simple. Plus if you did have a Raw file, you now have way, way more adjustment latitude to make any correction. That alone is why you should always shoot Raw.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

wq9nsc
Authority
Authority

Setting white balance to auto usually does a good job but certainly not always.  The ability to change white balance in post isn't the main reason I shoot only in RAW but it is one of the reasons.

 

My newer Canon bodies have two options for auto white balance, one for white priority and the other for ambiance priority.  I shoot mostly sports and for me the white priority setting is spot on most of the time and in photos when it isn't, I use the click option in DPP to select a sample to set white balance.  You can also set it via color temperature in DPP if you prefer going that direction.

 

I think for most users, either the "all in one" AWB or AWB-ambiance works quite well but the lack of auto white priority was one of the few drawbacks I found when using my original 1DX alongside the 1DX II and 1DX III bodies where their auto white option works wonders under varying field lighting conditions.  I am surprised this white priority isn't something DPP could work with for any of the bodies but apparently there is some reason that Canon didn't create a white priority option for files where the original camera doesn't have that setting.

 

Rodger

EOS 1DX M3, 1DX M2, 1DX, 5DS R, M6 Mark II, 1D M2, EOS 650 (film), many lenses, XF400 video

ebiggs1
Legend
Legend

" Is there a rule of thumb for setting WB or set to Auto?"

 

You have gotten several differing opinions about WB.  The over riding thing is, either set your WB in the camera or set it in post.  But the point is "set your WB" 

I prefer to set it to auto WB in the camera and pretty much forget it. Then adjust it if need be in Photoshop. That is easy and very simple.

 

BTW, do check your monitor's grey scale setting along with your brightness/contrast setting. I would wager one or both are off.

Another very simple task and very helpful.

Modern or current computer monitors come from the factory with pretty darn good color settings. For the most part I don't think you need to mess with any calibration settings. The big benefit with calibrating your monitor is if you do a lot of home printing.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!
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