Wow! White balance...

ReefLady

Well-Known Member
Staff member
You have GOT to check out this thread on a pro photography forum.

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/64826/0

Basically, it involves using a simple coffee filter over your lens, pointing at your subject and metering your custom white balance.

I'd be willing to bet this will work for any digital camera.

Make sure you check out the sample pics. I'll try this out on a reef tank and upload some results.

BTW, "expodisc" mentioned costs about $120 and apparently is 5% more effective than 3 stacked coffee filters. :)

T
 

LuckyInk

Reef Painter
Neat. Thanks Travis.
When I go to the Keys next month I am going to take a few filters with me down below. Do you have to set the CWB everytime you take a pic of a new subject? I hope my digital camera can use a picture to reference CWB.
 

reefrunner

Contributing Member
Make sure you check out the sample pics. I'll try this out on a reef tank and upload some results.

Can't wait to see them. Does your Nikon have a custom WB? If so can you post some with that? What I read was explaing taking a pic with the filters and then assigning that pic asyour reference WB, I assume I would just take the reference/sample using the filters for the Nikon. I'll buy some filters at the store today and try it this afternoon, will try to post some as well.
 

Curtswearing

Active Member
Cool info. On our way back from Indianopolis, Rachel and I were discussing the possibility of buying a digital camera. All of the sudden these great photography hints are taking on new meaning.

Thanks for sharing.
 

ReefLady

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Yeah, I’ll definitely try it on the coolpix and the 10D. Really the principle is the same…on Canon SLRs you can take any shot on your CF card and make that your white balance-setting shot. With most digicams (including my coolpix) you have to tell the camera you’re going to measure, then press the shutter button. I’m interested to see how this works myself. : )
 

Playa

Active Member
Awesome Travis. I have a camera with no white balance, no wonder why I stink so much at taking photos.

Did you see reefrunner pictures?

Those are crystal clear. I am sure he used a filter or for sure white balance. Do you happen to know what kind of camera he is using Travis?
 

reefrunner

Contributing Member
Playa, I mentioned in the other thread I am using a Nikon Coolpix 995, the only thing I do for white balance is to take a custom sample in the tank of the sandbed, I use that to tell the cam what white is. For aquarium shots one of THE most important things for your digicam to have is a manual white balance, some WB issues can be overcome in photoshop, but it is much easier to get true colors with a custom white balance. WB IMO is more important than macro, you can get as close as you want to, but if the color isn't right it doesn't matter.

What cam are you using Playa, I thought you were using the Nikon 5700, if so, it has the ability to manually sample the WB.
 
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