How often should I re-customize White Balance when changing depth?
- Thread starter CoopAir
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
I can't give you advice because I don't know what the correct answer is, but I can tell you what I do and works for me.
I shoot RAW when I can so that white balance is dealt with in post processing.
When I shoot Macro with flash, I set white balance once and forget it.
When shooting using ambient light, I worry about availability and quality of light. So depth is a factor, but not the factor for when to rebalance. Instead, the quantity and type of particulate in the water will change what parts of sunlight will be absorbed progressivly at depth. Also, Even on the clearest day, if you swim under a the canopy of a kelp bed, you will have a different kind of light than if you swim under a raft of boats. So I think of when I should rebalance in these (probably wrong) terms that stem from the use of FILM in a a Camera. I think I should change my white balance when ever the light has changed enough for me to use the same shutter speed for a given ISO but changing the F-Stop to achieve a good exposure. Having said that, I never rebalance.
I use the back of my white dive slate with my little SeaLife camera. Seems to work like a champ.
Dive Safe!
I shoot RAW when I can so that white balance is dealt with in post processing.
When I shoot Macro with flash, I set white balance once and forget it.
When shooting using ambient light, I worry about availability and quality of light. So depth is a factor, but not the factor for when to rebalance. Instead, the quantity and type of particulate in the water will change what parts of sunlight will be absorbed progressivly at depth. Also, Even on the clearest day, if you swim under a the canopy of a kelp bed, you will have a different kind of light than if you swim under a raft of boats. So I think of when I should rebalance in these (probably wrong) terms that stem from the use of FILM in a a Camera. I think I should change my white balance when ever the light has changed enough for me to use the same shutter speed for a given ISO but changing the F-Stop to achieve a good exposure. Having said that, I never rebalance.
I use the back of my white dive slate with my little SeaLife camera. Seems to work like a champ.
Dive Safe!
Meni Meller
Registered
If you are using a strobe as your main light, there is no need to constantly adjust the WB.
Check out your strobe's specifications for its color temp (my YS-D1 is 5200 when diffuser is placed for an example),
and set your camera's WB for that same value or equivalent preset if you don't have a Kelvin settings for your WB.
That should be all... if indeed you're using a strobe .. if not ... I suggest getting one.
Check out your strobe's specifications for its color temp (my YS-D1 is 5200 when diffuser is placed for an example),
and set your camera's WB for that same value or equivalent preset if you don't have a Kelvin settings for your WB.
That should be all... if indeed you're using a strobe .. if not ... I suggest getting one.
PaulaA
Registered
daz88
Contributor
Don't think it's a simple matter of how many feet, more of water. Every water is a little different. 5 feet in one body of water is different from another body of water as far as lighting goes. Just experiment and learn what works for you. The best is to shoot in RAW so you can adjust it in front of your computer later unstead of wasting dive time doing it. (BTW...using the sand does work great for adjusting the WB)
Kenr
Contributor
im a raw shooter so I don't worry about WB. I am told you can balance by shooting your palm. I'm not sure why, its not gray but I'm told it works.
I'm not into post picture redo as required by shooting in RAW. I probably should learn but - a bother. When not using strobe I adjust using my hand or a slate every 7-10 feet. As noted above the amount of adjustment will vary with the water. After each dive look at your pics and evaluate what is needed.
Kenr
Contributor
Give Lightroom a try. Most photos are going to require a little cropping, sharpening and maybe a touch up or down on the exposure anyway. Adding white balance is a snap, just use the dropper tool in the white balance palette and click on something neutral and you are done. I find I don't have to waste anytime underwater worrying about my wb, not to mention its an amazing tool that could save an otherwise poorly lit photo.
If you shoot with a strobe you set white balance to auto
If instead you shoot in ambient light it depends if you shoot RAW or Jpeg,
for Jpeg you need to set custom white balance ideally before each series of shot at the same depth or as a minimum every 10 feet
If you shoot in RAW it is not essential except the pictures will look realistic on the LCD screen, white balance in post processing can be done with any utility that is provided with the camera (canon photo professional, sony image viewer, etc etc)
If you shoot video it is like jpeg and it is essential to set custom WB
If instead you shoot in ambient light it depends if you shoot RAW or Jpeg,
for Jpeg you need to set custom white balance ideally before each series of shot at the same depth or as a minimum every 10 feet
If you shoot in RAW it is not essential except the pictures will look realistic on the LCD screen, white balance in post processing can be done with any utility that is provided with the camera (canon photo professional, sony image viewer, etc etc)
If you shoot video it is like jpeg and it is essential to set custom WB
Buy a strobe. The majority of your photos (macro) will look better with flash, and you will gain a world of creative possibilities by having full control of your own light source. Use Adobe Lightroom for ambient light shots, like wrecks. It's DIGITAL photography, take advantage of how easy it is to process your photos.... and forget about adjusting white balance in camera.
Similar threads
