Handling WB

[Shasta_man]

How are people doing white balancing on video these days?

I'm trying to understand what the choices are and how well they work. It's time to invest in something but I'm an infrequent diver so cost is practically important.

With my current older Sony HD camera in the sun down to 30 feet using a red filter with camera set to AWB, I can get beautiful video. The housing has mechanical controls to access the touchscreen for MWB, but it's practically quite difficult to do at depth. Below 30 feet, camera set to AWB, I just got very green video usually with very little color to recover in white balancing as it's all in the green channel and little in the others. Maybe a different WB setting would have improved things. While great video of the critters, green video is nearly useless.

That experience told me that easy WB (a button) is a must, otherwise you get colorless video. However, very few prosumer housings offer such a button (Light and Motion is one of the few and seems narrowed to a small number of cameras). That makes me wonder whether people are doing in post, which in my experience is quite difficult to get good balanced color. Or I am not using the right software or I don't know how to do it well.

Or are people just using mechanical controls to access MWB?

Simplistically, I realize that colors are absorbed at deeper depths and would require lights but it's possible to get good color below 30 feet I currently can do.

 

[Interceptor121]

I recently moved to a Panasonic LX7 after testing a Sony RX100 on 40 dives and the results with the custom white balance (single button to recall one button to confirm) are excellent
Have a look at this video the Bianca C part is 36 meters and the Shake'em wreck below 22 meters to 32
[youtubehq]JWdwsPdBxqY[/youtubehq]

 

[diversteve]

Since you mention shooting in green water, I can't be of much help. I assume you're shooting locally?

Maybe dr. bill will see this, he shoots a Sony off Catalina. And has mentioned issues with green footage with his last camera - I believe it was a Sony HC7.

Sony changed their electronics a few years ago so L&M can only control Canon cameras now. Some of the better Canons are as good as or better than the Sony's though esp. when you compare features/dollar.

 

[Shasta_man]

An answer to my own thread is that Ikelite did make housings with one touch WB for Sony cameras but they already discontinued them. I think I might have gotten the last one available. BTW, it wasn't the water which was making it green. It was coming back green whether blue or green water.

 

[matdiver]

Shasta_man,
this thread has had so many views, but few replies, and I think that's because good MWB is often a real PITA to figure out! Shame, because it's one of the key things that makes the difference between watchable and unwatchable footage. I absolutely loved my old 3-chip standard definition system, electronic controls, and near-perfect MWB down to 30+m in tropical waters. When I moved to HD (Pana GH2), I thought it would be just the same, but it's not... and I'm still not sure whether the results are better with a red filter or not. Still experimenting, with fiddly manual controls, in a 10 Bar housing. Sometimes the sand, sometimes the palm, and my next test is going to be a slate with grey pencil scribbled on it. At least with the very high bitrate and large sensor of the GH2, correction in post is excellent. Check this out, if you're interested:https://vimeo.com/62024108
As for one-push MWB, I think the Aditech "Mangrove" system (Shop - Housings for SONY - Aditech | Underwater video and photo online store ) looks really interesting, but I haven't seen any footage from cameras like the Sony CX700 to know if it works in practice. I thought about going for a system like that, and I'm still not sure whether I've made the right decision....

Good luck!

 

[ronscuba]

Handling WB has changed since technology has changed.

There is no one set rule anymore because of all the different types of cameras people are using to record UW video. Traditional camcorders, point and shoot cameras, DSLR's, compact cameras, GoPro's, etc.. All these different cameras have different WB capabilities. I was shocked how well the colors came out on my GoPro Hero 3 with the protune cam raw WB setting. Some camcorders are very limited in how much their MWB can correct and having access to MWB UW is not worth the bother.

People are reporting success with DSLR's and certain compact cameras using MWB but not using a filter. Using MWB on some cameras is easy on others it is very difficult.

No single easy answer. It depends on the camera. I sold my Sony FX7 and Gates housing. I loved the system, but I don't dive as much. I recently got a Panasonic LX7 and have a Nauticam housing on the way. Should be good for more casual video shooting. MWB on the LX7 is easy and has good range.

 

[Shasta_man]

<<I sold my Sony FX7 and Gates housing>> well things are a-changin' when I see Ronscuba cutting back.

Understood on the variety of WB. I expect that a DSLR will be better/best at setting WB easily. However I can see MatDiver's video shows it's tough to get that right too. (The shots at 90 feet were impressive). And DSLR does NOT help in the cost category. The higher level DSLR uses the top housings so camera $3K, and housing $3K+, etc. Even with a low end DSLR, there's camera, then housing, then strobe.

I considered going with the high end point and shoot for the easier transport but I think I'll be going traditional camcorder one more time.

I guess my question remains whether there are any better software tools for improving it in post.

 

[ronscuba]

LOL. Yep, things a changin', but then inching back. Got the GoPro. Works great for a $400 camera and housing, but ultimately I missed the flexibility and higher quality, so I got a LX7.

Will be interesting to see what system you get. Seems like camcorders for UW use have been wiped out except at the very high end.

 

[kkfok]

I have used GH2 underwater before but it is now sold. I think it is no good in WB with ambient light, resulting footage were very green, it bands like the hell too.
I have watched many videos of Canon DSLRs and they seem to WB really good underwater, even at depth. I am now using Sony RX100 and I think it can also WB underwater very nicely.
If your camera is using AVCHD I think the extend that you can WB in post is not much.

 

[Interceptor121]

There is definitely something going on with Panasonic white balance under water, it would not do it well on a slate but would be perfect on the palm of my hand or on the sand
The GH2 had movie at only 17 mbps at that bitrate you will definitely have block noise with bluewater