White Balance at DVinfo.net

Gianni Paolella · April 5th, 2011, 07:25 AM

I read a lot of things about how to set the White Balance on the 60D or 550D.
When we shoot only video in different situation I woul like to know how you suggest to set it.
I use all in manual and for the White Balance normally i take a picture to something white, I go in the menu and I confirm that I want this pic for white and I shoot.
Is the best way?Do you use it or you have a paper 18% gray that you put in front of camera to take a pic?
Please I need to understand the best way
Second question, wich preset you use to have the best color and contrast with the 60D and 550D?
Thanks a lot

Greg Fiske · April 5th, 2011, 09:46 AM

I struggle with white balance. Filming events I use a tungsten preset and deal with it in post, or set it manually. You can only change it in increments of 100, so most of the time you cannot get an accurate white balance as it will be in between. The problem with this is that it doesn't have any control over green/red, so under fluorescent lights you are in trouble. When you use the gray card, it does take into account the red/green shift, but it makes your image neutral. Indoors a neutral white balance can seem to cool. I bought a white balance card with a warm bias, but with the pace of events, never get around to using it.

If you have time, one of the members in the forum uses the product below on a slate.
Datacolor SpyderCube review

I'm hoping this is just a temporary issue. From what I've read, the next round of dslr's might have some basic form of a type of raw format that can be better manipulated in post. After effects getting the slider features of lightroom.

I don't know if I don't have enough color correction skill, or if its the codec that just makes it look unnatural.

Kyle McConaghy · April 5th, 2011, 10:01 AM

For the picture setting, it seems that most users recommend using a custom preset.

It seems like the popular thing to do is put the sharpness as low as it can go, and notch the contrast and saturation a few ticks below 0. I like to keep my contrast at -3 and my saturation at -1.

Gianni Paolella · April 5th, 2011, 10:37 AM

Thanks a lot...and for white balance how do you set it?

Steve Bleasdale · April 5th, 2011, 02:49 PM

Also struggling here with the white balance indoors, if i custom to a plain white paper, our room looks a cream colour and it is coffee colour?? if i use auto white balance it goes to brown if i set the k balance to 2900 it looks perfect.... if i say am filming the first dance in lowish light say 50 shutter 50mm 1.8, iso no more than 1600, is it best to use the k white balance and set it to what looks good??? also im struggling to match the hv40 with my 60d, i might have to use the 60d only for the first dance or get another 60d and sell one hv40 and keep one that way i will get the colours right??? steve

Luke Gates · April 5th, 2011, 07:49 PM

I always white balance by eye with the lcd and kelvin balance. Forget about using a card!! And if it makes you feel better so does the famous hdslr videographer Shane Hurlbut. haha I had to throw that in there, recently watched a series of videos put out by B & H hosted by Shane Hurlbut.....ASC B&H HDSLR Hub: Learn With A Pro

Steve Bleasdale · April 5th, 2011, 11:09 PM

just done this??

YouTube - HV40 + 60D SETTINGS

Gianni Paolella · April 6th, 2011, 01:11 AM

Thanks to all, but nobody for the moment tell me the right way for the WB particulary on the 550D without ML so without the Kelvin.
I need to understand how to set the best WB
Thanks

Colin Rowe · April 6th, 2011, 03:24 AM

Gianni.
There is no one way to set white balance. Every occasion is different, its simply a matter of playing with the camera and finding a setting that suits yourself, its so subjective, what you find pleasing, others may not. I will white balance whenever the lighting changes outdoors, indoors is not usually a problem. Personally I dont think there is an ideal white balance on the Canon DSLRs. The best I can do, and remember its just my personal preference, is white balance in kelvin with ML on the 550D

Colin Rowe · April 6th, 2011, 04:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Bleasdale

Also struggling here with the white balance indoors, if i custom to a plain white paper, our room looks a cream colour and it is coffee colour??

Steve.
Be careful if you are using plain old paper to white balance, nearly all paper has a bluish tint to it. This will make a big difference to your colour balance. Use a true white balance card, from your local photographic shop, or, as you are doing use kelvin adjustment. This is quite handy, and gives a better balance than any card I have ever used.

Lastolite Ezybalance Grey/White Card 30cm: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

Greg Fiske · April 6th, 2011, 09:41 AM

Gianni Paolella, on the 550d you need magic lantern to have any control of white balance. At least as far as I can remember, I've had magic lantern on my 550d since I bought it.

Steve Bleasdale · April 6th, 2011, 12:01 PM

Colin thanks, but im struggling with the hv 40, the 60d i can kelvin and looks good, but the hv only has custom and other settings like daylight and ect,,, but if i kelvin the 60d, i cant judge the hv40 by the screen as it comes out different on my computor so im trying all kinds of settings on the hv40. in cinemode in daylight wb it looks ok with the 60d in auto wb???decent match but when lights low?? i am going to get the card you mentioned and do a custom before saturday my 2nd wedding but first with 60d, wish i should have got 3 60ds now and just kelvin all 3 to the same setting????

Geoffrey Chandler · April 11th, 2011, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luke Gates

I always white balance by eye with the lcd and kelvin balance. Forget about using a card!! And if it makes you feel better so does the famous hdslr videographer Shane Hurlbut. haha I had to throw that in there, recently watched a series of videos put out by B & H hosted by Shane Hurlbut.....ASC B&H HDSLR Hub: Learn With A Pro

I use the 60D and have read people talking about setting white balance by dialing the kelvin balance. The only way I see to do that is to pick a kelvin number I think might be right in the menu, then turn off the menu and check. If no good, turn the menu back on and guess again. Is this the way you do it or is there a way to select a kelvin number WHILE viewing the scene in the LCD?

Thanks!

Jim Allan · April 12th, 2011, 08:30 AM

If you assign your set button to white balance in manual picture mode, you can use the live view and press the set button which brings up the white balance menu, then use the d-pad to scroll over to kelvin and use the top wheel to adjust the temperature. You will be able to see real time affects of the white balance this way.

Geoffrey Chandler · April 13th, 2011, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Allan

If you assign your set button to white balance in manual picture mode, you can use the live view and press the set button which brings up the white balance menu, then use the d-pad to scroll over to kelvin and use the top wheel to adjust the temperature. You will be able to see real time affects of the white balance this way.

That sounds perfect. I assume I can find directions for "assigning the set button" in the owners manual?

April 5th, 2011, 07:25 AM	#1
Gianni Paolella Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: MILAN ITALY Posts: 82	White Balance I read a lot of things about how to set the White Balance on the 60D or 550D. When we shoot only video in different situation I woul like to know how you suggest to set it. I use all in manual and for the White Balance normally i take a picture to something white, I go in the menu and I confirm that I want this pic for white and I shoot. Is the best way?Do you use it or you have a paper 18% gray that you put in front of camera to take a pic? Please I need to understand the best way Second question, wich preset you use to have the best color and contrast with the 60D and 550D? Thanks a lot

April 5th, 2011, 09:46 AM	#2
Greg Fiske Major Player Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Santa Ana, CA Posts: 499	Re: White Balance I struggle with white balance. Filming events I use a tungsten preset and deal with it in post, or set it manually. You can only change it in increments of 100, so most of the time you cannot get an accurate white balance as it will be in between. The problem with this is that it doesn't have any control over green/red, so under fluorescent lights you are in trouble. When you use the gray card, it does take into account the red/green shift, but it makes your image neutral. Indoors a neutral white balance can seem to cool. I bought a white balance card with a warm bias, but with the pace of events, never get around to using it. If you have time, one of the members in the forum uses the product below on a slate. Datacolor SpyderCube review I'm hoping this is just a temporary issue. From what I've read, the next round of dslr's might have some basic form of a type of raw format that can be better manipulated in post. After effects getting the slider features of lightroom. I don't know if I don't have enough color correction skill, or if its the codec that just makes it look unnatural.

April 5th, 2011, 10:01 AM	#3
Kyle McConaghy Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: St. Louis Posts: 42	Re: White Balance For the picture setting, it seems that most users recommend using a custom preset. It seems like the popular thing to do is put the sharpness as low as it can go, and notch the contrast and saturation a few ticks below 0. I like to keep my contrast at -3 and my saturation at -1.

April 5th, 2011, 10:37 AM	#4
Gianni Paolella Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: MILAN ITALY Posts: 82	Re: White Balance Thanks a lot...and for white balance how do you set it?

April 5th, 2011, 02:49 PM	#5
Steve Bleasdale Trustee Join Date: May 2010 Location: England liverpool Posts: 1,343	Re: White Balance Also struggling here with the white balance indoors, if i custom to a plain white paper, our room looks a cream colour and it is coffee colour?? if i use auto white balance it goes to brown if i set the k balance to 2900 it looks perfect.... if i say am filming the first dance in lowish light say 50 shutter 50mm 1.8, iso no more than 1600, is it best to use the k white balance and set it to what looks good??? also im struggling to match the hv40 with my 60d, i might have to use the 60d only for the first dance or get another 60d and sell one hv40 and keep one that way i will get the colours right??? steve

April 5th, 2011, 07:49 PM	#6
Luke Gates Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: new jersey Posts: 151	Re: White Balance I always white balance by eye with the lcd and kelvin balance. Forget about using a card!! And if it makes you feel better so does the famous hdslr videographer Shane Hurlbut. haha I had to throw that in there, recently watched a series of videos put out by B & H hosted by Shane Hurlbut.....ASC B&H HDSLR Hub: Learn With A Pro

April 5th, 2011, 11:09 PM	#7
Steve Bleasdale Trustee Join Date: May 2010 Location: England liverpool Posts: 1,343	Re: White Balance just done this?? YouTube - HV40 + 60D SETTINGS

April 6th, 2011, 01:11 AM	#8
Gianni Paolella Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: MILAN ITALY Posts: 82	Re: White Balance Thanks to all, but nobody for the moment tell me the right way for the WB particulary on the 550D without ML so without the Kelvin. I need to understand how to set the best WB Thanks

April 6th, 2011, 03:24 AM	#9
Colin Rowe Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cornwall UK Posts: 793	Re: White Balance Gianni. There is no one way to set white balance. Every occasion is different, its simply a matter of playing with the camera and finding a setting that suits yourself, its so subjective, what you find pleasing, others may not. I will white balance whenever the lighting changes outdoors, indoors is not usually a problem. Personally I dont think there is an ideal white balance on the Canon DSLRs. The best I can do, and remember its just my personal preference, is white balance in kelvin with ML on the 550D __________________ Colin

April 6th, 2011, 09:41 AM	#11
Greg Fiske Major Player Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Santa Ana, CA Posts: 499	Re: White Balance Gianni Paolella, on the 550d you need magic lantern to have any control of white balance. At least as far as I can remember, I've had magic lantern on my 550d since I bought it.

April 6th, 2011, 12:01 PM	#12
Steve Bleasdale Trustee Join Date: May 2010 Location: England liverpool Posts: 1,343	Re: White Balance Colin thanks, but im struggling with the hv 40, the 60d i can kelvin and looks good, but the hv only has custom and other settings like daylight and ect,,, but if i kelvin the 60d, i cant judge the hv40 by the screen as it comes out different on my computor so im trying all kinds of settings on the hv40. in cinemode in daylight wb it looks ok with the 60d in auto wb???decent match but when lights low?? i am going to get the card you mentioned and do a custom before saturday my 2nd wedding but first with 60d, wish i should have got 3 60ds now and just kelvin all 3 to the same setting????

April 12th, 2011, 08:30 AM	#14
Jim Allan New Boot Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Lake Mary, Florida Posts: 24	Re: White Balance If you assign your set button to white balance in manual picture mode, you can use the live view and press the set button which brings up the white balance menu, then use the d-pad to scroll over to kelvin and use the top wheel to adjust the temperature. You will be able to see real time affects of the white balance this way.