White Balance at DVinfo.net
DV Info Net

Go Back   DV Info Net > Canon EOS / MXF / AVCHD / HDV / DV Camera Systems > Canon HDV and DV Camera Systems > Canon XH Series HDV Camcorders

Canon XH Series HDV Camcorders
Canon XH G1S / G1 (with SDI), Canon XH A1S / A1 (without SDI).

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old December 20th, 2009, 10:41 AM   #1
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Kingswinford, England
Posts: 25
White Balance

I'm having trouble setting a reliable white balance, I have to video a playgroups activities for a DVD which the parents have, I have to film in available light which is daylight through windows, I set a manual balance using a white card which sometime looks a little blue when set, I also get the opposite sometimes when flesh tones look rather orange, I think it could be something to do with a blue carpet which could be reflecting blue on to everything or could it be the Panalook preset.
I have used the daylight preset which seems better but I'm used to setting my own.
Any ideas please?
Mick
Mick Mearman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 20th, 2009, 01:53 PM   #2
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Sydney.
Posts: 2,931
Yep Expodisc, great for mixed lighting wouldn't be without it. There's more in the archives here.

BTW you didn't load the Panalook preset manually did you? I tried that early on and stuffed it up. 2 of those settings 'names' are very similar.

ExpoImaging - ExpoDisc Neutral

Cheers.
__________________
Drink more tap water. On admission at Sydney hospitals more than 5% of day patients are de-hydrated.
Allan Black is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 20th, 2009, 11:41 PM   #3
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 69
Mick, I would just go with the daylight preset (5600K) and color correct to taste in post. As long as you shoot everything at 5600K, you can copy and past the same color correction filter to all your clips. Going overboard with white balances and different white balances during one shoot causes editing nightmares, in my opinion. Good luck.
Gabe Spangler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old January 4th, 2010, 10:22 AM   #4
Major Player
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Posts: 259
I shoot product videos, installations, and car shows for JC Whitney.

Unless I'm in my studio with controlled lighting, I don't white balance. I am moving around too much and capturing too much to be messing with white balance all the time.

If I'm indoors, I'll set it to the "indoor" setting. If I get too near some windows or an open garage door and the sun starts to effect my lighting, I'll tweak the balance, or switch to the "outdoors" setting.

Outdoors, at a car show, with changing sunlight all day...I'll manually set the white balance multiple times throughout the day by pointing at various "white" things. (T-shirts, signs, white parking lot lines, etc.)

People like to use specific white balance cards to get "correct" white balance, and they scoff at my idea of using a white t-shirt, or a sign, or even a white car. Hey, if I look at something and my eyes tell me that it's white - that's good enough for me, and good enoug for my camera.

Oh, I usually use Panalook and tweak in post (crushing blacks, pushing whites, tweaking saturation.)

Cheers!
Will Mahoney is offline   Reply With Quote
Old January 4th, 2010, 11:05 AM   #5
Major Player
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Lakeland Florida
Posts: 692
I'm like Will. I carry a white balance card, but will manually white balance using anything reasonably close to white. Changing light sources can be a real pain, but you learn to deal with it. Sometimes you can just change your camera angle and problems go away.

Work with the light as much as possible.
At times you may have to do some color correcting in post. I usually don't need to do much of it. Manual white balance with available white t shirts, ceilings, etc works well with my A1. At times I even have been known to go automatic.
__________________
Roger
My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAp...2AHr_pHFID5LDA
Roger Van Duyn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old January 4th, 2010, 02:47 PM   #6
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Sydney.
Posts: 2,931
I knew of a guy who shoots weddings and always wears a white shirt. He white balances off the sleeve and drives the single women nuts.

Cheers.
__________________
Drink more tap water. On admission at Sydney hospitals more than 5% of day patients are de-hydrated.
Allan Black is offline   Reply With Quote
Old January 4th, 2010, 10:03 PM   #7
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Honolulu, HI
Posts: 58
When you white balance from misc objects in the scene, do you still fill the frame with white?
Sylus Harrington is offline   Reply With Quote
Old January 5th, 2010, 10:41 AM   #8
Major Player
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Lakeland Florida
Posts: 692
Yes. By all means fill the screen. Basically, do it like it says in the manual.
__________________
Roger
My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAp...2AHr_pHFID5LDA
Roger Van Duyn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old January 5th, 2010, 02:39 PM   #9
New Boot
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hemlock, Michigan
Posts: 18
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mick Mearman View Post
Any ideas please?
I manually ride the color temp using the K (Kelvin) control knob. I eyeball the scene on the LCD and adjust accordingly. Once you get good at it you can do it fast enough for run and gun style shooting.

Anyway, that's what I do. White cards? I don't bother. Essentially I do a little color treatment "in camera." If I want a little blue, I'll go that way, if I want it warm, I'll go the other.

Best invention ever on modern cameras: control over K setting. I used to have to push or pull the color temps warm and cool by white balancing through 1/4 or 1/2 gels.

Last edited by Matthew Nothelfer; January 5th, 2010 at 02:37 PM. Reason: typo
Matthew Nothelfer is offline   Reply
Reply

DV Info Net refers all where-to-buy and where-to-rent questions exclusively to these trusted full line dealers and rental houses...

B&H Photo Video
(866) 521-7381
New York, NY USA

Scan Computers Int. Ltd.
+44 0871-472-4747
Bolton, Lancashire UK


DV Info Net also encourages you to support local businesses and buy from an authorized dealer in your neighborhood.
  You are here: DV Info Net > Canon EOS / MXF / AVCHD / HDV / DV Camera Systems > Canon HDV and DV Camera Systems > Canon XH Series HDV Camcorders

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

 



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:03 PM.


DV Info Net -- Real Names, Real People, Real Info!
1998-2024 The Digital Video Information Network