White Balance for Canon SD series users

[HuiYeng]

OK, so I got a chance to play with White Balance again on my Canon SD 600. For those who care, I finally figure out that at least for SD600 the Custom mode is the way to go when the light situation is tricky.

In the SD600 cases, I would toggle the White Balance setting to Custom, then press the Menu button to trigger the camera to evaluate the lighting quality, and it really does the job right. (You can test this at home by pointing the camera at a Flourescent light.) But the down side is you need to remember to do that for other lighting situation.

You'll think the Auto mode should do the trick... Anyway, hope this would help other Canon users.

 

[skiguy]

If you want to take this another step you might want to take a look at something like This . If you do any digital video also these cards are almost essential for good quality color .

 

[Grumpy]

Not being an equipment geek I can’t speak with great authority, but I believe most DSLRs probably provide for some kind of “advanced” color balance control. Read the owner’s manual. (My Nikon D2Hs manual devotes 17 pages to this topic.)

Exactly which buttons to push probably vary considerably from one brand of camera to the next, and even one model to the next in a given brand. But the underlying idea remains the same. You are trying to compensate for the color makeup of the light that illuminates your subject.

The advice to get a neutral gray test card is excellent. These things have been around a long time, for use when color balance and quality in a final product is critical, even during the old film days.

G.

 

[DougPaul]

You can also get a white reference off a (neutral) white card.

White card or grey card, it only works if you have the same lighting on the card (close by) as on the scene (may be far away). (Be careful that reflection off you or nearby objects doesn't tint the light on the card.)

Sometimes there might also be a region of the scene that is big enough to use as a reference. (eg a clean snowfield)

Doug