WhiBal Reviewed at Luminous Landscape

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/accessories/whibal.shtml' target='_blank'>http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/accessories/whibal.shtml</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Unlike film, which basically comes with just two colour balances – Daylight and Tungsten, digital cameras and backs can be set to a wide range of colour temperature settings. With film, fine tuning can only be done with the use of CC filters in the field (if shooting reversal stock), or at the printing stage (if shooting negative). But all digital cameras have the ability to set the White Balance through the use of presets such as Daylight, Shade, Indoor, Fluorescent, Flash, etc. In some high-end digicams, and most DSLRs, exact Kelvin temperature values can also be set, although you will find that how each camera reacts to being set to 5700 Degrees, for example, will differ."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/wybal.jpg" /><br /><br />Getting the proper white balance is key to getting a good picture. Sometimes the "auto" mode on your camera will do a good job, sometimes it won't. If you're interested in taking steps toward getting better pictures, you'll want to get a tool to help you adjust your pictures for accurate white balance. One such tool is WhiBal, and it seems to be getting good reviews. I took a few minutes and watched the <a href="http://rawworkflow.com/WhiBalManual/index.html">Flash training videos</a> concerning WhiBal, and I learned a lot (the jump shots drove me nuts though!). Worth a look!

[Neil Enns]

WhiBal was in my list of gifts for digital photographers (http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,7164), and of all the gifts I mentioned it's the one that I find most useful. I use my whibal cards *constantly*. Here's one example:

http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/media/users/303/whiba_sample.jpg

The top photo is as-shot from the camera. The second has the colour temperature and tint set by reading off a whibal picture I took under the same lighting conditions. No other changes were made.

I love my whibal cards! :werenotworthy:

Neil

[Jason Dunn]

I've REALLY got to get into this whole white balance thing. I'm afraid I'm just too much of a "point and shoot" photographer though. :oops:

[Jason Kravitz]

I was surprised how much better the auto white balance is on the 20D then the 300D - for most my shooting I typically stay on auto now (where as on 300D I used custom and sunny etc modes heavily)

However - another fun trick is to use different custom white balances in various situations - I took a custom WB in a bar with lots of neon lights and then shot the cloudy sky outside at night to get this blue color - changes the shot completely

http://www.aminus3.com/_images/archive/user_000002/image_000792/water_color_building_large.jpg

don't be afriad to experiment Jason! Shooting in manual modes takes your photos to a whole new level.

[sdrosenthal]

I purchased a 20d 3 weeks ago, and have to say that after borrowing these cards, I can't wait to get my own. 20d does a good job at guessing what the correct white balance is (in many situations), but there is still a tremendous difference between what the camera thinks is correct, and what the true WB should be, as Neil's photos show. I do not see how I got along without them. Aside from the 20d, these cards are probably my most sought after Xmas/Hannukah present! :)

[that_kid]

I never use full auto mode on my digital camera but I left the white banace on auto and when I got my dv cam I wasn't sure about using manual mode as there were soo many settings. I found out that setting the white balance was not only good when using one camera but essential when using multiple camera's. While shooting a music video in Mississippi a few weeks back, I was amazed at the difference between auto white balance and using manual white balance. Now I'll have to get me some of these cards so I can stop carrying blank white sheets of paper with me :lol:

[Jason Dunn]

Ok, I ordered one of the small WhitBal kits. Now I have to talk myself into shooting RAW now, right? :-) What's a good, easy to use program for working with RAW? I don't think PhotoImpact, my main tool, can work with RAW, but I've found that I'm doing less and less "serious" post-processing work. Does PhotoShop Elements work with RAW? I think I remember seeing that it did.

[Jason Kravitz]

What is the difference between using these vs. a Pringles lid or some other matte white piece of plastic?

Jason - I think shooting RAW is a personal preference but not necessary to get great pictures. Granted you have a lot more room to fix stuff later, I'd focus more on learning how to set proper WB and exposure as most images look a lot better when done right the first time.

I tend to shoot JPG more out of laziness then anything else. If it is a shot where I know I want to experiment post or simply don't want to muck it up I might switch to RAW.

I've tried the Canon RAW software, Photoshop CS RAW and Capture One and have had decent results with all of them. I think Elements uses the same Canon RAW converter that CS does - someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[Jonathon Watkins]

I've tried the Canon RAW software, Photoshop CS RAW and Capture One and have had decent results with all of them.

I've tired the Canon and Photoshop CS RAW software and the Canon RAW converter gives me far better results every time. Perhaps I haven't played with the Photoshop converter enough, but I get good results each time from Canon. Shame that the Canon software is very flaky. :?

[Neil Enns]

What's a good, easy to use program for working with RAW?

I use Capture One. I tried all the others (Photoshop, bibble, breezebrowser), and none has the simplicity as Capture One. Bibble had some wicked cool features, but just didn't have the ease of use that C1 does.

Photoshop, IMHO, sucks. I get that it converts well, but it really falls short when it comes to batch processing images. The File Browser is a piece of junk, and trying to shoehorn a workflow that uses it and the RAW converter, is really a pain.

Neil

[Neil Enns]

What is the difference between using these vs. a Pringles lid or some other matte white piece of plastic?

It's actually the grey on the cards that's useful, not so much the white. You can use the white to set the white point, but the grey (light grey for raw) is completely neutral and pretty non-reflective and is used for setting the white balance. (white point and white balance being two different things)

Neil

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

What is the difference between using these vs. a Pringles lid or some other matte white piece of plastic?


The difference is you pay silly money for them! =P

Ok, the difference is that the whites are truly white, and the greys are truly neutral. That said, nothing is stopping you from finding something that is close enough and that works well for you (which is the route that I'd take; I don't like spending money on overpriced accessories from cottage industries).

Now I have to talk myself into shooting RAW now, right?

Not really. You can use these with the WB presets (make sure the light falling on them is equal to the scene), and you can still adjust WB with JPEGs, just that you can't adjust as much.

[flooder]

I think Elements uses the same Canon RAW converter that CS does - someone correct me if I'm wrong.

That is true for Elements 3.0. There is also a new beta version of the RAW plugin that has added some newer cameras.

I am new to RAW so I can't say how good it is yet.

Now I have to talk myself into shoot RAW now, right?

With my 2GB CF fard I am shooting RAW+Jpeg. That way when I learn how to use the RAW I'll have them.