JeffP Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Here's a good way to set the white balance on your camera without needing to do much if any tweaking after downloading to your PC - providing you can set a custom white balance that is. Tell your camera that you want to set a reference white balance. On my D50 that is the Custom setting, then the camera wants me to specify a picture or take one. So I put a piece of white PVC in the tank and take the picture with that PVC as the reference point (the center of the image). The camera then sets things up to make that white white - so even with actinics or really high k value lights, the blue doesn't take over the shot - and the picture comes out much closer to what your eye sees. The catch - if you try to take other photos without resetting the WB - everything will be skewed badly 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aqua-ed Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Excellent tips, Thanks! I've had a hard time getting my pictures to look realistic... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 I have tried that, but the color just does not look right to me, but I guess everyones lights are different. Got pics with custom white balance with PVC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffP Posted February 13, 2008 Author Share Posted February 13, 2008 just a second - it's uploading to photobucket right now. I just took it about 5 minutes ago, and the image will be untouched by me for any color correction or anything - basically, this is what it looks like straight out of the camera after using the custom white balance with the pvc. I'm running 175w MH 12k with 4 actinic supplements. So this would be VERY blue if I hadn't changed it. Just for kicks, I'll put up an image with the white balance set to auto, like the cameras always seem to be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffP Posted February 13, 2008 Author Share Posted February 13, 2008 Here's with no white balance at all - just auto mode. This was taken a long time ago. Here are the same zoas about 10 minutes ago - and I did the PVC color trick a couple weeks back and haven't touched the white balance in the camera at all. Also the image is untouched in any way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smann Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 I'll give that a try, my camera has several WB choices I took one picture with each and was surprised that the daylight/sunlight setting was the best Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Though it is called "White Balance" it's actually calibrated to 13% gray. You can buy a photographer's gray card from any photo store, just put it into a ziploc sandwich bag and submerge -- set your WB off that and you should see an improvement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Ya, the results you got on the second one was about what I got, I had better luck using other balances that came with my camera, as you can see on my pics at the bottom of any of my posts, not bad though but Im not a fan of the saturation of blue. Please don't be offended, I'm just giving a honest opinion on the balance setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffP Posted February 13, 2008 Author Share Posted February 13, 2008 Why would I be offended of your opinion? Yeah, I know mine isn't perfect - that was my first attempt at the white balance, and I thought it was pretty good for a first try even though it's still too blue - sure beats all the pictures that are all actinic. I can't stand those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pledosophy Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 I use a tubberware lid for my white balance setting on my Cannon. It works great. Being a photographer by profession I have to deal with white balancing daily. On the Cannon SLR's you just fill the frame with the white object your shooting, go to the menu, select custom wite balance and then set that as your source for white. On my Nikon D1X I used to be able to set the WB at the specific color temperature for the lighting. I.E. 15K Mh would set the camera at 15K and it would work well. HTH I have little to no experience with non SLR camera's so no help there myself. Digital is still much easier then film ever was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly guy Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 my d-100 is super finicky. i have tried using everything you can imagine to set it to and it gives me rejection after rejection. I finally figured out if I use a cutting board, and have my wife hold it in the tank I can get it to take without too much trouble. pledosophy...out of curiousity.....since you probably know my camera better than me.......does mine have the option to set the white balance to a kelvin rating?? I havent seen it. Im still set at my old 10k xm's balanced to the cutting board........but running reeflux now so i need to change it. the camera is 3-4 years old I think...ive had it for a year or so...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pledosophy Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 I've never had a D 100. I used a DIX for a year and it did have the ability to set to a Kelvin rating, not sure if it is only an option on the "higher" end nikon camera's. I'm a Cannon man these days, they don't have the option at all. On the D1X you had the option for a kelvin rating or to use a picture as a white default, which is what you are doing now with your cutting board. PVC works good too. Sorry I can't be of more help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly guy Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 yeah..i looked and it doesnt have it I guess. I believe in its day, this d-100 was a high end nikon. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pledosophy Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 yeah..i looked and it doesnt have it I guess. I believe in its day' date=' this d-100 was a high end nikon. lol[/quote'] Ya then a week later it was obsolete. (laugh)(laugh)(laugh) We got the D1X's with lens for something like 6g's a piece. Bought 50 of them. Replaced them 6 months later with a Cannon 10D, for $1300 a piece, cuz the Cannon's were better. The camera curve is crazy these days. Funny how great the D 100 was when it came out, you think people would still love them. They are a good little machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly guy Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 it does fine for this super rookie. I only paid $550 for it with two nikkor lenses....one of which a 105 mm i sold on ebay for $400......nearly paid for my tamron macro. As fast as it sold I think I should have researched it a little bit more and asked for more.........DOH! I would like to get a 10 mp unit sometime in the not too far future though.......need to find another deal like I got on this one...... on that note.......what should i be looking for in the used department about this time that will fit the bill?? Watchoo got laying around?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pledosophy Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 I still have my old school Cannon rebel. The first one. It's a 6.3 MP but it does what I need it too. I can print 40"x60" prints off the large Jpeg setting, I don't need more then that for my work. At least IME with the Cannon lines (it's really all I use) the new camera's IMO are trying to pack to much into a small machine which causes to many problems with overall performance. Personally Id invest the money in lenses. A nice lense makes all the difference. Here's a fun analogy. You can buy a super dooper BBQ with all the gadgets and features, but if your cooking chuck shoulder roast, it's going to taste like chuck shoulder roast. A ribeye on a coleman stove is still going to taste better. You can have a super nice camera with a really cheap lens and the picture will still not turn out great. What's the camera doing that your not happy with? The new camera's are nice, they have some nice features, but for me I'm going to open any file I shoot in PS anyhoo so the features don't do that much for me. The best advances in equipment I have made have all been with the lenses. It's amazing the differences in a cheap lens and a really good lens. Same with printers. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly guy Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 Im just looking for more resolution on my macros...thats pretty much all I take anymore...... I dont need anymore features.......I just want more pixels....... with that being said......are there any used 10 mp that should be on the market I should have my eye out for?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.