Whibal cards...Metering...n00b questions OH MY!

11/05/2007 01:33:17 AM · #1

ok, im thinking about purchaseing a whibal card for my xti to use for setting custom WB should i get pocket or studio? the video on the site said that the pocket is too small for the canon to use for custom WB...any disputes to that?

can someone lead me to an in depth tutuorial for metering and such?

feel free to make suggestions other than the whibal and other grey cards

11/05/2007 01:43:13 AM · #2

No, the pocket WhiBal card is not disigned to do a custom white balance. What it is for is to set somewhere where the light that is falling on your subject will hit it and take a picture of it. Then, as long as the lighting stays the same, you can use that one shot to set your white/gray/black points for all the images.

I shoot in raw and will take a shot of it and then use the white point to convert my raw images. It works really well.

For setting a custom white balance I use a Digital Calibration Target. This is a small spring steel folding nylon device that folds up into a very small round size (like reflectors) and pops open into a size big enough to aim your camera on to set a custom white balance.

Mike

11/05/2007 10:02:03 AM · #3

bump

dacrazyrn

Nikon D300

11/05/2007 12:31:08 PM · #4

Well, you can use the pocket ones for setting a custom WB, you just need to set your camera to manual focus, get in close enough to cover the total viewing area, and be in the light you are shooting (watch for the shadow of your head and camera getting in the way though (alot)).
It is much easier to do it the other way, in my opinion.

krafty1

Nikon D80

11/05/2007 01:05:42 PM · #5

Canons don't have to cover the full viewing area. Nikons do.

Watch the video HERE for your answer. Click on Video 4.

rex

Canon PowerShot SD780

11/05/2007 01:14:42 PM · #6

I am looking at getting a white balance card as well.

//www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=WishList.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=429982&is=REG

11/05/2007 06:50:25 PM · #7

Here is a sample of when I used the WhiBal card:

And here is a sample use of a McBeth Color Chart:

I don't have a shot of when I used my Digital Calibration Target or one of the Black/Gray/White cards or a calibrated neutral Gray card that I've used at one time as well.

Mike

dacrazyrn

Nikon D300

11/05/2007 07:50:41 PM · #8

Been looking into the MacBeth Color Chart for portraits and in studio stuff. Found a PS (ACR Calibrator) script for it also...just need the chart now.

11/05/2007 09:42:31 PM · #9

are you happy w/ te whibal?

krafty1

Nikon D80

11/05/2007 10:32:39 PM · #10

I've got the pocket version. I like it a lot. Compact and easy to use.

11/05/2007 10:38:36 PM · #11

awesome...i just ordered that version earlier today along with the multipin and n e-clip (cheapest possible setup available) i must say the card itself is kind of over priced...yea you use that $5000 dollar machine to clibrate it, but im sure its paid off by now

11/05/2007 10:42:48 PM · #12

I'm happy with how mine performs. I wish I had bought the bigger one though. But then I'd probably ended up buying both sizes, because the pocket one is a nice size to always have with me in my bag. I don't always take it out, but at least I usually have it with me.

If you shoot in a bunch of different conditions, you will probably end up with several different white balance tools though. They have have their strong points... even the Expo Disk, which I think is an overpriced piece of plastic for how and when it is used.

Mike

11/05/2007 11:13:51 PM · #13

Expo Disk? i looked it up... seems like its impossible to get an accrate reading from that... i mean the grey wouldnt be where your subject is...

you mentoned a time and place for everything... when wouldnt be a time/pace for a whibal and a time and place for an Expo Disk?

11/06/2007 12:30:59 AM · #14

no aswer?

geoffb

11/06/2007 12:56:00 AM · #15

Originally posted by Jib:

Expo Disk? i looked it up... seems like its impossible to get an accrate reading from that... i mean the grey wouldnt be where your subject is...

I never did really understand how the Expodisc works. It seems like all it does is average out the colour in the scene to determine what colour cast to eliminate, which can be done in Photoshop anyway.

Originally posted by Jib:

you mentoned a time and place for everything... when wouldnt be a time/pace for a whibal and a time and place for an Expo Disk?

If you can't put the WhiBal card in the scene, for example (say, across a body of water, in a cage, etc.).

11/06/2007 01:30:41 AM · #16

Sorry, I didn't know you had asked a question since we don't get a e-mail notifacation when a thread has a new post... and I was busy banning spammers on another forum. They do keep me busy. :D

The WhiBal Card and Expo Disk do white balance different. The WhiBal card is used to read the light that falls on the card and bounces back towards the camera. So you are reading (in most cases) the same light that is falling on and the light coming back from your subject or area that you are shooting. A Expo Disk is pointed towards the light source to get a reading. By getting a white balance reading from the light source, it doesn't take in consideration other light sources or reflective light that is coming off walls, floors, other objects, etc. and hitting your subject or area of interest.

A lot of places I shoot (barns, arenas, stock areas, etc.) have a mixture of light. Sometimes there is floresent, halygon, iodine, tungston and even daylight coming through windows, doors and skylights. It can make for an interesting white balance. With an Expo Disk, which you point at the light source, which one of these light sources would it be pointed at to get a white balance? You would think the strongest, but there are still going to be color casts created from all the other lights.

When I shoot under these conditions, as long as I'm under the same lights, I'll shoot a couple of shots of the WhiBal card, leaving my white balance on Auto on my camera. Any time my lighting changes, I'll shoot another couple of shots of the WhiBal card. Then when I process my raw images, I'll bring up the WhiBal images for that group of images and set the white point before converting to 16 bit tif files. I don't always use the WhiBal card though. Sometimes I'm shooting a lot of activity and don't have time, so I'll get a shot of someone in a white tee-shirt or shirt. I've even used white tennia shoes, white paint, white tape and anything else that is non-metalic or reflective that is white. Usually that will get me close. Then for those that get printed or need to be tweaked more, I'll do that in Photoshop.

If you have a subject under a single light source (the sun or studio lights, etc.) then the Expo Disk could be pointed at that light source and it would do it's job pretty well.

They are all just tools though. Like most tools, I have a tendency to collect a number of them for various reasons. Sometimes they really do make things easier. The other thing that I use the card for as well as the other calibration cards is for setting my exposure based on my camera histogram. Although the mid-tone isn't all that important to me, the placement of the shadow and highlight points are. I use my histogram a lot when I shoot to make sure I'm not grossly over or under exposing. Having a calibrated black and white point to reference helps a lot.

Mike

11/06/2007 01:51:48 AM · #17

now onto the next topic.... i need a good metering video or tutuorial for the canon xti or canon in general

11/06/2007 01:34:56 PM · #18

poling the day-walkers now.....