Using white balance reference cards

[EL Pistoffo]

There are limitations with color correcting video. Video raw is not the same as photo raw and color correcting video requires much more computer power than correcting photo. I have a pretty powerful computer. I like to shoot protune cam raw with a filter. A little boost to contrast and minor color correction in editing gives me better and more consistent color. However, I am a little critical when it comes to color and luckily have a capable computer.

I'm horrible with determining what "correct" color is. That's why these cards help me so much. I do have to adjusted brightness and contrast on my own but that's easier for me.

True that more processing power is required than photo. Essentially what I'm doing in this case is doing a color correction with the cards under a certain lighting condition and then saving and applying that filter setting to all the clips which are under the same conditions. If conditions change, such as greater or lesser depth or sudden change to overcast skies or water clarity, then I have to re-introduce the cards and re-correct color in post and apply to all the video shot under those new conditions. It's basically creating a filter mask and applying it to your clips. No massive processing required.

I have a Six core processor and 16GB of RAM so that probably helps.

 

[ronscuba]

I probably should have said color adjustment since I don't use a reference card. I adjust color to what I like to see. It's probably not accurate color acceptable to industry professionals, but since I am an amateur and don't sell my footage, I don't care so much about accuracy. I just want it to look good to my eyes.

 

[djensen]

Underwater white balance is my nemesis. What I've learned so far is that it's far better to get white balance sorted out in camera - you can always tweak levels later in production. But to try to do it all in production is generally a mess. Get it right in camera first, and reset white balance every time you change depth, or move from shadow to sun... Underwater, the color values are changing constantly.

 

[EL Pistoffo]

Underwater white balance is my nemesis. What I've learned so far is that it's far better to get white balance sorted out in camera - you can always tweak levels later in production. But to try to do it all in production is generally a mess. Get it right in camera first, and reset white balance every time you change depth, or move from shadow to sun... Underwater, the color values are changing constantly.

I've since stopped using the WB cards. They were ok in shallow waters but anywhere else they didn't function well. Distance from camera to cards as opposed to vast distances of camera to subjects in deep water rendered there usage useless. I basically now WB in post using objects in the shot. It works pretty well.

 

[GlenElectronic]

White Balance



I carry a white slate on my BCD and white balance every time my angle to the sun changes or my depth changes more than 10 ft. Getting the white balance right in the camera is far superior to white balance in post production. Its a pain to do all the time, but the results are worth it.

 

[EL Pistoffo]

I probably should clarify that my WB with cards was using a GoPro which has no in-camera WB feature. I would reference the WB cards in post later but the effectiveness diminished with depth.

Using a camera with a WB feature it is obviously advantageous to use a WB card in realtime while UW shooting.

 

[PeterNBiddle]

I carry a card but I find WBing off sand or coral to be better and I do it very frequently. As said earlier you can get great results doing it this way.

 

[EL Pistoffo]

I plan on using a gray WB card. Many say it gives better results. Probably similar to using the sand.

 

[Interceptor121]

I plan on using a gray WB card. Many say it gives better results. Probably similar to using the sand.

The LX7 achieves best results on sand or the palm of your hand. Did not really work with my PADI slate but maybe that is not that good

 

[EL Pistoffo]

The LX7 achieves best results on sand or the palm of your hand. Did not really work with my PADI slate but maybe that is not that good

The hand palm thing is interesting. Did you ever try a gray card? Some say white cards can sometimes have too much uneven glare.

I'll give them all a try, if you know what, ever gets resolved. lol