Setting White Balance on PEN & OMD - How to

[Reefwalker]

Lots of people seem to have difficulty with setting white balance manually with Olympus PEN & OMD camera's. I too initially had the same issues, but with some playing around I managed to get a solution that works 99% of the time. So thought I'd share my technique.
From Day 1 with my first Olympus 4/3 dslr and then later with Micro 4/3's cameras I had struggled with setting manual white balance. I got tired of seeing "WB NG Try Again". I devised a method that works for the following camera's: EPL-1, E-PL2, E-PL3, E-PL5, E-PL6, E-PL7,OMD-EM5, OMD-EM5 MkII, OMD-EM1 and I will assume OMD-EM1MkII when it is released, as I don't think Olympus will have made any changes in this camera's WB menu or settings.
The number one rule (as noted by Timz in an earlier post on this Olympus Forum), is that the exposure needs to be correct (no under/over exposure showing on the camera's EV indicator) when setting White Balance via the "Capture White Balance" setting.
Often when setting white balance on a white card, the camera's EV indicator (bottom right of screen = the series of dots and +/- sign) will be showing high over exposure (due to the reflective white card). This is often the problem with setting in the mode you are uisng to shoot with. So forget the settings you are going to shoot with. This is all about just setting your white balance to begin with:

1. Set the camera to M (Manual) and select Auto ISO (this needs to activated in the ISO Auto settings, that are by default set to be available only in S,A,P. You will need to set the camera Auto ISO to be available in "All" Modes. Then Auto ISO will be available and is no longer blanked-out in your ISO selection.
   
2. You can also restrict the maximum ISO in your tools menu to be a maximum of whatever you like (I recommend 400 in the early models (E-PL1 & E-PL2), 800 in the mid models (OMD-EM5 OMD-EM1 and E-PL3 E-PL5, E-PL6) and then 1000 in all later models (OMD-EM5 MkII and OMD-EM1 MkII)
   
3. Set a button on your camera to access "Capture White Balance" (the little square with two arrows that no-one can explain to me what it represents!).
4. Now to the underwater part:
   
5. To shoot natural light with manual white balance in S, A, P or Video modes: First, I find it best for the camera to be set in M (Manual) - but only to set the white balance.
   
6. Get yourself to the depth and area you want to shoot a natural light photo at (so the colours the camera "sees" are what we will set the white balance to be correct for (depth, sky conditions,surface conditions,time of day all effect this colour balance).
   
7. Then place a white slate (or 50% grey slate for the purists) on the bottom or in our hand, so we can point the camera at the slate and be around 30cm (1 foot) from the front port. Then looking at the cameras LCD (or EVF for those who have one) read the EV (Exposure Value) Indicator. It may be showing either side of the centre "0" setting, either towards the + (plus) side or towards the - (minus) side. What you now need to do is vary the exposure using either shutter speed or aperture or even both (it doesn't matter, as this is only for setting white balance NOT for taking photos). If the Exposure Value Indicator is towards minus - (under exposure) then either slow the shutter speed or open the aperture until the indicator is showing 0 (correct exposure). If it is towards the + (over exposure) then either increase the shutter speed or close the aperture until the indicator is showing 0 (correct exposure). What we are doing is getting the camera to expose correctly on the slate, so the camera will be able to set white balance properly.
8. Then press your button that you have programmed to be one touch white balance and the camera will indicate to hold this button and at the same time press the shutter button. The camera will then show a screen asking you to set the white balance to which pre-set number you would like (this varies a bit from camera to camera with more options in the later cameras), but just select any number that suits you. The camera now has a white balance pre-set to be able to be used in another shooting mode ie. S (Shutter Priority) I find this is best for most u/w natural light photos (see notes below). But you will now need to allocate the new Capture White Balance setting in the mode you are shooting. So head over to the mode you are going to shoot in (S,A or P) and select the manual white balance number you previously saved. (More tips on using S = Shutter Priority below) and you are ready to shoot natural light stills or video.

NOTES:

• If you are not able to get the Exposure Indicator to read 0, then it may be that you are asking too much in the prevailing lighting conditions (you may be very deep or late in the day, cloudy etc) and there is just not enough light for available light photography (this is rare unless you are deeper than 40 meters, or in low viz, heavy overcast conditions).
• If in step 8 above, you get a warning of WB NG try again (White Balance No Good - Try Again). You may need to check the EV Indicator and make sure it is at 0, if it is just try again. If not then you must correct the exposure with aperture/shutter speed. If you get two failures with the EV Indicator set on 0, then try setting the camera's Aperture/Shutter Speed to get the EV Indicator showing slight over exposure (+) by one or two thirds steps (+0.3 or +0.7) and try again.
  
• Settings I recommend in S (Shutter Priority) for PEN & OMD cameras for Natural Light photography of reefs, large marine animals etc: Shutter Speed 1/125th to 1/200th (dependant on movement in the photo), Exposure Compensation -0.3 (gives better blue water backgrounds than when set to zero), ISO Auto (see notes above), IS set to Auto, WB set to Capture WB (and the relevant number).
• I also have a "My Set" saved that keeps my white balance set-up mode easily accessible. I save the following settings in M (Manual Mode) as a default ready to set my white balance in: Shutter Speed 1/30, Aperture F4, ISO Auto, Exposure Compensation 0, Focus Single Spot Centre, Metering Ctr Weighted. By having this saved, setting white balance is a 20 second task that needs almost zero thinking. I also save this My Set so it is available on the mode dial by sacrificing SCN mode to become my WB set mode, that way I can set WB and turn the dial one click to Video mode... which is right next door to the SCN mode. (The mode dial is only able to be programmed to My Sets from E-PL5 onwards and OMD's).

I hope this helps to clear the air on Olympus Camera's not being able to set white balance successfully, I have used this technique in lots of circumstances and it has worked an all but a few extreme lighting situations. You can check out some of my natural light photos (as well as strobe lit photos) at my Flickr site: Jeff Mullins

 

[Wisnu]

Hi Jeff,
Thanks for the tips
will try on our trip to tulamben end of December - indeed not the best time but don't have much choice
are you there?

 

[Nickbell]

Just a question. How do you go about filling the frame with the white slate when using an 8mm fisheye in a dome port. Will the slate be large enough to work or will the edges that are not covered affect the result or prevent it from working?

 

[Reefwalker]

Hi Jeff,
Thanks for the tips
will try on our trip to tulamben end of December - indeed not the best time but don't have much choice
are you there?

Hi Wisnu
Sorry, we will miss you as we just left this week. The annual rains had arrived and viz was getting less every day. Please say hello to your family from Dawn & I. I can't believe how fast your little girls have grown into young ladies.
Best wishes - Jeff

 

[Reefwalker]

Just a question. How do you go about filling the frame with the white slate when using an 8mm fisheye in a dome port. Will the slate be large enough to work or will the edges that are not covered affect the result or prevent it from working?

Hi Nickbell
There is no need to fill the frame with the white slate, the area in the centre of the frame is where the camera takes it's white balance capture from. So although the slate will perhaps only 1/4 fill the frame with your 8mm lens, this will be enough for the camera to record the correct white balance. Sometimes I find it easier to place the slate on the bottom when using the 8mm lens, as then you can get the right distance from the camera. The important thing is not to hold it so close that your body or the housing is shading the slate. You really need all the natural light you can falling onto the slate for best colours.
TIP: I have been using pieces of 2 litre square shaped plastic milk containers to set my white balance. These are an opaque white that is not too reflective and seems more accurate than a shiny white slate. These are also flexible and I push a piece under my dive computer to pull out when needed. In Australia these milk containers are widely available, I don't know about Europe/USA/Africa but I am sure there are alternatives.