Question about white balancing video lights

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Mike

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Shooting a panasonic LX7 and some Sola 4000s. Shooting with AWB is not working, so have to manual white balance which is ackward sometimes based on how the lights are setup.

Question, if the Solas are putting out 6500K light, isn't it just a simple matter to just use the LX7 color option of choosing WB through temperature scale mode and just dial in 6500K, that would just automatically WB to the lights wouldn't it? I guess I'm wondering if the ambient light mixing in would make that an ineffective method?
 
Mike,
unfortunately there's no subsitute for real-world testing, especially as underwater MWB seems to have proven quite unpredictable. The method you're talking about does seem like it would work, but what I've always done is to shine the light on the sand at about the same distance as the subject, and then WB off that. If I'm diving a wall, then I put the light on low power and shine it on a slate, but it's a bit tricky...
 
Same as Mat says shine the light on the sand and save the setting as custom WB2, there won't be significant difference at different depths as the light is the predominant source
6500K works fine but is a bit cold
AWB also works sometimes actually though I prefer the WB2 above
 
I was under the impression that using lights with the LX7 would be the simplest way to get good color rendition. Just turn on the lights and the camera would balance to them and viola! In trying that it's horrible. So far setting MWB with the lights has given the best results.

One other thing I've found lacking is for some reason beyond just a little bit of zoom, the LX7 struggles and then ultimately just fails completely to maintain autofocus. Was filming a manta yesterday, tried to zoom out some and ultimately just got blurry video. Same thing with a big moray in a hole, zoomed out to fill the frame a bit more and the camera started searching. This was both times with the autofocus set to the 23 focus spots mode.

So far I've found when the LX7 is good, it's very good, and when it's bad, it's very bad. Has taken a lot of time getting to know the cameras unique pros and cons. The lag of the start up, especially when you have the zoom resume mode on and the camera has to take the time to post messaging to the screen about resuming old zoom position and such as cost me some dolphin footage, since I mistakenly thought I had started filming when in reality I was not. My own fault, but dolphins get the adrenalin going and you resort to forgetting to slow down and double check your camera.
 
I was under the impression that using lights with the LX7 would be the simplest way to get good color rendition. Just turn on the lights and the camera would balance to them and viola! In trying that it's horrible. So far setting MWB with the lights has given the best results.

One other thing I've found lacking is for some reason beyond just a little bit of zoom, the LX7 struggles and then ultimately just fails completely to maintain autofocus. Was filming a manta yesterday, tried to zoom out some and ultimately just got blurry video. Same thing with a big moray in a hole, zoomed out to fill the frame a bit more and the camera started searching. This was both times with the autofocus set to the 23 focus spots mode.

So far I've found when the LX7 is good, it's very good, and when it's bad, it's very bad. Has taken a lot of time getting to know the cameras unique pros and cons. The lag of the start up, especially when you have the zoom resume mode on and the camera has to take the time to post messaging to the screen about resuming old zoom position and such as cost me some dolphin footage, since I mistakenly thought I had started filming when in reality I was not. My own fault, but dolphins get the adrenalin going and you resort to forgetting to slow down and double check your camera.

It looks like you are using the movie function in the still modes as the autofocus for movie only works on face detection or centre

The issue with focus occurs because of the wet mate and the water medium. The wetmate does not really work over 50mm equivalent even in a swimming pool it takes ages or fail to focus. If you zoom that much take it off it will focus with the bare lens

Also disable the resume on start up it is just a waste of time in my opinion.

Menu resume to last entry is good
 
I have discovered that sometimes it is just the color absorption of the water. If the issues are with subject close to the lens it is your WB otherwise it is just that the water is removing the red out of your shots. Even at 5ft away it already start removing red. Just something to think about
 
It looks like you are using the movie function in the still modes as the autofocus for movie only works on face detection or centre

The issue with focus occurs because of the wet mate and the water medium. The wetmate does not really work over 50mm equivalent even in a swimming pootl it takes ages or fail to focus. If you zoom that much take it off it will focus with the bare lens
Let me see if I'm following you. I'm using the mode dial button to select "S" for shutter priority, but you're saying I should select the "creative movie mode" - little camera with an M next to it on the mode dial and then use the menu to select shutter priority shooting? Is that correct? This is the menu that has the high speed option on it right?

I had no idea the camera operated differently taking video between the two methods. In the S mode there are different focus choices, actually the same as the creative movie mode and some more.

Don't think taking the wetmate on and off is a posibility for me on this dive trip, it's screwmounted and with some of the currents we are in, I'd lose it for sure. Yesterday I was holding onto a rock with one hand and barely holding the camera in the other while being supermaned in the current while trying to film sharks at the bottom of the canyon in the pass.

---------- Post added June 2nd, 2013 at 03:33 PM ----------

I have discovered that sometimes it is just the color absorption of the water. If the issues are with subject close to the lens it is your WB otherwise it is just that the water is removing the red out of your shots. Even at 5ft away it already start removing red. Just something to think about

Yes, I think you can see this quite easily when you MWB at say 30ft of water, point the camera at a small coral head 3 ft in front of you, you will see great color, then move your position up a bit so the coral head is in the foreground and there is more landscape viewable around it and going back in the distance, you should see great color on the coral head in the foreground and color fading with every foot going back behind it.

Same thing can be see for instance being in 200 ft of water at 50 ft depth, MWB for a group of fish in front of you, then point the camera down at something 20 feet below you, you're now basically color balanced for 50 ft but shooting something at a depth of 70 feet and it goes blue.
 
Last edited:
Mike
You need to use creative movie mode in shutter priority
If you use the S mode the camera shoots video in program mode
Limit your zoom to 2x or the camera won't focus well
Also in creative mode ensure the focus is on centre
The camera lens is bright shoot all you can you will check later what can be used
I use Ev -1 as I think the default exposure is too bright
 

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