The importance of underwater white balance for underwater video

[Interceptor121]

Found the time to do a little write up on my white balance and color balance techniques

Hopefully it is useful

The importance of Underwater white balance with the Panasonic gh5

THIS POST IS FOR VIDEO SHOOTERS THANK YOU!

 

[scubadada]

I have one button white balance for stills or video on my G7X, this is important to me as I do no post shoot manipulation. I shoot for me and my family and friends, have no interest in manipulation of the shots or the video.

 

[Interceptor121]

I have one button white balance for stills or video on my G7X, this is important to me as I do no post shoot manipulation. I shoot for me and my family and friends, have no interest in manipulation of the shots or the video.

Generally when you don't shoot with lights as dominant source you should white balance even if you do correct in post

 

[Storker]

Shoot raw. Color balance in post. You lose absolutely nothing compared to color balancing before shooting, and you can get just the right color balance for each and every shot, no matter if you shoot with strobes only or balance with ambient. And no matter if you shoot close macro with close to zero distance between your strobes and your subject, or if you shoot wide angle with lots of distance between your strobes and your subject.

Unless you shoot JPEG, but who would do that if they can avoid it?

 

[Interceptor121]

Shoot raw. Color balance in post. You lose absolutely nothing compared to color balancing before shooting, and you can get just the right color balance for each and every shot, no matter if you shoot with strobes only or balance with ambient. And no matter if you shoot close macro with close to zero distance between your strobes and your subject, or if you shoot wide angle with lots of distance between your strobes and your subject.

Unless you shoot JPEG, but who would do that if they can avoid it?

1st we are talking about video here
2nd it is not true that white balance is not needed for raw as raw is still compressed. So ambient light shots should be white balanced anyway.
Shots with strobes either dominant or balanced don't need white balance but that is because the color is given by artificial lights

 

[Storker]

raw is still compressed

My raw files are compressed lossless. No data is lost.

 

[Interceptor121]

My raw files are compressed lossless. No data is lost.

I am glad you have a lossless raw camera but this post is for video so maybe read it first
In terms of white balance there are plenty of situations where it is useful to use a card or a reference also if shooting raw as it is not easy to get a good reference in the frame afterwards as nothing is neutral

 

[scubadada]

1st we are talking about video here...

The one button shortcut for white balance on my G7X applies to both stills and video.

 

[Interceptor121]

The one button shortcut for white balance on my G7X applies to both stills and video.

Yes but my post is about video not stills maybe I should have made it clear

 

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

My buddy shoots video and uses a white piece of hard plastic that is zip tied to the top of one of his fins to adjust white balance as needed.
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