Underwater video & white balancing: Suggestions, best practices to share?

[CanBritGirl]

Hi all,

In the last year I`ve gotten into underwater video, and am now looking to enhance my videos. I am struggling with white balancing. Essentially, I`m really not sure what the best approach is to adjust and manage this while filming.

I am shooting a Canon G10 semi-pro HD camera in a Light & Motion housing with 2 L&M Sola 1200 video lights.

Does anyone have any best practices, tips or tricks on white balancing for underwater video they could share? Or resources to consult?

Thanks
Diane

 

[Interceptor121]

You have some good video lights not sure why would you need white balance? You have 2400 lumens at 70 that is good for most of close ups

For wide angle shots without lights (column of water, wrecks, water column) best option is to use a filter and balance with a white slate as your light will only lit the water just in front of you

Not sure what else you think you can do?

 

[matdiver]

Hi,
personally I think manual white balance makes all the difference for good wide angle shots. However, it's hard to achieve in low light or at depth below 20 m or so - maybe deeper depending on things like the pixel density and quality of your sensor. Most of the manufacturers screwed us a bit here in stopping producing consumer 3-chip camcorders when HD came along. Pixel density has suffered.

I use a red filter (for blue water diving) and I white balance off the following, in order of preference: the sun/surface of the water, white slate, white sand. Sometimes I zoom in a bit on the sun, if I think the resulting w.b. is too red. Although you have some really good lights, you could try experimenting white balancing with them off the sand (but take the filter off first) so that the distance between the sand and your lights is the same as that between your camera and the subject. Have a look at the moray being cleaned towards the end of this clip: Red Sea dolphins and reef on Vimeo
It's a matter of individual preference, but personally I find LEDs very "white" - there's stuff on the web about their relatively low colour rendering index compared with halogens, but I can't pretend to understand it:
Cost efective LED light recommendation - Wetpixel :: Underwater Photography Forums

Matthew

 

[BDSC]

I have found this to be very helpful and I hope you will as well.

dema 2008 - white balance technical seminar

 

[irishtn]

Amazing vidoe matdiver and thanks for the info.
@BDSC...good article. Very interesting.

 

[Interceptor121]

The op has got a housing worth several thousand dollars and a good set of lights
I have read that his housing should have a one touch white balance and a flip correction filter for blue water

I would recommend getting a wide angle lens such as fathom 90 degrees if he hasn't got one already as a canon underwater covers less than 40 degrees which is insufficient for any good shot further than 5 feet

Then there would be a few shooting modes
1. Wide angle with filter (good 0-25 meters max depending on light and viz) this would require white balance
2. Medium (3-5 ft) here you can or not use your wide lens and your light and potentially white balance
3. Close up (1-3) only lights no white balance needed no lens needed
4. Macro less than one feet only lights no white balance needed

Seems like that housing does not take a diopter so that would be it

 

[BDSC]

@BDSC...good article. Very interesting.

There is another article I have read that is very good but I can't seem to find it right now but I'll keep looking.

 

[Interceptor121]

I am not sure it is necessary to make is so complicated.
Wide angle shots require a filter and white balance full stop.
Once you have a filter you need to make sure you never point the camera to the sun otherwise you run into problems.
Every videographer or photographer should have a white slate as a hand or the sand are not always reliable and also a slate can be put on the same plane of the shot you plan to take.
A filter such as UR/PRO works to a max of 26 meters in theory if it is really a bright day below that there is nothing you can do as the colours are gone.
I personally do not use the filter in the first 3 meters as otherwise it turns red and then put it on and keep it all the time except for close ups
I white balance frequently using a slate pretty much every few meters and every time I see the general ambient light changing, when you balance on the slate make sure the plane is similar to your shot and that you are not casting shadows on the slate itself
Other than that no other secrets it just works https://vimeo.com/28894669 example at 10 meters
Sharm Beach Diving 2011 Part 3 of 3 - YouTube this goes down to 26 and still the colours are good

Consider that I only have a Sanyo Xacti HD2000 so the op with his Canon G10 should achieve amazing results

 

[BDSC]

I am not sure it is necessary to make is so complicated.

Maybe I missed it but I didn't see anyone making it complicated.

 

[Interceptor121]

I was referring to the dema article 3200 words for a content that could be covered with less than 500
And says nothing about balancing in your video editing that is also a possibility especially for footage at depth and with limited ambient light though sadly it will never look that good so BW is sometimes the way forward anyway