White Balance Question

[aHeavyD]

crpntr133: Sorry I misread your post, I guess it's a sign of getting old when you read the words wrong. Oh I feel for ya about editing, I think my first one I put well over 8 hours into it. It's easier to shoot than edit.

Lakman, It's a sony TRV50 and a Nimar housing and lights
picture of camera with lights http://greatassemblyrc.com/Davem/diving/Camera/Dscn2320n.jpg

 

[scorch]

Thanks for all the great info. I will be investing in a color correction filter. What about wide angle? Also, I will be using a Sony HC3, does this support the power off/on white balance technique? A quick browse through the user manual did not address this.

 

[crpntr133]

Thanks for all the great info. I will be investing in a color correction filter. What about wide angle? Also, I will be using a Sony HC3, does this support the power off/on white balance technique? A quick browse through the user manual did not address this.

I would think that most cameras white balance at start up, it just makes sense. I might be wrong but it makes sense.

I just got a wide angle lens and I think I am going to like it (haven't gotten to use it). One draw back is that you loose part of your close up (macro) ability. I also noticed with mine that I don't have as much zoom. It just won't come into focus. The package says that it isn't designed to zoom in. Not sure if this is true for all since I got a "clip on" lense.

 

[diversteve]

Let's revisit the idea of white balancing. I just spent a few minutes in chat with a Sony Rep and I now have a different idea of the concept than I did before. According to Sony, when the camera is set to auto, it continually white balances to meet changing conditions. I assume this is the case underwater also. Last summer I was doing the power off/power on at depth process and I seemed to get better results.

But maybe this was just due to light conditions and wishful thinking since it theoretically shouldn't have made any difference.

When you manual white balance, I know that by shooting a white object at depth you're telling the camera what is white. But isn't that basically what AWB is doing continuously? I'm very

 

[diversteve]

One draw back is that you loose part of your close up (macro) ability. I also noticed with mine that I don't have as much zoom. It just won't come into focus. The package says that it isn't designed to zoom in. Not sure if this is true for all since I got a "clip on" lense.

It's pretty much true for Amphibico. Their standard port (.55x) is a full zoom through, their 120' wide angle will get soft after being zoomed 50%. They even state it on their website.

My old housing with a 2 diopter w/a lens did this also. At anything past 1/2 zoom it was all blurs.

 

[crpntr133]

So there is a full zoom through! I thought that I noticed that someplace but wasn't sure. Might end up sending this one back.

White balance...my question on the AWB is..what is it using as white? If you turn it on and the first thing that it sees close to white it makes white, then turning it on and off would change the "white". If it has a built in white then on/off wouldn't work.

 

[ronrosa]

......
When you manual white balance, I know that by shooting a white object at depth you're telling the camera what is white. But isn't that basically what AWB is doing continuously? ......

Yes. Auto exposure, auto focus, auto shutter, auto gain, etc. work that way too, but sometimes, auto mode does not produce the best picture.

Ever take a picture or video of someone with the sun in the background or of someone indoors with a window in the background ? Bet if the camera were in full auto, the people came out dark.

MWB isn't for everbody and if your current setup doesn't have access to it, forget about it. Shoot in AWB with a filter or lights and be happy.

 

[Charlie99]

Ever take a picture or video of someone with the sun in the background or of someone indoors with a window in the background ? Bet if the camera were in full auto, the people came out dark.

I agree with the philosophy behind your post, but .........

My Olympus point and shoot will automatically go to fill flash in cases whenever it senses too great a range between dark area and bright areas, such as in backlit scenes like you describe. Just like with autofocus systems, the cameras continue to improve.

The best of both worlds is good auto systems combined with easy to use manual overrides, and the skill and knowledge of when to use them.

I would love to have auto white balance on my point and shoot Olympus Stylus 410. The range of the auto white balance is restricted to the range that can rationally be expected to be found on dry land. Underwater lighting conditions are much hotter/bluer that the range that is allowed by the auto white balance firmware in the camera. I have found, though, that auto white balance gets closer than any of the presets.

 

[Mike Edmonston]

Do you guys White balance before or after putting on the red correction filter?

Cheers

Mike

 

[PerroneFord]

Mike, white balance BEFORE putting on the filter means that the filter will shift everything red until you descend and then that color shift will begin to balance out the greens.

White balancing AFTER putting on the filter will essentially negate the filter.

If auto white balance is not turned on, and you keep your depth during a shot, you can re-balance it in post with a good color corrector. I shot some video in Hollywood in 2003 that I needed to prepare for a project this winter. The colors were shifted HORRIBLY when I shot. It took about an hour to get my colors true, but when I did, it's just like it was shot with WB done.

If you shoot with AWB turned on, you'll never get it right in post.


... just my $.02 from doing more of this kind of junk than I every wanted to.