white balance

[poko21]

I'm using a canon s100 in an underwater housing. For taking videos do most people generally set the white balance once they're under the water? I left it in auto once and it was a disaster and once I used the underwater mode which was even worse.

 

[Sure Squintsalot]

White balance is a constantly moving target when using lights though on my GoPro I set WB to auto which works reasonable well for up to armslength distances. I compensate in post using Davinci Resolve. See some results here:
Without lights, people seem to have acceptable results using red and magenta filters. I won't use filters because of the enormous light reduction.

 

[GDHLEWIS]

You can buy white cards for cheap as chips, then just use them as a reference when in post. Just as your about to start filming just flash the white card in front of the camera as a reference when post. Most software can white balance better with a reference such as a white card. once balanced you can edit out the white card shot. Alternatively some people use white fins for exactly this reason

 

[CT Sean]

I have an S100. I have my RING FUNC button set to manual white balance. It's not perfect but it's way better than auto. I still have some problems with overexposed video but that's a different topic

 

[poko21]

these are all great tips thank you!

 

[justinthedeeps]

Unless you are recording raw uncompressed video--most cameras don't--use the in-water white balance capture/calibration feature, if your camera has one, on something white/gray/colorless (white card, white fin, scuba tank, etc) prior to filming.

Some cameras (e.g. OM System) have multiple slots you can save this into, for different depths. Likely better than using red filters etc

The reason to do this instead of just 'flashing a white card in the scene' is that most recording is not raw, and involves compression with potentially worse results if the onboard camera software is not actually calibrated to a near-correct in-water white point.

 

[Wobbegong_th]

If I'm using mirrorless, Olympus OM-D E-M5 mark III, I'd set "manual whitebalance - MWB" on a sand patch at depth. As the camera has 4 different whitebalance memory slot for this, I'd typically take one MWB at around depth of 10-15m, then another at about 20-25m, save them is different slot. Then switch them according to depth.

If I'm using action cam, Insta360 Ace Pro, I'd leave the WB either on Auto or in Diving Mode, as it can't be change underwater.

 

[Blackcrusader]

I'm using a canon s100 in an underwater housing. For taking videos do most people generally set the white balance once they're under the water? I left it in auto once and it was a disaster and once I used the underwater mode which was even worse.

It depends. Do you also use video lights. I took this turtle video under natural sunlight. I use a TG6 so you can use aperture mode and set the white balance by using a white card. Then when switching to video mode the video uses that white balance setup.

I also use video lights as well. The second video uses video lights. It takes time to know what power setting to use and I set the camera to a low level underwater auto white balance on the TG6

Watch to 27 second time and you will see at the bottom of the video under the crab a glass shrimp.
As it is see through can barely see it. You might need to watch it in full screen.

 

[poko21]

fantastic videos! No I'm not using a light. Also on my last dive I realized the S100 doesn't offer manual exposure in video. only in photos. I tried to load chdk onto it but it seems to be a bit buggy for normal use