http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ Videomaker Community Forums » Tag: white balance - Recent Posts en Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:23:50 +0000 http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/what-the-correct-way-to-white-balance-a-camcorder#post-72458 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 08:00:51 +0000 Don 72458@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>use a 50% grey card if you want to set your exposure and color balance simultaniously...</p> <p>that said I usually use the 18% grey card... and then adjust exposure from there...</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/what-the-correct-way-to-white-balance-a-camcorder#post-72457 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 06:57:30 +0000 Kenkyusha 72457@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>&nbsp;White balancing to an 18% grey card works well, especially if you are shooting under variable lighting conditions and with multiple cameras.&nbsp; The Frugal Filmmaker's blog featured an entry on how to get a plastic&nbsp;color sample from an art supply house (that is pretty close to 18% grey), for free, including shipping.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/what-the-correct-way-to-white-balance-a-camcorder#post-72362 Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:29:16 +0000 doublehamm 72362@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Even color balancing err correcting in post will still turn out much better if the original footage is as close to possible.  I always do that as well, but if it is extreme sometimes certain colors will not play nice, especially if using multiple cameras. </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/what-the-correct-way-to-white-balance-a-camcorder#post-72358 Thu, 10 Nov 2011 06:54:56 +0000 grinner 72358@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I white balance on whatever is 100 percent white when I want true whites. I like rich skin tones though so often I'll throw a lttle blue in when balancing. Bottom line though... today we color create in post. Folks called it color correction back in the day. But back in the day it was a crutch for bad shots and took more time to do it. Today we tweek every shot a bit anyway. Doesn't take any longer at all.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/what-the-correct-way-to-white-balance-a-camcorder#post-72357 Thu, 10 Nov 2011 06:44:33 +0000 SargeHero 72357@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>@doublehamm I knew I couldn't be the only one who white balance the camera with table cloths in receptions.  Let's keep that detail from clients, they don't need to know :-)</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/what-the-correct-way-to-white-balance-a-camcorder#post-72346 Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:33:39 +0000 doublehamm 72346@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Any of the methods you mentioned will work.  Different shades though will give slightly different results, so it is usually best to find one method to use for consistency, which is typically a white sheet of paper in my case.</p> <p>I have used table cloths in reception venues many times as well when I need something in a hurry!</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/what-the-correct-way-to-white-balance-a-camcorder#post-72340 Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:12:20 +0000 SargeHero 72340@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Hello Videomaker community</p> <p>What the Correct Way to White Balance a Camcorder? This question may be one of the most basics thing you need to know in video production, but I have always wonder, is there a "correct" way of doing it? I have white balance my camcorder using paper, cardboard, (here comes some Vidiotics) tablecloth, T-shirts (from me or some guy I can find) and walls. Does correctly white balancing a camcorder requires just something white?</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/night-scene-white-balance#post-62454 Sun, 03 Oct 2010 15:57:18 +0000 Don 62454@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Good tip Composit1.</p> <p>I find using the "Daylight" setting from 45 mins before sunset to 45 mins after sunset gives a pleasing contrast between the evening sky blue and the interior lights warm orange/yellow glow...</p> <p>Same with 45 mins before sunrise to 45 mins after sunrise.... "Daylight" color balance cool morning blues with warmly lit interiors.....</p> <p>then from after dusk till just before dawn, I switch to "Indoor" or "Incandescent" color balance to get accurate "White" light from interiors and red/yellow/green stoplights looking right...</p> <p>Or was it the other way around, indoor then daylight? I forget haven't shot at night for a while... there's something to get out and do this week....</p> <p>Only switching from there if needed.....</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/night-scene-white-balance#post-62451 Sun, 03 Oct 2010 11:34:38 +0000 ophelia 62451@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> Thanks Comp1 - forgot to check back on this thread...</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/night-scene-white-balance#post-61970 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:26:10 +0000 composite1 61970@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I'm not 'Grinner' but prosumer and pro cameras have standardized white balance settings or 'presets' for daylight and tungsten light sources. These are different from 'Auto WB' in that they don't shift from one to the other automatically. Presets are useful in that in situations where you don't have time to manual WB, you can select a preset based on the current location lighting and get usable imagery.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/night-scene-white-balance#post-61966 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 08:22:01 +0000 ophelia 61966@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> Grinner - would you please explain what you mean by "preset"?</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/night-scene-white-balance#post-61962 Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:24:42 +0000 grinner 61962@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>yes, I've shot it several times. You'll find no true white to balance on and if you use your own card or other white source in the foreground, it'll in no way have anything to do with the lighting of the bridge. Again, it's very easy to dial in the perfect look in post. You have to have all the information to do that though. Preset is yer buddy.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/night-scene-white-balance#post-61946 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:56:49 +0000 Cville 61946@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> Thanks Earl and Grinner.  I'll will experiment and see what happens.  I guess the chalenge always is duplicating your "minds eye" and getting it to look the same in video.</p> <p>I'm sure Grinner has seen the bridge I want to capture in Alton. </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/night-scene-white-balance#post-61941 Sun, 05 Sep 2010 09:55:32 +0000 grinner 61941@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I'd throw it in preset and treat it as desired in post.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/night-scene-white-balance#post-61940 Sun, 05 Sep 2010 09:54:26 +0000 EarlC 61940@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Me? I'd simply use a white-balance card, place it where i the scene the most dominant illumination (nighttime) hits and go with that setting - all other things being equal.</p> <p>Or, I'd look back at the articles VM has had related to shooting "Day for Night" and see if any answers lurk there.</p> <p>In my experience, when white-balancing, I've always been partial to either using natural available lighting and/or my added lighting, setting it all up and white balancing the results.</p> <p>I'm not much in freaking with the colors or balance to get unusual or "creative" coloration, going with what's there.</p> <p>Might be as simple as going to the spot you like, taking out your camera and shooting some footage using the bulb, sun, auto and a manual white-balance, then maybe having your vehicle placed in such a way that the lights hit the way you want and doing another test series. Check it out at home and see what gives you the closest to what your eyes and "mind's eyes" told you looked good about it in the first place.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/night-scene-white-balance#post-61936 Sun, 05 Sep 2010 09:29:38 +0000 Cville 61936@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> How do you white balance for a night scene?  </p> <p>I drove by a bridge on friday night that is lit and I was thinking that I would love to come up and shoot some video of the bridge at night and realized I had no clue as to how I would white balance for it.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/ag-hmc40-how-to-manual-white-balance-but-still-auto-focus#post-58134 Sat, 01 May 2010 10:43:13 +0000 michele@mvreel.com 58134@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Thanks much...producer/editor learning to shoot--big chicken when it comes to manual but will try!</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/ag-hmc40-how-to-manual-white-balance-but-still-auto-focus#post-58082 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 11:44:49 +0000 composite1 58082@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p><em>"...when I switch to auto mode because I need help focusing, everything goes<br /> back to Auto...."</em></p> <p>Michelle,</p> <p>That unfortunately the joy's of consumer cameras and the 'idiot proof mode' (auto mode) manufactures deem such cameras need as they believe basic users are unwilling to learn manual modes. </p> <p>Okay, you are in luck. On the one hand you need to learn how to shoot in manual mode anyway and it just so happens your cam has a handy Manual Mode (see pg 40 in your Operating Instructions Manual.) Now in MM as you've already figured out, you can do a manual WB. To help you with focusing use your equally handy Focus Assist button (pg 41 OIM) to get a good focus in MM. The only time you should contemplate using auto focus or auto anything if the shoot demands will leave you no time to make the switch (i.e. indoor to outdoor suddenly or tracking a moving target on the fly.) Auto modes will work at the camera's capability which in some instances is just fine, but not for everything. BTW, your cam's Auto Mode is all or nothing. So if you want to control your image Manual it is....</p> <p>If you don't have a copy of your manual, here's the online version;</p> <p><a href="ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/pub/Panasonic/business/provideo/op_manuals/AG-HMC40_oi.pdf">ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/pub/Panasonic/business/provideo/op_manuals/AG-HMC40_oi.pdf</a></p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/ag-hmc40-how-to-manual-white-balance-but-still-auto-focus#post-58074 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 10:08:06 +0000 michele@mvreel.com 58074@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Newbie here: I've been trying to white balance in manual mode but then when I switch to auto mode because I need help focusing, everything goes back to Auto including White Balance?</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/shooting-in-red-light#post-44479 Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:09:08 +0000 Don 44479@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> I misunderstood, we need to be clear when asking the questions, more info helps.</p> <p>with stage lighting , you need to set your color balance manually (to the color temp of your stage lights before you gel the lights), then set your exposure manually, after you gel the lights.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/shooting-in-red-light#post-44464 Thu, 05 Mar 2009 09:36:55 +0000 asadovnikov 44464@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>D0n:</p> <p>Please clarify: do you suggest to take custom WB illuminating dark green paper with regular incadescent lamp? Why this will work?</p> <p>I already found that "...faces are blistering with bright magenta-violet spots" becasue there is big dark spot in the center (not-illuminated face), camera increases its brightness and overexposes illuminated faces in the background. Our "still" photographer has the same problem but corrected it in PhotoShop. I corrected this using ND filter with fixed gain. By the way, contrast is also poor in still pictures (taken using NIKON d700 without flash). So, I do not think I can improve it. </p> <p>Other suggestions will not work - this is real theatrical production and the scene must be illuminated with red light.</p> <p> Thank you.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/shooting-in-red-light#post-44452 Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:21:33 +0000 Don 44452@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>take red gels off your lights find something (construction paper)in a "Hunter" or dark green.</p> <p>take a custom white balance off it. try shooting....or leave the lights ungelled, set whitebalance to indoor, and add a red filter over your lens.</p> <p>to simply gel a lightsource with red gels presents on little problem for many digital cameras, especially video cameras...they are sensitve ti infra red, and red hot lights are gonna be difficult.</p> <p>you may be best to shoot in normal light and tint it red in post....</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/shooting-in-red-light#post-44448 Wed, 04 Mar 2009 13:17:13 +0000 composite1 44448@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Asad,</p> <p>Whenever you shoot in 'colored' light you have to do a standard white balance in white light prior to shooting. When you white balance in the colored light your telling the camera that this color of light is 'white' and the CCD chips will adjust by getting the colors as close to 'normal' as it can. Of course this will completely throw your colors off.  When you white balance in white light you'll establish normal color ranges so when the red lights come on, they'll be red and everything else color wise will correspond. You'll have to reexpose for the red light, but red will be 'red'. Avoid using auto white balance like the plague unless you're transitioning from indoors to outdoors or vice versa with a moving subject. If you are not transitioning from extreme lighting conditions while moving, there's no reason why you can't do a good manual white balance. Now, if you are purposely trying to distort the colors in a scene, white balancing off of a colored light is a practical quick solution (adjusting your color balance in camera is better if the option is available.) Also, ND filters only limit the amount of light coming in through the lens. The amount of influence they have on color correction wouldn't help your situation at all.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/shooting-in-red-light#post-44427 Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:35:20 +0000 asadovnikov 44427@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I use Sony FX1000 to shoot theatrical clip where scene is illuminated by incadescent lamps with red gel filter (the net effect is similar to photo dark-room). Apparently, camera is got confused, it screws up white balance and result is awful: contrast is absent and faces are blistering with bright magenta-violet spots. Changing white balance set to "indoor" (i.e. incadescent) does not help. Camera does not ask for ND filter, so the average brightness is O.K. Interestingly, my old Sony VX2100 produces better results with auto white balance. Any suggestions would be highly appreciated.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/white-balance-and-lighting#post-40552 Sat, 04 Oct 2008 08:03:11 +0000 SidneyMyers 40552@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>This is all great stuff, thanks to everyone who took the time to write in and help me.</p> <p>Thanks,</p> <p>Sidney Myers</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/white-balance-and-lighting#post-40548 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:10:59 +0000 Don 40548@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>the most obvious problem, in practical terms is this:</p> <p>you set the white balance on your subject, and the shadows will have an obvious color cast. if you move your camera or your subject, the color will change.</p> <p>you can use that effect to positive ends creativly....</p> <p>for example....</p> <p>you place a ct (yellow/orange) gell in front of your camera lens and set a custom white balance to compensate. you then place that same ct gel on your main  light and light your subject. (or place the gel on the light and set color balance at the subject)your subject will be color corrected and everything else will be tinted (guess what color? hint: opposite color on a color wheel). now suppose you have one or two more lights the same as your main light (stronger ct gels), which you use to rimlight your subject (they'll wind up having a color cast because of your white balance setting).</p> <p>using the above technique will yeild the following:</p> <p>a normal colored subject, with yellowish (warm) rimlighting against a blueish (cool)background effectivly using color to seperate and pull forward your subject from it's cooler (pushed back) background.</p> <p>cool colors appear to recede and warm colors appear to come forward.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/white-balance-and-lighting#post-40546 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:17:25 +0000 BarefootMedia 40546@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I can be a bit more specific about the difficulty you'd encounter by describing the physics of lighting.</p> <p>The strength of a light source decreases at the square of the distance from the source.  So when you white balance at one location, everything at that location will look okay.  But moving a foot one way or the other, the balance betwen the lights' colors changes at a geometric rate (rather than a linear rate.)  So all the objects on either side of the white balance point will not be recorded with proper colors.  So even the background will have a slow transition from being of in one direction, to correct in the middle (or where the white balance was set,) to tinted in the other direction.  Essentially, almost none of the image will have the correct hue.  And to correct it in post would require extreme skills &amp; really high end color correction tols.</p> <p>If you want to see how dramatic the effect is, try lighting only one side of the set.  Put your camera on manual and set exposure at a middle point, then watch what happens as you move from one side to the other.  Using exposure, the differences are very obvious and identical to the color shifts you'd encounter.  And just as impossible to fix in post.</p> <p>Now there is one situation where it is possible to skake by using different color tempature lights.  If you light the front of the set with one color of light, then light the background (and even perhaps your hair light) with the other temperature of lighting.  When you white balance using the lighting falling on the talent, you will get accurate color for your talent, but the background will be recorded incorrectly.  But you have to be really careful about the light spilling onto the set itself.</p> <p>So that's that.  Good luck with your productions and have fun.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/white-balance-and-lighting#post-40469 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:33:22 +0000 SidneyMyers 40469@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Great points guys, thanks for helping.</p> <p>Sid Myers</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/white-balance-and-lighting#post-40456 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:24:19 +0000 chrisColorado 40456@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>True. I've seen that the background behind the subject would look more green on the side of the florescent, and more orange on the side with the tungsten. Also, I'd think that you want to make it as easy for your camera as possible so you don't risk ending up with something strange.</p> <p>This makes more difference/matters more if there's a window involved since you might want the window in the shot, so you'd have to avoid white balancing to something other than daylight.</p> <p>I do see SidneyMyers point though. I didn't start studying lighting until after I'd been doing video for a year. Many of the lighting techniques I learned didn't seem to matter much at first.</p> <p><strong>Basically, even if you white balance, I've learned that the camera will still show that the colors are a little different from each other </strong>and that doesn't send a good message to viewers/clients.<strong> </strong>The lighting, like the editing, should be invisible.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/white-balance-and-lighting#post-40455 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:47:41 +0000 robGRAUERT 40455@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Hmm...I'll take a stab at this.</p> <p> Lets create a hypothetical situation. Let say you're lighting a person in a scene and you shine a florescent bulb and a tungsten bulb on the person. You may be able to put a piece of paper in front of the subject's face and white balance properly for his or her face, but then what about the areas being affected by spill from lights? You may have blotches of green(from the florescent) or orange(from the tungsten) beyond your subject since those areas may not have the same mixture of light. </p> <p>Does that make sense?</p> <p>Also, I think cameras may sometimes have a hard time white balancing properly when there is a mixture of color temperatures.</p>