Odd White Balance results with Grey/White Card - Tips Please [Archive]

Bruce in Philly

10-25-2010, 09:11 PM

<p class="MsoNormal"]5D
MKII, 24-105L
<p class="MsoNormal"]I
usually shoot RAW but always have issues with proper white balance (WB). In
general, the auto-WB on the 5D MKII does an OK job but not perfect – I almost
always tweeze it up a bit. So, I followed some advice and would shoot a
first pic with a gray card and then adjust subsequent photos in Canon's Digital
Photo Professional (DPP) afterwards using the “Click White Balance” to then
adjust the rest.<span> Well this just results
in disaster in my opinion.
<p class="MsoNormal"]So….
What the heck am I doing wrong here?<span>
<p class="MsoNormal"]I
just shot the following pic in RAW with auto white balance selected (ISO 100,
Standard style) and am holding a gray card and white card in each hand.<span> Then in DPP, I converted one image directly
to JPG with no adjustments, the second and third, I used the “Click White Balance”
on the white and grey cards and output a JPG for each.<span> The most accurate is the auto white
balance.<span> The click-on-white card is way
too green, and the click-on-grey is way too red.<span> In my experience, the gray card produces awful
results and a white card does much better but auto with my own tweaking is
best.<span> What’s up with this?<span>
<p class="MsoNormal"]Click
on the links for the original RAW and larger images of what you see here.
<p class="MsoNormal"]http://mywebpages.comcast.net/brucedebonis/5DMKII/TestAutoWB.JPG (http://mywebpages.comcast.net/brucedebonis/5DMKII/Test.CR2]http://mywebpages.comcast.net/brucedebonis/5DMKII/Test.CR2
<p class="MsoNormal)
<p class="MsoNormal"]http://mywebpages.comcast.net/brucedebonis/5DMKII/TestClickWht.JPG (http://mywebpages.comcast.net/brucedebonis/5DMKII/TestClickGry.JPG]http://mywebpages.comcast.net/brucedebonis/5DMKII/TestClickGry.JPG
<p class="MsoNormal)
<p class="MsoNormal"]The
pic below is from clicking on the gray card.<span>
Click the above links to see larger pics of all versions.

Daniel Browning

10-26-2010, 01:25 AM

Well this just results
in disaster in my opinion.

Sounds like a typical day at the office for me! [:D]

The most accurate is the auto white
balance.<span>

To my eye, the custom white balance looks more accurate, while the auto white balance has a blue cast.

The click-on-white card is way
too green

The reason for that is because about half of it is clipped highlights (in raw), so it's not possible to get an accurate white balance from it (though DPP doesn't warn you of this). The bottom right portion of the white card is not blown out, though, and if you compare that with the gray card, it's much more similar. The remaining difference is from the slight difference in angle (and therefore the type of light that is hitting them) as well as the spectral response of the material itself -- one or the other is probably more neutral.

the click-on-grey is way too red.<span>

Are you sure that is not because of your picture profile? Try changing it from "Standard" to "Neutral" and putting -1 or -2 on "Saturation". The "Standard" profile is not intended to be accurate -- I think it just fits what Canon thinks the majority of people want.

<span> In my experience, the gray card produces awful
results and a white card does much better but auto with my own tweaking is
best.<span> What’s up with this?<span>

Well, I hope I was able to help explain some of those issues, but in the end it comes down to "accurate" vs "pleasing". If auto+tweaking gives you better results, I say go for it. All that matters is that you like the result.

<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="content-type" />
By the way, thank you for posting the raw file. It makes answering these types of posts so much easier and informative.

Kind regards,

Daniel Browning

10-26-2010, 01:36 AM

Try changing it from "Standard" to "Neutral" and putting -1 or -2 on "Saturation".

Why don't I follow my own advice? Here is Neutral with -2 Saturation and custom white balance off the bottom right corner of the white card. (Click for full size.)

http://thebrownings.name/photo/2010/2010-10-25-white-balance-help/Test-1-0-preview.jpg ("http://thebrownings.name/photo/2010/2010-10-25-white-balance-help/Test-1-0.jpg)

Bruce in Philly

10-26-2010, 01:57 AM

Wow, I think you nailed it. While you were making this photo, I was doing the same, just a bit different.

Again using DPP, I did a click on gray card, and set the style to Neutral. I think it looks good now.

[View:http://mywebpages.comcast.net/brucedebonis/5DMKII/TestClickGryNuetsm.JPG]