White Balance Settings for Sony A100

[psccy]

Not sure if it is appropriate to ask this here... I know there are at least 2 threads with some mention on A100.

Still thought if I put out a post specifically on this, it may help fellow A100 users interested in IR but not sure how to do it.

Anyway, read on for more about Custom White Balance on A100...

[psccy]

Anyway...

I am also a new user of A100 and just got my IR filter...

according to Rashkae (who seems to be using A100 for IR longer than anyone else...) you can set custom white balance as most other cameras do:

1. Turn control dial to WB and press Fn.
   Scroll down to the custom White balance mode.
   Select the set function while you point the camera at a sunny green patch of grass.
   That should then be it.

Now... (the real reason I started this thread...)
I faced some problems...

• I get an 5600k error message. Anyone can tell me what is wrong?
  If I used the CWB even with the error message, I get decent pinkish/magenta images.

• I Tried something else after reading a comment by Rashkae (again...) about why H Series cameras can't set proper white balance...
  (See this thread http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthrea...highlight=A100 )
  I tried to custom set it by using the color temperature method and turn it to 2500K.
  So far the best I got is a very dark image when exposure is 5 seconds...
  Again, Question... This probably isn't the way to go, is it?

• According to Rashkae, After setting CWB, you should be able to just see something in the viewfinder...
  So far, I need to do all focusing without the filter, then fix on the filter and shoot...

SO!
Anyone else shoots IR with A100?
Can you comment and add to this thread for all A100 IR shooters or potential shooters to read?
Anyone has other suggestions or experiences with A100 IR to share?

Please note:
I am not singling out Rashkae here... In fact, I would dare say, he has got the best IR out of A100 so far in this forum...

Just Need help for myself and other A100 users...

[night86mare]

Never mind, you can get the pinkish magenta images and be like me, get funky colours everytime since there are no more proper output pictures. =D =D =D

Just kidding, I guess wait for Rashkae to reply, I think he's the only other Sony IR shooter here that regularly posts, anyways.

[Kinano99]

sorry dude...havent got IR filter yet...so cant help much

[psccy]

Just to share the shot that I tested today...

Original Shot straight from the camera using the standard CWB method (which gave me the error message)


Post Processed following Max's method as posted in the sticky...


C & Cs please?

[night86mare]

If you're looking for the traditional look for IR, then this is probably not what you want, I'm sure you've seen all the other guys' posts already. Too much blue already. =D

[night86mare]

Anyways, I went to play with your photo..

Try autocolour, it usually works well for the traditional IR look if you have exposed correctly.

This was the result:


1) Auto Colour
2) Channel mixer play around a little bit
3) Layer Duplicate --> Gaussian Blur 5.0 --> Layer to Colour
4) Flatten



Hope you don't mind.
For sky you must ask the rest, I don't really bother to do it, I think teerex told me before need to mask, etc. Not sure though. :embarass:

[psccy]

Originally Posted by night86mare If you're looking for the traditional look for IR, then this is probably not what you want, I'm sure you've seen all the other guys' posts already. Too much blue already. =D

Yah... I know... how??? How??? Going off to Malacca for hols this week... someone help!

[psccy]

Originally Posted by night86mare Anyways, I went to play with your photo.. Try autocolour, it usually works well for the traditional IR look if you have exposed correctly. This was the result: 1) Auto Colour 2) Channel mixer play around a little bit 3) Layer Duplicate --> Gaussian Blur 5.0 --> Layer to Colour 4) Flatten Hope you don't mind. For sky you must ask the rest, I don't really bother to do it, I think teerex told me before need to mask, etc. Not sure though. :embarass:

This is my own attempt with autocolour done before the normal post processing...

[night86mare]

Hrm. Too blue still. You use Photoshop or GIMP?
I autocolour straight away get something like what I posted leh.

Anyways, I did a slipshod job of the sky thing, hopefully it's done correctly.

Can see some parts not done properly la, but just rough idea, I hope:



Anyways go Malacca is no problem, just keep your out-of-cam pics, and I'm sure the guys here are more than willing to help you with the PP, just shoot without worries, use the Sony-style custom WB should be ok, unless Rashkae got another method. IR forums is very very friendly one!

[psccy]

I Like the bluish sky... something I don't normally get...
The buildings are a little brown though...

Personally, I hope to achieve blue sky, white trees, and whitish buildings...
Have not got it yet... probably my CWB still not good enough...

[night86mare]

Desaturate, then select sky painstakingly, then hue/saturation --> colourise check, and adjust. I'm not too good at it because no patience and don't see a need to, but anyways, do roughly:



Something like this?

[Rashkae]

Hmm... Well, slightly magenta shots are correct.

Anyway, what lens did you use? What ISO? What's your filter? Hoya? Have you tried a longer exposure?

FYI: This is my initial image before running it through PS (auto-color):

[psccy]

Was using a 28-105 cosina...
for the shot, set at 50mm, F2.8, iso 200, 5 sec exposure...
So How?
Do you get an error message when setting CWB?

[Rashkae]

Note though that IR on the A100 and H1 (I'm not even going to get started on my V3) is very different. The H1 will allow you to boost the ISO and get a live preview. On a DSLR, you can't do that. However, you can still see a little though the viewfinder. even if you hold the hoya R72 right up to your eye, you should be able to see things through it. This is ENOUGH for the Sony A100 to focus so long as you are using a contrasty edge as a focal point.

Anyway, if tomorrow's nice and sunny I'll take and post some pics and list my PP steps, lens and settings.

[Rashkae]

Originally Posted by psccy Was using a 28-105 cosina... for the shot, set at 50mm, F2.8, iso 200, 5 sec exposure... So How? Do you get an error message when setting CWB?

If your Cosina is blocking too many IR rays, you can have problems. I used the kit lens. No error setting AWB.

If it's sunny tomorrow I'll test with some different lenses.

[psccy]

Hmm... that means one thing... I really need to wait for super sunny day... That shot was taken on a bright day but with some cloud cover... I still can't see through my Hoya R72... So I focus without the filter, then switch to manual before putting R72 on...

[psccy]

Originally Posted by Rashkae If your Cosina is blocking too many IR rays, you can have problems. I used the kit lens. No error setting AWB. If it's sunny tomorrow I'll test with some different lenses.

Hmm... If that's the case, I will bring another lens with me on my trip to malacca in 6 hours time! What lens you have? I did not buy the a100 with kit lens... I am using a sigma 18-50mm also...

[Rashkae]

Originally Posted by psccy Hmm... that means one thing... I really need to wait for super sunny day... That shot was taken on a bright day but with some cloud cover... I still can't see through my Hoya R72... So I focus without the filter, then switch to manual before putting R72 on...

Even right now at home I can see through my R72 when I try to look at a lamp through it...

That shot I took was on a semi-cloudy day too.

[Rashkae]

Originally Posted by psccy Hmm... If that's the case, I will bring another lens with me on my trip to malacca in 6 hours time! What lens you have? I did not buy the a100 with kit lens... I am using a sigma 18-50mm also...

I have a 50mm f/1.4, the beercan, the kit lens and a sigma 75-300 ex dg. I'll test all of them tomorrow for IR.