Grey Card

[cykic]

What kind of material/paper/cardboard do bros recommend to use as grey card for customising WB? Or do you prefer white card?

Pls advise. Thanks.

 

[thebeach]

Grey card is for exposure metering, white card is for WB adjusting. So they're different. Grey card is not easy to made by yourself, as it's 18% gray, and need to be very precise.

I also want to know where in SG to buy a foldaway grey/white card (One side grey, another side white)?

Thanks.

 

[denniskee]

cheapo like me uses the grey cardboard at the back of A4 writing paper.

 

[liionel]

Grey card is for exposure metering, white card is for WB adjusting. So they're different. Grey card is not easy to made by yourself, as it's 18% gray, and need to be very precise.

I also want to know where in SG to buy a foldaway grey/white card (One side grey, another side white)?

Thanks.

would like to know where too. anyone knows, please share! thanks.

 

[Draccoyap]

Grey card is for exposure metering, white card is for WB adjusting. So they're different. Grey card is not easy to made by yourself, as it's 18% gray, and need to be very precise.

Not quite I think. Some camera require gray card for WB adjusting, or can use gray card for WB also.

But I think you are right, i saw few discussion suggesting 18% gray card. But 18%, any advise?

Based on my understanding, the gray card should not have any color tone in it. So, if you made it youself at home with a color printer, you will need to calibrate your printer properly to make sure that the gray is gray, not with some color tone. Having said that, I wander if you just print it with a black and white lazer printer? Hope some bros out there can advise.

 

[Scaglietti]

Here is some interesting information on gray cards.
http://www.bythom.com/graycards.htm

18% gray are was originally meant for exposure adjustment. Since it is also neutral in colour, it can be used for white balance.

BC

 

[Scaglietti]

Not quite I think. Some camera require gray card for WB adjusting, or can use gray card for WB also.

But I think you are right, i saw few discussion suggesting 18% gray card. But 18%, any advise?

Based on my understanding, the gray card should not have any color tone in it. So, if you made it youself at home with a color printer, you will need to calibrate your printer properly to make sure that the gray is gray, not with some color tone. Having said that, I wander if you just print it with a black and white lazer printer? Hope some bros out there can advise.

To start off, how neutral is the white of your paper? How neutral is the black of your toner/ink from you printer?

18% gray cards are quite precised made and controlled. I believe they would have measured the colour and reflectance when they produced them.

However, for me, I can be bothered with such accuracy. If need to, I would use a blank white paper for WB adjustment.

BC

 

[Draccoyap]

To start off, how neutral is the white of your paper? How neutral is the black of your toner/ink from you printer?

18% gray cards are quite precised made and controlled. I believe they would have measured the colour and reflectance when they produced them.

However, for me, I can be bothered with such accuracy. If need to, I would use a blank white paper for WB adjustment.

BC

Agreed, i can't guarantee the kind of white and the kind of black that we are getting. In fact, I don't think I got a good printer at home. But you sounds like the precised made and controlled gray card won't degrade over time, which will give you inacurate result.

I believe we are talking about DIY here, if we are not going to buy those professional grade gray card, and I do not expect the accuracy for DIY product to be accurate. For DIY, we do everything as near to accurate as possible based on the known knowledge. I like DIY, and to me, i will try to be as good as I can, though I admit that there are still not good enough compare with the professional grade product. But for the amout that I spent, I am happy with what I get so far.

BTW, I mentioned about the color tone in my DIY gray card because I did actually printed out a gray card at home that gave me slight red tone, which gives me a wrong WB setup.

but I agreed with you once again that a blank white paper will work okay.