Custom white balance for bounced flash


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WuffRuff

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Jan 10, 2007
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opp. East Coast Park
I would like to know what is the correct way to set the custom white balance for using bounced external flash. What I mean is, what do you use to set the custom white balance. A photo taken of a white surface using the bounced flash, or a photo taken of the ceiling since the flash would be bounced off the ceiling.

I tried both but both gave similar effects and both effects were wrong white balance!
Not sure what i'm doing wrong here. I set the custom white balance according to the manual but it seems that using different white photos for the setting all gave the same, wrong result! Frustrating! :angry:
 

white balance for ceiling bounced flash can be very tricky.

it can be affected by many factors, like color of the ceiling, color of the walls, different distance between the camera to subject, ambient light etc.

for an example you shooting a subject at 8', and a subject at 16', using a same WB, same f stop but can give two different results.

anyway, doing custom WB, you need to measure the same lighting falls on the subject, not shooting at the ceiling.
 

Dial it in manually. :cool:
 

Won't an expodisc solve things?
 

if the color temp keep changing, no tools could help.

I agree.

However, if I am shooting in a warm-light environment, I would gel the flash with a 1/8 or 1/4 CTO flash gel, use an expodisc (or those knock offs- I shoot in RAW so it doesn't matter, but I still want to get a general idea of what my color can look like on the screen).
 

I suppose an expodisc is a good idea.
I might wanna get one as I'm getting more picky about WB.
Where can I get it and how much does it cost?
Difference between real and knock-off ones? Real one worth getting or should i save $ and get knock-offs?
 

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I suppose an expodisc is a good idea.
I might wanna get one as I'm getting more picky about WB.
Where can I get it and how much does it cost?
Difference between real and knock-off ones? Real one worth getting or should i save $ and get knock-offs?

77mm one from CP Marina $170
 

Sorry to "borrow" thread, but does anyone finds the expodisc gives slightly warmer colors?
 

Sorry to "borrow" thread, but does anyone finds the expodisc gives slightly warmer colors?

Dunno abt others, but mine gives me an accurate representation. In fact I have to manually add some red when shooting portraits...
 

Won't an expodisc solve things?


Expodisc is an BAAAD idea if you are using bounced external flash. Expodisc is good with wireless flash. Best without flash

The right way to use expodisc is to stand in similar light as your subject and point the
camera towards the main light source, measure the exact light thats gonna hit the subject.

You are not suppose to take the reading by shooting at the subject. If you read up thier website you will understand better.

So if you take a reading for one spot, your custom white balance is only good for that spot. If you are gonna do event shoot .. good luck
 

RAW is the way to go.
 

I agree.

However, if I am shooting in a warm-light environment, I would gel the flash with a 1/8 or 1/4 CTO flash gel, use an expodisc (or those knock offs- I shoot in RAW so it doesn't matter, but I still want to get a general idea of what my color can look like on the screen).

You might want to know that in tungsten lighting, you should use a full CTO to correct a daylight source of light to the same colour temperature of a tungsten light.
 

The right way to use expodisc is to stand in similar light as your subject and point the camera towards the main light source, measure the exact light thats gonna hit the subject.
You are not suppose to take the reading by shooting at the subject. If you read up thier website you will understand better.

There are two ways using the Expodisc, clearly described in the manual. The first is as you mentioned: take the incident method at the position of the subject. The manual states: use for natural light, artificial light, no flash. The other method mentioned in manual is the the reflective one, useful when the light conditions are mixed which includes flash: point to your subject and take the reading including flash. Very useful to get a proper WB for the foreground subject. The manual also mentions other ways especially for flash. Chose according intention.
 

how do you know which of the CTO gels to use? i mean the strength 1/4 1/8 and so on. Is there any techniques for us to identify which is most natural looking?
 

how do you know which of the CTO gels to use? i mean the strength 1/4 1/8 and so on. Is there any techniques for us to identify which is most natural looking?

See here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_temperature

As I've said, a full CTO is for correcting a daylight source of light to match the colour temperature of a tungsten source of light, and a full CTB is for doing the inverse. Half, quarter and eighth CTOs and CTBs are for additional colour bias.
 

77mm one from CP Marina $170

:bigeyes::bigeyes::bigeyes:
That's very expensive! I think i'll be looking at knock-off ones, if I want to get... or grey card. How much will a knock off one cost?

See here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_temperature

As I've said, a full CTO is for correcting a daylight source of light to match the colour temperature of a tungsten source of light, and a full CTB is for doing the inverse. Half, quarter and eighth CTOs and CTBs are for additional colour bias.

Interesting article... now I know how they got the temperature values.
But err... what is CTO and CTB (pardon my noob qn :embrass:)
 

Call the various stores who deal with knock-offs.

Full CTO, Full CTB ... G - O - O - G - L - E. ;)
 

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