How to Customize White Balance DSLR Camera

How to Customize White Balance DSLR Camera - This question will arise if we would shoot with complex lighting. Is the photographer able to overcome this? This post is a continuation of the post White Balance in Photography.

Some cameras, especially SLR and prosumer, provides manual white balance setting. Manual settings are the most accurate if we are confused by our light source color temperature. This usually occurs in a photo shoot with a more complex light sources (more than one type of color temperature). So the custom White Balance is the right way to solve this complex lighting.

Here's how to customize white balance correctly:

• Look for the white paper, white shirt, white walls, or any other with white color. If the white stuff is not available, you can use the gray matter.

• Place the paper or something white / gray so that lighted by the complex light where you will be photographing. Position the camera so that the paper fills the entire frame photos. (see picture above)

• Set White Balance in custom or manual mode, set the focus in manual focus position, then take a metering. Keep impartial exposure (not under but not over-exposure). Then photograph paper or object. The camera will detect the white and store the temperature, confirmation will appear on the camera's LCD screen when the settings are OK.

• The next step is to put a picture as the standard for white balance setting:

1. Canon camera settings (Canon 60D):

• Press the Menu button, use the Main Dial to lead to the Shooting Menu tab. Highlight Custom White Balance, and then press Set.
• Use the Quick Control Dial, highlight the photo you just took, press Set and then Ok.

2. Nikon camera settings (Nikon D3100): 

• Search White Balance menu. Select the Preset Manual.
• Select the Use Photo. It would appear that you have a recent photo taken. Select Image Select, then Ok.

An easier way is to use an accurate and additional accessories called expodisc or kenko, prices range from US$80 to US$150.

Fujifilm X100s, Newcomer Mirrorless Camera

Fuji announced the launch of a permanent lens mirrorless retro style camera, Fujifilm X100s, today, January 7, 2013. This camera is the successor of the X100 and do some repairs and improvements of the previous generation. The permanent lens here means, this camera do not equip with interchangeable lens.

Generation predecessor, X100, sold quite well in the world among pro and amateur photographers who are enthusiastic with the control layout, the quality of the resulting image, the quality of the lens carries (Fujinon 23mm f / 2), hybrid viewfinder (optical and electronic viewfinder) is offered and retro style itself. But this camera has one major drawback, autofocus is quite slow.
 

Therefore, Fuji introduced changes to improve autofocus performance. The result is, Fuji claims that the X100s has the fastest autofocus in the world for APSC camera class with a permanent lens with focus lock time 0.08 seconds. One more additional feature is the focus peaking when we use manual focus. Focus peaking is a kind of confirmation of focus lock introduced by Sony in mirrorless camera (see examples here focus peaking). Fuji also update the sensor used. X100s using APSC sensor C-MOS X-Trans II 16.3MP resolution, which claimed fuji able to produce images with the image quality is not inferior to a full frame sensor.

Pricing and availability are still unknown, but Fuji will openly flaunt this camera at the CES show in Las Vegas in three days.

Specifications Fujifilm X100s

Here are some key specifications of this camera:

• 16.3 megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS II sensor
• EXR Processor II
• High Definition Hybrid Viewfinder (OVF / EVF)
• FUJINON 23mm f/2 lens
• Intelligent Hybrid AF (with the world’s fastest AF speed of 0.08 secs)
• Start-up time of 0.5 secs (*4)
• Shutter time lag of 0.01 secs
• Shooting interval of 0.5 secs
• High-contrast and wide viewing-angle 2.8-inch Premium Clear LCD (460K dots)
• Super Intelligent Flash
• Burst shooting rate of up to 6 frames per second at full resolution (max. 29 frames)
• Focus Peak Highlight function
• Digital Split Image display
• Artistic filters
• Full HD 1080p movie recording (60fps / 30fps)