Hi All,

I am new to Nikonians and I have a question about using a WhiBal card. I have checked the Forums and find that they are all YEARS old! In what forum should this type of question be asked? (For the heck of it, here's the question. I just viewed a number to videos on the WhiBal.com site and was all set to buy the pocket card until the narrator made a comment about the studio card (which I absolutely don't want to tote around!) He said something like - "This card should be used for camera that require the whole frame to be filled, like Nikon. Canon doesn't need the whole frame filled." I shoot with the D700 and would like to know if any of you use the pocket WhiBal card with your D700. Thanks...

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Hi,
To answer your question I don't know where to find a WhiBal card, but I do know that an opaque Pringles lid is pretty damn close to the value. I hope this helps a little......Phil

phydock

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

have been using the pocket whibal with my d700 with no problems.

Do you spot meter? Do you fill up the entire frame?

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

i use spot meter for the whibal card. you don't have to fill up the entire frame.

I use the business-card sized Whibal on my D700, no worries at all. Others here may well have more knowledge than I do, but when colour is critical for a job (scientific and museum work, for example) I use a Munsell Card...the Whibal is for "less critical" work, having said that its plenty fine for weddings etc.

BTW, although its late and so the memory is not what it could be, but as I recall it the "limitation" of needing a full sized studio Whibal for Nikon is a issue created by Nikons superior colour metering system...

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

I use a Lally Cap that fits over any lens up to 86mm.
Works great for me.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Do you find that Auto WB or a WB setting of your choice is inaccurate much of the time? I find that with the D3/D700 class of bodies I no longer need to ever use a WhiBal card (or any other WB calibration). A studio setting might be different.

Also, do you shoot RAW or JPG?

Jon Kandel
A New York City Nikonian and Team Member
Please visit my website and critique the images!

Hi John,

I do feel that the Auto WB and a WB setting are inaccurate. My biggest issue is trying to figure out the correct settings for the twilight timeframe. Often I shoot in the early morning, post sunset times in Annapolis and find the many different light sources very confusing - ambient, tungston, sodium vapor, etc.

I shoot in RAW.

Back to WB. If you have used it in the past, can you tell me if this is what I am supposed to do? I photograph the card, photograph the scene (making sure they are in the same lighting situation), do nothing to the WB settings in camera, and make my corrections PP. Is this correct?

(I don't use CNX and I am going to set up the trial version as soon as I get back from a trip to Cabo. I didn't want to go to CNX because I didn't want to stray from the comfort zone of Photoshop, but I am becoming convinced of the advantages of CNX.)


Thanks...

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

HI again, John,

I guess my fingers were working faster than my brain, because in rereading I discovered I wasn't clear in a couple of areas.

First paragraph - "Often I shoot in the early morning AND post sunset times..."

And in the "Back to WB" paragraph, I meant to say "If you have used the WhiBal card in the past...

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Hi Patricia,

>I do feel that the Auto WB and a WB setting are inaccurate.
>My biggest issue is trying to figure out the correct settings
>for the twilight timeframe. Often I shoot in the early
>morning, post sunset times in Annapolis and find the many
>different light sources very confusing - ambient, tungston,
>sodium vapor, etc.

With mixed light scources it is usually best to use a custom WB instead of one of the listed WB settings in the camera menu.

>Back to WB. If you have used it in the past, can you tell me
>if this is what I am supposed to do? I photograph the card,
>photograph the scene (making sure they are in the same
>lighting situation), do nothing to the WB settings in camera,
>and make my corrections PP. Is this correct?

Using an image or white point in PP is one way of setting a custom WB.
You can also use the "pre" set WB function with a white card, gray card, ExpoDisc, or other whitr balancing tool to set a custom WB in the camera.
I use an ExpoDisc because it is very accurate and is small and easy to pack in my bag or pocket.

>(I don't use CNX and I am going to set up the trial version as
>soon as I get back from a trip to Cabo. I didn't want to go
>to CNX because I didn't want to stray from the comfort zone of
>Photoshop, but I am becoming convinced of the advantages of
>CNX.)

Both are very capable imagimg software. The advantage of using Nikon NX2 is it will read and apply all of the in camera settings which you can easily modify in the software if you like.
Good Luck and Enjoy your Nikons!

Best Regards,
Marty

So, even when using the "pre" set WB I still need something like ExpoDisc or the WhiBal card - correct? Having never tried this, do I then set the custom WB with a K number. It's late now, but I plan to try this out tomorrow. Thanks ...

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Hi Patricia,

Yes, you will need a White balance card, Expodisc, or other White Balance tool.
To pre-set the WB:
1. Push the WB button on top of the camera and rotate the command dial until "pre" is displayed.
2. Lay out your White Card or Place the ExpoDisc on the lens.
3. Set the camera in Program exposure mode.
4. Press the WB button again until "pre" starts flashing in the top LCD display.
5. Shoot the WB card or if you are using an ExpoDisc aim the lens from your subjects position to your shooting position or towards the lights.
6. Press the Shutter Release button.
7. "Good" should flash in the top LCD display. If "no Gd" is displayed go back to step 4.
8. Remove the ExpoDisc or put your White Card away and set your camera back to Manual exposure mode or what ever mode you plan on shooting and fire away. See pages 143-154 in the D700 Users Manual.
Good Luck and Enjoy your Nikons!

Best Regards,
Marty

i like the wb card. i use the intermediate size. The expodisc is too "warm" to my liking. this said all is for the neutral rendering. you might use a white wall to get a quick reading. AWB doesn't work for me.
Sunsets and other dominant lighted things are different

“There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are.”

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Thanks, Marty! I'll check out pages 143-154, but your clear, concise directions will make it an easier read!

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

I carry both the business card sized WhiBal card and the ExpoDisc. I like and use them both.

GARY
The Arkansas Nikonian

Marshall Photography

My Gallery

Hi Patricia,

I use the smallest WhilBal with all my cameras, including a D700. I get the same great results regardless of camera.

I also keep a sizable piece of a white T-shirt stuffed in the bottom of my camera bag. Most of the time it's padding, but for difficult lighting conditions, it comes out and is used to generate a custom white balance that may be used for only a few images. It's just very handy to have.

Best Regards,
Roger

Patricia, I find WB at twilight to be variable; many times an image deserves the extra twilight warmth rather than a more accurate WB. Twilight is not a time that I would use a WhiBal. But that's me.

Regarding PP software: I have used Photoshop since, well, before it was called Photoshop. In addition to my photography hobby, I use Photoshop daily at work. For RAW conversion, I prefer NX, but I can get the same result with both.

Jon Kandel
A New York City Nikonian and Team Member
Please visit my website and critique the images!

Thanks, Jon

So - when shooting at twilight do you recommend Auto WB?

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

It depends on the look you want. If you want the camera's interpretation of twilight, then no - don't use a WB correction. If you use a WB correction, the results will look like you took the image under "daylight" white balance. This is good if you want to do accurate reproductions of say museum art - but if you want to convey mood, then you will have to decide on the "lighting mood" to reproduce.

Best Regards,
Roger

Keeping in mind the "lighting mood" really makes sense. Thanks...

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Thank you everyone!!

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Gee wiz this starts to get complicated.Does a general fall off happen after so many shots, and then starts to decline and needs to be re-set as described previously ? Or is this for special occasions such as sunsets or inside museums etc.etc.
So far I have not carried out this ritual, so maybe I am a poor Nikon user !

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

This discussion reinforces one workflow: shoot RAW. Then you can decide on the WB hours or days later — and change your mind again and again…

And if you think twilight WB is tricky, try some sunsets. I've never shot a sunset that I couldn't process three different ways…

Jon Kandel
A New York City Nikonian and Team Member
Please visit my website and critique the images!

Point taken...

Thanks for taking the time to give your thoughts.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Thanks for your veiled warning !However I can not shoot in RAW as I suffer with advanced glaucoma, and am not allowed to spend very much time in front of a computer, so everything I take has to be near the mark, with no manipulations.
Again thanks for your imput.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Thanks for your veiled warning !However I can not shoot in RAW as I suffer with advanced glaucoma, and am not allowed to spend very much time in front of a computer, so everything I take has to be near the mark, with no manipulations.
Again thanks for your imput.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

computer use will not have any effect on glaucoma.