Normally you will use only the first two screens (see Figure 4) to set one of the “preset” white balance values such as Cloudy, Shade, or Direct Sunlight. If you have previously used the manual “measured” PrE method #2 to set the white balance, you will have a value already in WB memory location d-0. I display the third screen in Figure 4 so that you can see a visual representation of the stored WB values (up to 5 of them, in d-0 through d-4) and so you will know how to use other than d-0 in the future.

This allows you to store White Balance presets in up to five remembered settings and later switch between these at will. This is convenient to use with things like the Shooting Banks and Custom Banks. We’ll mention this again below in the Tips & Tricks section.

White Balance Tips and Tricks

Tips for using a white/gray card: When measuring white balance with a gray or white card keep in mind that your camera does not need to focus on the card. In PrE mode, it will not focus anyway, since it is only trying to read light values, not take a picture. The important thing is to put your lens close enough to the card to prevent it from seeing anything other than the card. Three or four inches (about 100mm) away from the card is about right for most lenses.

Also, be careful that the source light is not casting a shadow from the lens onto the card in a way that lets your lens see some of the shadow. This will make the measurement less accurate. Also, be sure that your source light does not make a glare on the card. That is a little harder to do since the card has a matte surface, but it still can be done. You may want to hold the card at a slight angle to the source light if it is particularly bright and might cause glare.

Finally, when the light is dim, use the white side of the card since it has more reflectivity. This may prevent a “No Gd” reading in low light. The gray card may be more accurate for color balancing, but might be a little dark for a good measurement in dim light. If you are shooting in normal light the gray card is best for balancing. I doubt it makes a lot of difference, however; you might want to experiment in normal light with your camera and see which you prefer.”

Storing White Balance Presets: In the manually measured PrE (method # 2 above) I mention seeing d-0 in the top left corner of the control panel LCD. Also, while setting PRE white balance from the Menus (method # 3 above), the WB memory presets are exposed. Most people will use this one d-0 location. However, if you’d like to store multiple white balance settings and switch between them quickly, just realize that it is adjustable from d-0 to d-4, for a total of 5 white balance memory storage locations. You can even name the locations to something more useful than d-0. See page 42 of your D200 manual for more detail. Most people will just use d-0 alone.

White Balance Bracketing: You can also do White Balance Bracketing in a way similar to Flash or Exposure Bracketing. Most people do not use this feature, so this article will not cover it in detail. If you want to use bracketing, you must change Custom Setting e5 (see manual page 166) from “AE & Flash” to “WB Bracketing.” This means that flash or exposure bracketing will not work during the time that e5 is set to WB Bracketing. Personally, I prefer to use RAW mode and make minor or major adjustments in the computer postprocessing stage of the image. However, if you would prefer to use WB Bracketing, set e5 and turn to page 43 of your D200 manual to learn how. Just remember to set it back to flash/exposure bracketing when you are done.