NIKON
D2X/D2Xs TIPS & TRICKS - USING THE WHITE BALANCE CONTROLS
Back in the good old days, we’d buy a roll of tungsten
balanced film to shoot under the orange-colored light of indoor
bulbs. Or, we’d buy a fluorescent filter to correct
for the greenish light of a florescent bulb. If it was an
overcast day, or we were shooting in the shade, we might add
an A2 Nikon filter to warm things up a bit.
Instead
of needing to carry a big pack of filters around with you,
your D2X has a method for balancing the camera to the available
light. It is your White Balance controls. Normally, the White
Balance is used to adjust the camera so that whites are truly
white, and other colors are accurate, under whatever light
source you are shooting. But, you can also use the White Balance
controls to deliberately introduce color casts into your image
for interesting special effects.
First,
let’s look at the normal use of the White balance controls,
that of balancing the camera’s sensor to the light in
which you are shooting.
The
D2X gives us two distinct methods to adjust white balance.
One is more sensitive than the other, and will work in much
lower light levels.
Notice
the WB button, rear command-dial (thumb wheel), FUNC button
and small lower LCD in the images below. These buttons are
used to adjust the white balance.
WHITE
BALANCE METHOD ONE
This method is best used in areas where there
is relatively bright light. It uses the small white “third-eye”
sensor on the top of the D2X.
1. Press and hold the WB button.
2. Rotate the rear command-dial until PRE shows in the lower
right of the rear LCD.
3. Release the WB Button.
4. Press and hold the WB button until the PRE starts flashing.
5. Hold the camera in the light source in which you will be
taking pictures.
6. Press the FUNC button.
7. Check the small rear LCD and see that GOOD is flashing.
Please
note that the flashing GOOD means that a successful white
balance reading was taken and your camera is now color balanced
for that light source. If you do NOT see a flashing “GOOD,”
but instead see a flashing “noGd” then the operation
was unsuccessful and the light source may not be bright enough.
Use method two -in the next page- instead.
