NJphotodoc Loc: Now in the First State

Hi all- Got my D7200 and love the camera. Definitely a step up from my D7000 but I do have a question with setting white balance in Auto mode. Simply put, it does not give me this option. In all other modes (A,M,S) not a problem but when I put it in Auto, pushing the WB button gets me nowhere.
I know the Nikon engineers think they are smarter than the photographers and maybe this is one more example of showing the camera is more intelligent than me, but if anyone has had this and found a fix or work-around, please let me know. I was taking photos at a hospital holiday party yesterday and the background lighting was florescent along with diffused flash from my SB700. The auto mode did a decent job of making the right choices for exposure so maybe I should just leave well enough alone.
As always, all advice gratefully appreciated.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

Did you read the User Guide sections regarding Auto Mode looking for how the D7200 handles White Balance in that shooting mode? Other cameras that I have used limit what settings can and cannot change in Auto shooting mode.
If you didn't receive a User Guide with your purchase, you might consider buying a third-party guide from Amazon and/or calling Support at NikonUSA.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

A simple google will normally provide some good sources as well. You tube often provides help.

Here's a clip that is the same for the D7000,D7100,D7200. My query was "wb button d7200".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms04TISCE5Q

NJphotodoc Loc: Now in the First State

Thanks. I did read the user guide and hit the usual You 4th e videos. Lots of info on how to set but just tring to find that one paragraph that speaks to WB in auto. Thinking it just might not be possible.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Auto WB? or WB in auto mode? I'll get my camera out in the morning and pick back up on this. No big deal! Got to sign off tonight.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

If you mix lighting that way, you should use a filter and gel your flash for the fourescent!!

jcboy3

It's AUTO mode, which means nearly everything is controlled by the camera. This includes white balance, which is set to Auto WB and you can't change it.

If you want to change white balance, then switch the mode to Programmed Auto.

DOOK Loc: Maclean, Australia

Exactly.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Dummies book quote from google query "D7200 WB auto mode". http://www.dummies.com/photography/cameras/nikon-camera/changing-settings-for-white-balance-on-a-nikon-d7000/

rmm0605 Loc: Atlanta GA

Auto exposure is just that--automatic exposure. In that mode, the camera software makes all the decisions, including white balance. If you want to change WB, you have to leave auto exposure and go to (for example) Aperture priority (A). Then you can set WB as you like. I keep mine on cloudy most of the time to produce the most pleasing results (to my eye).

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

You can't. On Nikon's consumer cameras you have a full auto mode - where camera makes all the decisions about all parameters - essentially reducing it to the functionality of a cellphone camera out of the box. It makes the camera more accessible to casual photographers.

If you want to have most of the benefits of Auto operation, but want to be able to set a few parameters, they provide P (Programmed Auto) and if you are using flash, M would be a good choice, so that you can have one way to control the mix of ambient light by adjusting the shutter speed without affecting the aperture. You can also control the light output from the flash, to accomplish more or less the same thing. I am old school - the way we used to do it was to use the guide number, adjust the flash output for the distance, which would dictate the aperture, and use slow shutter to mix in more ambient or vice versa.

As you have discovered, you can set your white balance, control over the flash, aperture, focus areas, in A,P,M, and S. - In your user manual, page 111 states: "In modes other than P, S, A and M, white balance is set automatically by the camera.". Auto mode will not let you change the white balance, nor will the scene modes.

Nikon's engineers ARE smarter than we are. They provide cameras with all sorts of menus and controls to suit just about anyone who picks up one of their cameras to shoot with. The camera is just a tool, and has no intelligence of it's own. It only does what you tell it to. Knowing your gear's characteristics and capabilities is the key to being able to best utilize it's myriad of features. I wouldn't take Nikon's approach to camera design too personally. After all, they are trying to make everyone happy.

As far as white balance with mixed lighting, especially when some of the lighting is fluorescent, is probably the most difficult situation for a camera. Not only does the fluorescent flicker at 120 cps, providing different color temp, balance and light output at different points in the cycle, requiring that you shot at 1/60 or slower to make sure that your exposure encompasses an entire cycle, you have to contend with the color of the flash, and different levels of light from the fluorescent lighting as well. Unless you light the entire room with speedlights strategically placed around the room, you cannot be assured of consistent results. More advanced cameras come with an anti-flicker setting that times the exposure in such a way as to minimize the flicker effect.

Here is some reading for you on the fluorescent flicker

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Photography-Tips/flickering-lights.aspx
http://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/4115/do-fluorescent-lighting-and-shutter-speed-create-a-problem-with-color-cast

NJphotodoc Loc: Now in the First State

Thanks for all the good advice and recommendations. I'm going to play with the P mode since I do a lot of photos for events at the hospital where I'm based and lighting there is a real bear (fluorescent, incandescent, LED and lots of green from the panel displays). And if all else fails, I'll just let the camera do the work :)

Madman Loc: Gulf Coast, Florida USA

Assuming your 7200 has the same features as my 7100, your solution is very simple. Rather than setting your control to AUTOMATIC, chose P(rogram). That is still fully automatic with the ability to shift aperture and shutter speed combinations maintaining the same exposure and gives you your white balance selections. P also gives you Exposure Compensation and your choice of metering modes (spot, center weighted, matrix).

MtnMan Loc: ID

Fortunately my real camera, a D800, doesn't have Auto mode.

Look up the meaning of the word and you might get a clue. They might have called it "full auto" to help those who don't like to read manuals.

I suspect you might not be able to adjust it in Scene modes either. Once again D800 solves that by not having Scene modes.