White Balance Issue...I Think
Jan 28, 2013 20:28:37 #
enseth
Loc: Australia
It seems that I often take a better photo with the camera on Auto rather than trying to control of the settings myself. I'm thinking it has to do with White Balance. The four photos below are all taken with the same settings. The first one is with the camera on Auto. The second with the WB set to Daylight. The third with the WB set on Shade and the fourth set to Cloud. As you can see Auto has a lot better colour and is better than the other three. So do I need to do custom WB for every photo or what?
Auto
Daylight
Shade
Cloud
Jan 28, 2013 21:28:21 #
I think you have answered your own question as you seem to prefer #1 over the others. I would continue to experiment with the settings though, under different lighting conditions. 8-)
Jan 28, 2013 23:03:58 #
enseth
Loc: Australia
Just to clarify, picture #1 is with the camera in full auto, not just auto white balance.
I don't really wont to go through life photographing everything in Auto mode but it seems to give a better result than me adjusting the settings.
I don't really wont to go through life photographing everything in Auto mode but it seems to give a better result than me adjusting the settings.
Jan 28, 2013 23:46:49 #
Jan 29, 2013 00:46:06 #
enseth
Loc: Australia
The 4 photos that I posted are just to illustrate the problem I seem to be continually encountering. I repeated the settings that the camera chose for the first shot in full Auto mode. These were:
ISO 100
f/11
1/160
The camera is a Sony SLT 30a
The lens used was a Tamaron 17mm-50mm f/2.8 but it doesn't seem to matter what lens I use. Auto mode photos are often superior to those shot in P, A, S or M mode.
ISO 100
f/11
1/160
The camera is a Sony SLT 30a
The lens used was a Tamaron 17mm-50mm f/2.8 but it doesn't seem to matter what lens I use. Auto mode photos are often superior to those shot in P, A, S or M mode.
Jan 29, 2013 01:46:59 #
enseth wrote:
It seems that I often take a better photo with the... (show quote)
Your camera should have an Auto White Balance choice...which isn't the same as the Auto shooting mode. The latter takes over nearly everything. The former just makes White Balance auto selected.
Some prefer the warmer tone of shade or cloudy. Others daylight.
I leave my Nikon on Auto White Balance when shooting jpeg and when I take a shot I think might be a real keeper I shoot it in RAW anyway so it doesn't matter.
Jan 29, 2013 13:42:46 #
In comparing the 4 shots, You changed the white balance but shot under the same light conditions. Shade means color adjusted for shade....Cloud means use under overall cloudy conditions, etc. The color of light changes under the various conditions. When changed under the same conditions, not only does this affect the color but exposure and contrast as well. Thus, you changed the result by shooting different settings under the same conditions. :lol:
Jan 29, 2013 14:10:20 #
enseth wrote:
It seems that I often take a better photo with the... (show quote)
I agree. Probably 99% of the time the camera will do a better job than I can.
Jan 30, 2013 22:32:23 #
I don't think it's so much a white balance issue as other settings being controlled under Auto on your camera, like color saturation.
Jan 31, 2013 01:00:33 #
enseth
Loc: Australia
Yes, I think your right. I repeated the experiment with some variations with much the same results. It still bugs me though that despite my best efforts and research I still can't take as good as photo as the camera can when I switch to manual settings.
Jan 31, 2013 03:56:04 #
Do you have your camera set to create JPGs?
If so...the issue that I see ISN'T white balance but things like saturation and sharpness.
Other than that (and the fact that you chose a different WB) they are the same.
If you are shooting in Jpg, you need to "bake in" some saturation and stuff in camera...
If so...the issue that I see ISN'T white balance but things like saturation and sharpness.
Other than that (and the fact that you chose a different WB) they are the same.
If you are shooting in Jpg, you need to "bake in" some saturation and stuff in camera...
Feb 1, 2013 19:08:46 #
enseth
Loc: Australia
Ok all, thanks for steering me in the right direction. It seems the default "creative style" settings for "standard" in the manual settings is with the saturation & contrast set to the negatives. A few minor tweaks has made all the difference and my photos no longer look washed out. So ends months of frustration. If only I'd asked sooner!
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