Hello everyone. Quick question. I am not all that pleased with my 20D's auto white balance feature. What (if any) white balance settings have you found to be useful for most settings? Some reviews have stated that shooting on the "overcast" setting reveals better results in more varied conditions and imparts a warmer tone. Any comments on this? Or (like I know most of you will say) should I just experiment and find one that suits me? Or get a Kelvin temperature meter and set precisely? Any help is appreciated.
Thanks.

I also have a 20D and leave mine on auto most of the time. I shoot in RAW so I have the option to tweak the WB if the camera misses the mark. I, however, have found the auto setting to be close most of the time.

Setting manually isn't hard. if it is too blue it's too cold (low number) and if it is too yellow it's too hot (high number) so adjust from there. In most cases I have found the color temp is too hot giving a yellow tinge. You want natural colors. You can use a grey card to set it or you can use something white, whatever works for you to get the colors you want.

JS

The thing to recognize about auto white balance is that it's been around for decades in the video industry and it STILL SUCKS. I suggest no one hold their breath for it to improve any time soon, nor expect much of it.

That being said, manual white balancing is easy enough, and the presets are usually close enough. The only time auto might be best is in mixed of frequently changing lighting. In those circumstances auto might be what gets you closest. No matter what, you'll have to fix it in post.

Actually Sebastian, the 1D MKII N has pretty good auto WB, probably the best around. It is even better though when used with the 580EX flash. I have found it much easier using the flash. Even the levels are pretty darn good using the flash.

JS

Greg-
Just start shooting RAW. THen you can shoot with Auto White Balance, and if you don't like it, change to whatever white balance you want at the conversion. And RAW really isn't that big of a deal. I stopped shooting any JPEGs about 8 months ago. I have no regrets. Oh - there's one exception. I shoot all JPEGs at tradeshows, just so I don't have to carry extra memory cards.

You don't need a Kelvin meter. All the tools you need are in the camera. Learn to create a custom white balance when color is absolutely critical. I used an ExpoDisc to make a custom white balance for my studio and it's perfect. I do no color adjustment for my studio work.

Create your own expodisc by shooting through two plain white coffee filters.

I found this while doing a search for a Kelvin light scale.
http://www.3drender.com/glossary/colortemp.htm

Create your own expodisc by shooting through two plain white coffee filters.
Is this what you would do to set your custom deg. Kelvin while out shooting?

Absolutely not. Those are suggestion for 3D rendering to simulate a realistic scene. Candle light , for example, will vary greatly in color and temp depending on the chemicals used in the materials, ambient light, etc. This chart is totally useless in real-world lighting conditions.

BUT, I bookmarked it as one of my references for my 3D modeling hobby. :D

Absolutely not. Those are suggestion for 3D rendering to simulate a realistic scene. Candle light , for example, will vary greatly in color and temp depending on the chemicals used in the materials, ambient light, etc. This chart is totally useless in real-world lighting conditions.

BUT, I bookmarked it as one of my references for my 3D modeling hobby. :D
Oh, ok. I'm new to the DSLR stuff so what is the point of shooting through the coffee filters?

Oh, ok. I'm new to the DSLR stuff so what is the point of shooting through the coffee filters?

Simply place the the coffee filters in front of your lens and capture the incident light while setting your camera’s custom white balance. It can be hit or miss with what type of coffee filter you use but I have had good luck using this method. Considering an expo disc costs around 80 dollars. I use a coffee lid, with a hole cut in the center, in which I have glued to coffee filters into that. Makes it a little easier to use that way.