Which grey card do you use?

[Potoroo]

Given the plethora of grey cards out there - umbrella sized, business card sized, cardboard, plastic, polyurethane, foldable, washable, etc. - I'm curious to know which grey cards people use and why, especially for field work.

[ATJ]

I use the one that came with the KODAK EKTACOLOR FilterFinder Kit. It is US Letter sized and I mainly use it at home to do preset white balance settings for my flashes and softboxes.

[aim54x]

My friend uses WhiBal, I use one of those V-Tec foldable grey cards from VanBar (I use white back to shoot custom white balance - not the most accurate but it seems to work alright)

[gstark]

It is US Letter sized

Which I'm told is far more practical in this usage than the French one.

[DaveB]

I generally use a WhiBal (in fact I recently picked up the new key-ring-sized model which gives me less excuse for not having it with me).

But this isn't very useful for setting WB in-camera (more for RAW processing). Reasonable in-camera WB is definitely useful for video work, so I've been playing with an ExpoDisc recently as well.

[radar]

WhiBal for me as well, the pocket size version, that way, it's always in my bag.
http://www.rawworkflow.com/whibal/

André

[Potoroo]

....I use one of those V-Tec foldable grey cards from VanBar (I use white back to shoot custom white balance - not the most accurate but it seems to work alright)

I was interested in the V-Tec but if the white back doesn't give an accurate custom WB I'll have to look elsewhere.

I generally use a WhiBal... But this isn't very useful for setting WB in-camera (more for RAW processing)...I've been playing with an ExpoDisc recently as well.

I looked at the WhiBal but preferably I want to get custom WB right before PP. I'm interested in how you find the ExpoDisk as I've heard very mixed reports about it.

[aim54x]

....I use one of those V-Tec foldable grey cards from VanBar (I use white back to shoot custom white balance - not the most accurate but it seems to work alright)

I was interested in the V-Tec but if the white back doesn't give an accurate custom WB I'll have to look elsewhere.

I generally use a WhiBal... But this isn't very useful for setting WB in-camera (more for RAW processing)...I've been playing with an ExpoDisc recently as well.

I looked at the WhiBal but preferably I want to get custom WB right before PP. I'm interested in how you find the ExpoDisk as I've heard very mixed reports about it.

I would say the V-tec is better than nothing. But if you are thinking of the WhiBal then get the larger size, that should fix any problems.

[Mr Darcy]

I'm interested in how you find the ExpoDisk as I've heard very mixed reports about it.

I use an ExpoDisk (Well a clone actually) sporadically, and I think the main issue is that it reads the light at the camera. This is not necessarily the light illuminating the subject.
As a worst case scenario imagine using the camera from well inside a brightly lit room (cool white Fluorescent), but photographing an outdoor scene. The translucent cover over the lens will get a significant bias from the fluorescents, but the fluoros will not affect the colour temp of the scene you are photographing. The end result will be a decidedly skewed WB.

As with all tools, it works well within its limitations, but you need to know and be aware of them before you rely on the tool in any given situation.

A grey card can be placed within the scene, and so will be illuminated the same way as the subject. On the face of it, this would be better, but what if the lighting is uneven - e'g' the card is receiving a colour bias from a nearby dress? What if the only photo you get that otherwise works as a composition has this dirty great card stuck in the middle of it?

[Yi-P]

I use the good old Kodak A4 sized cardboard greycard. Worked flawlessly over the years and it is still kicking (although it have gained a few wrinkles).

[jdear]

Id have the CBL colour lens over the expodisc. The expodisc you have to put on your lense and shoot back from the subjects location to where you would be shooting at times to get a correct whitebalance.

+1 to the whibal - I have the pocket one which I use post-raw editing. Forget stuffing around setting the WB in camera when your shooting something like a wedding day / or portrait shoot.

[Potoroo]

I had to go over to the uni yesterday so while I was there I popped into Vanbar and grabbed a Perfect-Pixs 9x7" grey card. At $20.90 it won't be the most expensive mistake I've ever made but I needed something. I may get something else like a WhiBal later. I'm still interested in hearing what people use and why though.

One question. The 50D manual (p72) states that to set a custom white balance you first photograph a white object (on p73 it also states that you might get better results with an 18% grey card but who reads the fine print?). It says "The plain, white object should fill the spot metering circle." If I read that right when setting custom WB the camera ignores everything outside that circle?

[ATJ]

I use mine in two ways.

1) To set preset white balance. This is for more controlled lighting, like my soft boxes or underwater strobes. The D300 lets me store 4 different presets and I just switch between them depending on what I'm using. This is simply done by setting the WB to preset mode and taking a shot.

2) Taking a photograph of a card under certain lighting conditions and then using the auto white balance feature of Lightroom to determine the correct white balance (using the eye-dropper on the card) and then apply the same white balance to the other photographs taken under the same conditions.

Interestingly, if I forget to switch to the presets in 1) or to Daylight, etc., I can still use known settings when working on the photos after the fact. This is because I shoot raw and the WB settings is basically informational.

[DaveB]

One question. The 50D manual (p72) states that to set a custom white balance you first photograph a white object (on p73 it also states that you might get better results with an 18% grey card but who reads the fine print?).

Remember that a photo of a white object can just be a brighter photo of a grey object.
Actually you typically get the best results from photos of bright (but not overexposed!) objects.

It says "The plain, white object should fill the spot metering circle." If I read that right when setting custom WB the camera ignores everything outside that circle?

That is my understanding, yes.

[ATJ]

Note that a white object may not be neutral white. Just picking a white object may not give you good results. This is why having a known neutral grey object, like a grey card, is safer.

[muzz]

I generally use a WhiBal (in fact I recently picked up the new key-ring-sized model which gives me less excuse for not having it with me).

But this isn't very useful for setting WB in-camera (more for RAW processing). Reasonable in-camera WB is definitely useful for video work, so I've been playing with an ExpoDisc recently as well.

DaveB, slightly off thread but just wondered how you managed in Antarctica with WB - could you share your methodology?

Cheers, Muzz

[DaveB]

I generally use a WhiBal (in fact I recently picked up the new key-ring-sized model which gives me less excuse for not having it with me).

But this isn't very useful for setting WB in-camera (more for RAW processing). Reasonable in-camera WB is definitely useful for video work, so I've been playing with an ExpoDisc recently as well.

DaveB, slightly off thread but just wondered how you managed in Antarctica with WB - could you share your methodology?

Most of the time I left the cameras on AutoWB, but tried to take as many shots of WhiBals in different conditions as possible. I sample and sync the WB settings for groups of photos within Lightroom. This was made easier by the fact that many people on the trip had a tiny "keyring" WhiBal either attached to the camera strap, tripod, etc. Some of us also had "normal"-sized WhiBals. When one person held up a WhiBal to photograph, many other photographers tended to take a snap at the same time.

What you need to be careful of is that the grey card is illuminated by the light that is illuminating the subject of your photos. For example if you're taking a photo of an iceberg, then taking a reference photo of a WhiBal held close to your yellow parker (with yellow light reflecting onto it) is probably going to not be accurate. The reference object (WhiBal) needs to be held away and at an angle so that it's illuminated by the right light. The blue hull of the ship was another example of something that sometimes cast a hue onto the photographers but not the subjects.

Antarctica didn't seem particularly different in this regard to photographing in other environments.
Overall I was very impressed with the results of the in-camera AutoWB (with 40D and 5DmkII bodies). It was usually fairly close (not quite enough in order to be "trustworthy", but a reasonable first stab).

[Matt. K]

A white card can reflect a little blue (from the sky) or pick up surrounding dominant colours. I find that the best use of a grey card is not to set the white balance...but to include it in the first frame of a portrait or other shot where colour fidelity is important. The card is then removed from subsequent shots and the first image becomes a reference if it is required.

[Matt. K]

A white card can reflect a little blue (from the sky) or pick up surrounding dominant colours. I find that the best use of a grey card is not to set the white balance...but to include it in the first frame of a portrait or other shot where colour fidelity is important. The card is then removed from subsequent shots and the first image becomes a reference if it is required.

[Matt. K]

A white card can reflect a little blue (from the sky) or pick up surrounding dominant colours. I find that the best use of a grey card is not to set the white balance...but to include it in the first frame of a portrait or other shot where colour fidelity is important. The card is then removed from subsequent shots and the first image becomes a reference if it is required.

[DaveB]

A white card can reflect a little blue (from the sky) or pick up surrounding dominant colours.

This is just as true of a grey card as a white card. Of course, if the blue sky is what's illuminating your subject then that's what you want.

But some "white" subjects aren't in fact white. For example, most laundered white clothing and most white paper products actually have optical brighteners in them that flouresce under UV light. That makes them look "brighter and whiter" to your eye, but the camera will notice the blue-ness of the flourescence.

I find that the best use of a grey card is not to set the white balance...but to include it in the first frame of a portrait or other shot where colour fidelity is important. The card is then removed from subsequent shots and the first image becomes a reference if it is required.

Agreed. Or the last frame if you forgot at the beginning of course. If you set the white balance in the RAW converter (i.e. ignoring whatever WB the camera is using) for the reference image, you can use the same WB setting across all the other shots _in_the_same_lighting_.

[muzz]

Is the WhiBal range available from retailers in Australia? - I've only seen them online direct from the manufacturer in the US.

[kiwi]

I've never seen them locally for sale, bought mine off US awhile ago at 0.94

[Matt. K]

DaveB replied

This is just as true of a grey card as a white card. Of course, if the blue sky is what's illuminating your subject then that's what you want.

Not always. That's why fill flash is often used...not just to fill the shadows but to remove any unwanted colour casts and improve or maintain accurate skin tones. Admittedly there are times when strong colour casts can make an image more interesting but I find that happens only occasionally.

[DaveB]

If the blue sky is illuminating the subject, then by getting the same light on the grey reference, the WB setting should compensate for that.

[Matt. K]

Spot on!

[AndyL]

I use the plain old cardboard 6x4 Kodak grey cards. They slip nicely into the elasticised side pocket on my bag which means that it is always hand or punch a hole in it and wear it around my neck on a strap. Larger cards are too cumbersome for my liking. This is an important consideration if the thing is actually going to be used. When not in use it goes into a ziplock bag and when it gets grotty I treat is as a consumable and replace it.

Cheers

[lightning]

I just bought a second hand copy of BRYAN PETERSON'S "Understanding Exposure" (revised edition) good read to, but on page 120 he describes a way to calibrate the palm of your hand !!! with your grey card so that when on a shoot where you have forgotten your grey card you can still get the correct balance !!