White Balance Question

[jsmiller]

[b]Great site. [/b]

Been visiting for quite a while and thought I would join and post an issue I am having. Been shooting video for many years with traditional video cameras and I just started fooling around with a DSLR. I have a Nikon D5100 which I primarily use for still photography but I want to shoot some video for personal use and I started doing some tests to get up to speed.

Shot with it outside and the images look great. Did some test under 3200k hot lights and I am having a trouble with the white balance settings. I tried using the auto balance and the flesh tones are way off. All the flesh tones have a magenta cast to them and it not easy to correct. I shot some more tests with the camera set at 3200k preset and still the cast, not as bad and I can correct it but still not the warm flesh tone you would want under 3200 lights.

Just from reading reviews it's obvious the Canon's outperform the Nikons for video in the low end models. I have a lots of Nikon lenses for stills photography so it works for me.

Any tips on video white balance with a DSLR. I see lots of adjustments in the menus but I don't want to start changing things till I know what I am doing. I don't seem to have trouble with the camera shooting still and the white balance seems to work fine but I am also using RAW files so white balance is relative

Thank for any help.

[see ya]

Hi, how are you judging your white balance? From jpgs or video? Have you tried white balance via a white card?

Re: old Nikon glass, one small benefit of a Canon is you can put pretty much any lenses on it due to greater distance from lens mount to sensor, where as you can't with a Nikon.

Not sure if your Nikon has full manual exposure control which is a must for video so don't rule out Canons due to you having Nikon glass if you consider changing camera at a later date.

[jsmiller]

I am going to take a white / grey card with me next time and try to build a custom setting. The camera seem to be fine when you use it in still mode. Only the video mode is giving me issue with the balance.


More tests.

[FilmMan]

JSmiller,

Here's a secret.  I use one of these, see the link below.  I think I paid $1.49 for mine.  Make sure setting on camera is set to manual.  Hold in front of lens and click then follow camera instructions to white balance.  Could be as easy as hitting the button.  On the 5D2 it is a few steps.  Not sure on your camera.  Make sure in manual mode when doing the process.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/77mm-White-Balance-WB-Lens-Cap-DC-DV-with-Filter-Mount-/120799013962?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c202eac4a

[FilmMan]

By the way, I white balanced with the previous when testing the C300.  Just cover the lens and click the button.  Very easy with the C300 and perfect white balance.  Here's a link to the video.
https://vimeo.com/41634805

[see ya]

@jsmiller, be aware that which ever you use you really need to take the WB reading from the subject position, it's not such a problem in broad daylight, but if your subject is under specific lighting that's where you need to white balance from.

So with a cap you need to carry your camera to the subject position, point camera back to shooting position and do the custom white balance under that specific lighting, this can be a pain if you're on a tripod, or have a lens hood or a VariND filter, where as a card is just placed at subject position.

But then you have to carry a card rather than a small lens cap.

There's for's and against both ways. They're pretty cheap to have both.