White Balance Tool Discussions

---

I rounded up a few reluctant volunteers (uh, models), dug out an old black muslin and a few single nasty light sources. Perhaps these may help give you a better feel how the tool responds under different horrid light sources you might encounter on a typical shoot. They are not meant to be taken as...

---

We have gotten back the results from a survey sent to 111 photographers.

All of the feedback was very positive. The only exceptions were a few problems with shipping which are being remedied. A few people had not had it long enough to comment on the performance.

We also had some suggestions to...

---

We continue to hear suggestions that perhaps, when making a white balance determination with a diffuser-equipped camera, used at the camera position for the shot, aimed at the subject, it would be advantageous for the diffuser to have a fairly narrow directivity pattern.

I wanted to give a little...

---

Hi, Drew,

The new Color Parrot Pro (with interchangeable color shift filters) looks like a useful product.

I am interested by the statement about usage (for the Color Parrot generally) that appears on the description of this new product:

*Please note that there are two ways to take a reading...

---

A respected colleague here has suggested that, rather than concern ourselves with predicting the behavior of various white balance techniques on the basis of scientific principles, we would be better served by a more intuitive approach:

"Put the darned thing on your camera (or hold it up there)...

---

Students of white balance issues may be interested in the tutorial article announced here:

http://www.prophotohome.com/forum/colour-management/76110-describing-chromaticity-differences-new-tutorial-article.html#post457927

---

Testing Methodology:
For some strange reason people have doubted that I have been testing the neutral version of the ExpoDisc. Even though I showed the box and linked to Kiran's post where he confirmed a blue gel inside the expodisc and also confirmed that the expodisc is not spectrally neutral....

---

Hi, Drew,

A nice concept.

You describe the provided filters as "1/4 warming", "1/2 warming", and "1/2 cool".

What scale are those numbers on?

Best regards,

---

As we contemplate the behavior of various white balance diffusers, one property that if often of interest is its "directivity pattern". By this we mean how light arriving from different directions (landing on the diffuser face) is "weighted" for inclusion in the overall "mix" whose chromaticity is...

---

I just can't sit quietly any longer.

For years I sang the praises of shooting JPEGs when practical considerations made that mode of shooting the obvious choice.

And I was beaten repeatedly about the head and ears by the "If you don't shoot Raw you ain't sh**" crowd. "How can you settle for...

Douglas A. Kerr

---

Scottish engineer seeks to get off Drew's "B" list

Douglas A. Kerr, P.E. (Retired)

---

During one of the big threads on the Color Parrot white balance diffuser, Drew reported the results of his test of an ExpoDisc white balance diffuser, namely that it did not appear to exhibit good spectral uniformity.

Of course that was done with a reflective spectrophotometer, and it is the...

---

Hi, Drew,

How can I check the status of my order for a Color Parrot?

Thanks.

---

Hi, Drew,

You basic announcement about the Color Parrot says:

"The White Reference Target is center-weighted to provide a more targeted reading."

Could you please tell us:

1. What "center weighted" means in this context ?

Douglas A. Kerr

---

The introduction of the Color Parrot (Awwk!) white balance diffuser raises a new wave of interest in testing the efficacy of various white balance tools and techniques. Sometimes, reports of these tests mainly comprise sets of pictures of a model, each taken using a different white balance...

---

Poor man’s Parrot.

To make your own parrot for less than $2, just tape an Expodisc to a piece of slightly-frosted plastic that is twice the diameter of the Expodisc. The fact that you’ve got an all-plastic device (no glass like the real Parrot) means that if you drop it you don’t have to buy...

---

That was an interesting piece on the White Balance tear down. I have a couple of suggestions where you might be a little off the rails.


With the Expodisk products, you've got the versions that are meant to give a warmer than usual white balance. That's why there's a blue gel sandwiched into the...

---

Hi, Drew,

The Color Parrot has a catchy name, and sounds like a nice concept.

But I just can't see how it can work. What we need to do in our white balance reference shot is catch the chromaticity of the ambient light on the subject. That's why we sometimes use a gray card at the subject...

---

Thinking about this product but wondering how you ship to Canadian addresses?
Always worry that UPS is going to be used which will result in hefty brokerage charges and lengthy delivery times. USPS is much, much better for small items.

---

Drew,

I support your right as a photographer to offer a (hopefully) better solution to problems that as photographers we all have...

I have a question about your product...

what if I am say taking a picture where "predominantly" the whole thing is a single color... umm lets say... I am taking...

---

Drew,

You posted a very nice review about this new product. I was wondering how this device attaches to the camera lens. Given the varying diameters of lenses and the mention of one size fits all, how do you keep it from falling off when taking a white balance reading?

Jerry