Adjusting white balance under water...

[Norseman]

<font color='#0000FF'>So THAT's how it works?

I had a revelation today!

Another dive on Belgica since spawning Nudibranchs have been spotted several places on her. On the bottom I found a piece of white plastic and realised I could try setting the whitebalance for the first time...

WOW.

The information in the picture was fantastic. I got so much more of it! In the end almost all one has to do is to do a bit of autocontrast and in my case a bit less red since I took most of my pics 5 meters higher than the plastic piece was &nbsp;
Going in tomorrow again. White piece of plastic will forever be a standard part of the kit.

Couldn't be bothered to do too much with these. Still a bit too much red in them. But hey ho, this is fun!

Notice the red bits being awfully red. Like said, because of a bit of overcompensation due too more light higher up than &quot;setting depth&quot;.



Too much red in this just to prove my point. Pic was taken at 17 meters without any additional lighting:

[nickjb]

Nice pics. What camera is it?

There was a chap a dive show giving a talk on underwater video. &nbsp;He had painted one of his fins white and pointed his camera at that to get the white ballance.

Nick

[Tim Ingmire]

Those colours really are much better Kyrre, although I see your point about the reds. &nbsp;Sometimes if the camera has to put too much red back into the piccy it can go haywire. &nbsp;Have you considered a colour correction filter? &nbsp;Even a mild magenta (for your waters) should help with the white balance but will impact on light getting through - so longer shutter times or wider aperture. &nbsp;

Also, some cameras need a standard grey card (about 18%) instead of white to auto-balance properly. &nbsp;I don't know about your camera but this may help even further.

[Norseman]

<font color='#0000FF'>Thanks Tim and Nick.

About filters I don't think I'll be going that way since my Canon S40 isn't that good aperturewise. I'll try out with a grey card.. and that point about a white fin was very good... only problem i make out a lousy model for other photographers.
Back to the thinkbox. Today's dive wasn't that successfull when it comes to pictures. Didn't help that my torch died &nbsp; &nbsp;again.

Kyrre

[John Gulliver]

Interesting Kyrre! I have a friend who has come a long way with underwater digital photography. He uses a 5 mp camera (Canon PowerShot S45) and no filter or external flash. He says the secret to succesful u/w-photography is to learn to use the white balance function. Like you, he uses a piece of white plastic. His results are amazingly good. I've seen his pics projected on a large screen and they are so sharp and colour-saturated you would think they were 35 mm slides.

[Norseman]

<font color='#0000FF'>

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (John Gulliver @ Mar. 09 2004,15:56)]I've seen his pics projected on a large screen and they are so sharp and colour-saturated you would think they were 35 mm slides.

Looking at the pictures I took today I have a long way to go   Didn't quite get it right me thinx.



oh well, can't win'em all.

Kyrre

[Jules]

not sure i understand how this white balance thing is supposed to work. i did the white balance just meessing in my dining room and then when i took a pic the cream coloured wall became blue, not pale blue or white with a tinge of blue but blue blue! better read uo on this one or just the WB set to auto!
jules

[Wacker]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Norseman @ Mar. 08 2004,22:50)]On the bottom I found a piece of white plastic and realised I could try setting the whitebalance for the first time...

WOW.

White piece of plastic will forever be a standard part of the kit.

<font color='#0000FF'>I thought that was wot your slate was for.
wack

[Narked@50]

You need a piece of white background big enough to fill the viewfinder on a &quot;normal&quot; setting, not macro, so slates are out. Auto is best for land use and manual is best for underwater, but not very convienient. That's why I have some &quot;estimated&quot; white balance settings for &quot;my mode&quot; for different depths, not as accurate but far easier and you can adjust it more with software on the PC. (oly 5050z)

James &nbsp;

[Norseman]

<font color='#0000FF'>My problem is that I don't have any &quot;my modes&quot; on my Canon S40. So I actually have to set the whitebalance every time I'm at a different depth in order to get it right.
I ended up taping up my torch with white tape. Did the same on the sheath as a back up. Fiddled about with it today and got it partially right towards the end...

Kyrre