White Balance/Color being off Question

[OFRD_GRL]

OK so my Sony camera (its a point and shoot but with alot of options) the last couple weeks I have noticed I have had to do alot of color correction on the pictures.

No matter what I set the white balance too, my color is still "off". I can get close, but not dead on. And it used to be dead on if I left white balance at auto, for every picture.

Any suggestions for other things to tinker with?

 

[tdesanto]

This suggestion will only work for taking landscape shots where you have the time, but an old technique is to take 2 photographs or a single photo first in the same or similar lighting before you take a series of photos. The first photo would also include an 18% grey card or you can also get cards with black, white, and gray squares.

Then you can use this test photo in Photoshop to determine appropriate white balance. Then for the rest of your photos that share the same light you can set the WB to that same color temp.

I know this sounds time consuming, and I would agree it can be, but it really all depends on what type of photography you do. For action shots or switching quickly from one type of light to another and so on, this won't really work.

 

[Photog]

The grey-card may not work as well as you think. It will definitely allow you to accurately shift the image colors to make the grey-card grey (neutral). The problem is, so much of the "good" light for landscape (evening & morning) is not white. It is actually red, orange, pink, etc. Using the grey-card approach will erase these wonderful colors. I use a grey-card a lot; but in controlled light (studio, indoor, and mid-day outside).

The problem with the Auto White Balance is, it is usually close; but never right. And it tends to be different, shot to shot; even in the same light conditions.

I will assume you are taking photographs outside, in natural lighting conditions. Set your white balance to the "cloudy" setting. This will be very close to the color balance of "daylight" film. It will be consistant. You can then try shooting with the sunny or open-shade white balance, to make the images more blue or more red. The "open-shade" setting, is supposed to look like using a film camera with an 81A warming filter.

 

[Lost Canadian]

I wonder if your camera is going kaputs. My sisters Sony started out the same way, slight color distortion, eventually it got worse and worse, to the point where every picture she took had a bad pinky red hue to it.

 

[tdesanto]

The problem is, so much of the "good" light for landscape (evening & morning) is not white.

Solid point. I should have thought of that. Didn't quite think that through...that's the hazard of multi-tasking. You can only do 1 think 100% or 2 things 50%, etc.

Actually what I find myself doing while editing RAW in Photoshop is to match the color temp of like pictures if I want consistency amongs the images.

 

[Photog]

Solid point. I should have thought of that. Didn't quite think that through...that's the hazard of multi-tasking. You can only do 1 think 100% or 2 things 50%, etc.

Actually what I find myself doing while editing RAW in Photoshop is to match the color temp of like pictures if I want consistency amongs the images.

I figured it out during a photo shoot. Luckily I always shoot in RAW, and was able to bring it back to the ambient color temp.

I hope the camera isn't going bad. Certainly try a consistant whit balance, before giving up on it ("Auto" is not a caonsitant white balance).

 

[OFRD_GRL]

Yea... I have tried every wb setting and the most accurate one is still yellowish/sephia in all the pictures. (and no, sephi aisnt on LOL)

if the camera is kaputzing i can just take it to best buy and have em fix it. it was open box and i got the 3year warranty on it so im good - still have another year + left of warranty

I think on another note I am going to get a Nikon D40x this weekend.... I want a D80 but just dont have the money to throw at one of those... and I have a rebel XTi too so.... LOL.. i just personally like nikon's alot better.

 

[gearbox]

I know that with the XTi you can shoot a grayscale card for *custom* WB. Otherwise, selecting the nearest temperature gives me decent results. That requires test shots and I always forget to reset to something neutral which kills my chance of an award-winner if yeti pops up.

Why screw around with the Sony if you have a DSLR?

 

[OFRD_GRL]

because the sony is my "i dont care about it so much" camera.

it still takes great pictures..... dont get me wrong... but its not nearly as much $$$ as the xti. so when taking shop pictures and pictures in teh field with the horses... or nasty wheeling pics.... i prefer to use it

 

[Photog]

If you really want a D80, then sell the XTi and ad that $$$ to your D40x money, and get a D80. The D80 is a better camera, unless you have very small hands, and need the smaller D40x.

Good to hear about the Best Buy options you have for the little Sony. They will most likely just replace it. It probably isn't worth fixing. Maybe they would let you trade into a Canon or Nikon P&S camera.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Interesting my Sony "point and shoot" camera has been doing the same thing for the past couple of weeks... Whereas I never noticed it as badly before? I think I still have some warranty left (its only ~4 months old) so I may try that?

Here is an example, this should be bright red, yet is comes out orange in nearly every pic...

 

[OFRD_GRL]

The canon isn't going anywhere that's the hubby's i just use it more than him LOL

im used to nikon's from only using those on my hired photo job.... thats why i want a nikon.

i guess they are getting rid of the d40x and replacing it with a d60... im gonna nab in on the d40x deals they should be having online. i like the d40x more than the d60 (went and played with both today)

i also liked the d40x more than the d80. it was more similar to the d70 that im used to and overall there are not that many feature differences between the 40x and the 80, just the ways you get to the features.