Setting Your White Balance

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Here is an interesting little "toy" for our cameras.  I wonder if it is any good???

 

http://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/white-balance-lens-cap

 

 

 

 

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Hey Larry, I got an Expodisc for Christmas but don't know how to work it. I need to just sit down and read the "book" that it came with. My problem is that sometimes when something is being explained there is some terminology that I don't understand and so I just give up. My problem though!!!! It sounds like if you really need to use it more then it must not be that convenient. Is it something that can be used in the "P" mode? I am no where near ready for manual stuff!!!! I am still having problems wrapping my brain around the AP setting. I don't know if it is my lens or what. My new camera and lens and I are not getting along very well. My lens is a Tamron 18-270 and my camera is the Nikon D5000. I just can't seem to get clear photos. It is hit or miss. I also don't get the VR setting on the lens. It says it is for Vibration Reduction and to no use when using a tripod. But then it also says that by using it you might not always get sharp photos...so what is the point I say???

[Linda and "Toby"]

Nice! Here are some good reviews on it, along with some photos to compare shots taken with and without it. http://myhomesweethomeonline.net/2009/02/02/how-photojojos-white-ba...

Personally, I shoot in RAW and can adjust the white balance in Photoshop fairly easily, but for those who don't use PS, this sounds like a great solution to the white balance problem. (Like having your indoor shots come out very yellow/orange.)

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Okay, I just went and read the review and tutorial link that Linda put in her comments on the White Balance Lens Cap. I also replied to Larry about the Expodisc that I already have but haven't used nor do I know how to use it (read the manual perhaps???). The Expodisc was around $100. Does anyone know if one is better than the other? The lens cap one sounds really easy but I don't want to plunk out $$ when the Expodisc will work. One thing is that the Expodisc is lens ring size specific (or can I buy adapters for it?). The Lens Cap one comes with ring adapters if you chose the complete kit. Any opinions out there??

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

To be very basic - what is white balance exactly?

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Oh no...you truly are NOT reading your manual are you? We may have to meet half way between Riverside and San Diego with the Doodles and let them play while we put our heads together and teach each other. I have so many books on digital photography that I could open a book store. I have been going through them all day. Never even left the house. Read my entire manual...well not the after the picture is taken, because I don't use their program but I use Photoshop instead. I have tons of questions but no one to answer them. Let's hire a professional photographer for 2 hours to take us out and teach us in the field. That would be awesome!!!! I am looking for someone to hire...seriously!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I got a free class with my camera LAST Christmas and never found the time..... I am going to call the shop this weekend and see if they will still honor the class - hubby paid for it even. I am so easily intimidated......but now I think I might be ready to learn something, anything.....

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

They will probably start by showing you how to turn on the camera, format the memory card, set it to Auto and point and shoot. Be sure to get them to go straight to the chase. Let them know how much you already know so they don't waste your class going over stuff you already know!!! All of my cameras came with an in-store class (group). It was the stupidest thing I have ever been to. It was exactly as I toldl you...how to turn on your camera and most of the people didn't know what the memory card was!!!! Geesh

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

You mean I was intimidated by that????? I could have used knowing that the little button on the side of the lens area M and A was for focus! I ruined a few camera ops by accidentally messing with that. Well,I will ask however perhaps they will just tell me what the icons mean rather than reading the manual..... tee hee.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Was it your son who told you about the M (Manual) and A (Automatic) button? You know, there is an index in your instruction manual so you can look up a specific thing and that would not be reading the entire manual. There are some basic things you need to have set correctly before you put that camera back in your hands!!!!!!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

No, I had no idea what was wrong so I couldn't look it up. I didnt realize that it had gotten switched when I changed lenses. I had NO NO NO idea why it was out of focus. This happened twice - the first time someone at the dog park fixed it and didn't tell me what they did and the second time I went to the camera shop the next day and the clerk showed me and told me what it meant. I thought all of the adjustment buttons were where the icons were. In my defense, my old Sony didn't have any of this stuff. I have looked stuff up specifically in my manual and it helps but when it refers to other stuff like you all talking about white noise and ISO, then I need to go to another thing and then another...... I'll bet you didn't realize how much you knew until you joined this group and read some of the posts - like mine.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Yes, you are good for my ego!!!! I am feeling very smart today, especially since I finished the January assignment and it worked!!!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Just skip the other stuff for now and learn the basics. Then we can worry about noise and white balance. After all we took pictures for years without a lot of this stuff. I used a film SLR for years in total ignorance I guess and enjoyed it.