Grey card question

A

AndyRB

New member
Hello there, newbie question im afraid

I've watched a couple youtube videos about custom white balance and im seeking a bit of clarification, when taking a shot of a grey card, do you

1) need to switch off the autofocus on the lens?

2) need to be in a particular mode ie auto, manual etc?

Many thanks,
Andy
 
BackdoorArts

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
Autofocus shouldn't make a difference, but you want the card to be in focus and the focal point as the camera takes that into effect when metering. Mode isn't important provided exposure is correct. I'm in Aperture Priority most of the time anyway, so I usually use that. If you're in Manual I'd switch just to make sure, since you're asking the question.
 
D

Dave_W

The Dude
The only times I've ever found a need for a grey card was when I was using a combination of studio lights and needed to get a firm fix on where my WB should be. Otherwise, when shooting in the sun or shade (even indoors) I've found the auto-WB to be more than enough of a good guess to get me near the right temp. And when shooting RAW you can easily correct any subtle differences the auto gives you.
 
BackdoorArts

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
I'm with you Dave, but realized after shooting at my nephew's wedding that I might have made my life easier had I done a custom WB under the tent and gotten a consistent white rather than having to tweak it a little his way and a little that as I did my edits.
 
D

Dave_W

The Dude
Yeah, if the lighting is consistent throughout the shoot, a grey card wouldn't be a bad thing at all. I used to use them all the time when doing coin photos for owners and ebay sellers. It made a huge difference in my ability to get the subtle colors on the coins right. But other than that, my card sits lonely on the shelf....right next to my 50mm f/1.8G. I should probably pass this lens on to someone willing to use it.
 
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