Re: Nikon D500 shooting very “cool” despite WB check
Hi! I am new to Nikon! Loving my D500, BUT it seems to shoot quite cool (both RAW and JPEG) compared to what I was used to with my Canon. Anyone else notice this photo temperature issue? Any fixes? I am using the 300mm f4, and the 70-300mm telephoto as well as the 50mm 1.8. Thanks so much for any help!
Nikon's cool White Balance default annoys me as well, it's primarily why I've started using a custom White Balance whenever I can. When I do have to use Auto-White Balance I've made some adjustments to its default. And just to be absolutely clear... This is an entirely different than taking a reading and creating an in-camera Custom White Balance...
This alters the Auto-White Balance function itself.
To adjust the Auto-White Balance to a warmer default go into the Shooting Menu (Camera icon) and scroll down to, "White Balance". Click right to enter the White Balance sub-menu, right again to enter the "Auto" setting sub-menu and right a third time to enter the adjustment section. The menus for your D500 might be slightly different than the menus on my D750, but what you're looking for is this:
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As you can see, you can move the default setting marker from the center of the grid up (for more green), down (for more Magenta), left (for more Blue) and right (for more Amber). I have added a few clicks of Magenta on my camera because I think it renders better skin tones. I also add a couple points of Amber frequently when I'm shooting outdoors. You can experiment with different settings here and maybe get the warmer tones Canon users are accustomed to. While I don't have any specific recipes for you I could suggest you start by adding about one point Magenta and one or two points of Amber... See where that gets you.
If at some point you decide you don't like the changes you've made, you can always reset them so there's no harm in experimenting.
Good luck!!