WB = Calibration issues.

Maybe it's good to have a post for all WB and calibration questions where we can post shots and others can point out if the colors/luminosity are out of balance?

I'll continue here with the duck-temperature.

I see the difference between both shots Mike but from what I get of both on the Mac's monitors, it's mainly a temperature difference.

Here's one shot as it was processed (cam WB) but without the Lab color tweaks and one with RT's auto-WB. It's a more extreme difference.





To the colors on the duck I measure it makes less difference besides some lighter vs darker but in regards to warmth it makes a dramatic difference.

It's basically the difference I see on this monitor: temperature.

I wonder if its something thats been happening for a while with you as i notice a slightly off warmth or WB in a few of your shots that never used to be there and i haven't changed anything at my end,going out now to do some focus tests will pick this up when i get back.

mikew said:

I wonder if its something thats been happening for a while with you as i notice a slightly off warmth or WB in a few of your shots that never used to be there and i haven't changed anything at my end,going out now to do some focus tests will pick this up when i get back.

Click to expand...

I switched RAW editors from LR to RT and moved permanently to the Mac with my editing.

This is a shot I took 30-40 minutes before the duck-shot. It's an unprocessed RAW besides ISO upping in post. It might explain why the first is cold.

I loaded the RAW in LR and only upped the ISO.



It wasn't the same duck I notice; let's try this one.

Only exposed the shot in LR, cam WB.


4600K/+4

Some more WB numbers.

Upon load with CAM WB in use.

NX-D: 4557K
NX-2: 4557K
LR: 4600K
RT: 4740K

Auto-WB:

NX-D: 5500K
NX-2: 5500K
LR: 6700K
RT: 5934K


It becomes quickly obvious WB without grey cards is a hopeless issue.

I ran through them all in RT (1), LR(2) and NX-D(3):

Cam's WB: 4740/4600/4557
Spot WB: 6418/6450/about 6000
Auto WB: 5935/6700/5500
Daylight: 5300/5500/5200
Cloudy: 6200/6500/6000
Shade: 7600/7500/8000

There isn't even a norm among editors. The only strange thing is that when I spot the same area for WB, all three are fairly equal but when I use auto, LR really turns up the heat.

I also noticed that the camera (D7100) auto white balance gives colder pictures that the Adobe Camera RAW auto balance. Sometimes it is very difficult to judge the correct WB unless you have a good reference, e.g., a grey card.

On the other hand, it is also a question of taste. A warmer picture looks like taken closer to sunset.

Felisek said:

I also noticed that the camera (D7100) auto white balance gives colder pictures that the Adobe Camera RAW auto balance. Sometimes it is very difficult to judge the correct WB unless you have a good reference, e.g., a grey card.

On the other hand, it is also a question of taste. A warmer picture looks like taken closer to sunset.

Click to expand...

It's indeed very hard to get a correct WB. When I have some familiar objects in a shot, I can spot those to set WB but without, it's a gamble. I usually find aRGB warmer than sRGB and maybe it's a theme in Adobe-ware. It's the only of the three that turns the colors much warmer in auto-mode. RT doesn't, even when I'm also using the same Adobe Standard cam profile and have it also set to ProphotoRGB.

I usually leave it to cam WB since the D750 is fairly good at it. It's possible that because in RT I'm about always working in Lab instead of RGB color mode, my shots suddenly look different. It's a very different approach to colors and luminosity and leads to different results.

J,this is where i started noticing a variation from your normal presentation,its no good talking LR and different things as ime happily ignorant of such matters.

I now understand the confusion. They're both processed with RPP which is almost like a film simulator. The first was some duo-tone film while the other is processed using older color film settings.

Whenever the mood strikes, I use film color simulation. RT can do the same.

Polaroid 669


Normal "digital":


Fuji Sensia 100


Agfa Precisa 100


I can basically pick whatever color/style/look I prefer but it's indeed very different than my normal processing.

I see,with me its a case of coming through the film age and enjoying what i have now

mikew said:

I see,with me its a case of coming through the film age and enjoying what i have now

Click to expand...

I like the digital age but when I'm tired of it, it's nice that same digital age provides me a one-click jump to the days past.

Just now noticing how "cool" my deer shots are turning out. Been using auto wb. Once realized, in View Nx i set to "sunlight" and went up or down from there. Seems there is a range anywhere from 5 - 6500 on temp. where they can look acceptable.
Here is a before and after (different pics but point made).

cbay said:

Just now noticing how "cool" my deer shots are turning out. Been using auto wb. Once realized, in View Nx i set to "sunlight" and went up or down from there. Seems there is a range anywhere from 5 - 6500 on temp. where they can look acceptable.
Here is a before and after (different pics but point made).
View attachment 142381View attachment 142380

Click to expand...

I don't know about your monitor but on mine the first looks what I'd consider normal while the second has a reddish cast. It could be my monitor so I'm curious what others see. The white in the ears of the second has almost a light pink tone. If none sees that, my monitor needs calibration.

cbay said:

Just now noticing how "cool" my deer shots are turning out. Been using auto wb. Once realized, in View Nx i set to "sunlight" and went up or down from there. Seems there is a range anywhere from 5 - 6500 on temp. where they can look acceptable.
Here is a before and after (different pics but point made).
View attachment 142381View attachment 142380

Click to expand...

Bearing in mind my screen is nothing special, the first looks a tad cool and the 2nd a bit warm. What about this??

J-see you might be right. I've never looked at either away from my laptop or my old vizio 26" monitor. They look like they are on both ends to me right now. Yesterday when working on the warmer one it looked ok but now looks too warm. Somewhere in between may be better.

That looks good to me Eyelight.

cbay said:

That looks good to me Eyelight.

Click to expand...

I used the eyedropper tool in LR to select the 1 white pixel of the catchlight in the left eye (camera right eye). Catchlights are always white.

I don't know if anyone with a calibrated screen uses a mac too but when I use my digital color meter on the right eye of the second deer, there's only one pixel whitest in the eye's white spot and I measure 250,251,255.

If my whites are correct, that should be about identical to what a calibrated monitor displays.

Here's my take:
...


I corrected the WB with the WB Tool in ACR. Then took out the green color cast with a Levels Adjustment layer by dropping the (green) midtones, and bringing in both the Shadows and Highlights sliders (still on the green channel) both about 10 points.

....