Setting WB to different color Temps

[quickstep]

So normally after I have lights set I just Auto White balance to a white paper or wall or something. Just wondering now that I am working with different kinds of lights and using CTB gels to match day light, or using dimmers, or getting a mix of different kinds of lights in rooms, if Auto setting it to match the color temp is the best way, or should I just always set to 5600 or 3200, and just use one or the other.

This is for ENG work where I don't have much time to fool around with it, if moving between different rooms

 

[Michael Carter]

By "Auto set" we'll assume you mean "manually set" your white balance...

When you get into mixing color temps, you'll either do it methodically, to achieve a specific look... or you'll do it because you don't have enough lights/gels/time/etc.

For ENG stuff, your best choice is likely to have a daylight, shade, and tungsten preset and choose which one is most prevalent in the scene - can't imagine you have much time to shoot a gray card.

Unless you're outdoors in full sun, you'll rarely have a situation for true 5500k; in my experience, things are going to be more blue-gray, in the shade or indoors near windows. So a shade-clouds temp may look much snappier and warmer. Indoors under tungsten, you'll often find things are much much warmer than a 500 watt fresnel pumping out pure 3200k. And at lower temps, changes in color temp are way more pronounced. Most broadcast-style (true "video") cameras I've used have two manual presets; DSRLs have one, with a range of sunlight-shade-clouds-etc factory stuff. I'd try to figure out which temps work best for you... and keep a grey card handy if you do get a second to manually balance.

 

[sonofaresiii]

i'd never auto-white balance unless it's the only option. also wouldn't leave it at 5600k or 3200k automatically. either balance it manually so white is white, or adjust for preference.

auto-white balance can especially be terrible if you're shooting under a few different colored lights (particularly with those dimmers you mentioned). I frequently end up coloring lights just a bit for effect (e.g. dimming for a bit of red or warming for sunlight), and if you're getting a bit of those lights in there when you white balance at the wrong spot it could throw things off.