White Balance on the AF100

Joe Walker

Joe Walker

Well-known member
Hey Jan (or Barry, or Gary, or anyone who knows),

How adjustable is the white balance on the AF100? Is there just the three basic presets plus the AWB button, or can we dial in a custom temperature, sort of like how you can do it on the Canon 5D and 7D? Not a big deal, but very curious to know the answer. Thanks!
 
It's exactly the same as on the HVX/HPX170/HMC150. Two presets (3.2k and 5.6k), two channels of manual white balance, manual black balance, and then the COLOR TEMP menu item for fine-tuning the white balance.

No numerical dialing-in of colors.
 
While I'm not necessarily frustrated or mad, this would have been a killer feature to have, it was one of the few things I actually "loved" about the Canon DSLR's....
 
Agreed, manually choosing your color temp is great on dslrs. Even an ex1 has this ability. I'm hoping Panasonic will have a change of heart on this
 
Ditto, If the new sensor is loosely based on the GH-1 (Yes, I know it is a NEW sensor), then having that ability to change kelvin in increments will only woo people like me who want to make the switch from the DSLRs.
 
mcgeedigital said:
Ditto, If the new sensor is loosely based on the GH-1 (Yes, I know it is a NEW sensor), then having that ability to change kelvin in increments will only woo people like me who want to make the switch from the DSLRs.
Click to expand...

+1

The ability to dial in white balance in Kelvin is one of the few advantages the DSLRs have over pro video gear.

I have no idea if it's actually difficult to implement or not - but for some reason no camera manufacturer seems too interested in putting the option into a video camera (except Sony, oddly enough). I've lobbied Canon for it back when before the XL2 came out... and Panasonic on the HPX170 and the AF100...

I would like to think there is something complicated about the addition that is stopping them -but like Matt was insinuating, if the GH1 can dial in Kelvin, it seems odd that the AF100 wouldn't be able to.

"Manual" white balance with no frame of reference is too hit and miss - especially if you want to match cameras.
Granted, there are many many issues with DSLRs... but white balance is one area where the DSLRs definitely have it right.
 
+1

Nothing more frustrating in post than four different custom white balances from four different cameras, even though there were all balanced in the same position (tripod) one after the other (and using the same FIXED balance card).

Custom white balance is by far my greatest irritation / disappointment with the HMCs. One of the cameras is definitely more 'blue' than the others.
 
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Luis Caffesse said:
"Manual" white balance with no frame of reference is too hit and miss - especially if you want to match cameras.
.
Click to expand...

We routinely white balance 3 HVX cameras to the same temp. Not that difficult, very accurate; unless you don't have a white balance card - or a sheet of white paper - or a chef jacket - or a crew member with a white T-shirt...
How many guys who gripe about what everything costs are then going to buy a $1,500. ++ colour meter so they can test and dial in the exact Kelvinº?
Just askin'

G.
 
heavyG said:
We routinely white balance 3 HVX cameras to the same temp. Not that difficult, very accurate; unless you don't have a white balance card - or a sheet of white paper - or a chef jacket - or a crew member with a white T-shirt...
How many guys who gripe about what everything costs are then going to buy a $1,500. ++ colour meter so they can test and dial in the exact Kelvinº?
Just askin'

G.
Click to expand...

You don't need a color meter for that.

I put in a qp card, manually dial in the Kelvinº until it is grey, then put all of the cameras on that same setting.

286667.jpg


Dealing with the limited color spaces of both DSLR's and now the af-100 is challenging enough.

At least with the HVX-200 you have 4:2:2 color space and an I frame codec to help.

Seems to me that this should be a software programming issue on the af-100.

If they didn't implement it because they wanted to ship the camera on their promised deadline, that is fine, I will just wait this iteration out.
 
And the AF-100 has it, according to Jan…

"The coolest feature I found was the variable preset for white balance temperature. So once you have the baby in preset, all you need to do is to go through the 3200, 5600 and then it goes to variable. Using the function joy stick I can run it down to 2400K and up to 9900K. Very sweet!"
 
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