51
Taking Photographs—White Balance
The WB ButtonWhen the monitor is off, white balance can be fi ne tuned by pressing the WB button and rotating the sub-command dial.
Fine-Tuning and Color Temperature
Approximate color-temperatures for settings other than A (auto) are given below (val-
ues may differ from color temperatures given by pho to color meters):
+3 2,700 K 2,700 K 4,800 K 4,800 K 5,400 K 6,700 K
Shade
(daylight)
Cloudy
(daylight)
Direct
sunlight FlashFluorescent*
Incandescent
+2 2,800 K 3,000 K 4,900 K 5,000 K 5,600 K 7,100 K
+1 2,900 K 3,700 K 5,000 K 5,200 K 5,800 K 7,500 K
±0 3,000 K 4,200 K 5,200 K 5,400 K 6,000 K 8,000 K
–1 3,100 K 5,000 K 5,300 K 5,600 K 6,200 K 8,400 K
–2 3,200 K 6,500 K 5,400 K 5,800 K 6,400 K 8,800 K
–3 3,300 K 7,200 K 5,600 K 6,000 K 6,600 K 9,200 K
*The size of the increments for Fluorescent refl ects the wide variations in color tem-
per a ture among the many different types of fl uorescent light source, ranging from
low-tem per a ture sta di um lighting to high-temperature mer cu ry-vapor lamps.
“Mired”
Any given change in color temperature produces a greater difference in color at low
color tem per a tures than it would at higher color temperatures. For example, a change
of 1000 K produces a much greater change in color at 3000 K than at 6000 K. Mired,
calculated by multiplying the inverse of the color temperature by 10
6, is a measure of
color temperature that takes such variation into account, and as such is the unit used
in color-temperature compensation fi lters. E.g.:
•4000 K – 3000 K (a difference of 1000 K) = 83 mired
•7000 K – 6000 K (a difference of 1000 K) = 24 mired