White Balance Adjustment

Light Sources and ColorTemperature

Adjustment of the white balance to match the light source is essential to ensure correct color rendering. The color of a light source is indicated as a color temperature in kelvins (K). It is higher for bluish light, and lower for reddish light. When the camera is shipped it is adjusted for use with video lights (halogen lamps with a color temperature of 3200 K). For use with other light sources, therefore, adjustment is required.

First use the FILTER control to set the approximate color temperature, then carry out white balance adjustment.

The following table shows typical color temperature values for different light sources.

 

 

Color temperatures of different light sources

 

 

 

Light source

Color temperature (K)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natural

Artificial

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clear sky

 

V

10,000

 

 

Light cloud

 

 

 

8,000

 

 

Cloudy or rainy

 

Blue light

7,000

 

 

skies

 

V

 

6,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fluorescent light

 

 

5,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(daylight white)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Direct sunlight,

Mercury lighting

v

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

noon

Fluorescent light

White light

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter

 

sunrise or

(white)

V

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One hour after

 

 

 

 

5

 

before sunset

Fluorescent light

 

 

4,000

Adjustments

 

 

(warm white)

 

 

3,500

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Studio lighting

v

3,200

and

 

 

Halogen lamps

Yellow light

3,000

 

 

and video lights

V

2,500

Settings

 

Thirty minutes

Incandescent

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

after sunrise or

lighting

 

 

 

 

 

before sunset

Sodium street-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lighting

v

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunrise or

Candlelight

Red light

2,000

 

 

sunset

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using the ATW (Auto TracingWhite Balance) Function

The ATW function continuously adjusts the white balance automatically to adapt to changes in lighting conditions.

Note

Depending on the shooting conditions, automatic adjustment may not necessarily give optimum results. For the best possible results, use the W. BAL switch.

To use the ATW function

Press the ATW button turning the indicator on. This activates the ATW function, and the ATW indication appears in the viewfinder.

To disable the ATW function, press the ATW button again, turning the indicator off.

If the ATW function does not operate correctly A warning massage appears in the viewfinder as shown in the table below.

Message

Meaning and corrections to be made

 

 

:C.TEMP.LOW

If the 5600K button is turned on (lit),

 

press the button to turn it off. Then retry

 

the ATW operation.

 

 

:C.TEMP.HIGH

If the 5600K button is turned off (not lit),

 

press the button to turn it on (lit). Then

 

retry the ATW operation.

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Chapter 5 Adjustments and Settings