Comments on: White Balancing Lens Cap Review

By: kgarrison

kgarrison — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 01:38:51 +0000

Correct, you want to get your white balance from the position of the subject and towards the light if at all possible.

By: Donovan

Donovan — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 01:34:27 +0000

I would say the method to use the light reflected from your subject is wrong. If your subject is all red, the reflected light will be red. So your white lens cap will produce a reddish white, which will be cancelled out. This would result in a wrong WB, because you actually want your subject to be red. So you have to be at the location of your subject, pointing to the light source (assuming it's white light).

By: Donovan

Donovan — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 01:29:59 +0000

Normally the raw picture is the same, no matter which AWB you are using.

By: WFloyd

WFloyd — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:24:01 +0000

Hi, thanks 4 the quick reply. I would say that the more accurate result did indeed come
from the auto as you say, but just thought it a good idea to ask this question on the forum.
I am new to this, love it, and will take all the help offered. Thanks again.

By: kgarrison

kgarrison — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 05:36:01 +0000

Usually you should do the first test on Auto, and use that image to set your custom white balance.

By: WFloyd

WFloyd — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 05:32:25 +0000

Hi, Does it matter what white balance setting to use for taking the shot with the cap?
I have have experimented with 4 different WB settings and get different final results.

By: kgarrison

kgarrison — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:40:59 +0000

You always do your white balance with the lights on that you are using. So with flash, you would use your flash to illuminate the scene when getting your white balance.

By: Ashraf Adrutdin

Ashraf Adrutdin — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:55:34 +0000

great! my question is, how about indoor shooting with flash, shoot i take with flash on or off for the customize wb?

By: SteveM

SteveM — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:36:37 +0000

Johnny: You are right, flash will vary just like anything else, especially when you start bouncing it or using umbrellas softboxes and the like. If you are experincing a blue hue to your flash images then use the lens cap ponting it at the light source to neutralise colour cast. if it is an on camera flash you are concerened about then filling the frame with a grey card (or underexposing a white card works just the same) take a shot of the card and use that as your reference to balance on.

By: SteveM

SteveM — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:19:06 +0000

WRONG: The light reflected at you will be tainted by the colour bias of the subject matter in the view, this is why autowhite balance is average at best. What if you shoot a red car against a white wall. The traditional method of photographing a grey card removes colour bias out of the shot and gives only the colour of the light source.

To neutralise colour cast you need to know the colour 'of the light source'. You have to use incedent method in the same way you use an incedent light meter or colour meter. With the lens cap attached 'point the camera towards the light source' take an image and use that as the source custom white balance.

The same method will work exactly the same way with flash.

Cheers

By: kgarrison

kgarrison — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 03:16:12 +0000

Yes, just switch back to auto focus after getting the white image.

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 00:23:51 +0000

Great review! You've mentioned that,

All you have to do is turn off your automatic focus so the camera can shoot (focus doesn’t matter, you just need a white image) and point your camera at the scene.

My question is, do i switch it back to auto when all the white balance settings are done?

please advise!

Thx!

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:24:30 +0000

I have been using a 77mm Mennon cap for the past one week. O dont bother using the threaded filter mount that comes with it, i just hold the cap over the end of the lens and take the test picture at correct exposure.

I for one, MUCH prefer getting the WB right 'in camera' rather than adjusting my images later on the computer. I have a great set up, but this little plastic chinese cap has made me happier than ANYTHING I have bought in the past 2 years.

Oh, just for fun, try the same technique with the lid from a tube of pringles chips. Even that is better than the AWB setting.

By: Robert A F van de Voort

Robert A F van de Voort — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:56:41 +0000

Have you done a comparison with the Expodisk yet?
How accurate is the Mennon disk – did you check it with a colour temperature meter?
Look forward to your feedback,

By: ecam

ecam — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:29:18 +0000

You just made my day with your test of the <$10 white balance lens cap. I hope your next article on the subject, comparing the high dollar white balance lens caps with the inexpensive but effective white balance lens cap, shows that the difference between the two makes it a waste of money, for all but professionals who are constantly dealing with light balance, to purchase the high dollar unit.

By: David

David — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:12:53 +0000

I'm glad you wrote this review. I lost my lens cap last weekend at a wedding and figured for the price I could get a cheap white balance lens cap instead of the original black one from Olympus. After reading your review my mind is made up . . . get the white balance lens cap.

By: kdawg

kdawg — Sun, 31 May 2009 20:32:00 +0000

No, you want to measure the light that is being reflected back at you – it's not exposure you're measuring so you need to be where you will take the shot from and pointing at the subject – it fits over the lens of the camera obviously so you can't put it anywhere but where your camera is.

By: AC

AC — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:26:04 +0000

I just found your website and its really great! I want to buy a white balance cap and was excited to see your review of the cheap one you found on Ebay but I saw the page of what your gear was and noticed you had Expo cap. Did you decide the Expo cap was far superior?
Thanks.

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:08:45 +0000

Thanks for doing this! Do include how well the cap fairs against a traditional white card in the future review too. I look forward to this test.

Btw, do let me know if you are selling it.

By: Camera Dojo > Product Reviews,Shooting Tips > PhotoVision Digital Calibration Target > »

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:16:47 +0000

[...] the past we have looked at other products to do white balance such as the Expodisc or the Menon Lens Cap. While these can really help you get your white balance correct, the two issues with products like [...]

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:22:38 +0000

Instead of shooting the scene, shouldn't you put this where your subject is and point it back at you? That way you can determine the color of the light that is falling on your subject?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:18:42 +0000

Great review, this has helped me a lot.

To Johnny:

Generally the flash will create a proper white balance so adding a custom WB will throw things off. At least this has been my experience

By: HERMAN AKBIYIK

HERMAN AKBIYIK — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:17:12 +0000

Your Review very helpful, I was wondering how is it work this cab, it is amazingly good.

By: Johnny

Johnny — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 08:01:01 +0000

Hello,
thanks for the great write up. Have you tried using this cap with a flash? I found that in normal conditions without flash is ok but with flash it makes the scene all blue....

let me know what you think

cheers.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 03:01:01 +0000

Hello,

thanks for the great write up. Have you tried using this cap with a flash? I found that in normal conditions without flash is ok but with flash it makes the scene all blue....

let me know what you think

cheers.

By: L7Foto.com » Blog Archive » PhotoVision Digital Calibration Target

L7Foto.com » Blog Archive » PhotoVision Digital Calibration Target — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 04:18:05 +0000

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:18:05 +0000