setting whitebalance with or without flash?

after reading other topics i have found out that i need to set the white balance using a white slate or palm of a hand or the sand when change my depth...my question is...do i have to use the flash to set it or just set it without the flash? thanks in advanced for the answers....good day.

note:

previous topics related:

1. Patima 7070, my first shots ---> http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11428

2. is it possible to set WB with the filter? ---> http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11455

Hi Niel,

I'm certainly not an expert on WB, but I think using the flash is wrong:

[exerpt from my 2002 review/tips on the Canon s30]

WHITE BALANCE:

The camera shop recommended that I set the white balance manually, at each depth. As you can see below, setting the white balance manually has its pitfalls. I was at depth and set the white balance using my dive slate to fill the frame, with flash on. Even PhotoShop cannot save these and it's too bad because the Drum was in focus. Fortunately, I saw other drums.

Unretouched Drum with Manual White balance:

Even Photoshop couldn't save this poor critter from the red-zone!

If you shoot with a flash, you generally don't need to set a manual WB. The auto WB should work fine in the vast majority of situations.

You would generally only set a manual WB when shooting ambient light (e.g. with filters). Therefore, the question is not really relevant...

Cheers,

Mat

For PnS type cameras do not use flash when using manual WB, as skeeter shows it just turns the frame red. Reasoning behind this is that the flash does not fire when setting the WB and therefore adding the flash in after does not work. As Matt said, use the manual WB when not using flash as this will help cut down on blues and bring colour back to the photo.

I am assuming the second thread link that Neil is quoting is mine. THe reason it works for me is that when using a D70 you actually have to take a photo to set the WB, therefore, the flash fires at the same time if you leave it on. And so the camera takes that extra light into consideration when adjusting the WB. That is why it can balance both the available light and the fill flash at the same time.

PnS cameras do not set off the flash when they take the manual WB and therefore you add extra light to the equation.

Hope that helped

guys thanks for the comments and suggestions...i guess i have to practice a lot ang log more bottom time for me to know the right shots for my camera. again, thanks so much. i your around the area just let me know and i'll dive with you and take you in anilao, batangas.

cheers,

neil

hi again, was testing my c-7070 last night and played with the manual set for white balance...it did trigger the flash and no way to disable the flash....hmmm.

I've never used the 7070, so I'm not sure whether the strobe can be disabled or not when doing a manual WB, but I would think it is, otherwise, there's hardly a reason to set a manual WB in the first place. Maybe other 7070 users will assist you there....

With this is mind, if your purpose is to shoot with filters and a manual WB, and in the event that the flash really cannot be disable, you can simply block it with a piece of black duct tape in the front of your housing. Easy fix

Mat

I just did this with my SP-350 and the two cameras should have a lot in common. Try disabling the flash before going into the options to set the white balance. I just did this and it worked.

set the flash off......it work! many thanks to all, will dive tomorrow and hopefully i'll get improvement on the outputs.