(off)white cards - what do you use?

Curious as to what white, off-white, pink, etc. cards you guys are using in the water. I know some use a particularly-colored fin, some use slates, some use actual reef objects. I'm looking to purchase (or create) the most useful WB slate(s) I can. I found that my curent white card - at least at marginal depths - overcompensated for the lack of red and I got unacceptable pink tones some of the time.

Thoughts?

Take a good look at the Vortex Media Warm Cards. They are durable under water and just the right size although you can cut them down if you wish. I've been happy with them as are others I know who use them.

http://www.vortexmedia.com/

Steve B)

I use something like this. Just a regular dive slate

I use something like this. Just a regular dive slate

interesting, Mike. And with the white slate, you didn't get over-pinked at all? I like the idea.

nope, my pinks are fine. i used the green/blue tinged one i got from amphibico for a while but i like this one better. It is not white, it is more cream coloured which might not show in that photo. I actually keep it in my pocket as the snap areas you see in the pic broke off....

i scribbled red permanent marker on my white slate to make it more "pink". it does a great job of cooling my FX1 which tends to over 'red' the image when i white balance. also, my hand makes a great 'pink' slate for cooling image as well...talk to the hand:)

Shawn, great idea just using your hand. I'll have to try that.

Peacedog I have white duct tape on my fins and I scribble red permanent marker on one of them so I've got a choice of white or pink. I spread the marker around with some paint thinner so it's sort of even pink. But it needs refreshing every now and then as it wears off.

Originally I didn't think I had as much of a problem with overly pink footage with the Z1P as I had with the VX2K, but reviewing the footage from my last trip I'm definitely thinking it's too warm and I'll definitely be using the pink fin more next time.

Mr Cheng uses the Michael Jackson approach...

one glove with a grey palm.. 18% even....

He's using his grey fin now apparently. Single-handed white balancing with the Bluefin HD requires assistance from various other parts of body such as the knees and chest, with onlookers assuming you're suffering some kind of spasm.

fin is a pain... i used to do that.. didn't like it.

How can it be so hard with the Bluefin? isn't it just one touch? I can hold the left handle of the phenom and push the button at the same time while holding the card in front with my right hand.... easy as finding betel nut in yap

How can it be so hard with the Bluefin? isn't it just one touch?

I've personally never had a problem using Shawn's football-cradle with the Bluefin, but the fin thing also sounds delightful because I find the viewfinder a tad more accurate than the LCD.

Great ideas, guys. Guess I need to get over to my local dive shop and then over to Staples...

Just for argument's sake - the typical dive slate is off-white to begin with. Any advantage (or not) to scribbling on a topside white card that's more of a brighter, cooler white?

Aaron,

I brighter card (more white) will warm your image (think pink concept) vs off white which has a bit more colore in it. Also, 18% grey cards are designed to warm images. I own one and use it on land for indoor shoots and for my digital still. So, if you goal is warming (more red) then go for it. If you goal is cooling (my goal), not so much. Fin is cool for WB, but often i WB right near the subject i am shooting. Esp for macro, the closer you are to the surroundings and the white slate, the better the color.

Shawn

I brighter card (more white) will warm your image (think pink concept) vs off white which has a bit more colore in it.

Ah. Yes. Which goes back to the WB-overcompensating-for-lack-of-red-so-it's-oversaturating conversation you and I had.

It should be noted that Shawn's been tutoring me in the ways of WB 101 and Advanced L&M Bluefin Application 201-403 for a while now. I figured I'd bring the conversation to the forum in case anyone else was as direly in need of help as I am.

I figured I'd bring the conversation to the forum in case anyone else was as direly in need of help as I am.

Go for it !

I would like all the help I can get

fin is a pain... i used to do that.. didn't like it.

 

How can it be so hard with the Bluefin? isn't it just one touch? I can hold the left handle of the phenom and push the button at the same time while holding the card in front with my right hand.... easy as finding betel nut in yap

Mike it's just a bit too much of a stretch on the Bluefin. Can't really hold the handle and press the WB button at the same time.

Mike it's just a bit too much of a stretch on the Bluefin. Can't really hold the handle and press the WB button at the same time.

You never put that Bluefin in a headlock with one arm and held the card out with the other? That's how I do it now. Makes it easy to look through the LCD screen.

Plus, I show the housing who's in charge...

Plus, I show the housing who's in charge...

You laugh, Mike, but I swear sometimes I can't tell who's pressing whose buttons down there, especially with regard to good white balance. Every once in a while I need to manhandle the thing to fool myself into thinking I'm in control...=)

I've been trying to figure out what to utilize for W/B. Finally I decided to create a "slip-on" white board that I can put on one side of my split fins (I use bio-fins). I bought a 4 x 6, $7.95 slate at a dive shop, cut it down and drilled two more holes, then used the tubing that attached the pencil and made it into a small loop which I can slide over one side of a fin. I don't know if I'll like this until I try it but I'll know soon since we're leaving on the 20th (Jan.) for our next trip. Here's a link to what another very experienced person does, which I found very likeabe although I didn't go that far yet:

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=16396

The above is the same setup that was posted here in another thread with images and detailed information. I really thought about it but didn't want that extra stuff on my system. Have to see I guess...