D7000 Manual White Balance

After my first trip with my D7000 I have come back with many questions that I am hoping the experts can help me with.

I know the D7000 is not the greatest video machine, but I have seen some impressive work with it, so I tried a bit of recording.

One thing I could not get to work was the manual white balance underwater, I tried taking a picture of a white slate underwater and using that, but it didnt seem to have much effect.

To anyone out there that has had success doing this can you give me some pointers please

Keep in mind that you need to cover almost all the frame with the slate.

There is a discussion here: http://wetpixel.com/...bal#entry291978

And if you are below 10m with natural light, white balancing with a white slate may not give you the best results, you will end up with a red video.

Andres

Thanks for the reply, I will have a read of that thread later once back from work.

I assumed that the white balance would work relatively well past 10m, I used to get some good colours with my old P&S white balancing off of my hand, so thought that this would be the case, I was also diving with a guide who seemed to get his canon working pretty well.

I read the thread, lots of good info on there.

I should have said that I was diving in the red sea with good vis and using a Tokina 10-17 behind a mini dome, it looks like you have to cover the whole view with a card to get it to work, I think this may prove to be quite difficult.

Would another option be to take a number of readings with another lens so that you can use them when setting the white balance? I know conditions may be slightly different but should be there or thereabouts, not ideal though!

Depends on how good your Trim and Buoyancy control is (easy if you can maintain allitude without finning up or down), holding your camera in the right hand and use the left with the slate or buy some white fins and tuck them up towards you side by side.

http://wetpixel.com/...showtopic=22207

"As a side note, let me suggest to the D7000 users a good tip (no matter what housings they uses) you should explore the following Custom Setting Menu f7 feature, this allows the user to push a button and said button will stay engaged as long as you need or press another button. So when shooting video, you press the exposure compensation lever to engage the button and then you can correct the exposure while shooting video without having to press down on the button/lever all the time.

This f7 features is very handy as well for all other buttons, you don’t have to keep your finger on a button, hold the housing steady and rotate a command dial at the same time. ISO, Quality, WB and AF pattern modes are but a few of the features that would benefit from this. " QUote- Posted by Viz'art on 06/29 at 03:22 AM

Found that helpful about the f7 feature!

Have fun with you new rig,

Damon

Thanks for the advice, I am gonna go and look at the f7 feature this evening.

With regards to the white balance it's more about the specifics related to the d7000 as I really couldn't get it to work, I have in the past done it very well with an old p&s, iirc all pictures were red when I came back on land, I couldn't get anywhere near this with the d7000.

lol @ this new internet speak abbreviation RTFM!

You must be in M mode on the lefthand dial, then press and hold the WB button until "pre" flashes in view finder/top lcd then take a shot of your slate/fins- it will either give you a "No gd" or "Gd" result, do it again if no good(probably need your strobe or improve apperture/fstop) after a "Gd" result your ready to take shots with your now adjusted WB.

Thanks for the update, sorry about the isa ;-)

This is exactly what I have been doing, just don't find it that good really. I didn't know you could use your strobe, I would have thought that this goes against the white balance methodology?

It's a shame I can't go out and give it a go now.

Thanks for the update, sorry about the isa ;-)

 

This is exactly what I have been doing, just don't find it that good really. I didn't know you could use your strobe, I would have thought that this goes against the white balance methodology?

 

It's a shame I can't go out and give it a go now.

Well if your setting WB while your using a strobe to take shots, how relivent is it not using that strobe to set your WB?

The "shame" is our game, the weather and oceans own us all! That's what makes this such a compelling interest, it almost takes dark witchcraft to pull off a fab shot!

It's something different, these great technologies used, but relies on variables outside our controls- it makes it like a real Hunt! Obcessive and ellusive.......

Well if your setting WB while your using a strobe to take shots, how relivent is it not using that strobe to set your WB?

I think I understand what you are saying here?!?!? If I have stobes, why do I need to white balance?

The reason I want to white balance is for video, which I wont be using the strobes for.

I like your comment on shame!!!!

Well if your setting WB while your using a strobe to take shots, how relivent is it not using that strobe to set your WB?

 

I think I understand what you are saying here?!?!? If I have stobes, why do I need to white balance?

 

The reason I want to white balance is for video, which I wont be using the strobes for.

 

I like your comment on shame!!!!

I was fish love for alongtime before vimeofile- I breath saltwater, but scuba is lazy!!-

http://vimeo.com/25394241

Love the sea its yoour mother brother!

How many fish do you see in that shot? lollooolll

I AM MILITANT ABOUT PROTECTION!