WB or custom color correction for RAW files

I am planning to shoot using RAW with my 1DsMII/Subal/100mm set-up. The strobe I will start out with is the Ikelite DS-125 (I am waiting for better strobe options).

What WB settings are people using with success for RAW files and macro photography UW? Is anyone using custom color correction curves downloaded into the camera? If so, how did you set up this approach?

Thanks,

Tom

I find it best to try doing a mass convert, with "auto" WB, or daylight, or flash, but then for images that don't come out well, go back and do WB by selecting a spot in the image that you want to be neutral...

Your WB setting will be dependent on your strobes, the water in which you shoot, and everything in the optical path---ports, lens, diopters, filters. No one can tell you what the right setting is but you can be sure it won't be "Auto" and it won't be a camera preset.

WB settings won't vary a lot at a given location for macro since your light paths don't change much and the water is consistent. Wide angle can be all over the map. Custom set your white balance on each shot. It's not hard or time consuming and UW shots take extra care anyway. Save WB presets and batch converting for land shooting where the results are more consistent. The total time I spend in the raw converter is small compared to the other things I do and setting WB is a trivial portion of that time.

retract statement!

ROFL!

Do strobes have the same Kelvin degrees on land and under water? Will something change?

I tried different WB settings with my DS-125 strobe on land and found one setting that was good. Will that setting work the same under water?

// Johann

water changes the color balance of a strobe. The more water in the light path the colder (higher K value) and greener the light gets.

Thanks Craig!