Canon 5D Mark III White Balance Test

[metrodcphotography]

Tested the 5D Mark III's AWB setting using three different types of lights:

http://www.metrodcphotography.com/review/canon-5d-mark-iii-white-balance-test-raw-sample-images/

Looks like the warmer the light source the more the AWB is off from what it should be.

 

[Loswr]

Thanks for posting these!

Looks like the warmer the light source the more the AWB is off from what it should be.

So...it's like every other Canon dSLR. That's one main reason I always shoot RAW.

 

[iso79]

Uh that's why you shouldn't rely on AWB. If you're shooting in tungsten light use tungsten WB etc..

 

[KeithR]

Uh that's why you shouldn't rely on AWB. If you're shooting in tungsten light use tungsten WB etc.

Nothing wrong with AWB if you shoot Raw.

 

[melbournite]

I'm curious here... I find that the AWB naturally depicts the warmer colours as they appear and I don't mind that. Obviously if I require white to appear as pure white, (eg shooting products) I set my WB manually. But in the case of photographing a private function where the lights are warmer, I shoot AWB (in RAW). When it comes to post, the inclination is to cool it down but I always find myself going back to the original AWB because it represents the warmth of ambient light. How do you guys set your white balance at a reception (for example) compared to the AWB out of the camera?

 

[marekjoz]

I almost always find the reality be colder than warmer imagination
Except for snow and water where someone adviced let it be cold as finer art

I always shoot RAW and try to have at least one picture in a scene with a good WB reference. When asked, people seeing pictures made in warmer light tend to indicate the warmer as the better WB setting in opposite to the natural one. Maybe it's because in our times people saw so many pictures in their life that they subconsciously point it as better as they saw more warmer photos in difficult lighting conditions?

 

[prestonpalmer]

Shoot in RAW. Then don't care about, or change WB on your camera. No need to waste time...

 

[Maui5150]

Do you primarily shoot auto as well.

AWB is generally crap.

Call me old fashioned, but I generally shoot a grey card as well as when working with models use a ColorChecker Passport

Especially with Lightroom, just use the export pre-set, generate a DNG and then apply accross and VOILA! All my raw shots are adjusted and colors are fine and pop!

 

[Viggo]

I tried to use my color checker passport yesterday, I tried under all different lights and the wb turned out VERY war no matter how many samples I did (with the built in greycard). It seemed sampling the custom wb was impossible to get right, could this be firmware issue?

Anyone else struggling to get a correct sample when using Custom WB on the 5d3?