Do you have the ExpoDisc for setting a custom WB, and if so how do you use the disc for different types of photography? Thanks,
ExpoDisc
Do you have the ExpoDisc for setting a custom WB, and if so how do you use the disc for different types of photography? Thanks,
Hi Jay The Expos Disk was used during the film days for color balancing. It was very useful as a reference form making prints ( also determining exposure)
Remember that if you choose to balance an image made very early/late in the day will take that beautiful warm light out of it !! btw The maker of the disk was Mr Wallace and remember speaking with him for orders.
btw this device would be useful for portrait,wedding, product etc where accurate colors are a must.
Al, to my understanding, the disc is only used in about 1% of the weird lighting situations. I was thinking of using it when on the snow in Antarctica, for example.
I don't know if you would want to use it in Antarctica.....much of the ice will look blueish and it is supposed to look like that IMHO.
Bill
Hi Jay - as mentioned it is used primarily by portrait/wedding/event/school phtographers - we have many clients that use it and it does do a very good job, a essential piece of kit for those that do this type of work.
Jay you could also shoot a grey card and have the same information. Its basically a color balancing tool and for nature sometimes you do want that slight cast (with sweet light).
Jay,
I have and use ExpoDisc.
You will find that each camera manufacture has it's own way of performing a custom WB.
The important things to remember are, place the ExpoDisc over the front element of your lens and point it toward the light source. It's is easiest to set the exposure using AV mode with no compensation.
I found it to be really handy in shade or areas with a lot of reflected color.
James
I have the disk and find it a bit of a pain to use. Find you can adjust the WB in PP. In controlled situations it may be useful, on the fly, not really.
I have a ExpoDisc ....but I don't typically use it except for indoor lighting and unusual light situations. If you shoot jpegs, its a good tool for setting the WB in the camera. If you shoot RAW, then just make a quick test shot and later in post you will have a sample to calibrate from. It's easier than most other WB tools in the sense that you don't have to prop up or hold out a card or template, just snap it on your lens and shoot. The only draw back I can think of is that it is a fixed filter size. If you shoot a variety of lenses that all take diff filter sizes, it might be tricky....idk....but I vote yes, I like mine.
Last edited by Paul McAdams; 04-09-2009 at 03:03 PM.
I'm spending three days with James in a workshop in October and looking forward to learning to use it properly. I have met several persons in my travels that used it extensively; that is why I purchased it in the first place.
Perhaps one of the BPN experts that use the ExpoDisc regularly could post a sticky on usage and procedures?!!
Hi Jay No mystery to using the disk You place it over the lens and its like shooting an 18% Grey Card. Like I said before I used to use it for reference for printing color negatives, my analyzer would read, now I don't see much use for it.
Paul in the previous post has the perfect use for it !!!
Jay if you will/or already have purchased one it comes with an instructional CD. It is very easy to use. On further reading some posts on B and H Photo, some people added one or two additional stops of exposure. Maybe you will have to experiment a bit. But really you shoot pack from your subject towards your light source and then go to custom white balance in your camera and set that image for the WB. Simple really. Gus Cobos who is a moderator in Eager to Learn uses it a lot for indoor studio lighting shots. Would recommend getting the largest size(77MM I think) and if you use smaller diameter lenses you can just hold it over the lens. It come with a neck strap so you can wear it. I think you are making it more difficult than it really is. There is also one for doing portraits which give you a warmer feel to your image. Good luck!
Last edited by Jackie Schuknecht; 04-09-2009 at 06:43 PM.
Well, I am not a BPN expert, but......Originally Posted by Jay Gould
If you are shooting RAW (which you should be), place the OmniDisc on your lens, set your lens to manual focus (because if it can't focus thru a WB filter, it won't shoot). Point at the main light source and press the shutter.
That's it. Later in post processing, select all of the photographs that were shot in that light condition, and select the ExpoDisc shot as the WB reference.
If you are shooting Jpeg (Canon):
1. Set your lens to manual focus.
2. Point your camera towards the light source and press the shutter.
3. On the shooting menu (red) on the back of the camera, select custom WB, then select the WB shot you just took and use that photo to calibrate ( you don't actually calibrate, the camera does. You just press set )
4. On the top of the camera, press the AF-WB button and dial the top dial to select the custom WB symbol. I'm not sure what that symbol is suppose to be, but it looks like looking down a gun sight to me.
Don't forget to set your lens back to AF.
When you don't want to shoot Custom WB any longer, press the top button and go back to AWB. No need to do anything on the back menu again until you wish to redo the WB calibration again. Think of it as initial calibration setting from the rear menu and just toggling it on and off with the top setting.
There are more instructions and videos here -
http://www.expoimaging.net/support-overview.php
Like I said in in my prior post, unless your lighting is unusual, which is mostly indoor lights, I have stuck with either 'As Shot' in RAW, or sometimes, if the bird has a patch of white, I grab my WB eye dropper, and select the white on the bird. I have never considered my OmniDisk as necessary for birding. Perhaps you will change my mind with your results. :)
Hi Paul, that is an interesting "take" on the ExpoDisc (ED) regarding post processing.If you are shooting RAW (which you should be), place the OmniDisc on your lens, set your lens to manual focus (because if it can't focus thru a WB filter, it won't shoot). Point at the main light source and press the shutter. That's it. Later in post processing, select all of the photographs that were shot in that light condition, and select the ExpoDisc shot as the WB reference.
I do shoot RAW; currently PP in LR; will start learning PS this month.
Let me restate what you are suggesting which is very different from setting a custom WB. Instead of actually setting a Custom WB, are you suggesting the following which to my mind simplifies things greatly and avoids setting various Custom WBs as lighting conditions change:
1. Install the ED and shoot image while in Auto WB in one of the auto exposure modes P etc., using manual focus and save that image.
2. Continue to shoot under those conditions as you normally would with Auto WB.
3. If lighting conditions change repeat #1 for the next set of images.
4. After downloading the RAW images, open the ED image and using the WB eye dropper determine the WB value and set a custom WB for that image in LR or PS.
5. Choose all of the images that were shot under a particular ED reference image and sync all of the images to that custom WB.
That seems a lot simplier than going through the custom WB settings in the camera, and something you can do quickly on the fly as lighting conditions change.
Thanks, please correct me if I am wrong in my resertation.
Jackie, I have the 82mm for my 16-35; I hold it over the smaller diameter lenses. Cheers,
PS: This is a wonderfully active Net. Living in Australia, when I get up in the morning most of you are 6 - 7 hours later than me in the afternoon or evening and have already posted responses to my posts that occur while you are sleeping. I wake up to presents in the form of your posts everyday. Quite fun and cool! :-)
Last edited by Jay Gould; 04-10-2009 at 03:59 PM.
Exactly. The idea behind the ExpoDisc, or any other WB calibration filter or card, is to get the WB right in your camera, but that usually implies jpeg. If you are shooting RAW, just save the sample shot and set it later in post. It's much the same as you might do in a studio, having your subject hold up a reflective card to later reference in post.... same idea.
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