What are people using for white balance on compact cameras in underwater use?

More specifically, what are people using with strobes, what are people using in natural light (in clear water) and what are people using in natural light with a red filter?

FWIW, I will be using a Nikon P-4 in an Ikelite housing with or without an Ikelite strobe (the model 51).

Thanks,
TED

Tedj101 - 01 August 2007 06:50 AM

What are people using for white balance on compact cameras in underwater use?

A coated white sheet of paper + the custom white balance function of their camera?

Peter Niemayer - 01 August 2007 04:14 PM

Tedj101 - 01 August 2007 06:50 AM

What are people using for white balance on compact cameras in underwater use?

A coated white sheet of paper + the custom white balance function of their camera?

Thanks.  That’s a useful reply.  I have to confess that I hadn’t thought about using that function under water, I guess I never thought it would work. I’ll just point it at my slate at the depth I need to use it for available light shots.

Are there any downsides to this? 

Many thanks!

<TED>

Tedj101 - 01 August 2007 07:04 PM

Are there any downsides to this?

Other than having to prepare a sufficiently water-proof sheet I don’t see one. Of course a bright white piece of plastic - such as a clean UW scratchpad - would do just as good. If you intend to shoot pictures from a larger distance, a partner holding the “white sample” while you adjust on it might be helpful.

Peter Niemayer - 01 August 2007 07:14 PM

Tedj101 - 01 August 2007 07:04 PM

Are there any downsides to this?

Other than having to prepare a sufficiently water-proof sheet I don’t see one. Of course a bright white piece of plastic - such as a clean UW scratchpad - would do just as good. If you intend to shoot pictures from a larger distance, a partner holding the “white sample” while you adjust on it might be helpful.

Actually, I checked and I need an 18% grey card, not a white card with this camera.  That’s a little harder to come by at 60’!

Best,
TED

I use one of those arm slates that has the flip option. I can write on the other two parts, but the 3rd part is for setting the white balance… They may not be true white.. never compared, but a #### of a lot better than carrying my white slate designed for photo-taking with me everywhere.

I found that laminated paper dissolves over time.

One of the reasons why I can certainly recommend
PADI’s white balance slate. That is grey on one side,
white on the other and also features a color checker
field in one corner.

The costs should be between 13 EUR and 15 USD.
It can also be purchased separately from the DUP book.

Andreas Voeltz - 21 August 2007 05:41 PM

I found that laminated paper dissolves over time.

One of the reasons why I can certainly recommend
PADI’s white balance slate. That is grey on one side,
white on the other and also features a color checker
field in one corner.

The costs should be between 13 EUR and 15 USD.
It can also be purchased separately from the DUP book.

Thanks, that’s useful—though I have to confess that I tried it
on auto and it did a very good job.  Of course that was in the
Bahamas where the water is clear as a bell.

Regards,
TED

You results should improve with
manual white balance and a filter.

Then you can leave the strobe and
bring color down to a depth of 18m.

I personally have never found he results to be any more accurate using a specific gray slate as compared to using a white slate, my hand, the sand, and mostly whiteish rocks.

The object you use does not have to be completely gray it has to be mostly the colour you are trying to tell the camera is white. They are quite clever they will interpolate the information right.

I am not against the spending of money on a slate or something .. i am just saying IMO it’s a waste of time buying something you maybe need especially as it really is just ONE MORE THING to carry .. don’t we have enough to carry already ?

I do not want to spent much time defending a slate, which
I co-invented but don’t earn any money with, but....

MY EXPERIENCE IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, GILES

I found that in greenish dark waters (@ home) most cameras
get better results with a white version. In tropical waters the
results become more pleasing, when using white grey. Which
also sounds logical to me, as grey is just a darker version of
white, when speaking digital.

Balancing on the own hand is usually the last resort for me,
if I have nothing else and no sand to balance on. the results
very often produced a false calibration and vary a lot with the
amount of diving and suntan I received on my skin.

If there is sand in the right color, I try to use it as often as
I can. But sand color can be very different in many places of
the world. In Indonesia you have places with black sand
that is certainly not suitable for white balance.

So sometimes I regret forgetting the card in some areas,
when all the above suddenly failed and a good target
would have been very useful. That’s my experience…

Andi

While I agree with Giles that I don’t want to carry anything that is not
necessary, for the modest cost involved, I will try the PADI card.  I can
always leave it at home if I find it is unnecessary.

Thanks,
TED

Andi ... maybe you can explain to us all how come the PADI card you so co invented is so special. Cards for white balancing have been around for a long time, so have slates. I have even seen slates with several different grey tones for different depths.

How is this PADi slate so different .. how did your invention process work that deviated away from all the other grey cards that have been around before ?

(just a reminder that white balancing underwater existed long before PADI even knew what digital photography was. UW videographers have been doing it for a long time!)