One of the very big advantages of digital cameras and more specifically RAW images from those digital cameras is that you have a much greater control over white balance. Back in the days of film you had to know in advance under what kind of lighting you would be shooting so that you could buy film for that lighting. If you had several kinds of light in one scene like incandescent and florescent then you kind of had to pick the lesser of two evils. While digital cameras make it easy to choose the white balance for the type of lighting you are shooting under (a process that is as simple as choosing the type of lighting from your camera menu) you still have problems when you have a scene with mixed lighting. Also, even when you choose the white balance for the light you are shooting under not all cameras do a perfect job with the white balance. Most get pretty close to perfect white balance when you shoot for example under fluorescent light in the florescent white balance mode, but then the best cameras can still be off a small bit.
But what if you don’t want to shoot RAW or your camera doesn’t support shooting in RAW, what then? Well thanks to more and more RAW processing programs like Adobe Camera RAW 4.0 which will be released with Adobe Photoshop CS3 (the public beta of both are available now for download) you can now have this white balance control with JPG images as well. So you no longer have to worry about shooting in RAW. Another trend that is happening with digital camera images is programs allowing you to correct these images in a non-destructive way. Adobe Lightroom (soon to be released, beta now available for download) is one such program. Everything you do to your image (RAW, JPG, etc.) is done non-destructive, meaning you can always undo all of your edits and get back to the original files.
But, let’s be real here. I see more and more people say “I will fix it in post processing”. Just how many things and how much work do we really want to do post process (after the picture is taken and in a software program like Adobe Photoshop)? Personally, I think many people have gotten kind of sloppy in this regard. Instead of taking the time to learn how to use their camera and how make the proper adjustments before you take a picture, they just say “I will fix it in post processing”. The problem is if you have 30 or more images and each one needs to be adjusted and you have more to do than just adjusting the white balance because you decided “I will just fix it in post processing” the amount of time you spend getting your images to a point that they are useful either for on screen display like the web or for printing will be substantial. To make matters worse each image is going to need someone on one attention. Meaning that even if your editing program allows you to adjust one image and then apply those adjustments to all of your other images this very seldom will give good images. Why? Because each image is different and unless you did manual exposure for all of them, each image has a different exposure, will have slightly different white balance, etc. It is very difficult to batch edit say 30 images and have them all turn out perfect. You really need to adjust each image separately. This brings me back to just how much time and how many things do we really want to “fix in post processing?”
I am also seeing this kind of attitude when it comes to cameras that have clear flaws. Take the new Pentax K10D. A nice camera for sure. But, it produces soft JPG images, its auto white balance function is at best poor. But, instead of people that bought this $1000 camera complaining to Pentax and demanding that these flaws be fixed they simply say “so what, I don’t shoot JPG.” Or “I will fix it in post processing.” Or, “I shoot in RAW only.” Personally I think this sets a horrible precedent one that is going to enable camera makers to get away with shoddy designs and camera processing routines because customers will “just fix it in post processing.” First we need to demand more from out expensive camera investments. Functions should work and while I wouldn’t expect them to work flawlessly, they should work as well as possible given that they were created by an imperfect being... yes that is us the human.”
Second we need to demand more of ourselves and do everything we can to get the shot right from the start and keep post processing to those images that truly need it. Those images that it was just impossible to get perfect right from the start. Simple things like contrast, brightness, exposure, color, white balance, sharpness, etc. should be just about right perfect right from the camera. “I will fix it in post process” is just sloppy and a lame excuse for not doing the job right from the start.
This includes getting the white balance correct. Most “post processing” deals with color casts. Green images, blue images, orange or yellow images are all because white balance wasn’t set or done correctly and while these things may be easy to fix “post process” our images and the detail and data continued in our images will be better and better off if we get this right or at least as right as possible when we take the shot. Getting perfect white balance right from the start is very easy to do and it can be achieved no matter how bazaar the lighting conditions. How? The ExpoDisc from ExpoImaging.
The ExpoDisc looks like a filter. You screw it on the front of your lens, you go in to your cameras manual white balance mode and take a shot with the ExpoDisc on the front of your lens with the lens and camera aimed at the most prominent light source (lamp, sun, moon, etc.) This sets the white balance perfectly no matter what kind of lighting you have. You only have to redo this white balance setting procedure when your lighting changes drastically. On most cameras this takes less than a minute to do and it is the difference between a perfectly color balanced image and one that has to be “fixed in post processing.”
In the Image Gallery below I have included some samples. All of these were done with the camera on auto white balance, manually white balanced using the ExpoDisc and with the appropriate white balance mode for the light I was using, in this case florescent and incandescent. It is clear which one is better and because the white balance is right from the start you don’t have to be worry about it later, you now have one less thing to do in “post processing.”
The ExpoDisc is simple to use and works flawlessly every time. Since most higher end and some lower end cameras support the setting of white balance manually it is a great investment and a great way to visibly and easily improve the quality of your images right out of the camera.
The ExpoDisc is well made, it comes with a lanyard and neck strap so you can carry it around your neck so you always have quick access to it. You can even unhook it from the neck strap without having to take the neck strap off. There are two ExpoDisc’s available the Neutral which is good for just about any type of photography from landscapes, to architecture and more and there is a warm one designed for portrait photography were you want a nice modest warming of the person’s skin. You also get with your ExpoDisc a nice carry pouch that not only holds the ExpoDisc, but the neck strap as well. You get a simple little instruction book (it is really very easy to use) as well as a CD with a more in-depth instruction manual for the ExpoDisc and as well as basic instructions for using the ExpoDisc with various camera brands like Canon, Nikon, Pentax, etc. Also, included is a PDF guide on using the ExpoDisc with film, finally there is also an instructional video and a professional photographers testimonial video.
The ExpoDisc is available in several different mm sizes (to match the filter threads of your lenses) and because of the different sizes it costs different amounts. The ExpoDisc comes in 6 sizes, including 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm and 82mm. The prices range for $99.95 for the 58mm to $109.95 for the 67mm to $124.95 for the 82mm. You can either buy the ExpoDisc from the manufacturers web site or check your local camera store. If they don’t have it you can find local retailers on their web site by state.
TIP: Now ExpoImaging may not like this tip, but I am going to share it none the less. I suggest you buy the largest ExpoDisc you can afford, larger than what you need for your largest lens. This way you can use it with any lens you have. I have the 82mm (the largest they make) and while it may not screw on to any of my lenses (it is too big) it works with all of them and alls that I have to do is hold it in front of the lens and snap the picture for setting the white balance manually.
I know myself the photos I took 5 years ago look horrible. In fact I look at them and wonder why I took a picture of whatever it was. I look at my images today and I see a clear reason for them. I also notice that out of the 5,000 images I have from 5 years ago about 1% of them are keepers or something I would want to keep and print. Today 90% of the images I shoot are keepers and ones I want to print. Even if taking pictures is limited to family get-togethers, the kids and special events. Take pride in your pictures and do them right. I am reminded of a saying my great grandmother used to say. “We learn right up to the moment of death. The last thing we learn on this earthly plain is what death is all about and what comes next for us.” I take this to mean that we never stop learning. So please never stop trying to improve your photography skills. You don’t have to be a pro to make fantastic use of the ExpoDisc. It is a wonderful investment and something you will use a lot especially when shooting indoors with artificial light.
If you camera allows you to get the white balance manually then you can and should use the ExpoDisc. Of all of the tools and gadgets I carry in to the field the ExpoDisc out side of my camera and memory cards gets the most use. A very worthwhile investment.
TIP: If you have questions that our review didn’t answer please take a moment to visit the ExpoImaging web site and their frequently asked question section. There are a lot of great questions and answers there that will hopefully answer any questions, we didn’t.
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