White Balance: White or Gray Card???

Tom Potter · November 25, 2009

Hey Folks,

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!!

Purusing the Internet, I've learned there's a lot of confusion as to whether one should use a white or a gray card to set White Balance.

My understanding has always been that a gray card is for setting proper exposure.

I was going to purchase a White Card of some sort to set White Balance. However, now I'm confused as to whether it, or a Gray Card would be the proper tool.

Thanks to all for your help....

Tom in Beautiful Colorado

pathfinder · November 25, 2009

The short answer is both will usually work.

If you google this topic, it has been discussed a lot over the years. Canon's camera manuals, specify a white subject, not a grey one. Since there is so much more data in the higher tones of a histogram than in more medium tones, that may be more accurate than using a medium gray card for color balance, but I have used both without incident.

If you are going to use a white card for a custom white balance, you do not get a correct exposure setting. The nice thing about using a true neutral grey card like the BalanceSmarter reflector, is that if you shoot in Av, you will get a true neutral non-specular grey image, and your histogram should show a narrow spike dead center in your histogram display. Since you shot in Av mode, this you also will tell you what aperture and shutter speed to use for the existing lighting as well.

Andrew Rodney makes a point about not using Kodak 18% grey cards for color balance. He points out that they were never made for color balance, they were made for light meters to read a correct reflected exposure reading. They MIGHT be not a neutral gray. If you use a neutral grey tone from a MacBeth Color Checker this should not be problem.

Tom Potter · November 25, 2009

pathfinder wrote:

The short answer is both will usually work.

If you google this topic, it has been discussed a lot over the years. Canon's camera manuals, specify a white subject, not a grey one. Since there is so much more data in the higher tones of a histogram than in more medium tones, that may be more accurate than using a medium gray card for color balance, but I have used both without incident.

If you are going to use a white card for a custom white balance, you do not get a correct exposure setting. The nice thing about using a true neutral grey card like the BalanceSmarter reflector, is that if you shoot in Av, you will get a true neutral non-specular grey image, and your histogram should show a narrow spike dead center in your histogram display. Since you shot in Av mode, this you also will tell you what aperture and shutter speed to use for the existing lighting as well.

Andrew Rodney makes a point about not using Kodak 18% grey cards for color balance. He points out that they were never made for color balance, they were made for light meters to read a correct reflected exposure reading. They MIGHT be not a neutral gray. If you use a neutral grey tone from a MacBeth Color Checker this should not be problem.

Thanks very much - I appreciate yoiu taking the time. :O)

White Balance: White or Gray Card???

Comments