Best White Balance Card?

<p>Hello,<br>

What is the best white balance card? I am looking for something I could use for both on-camera preset or post processing. As my camera is a Nikon not a Canon I need a card big enough to fill the front of the lens as Nikon's do not sample. I have been looking at the WhiBal. They claim that they are the only truly neutral card...is this true? Also, how good are the lens caps that double as a neutral card? </p>

<p>The WhiBal card looks like a very good solution. Be sure to get a true white card, not gray as is sometimes suggested. That's why it's called "white balance", same thing we used to white balance video cameras years ago. Gray cards designed for metering aren't always neutral and can pick up some odd tints.</p>

<p>As for filling the frame, with Nikon's it's not that big a deal. The card doesn't need to be in focus so just get it close enough to fill the frame without casting a shadow. Should be easy to do even using a small card, with all lenses but fisheyes.</p>

<p>The Expodisc is okay, but a white card will be more versatile and quicker to use. The Expodisc is a doodad that actually predates digital. It was originally designed for two roles: converting TTL reflective metering to incident metering; pre-flashing film in the camera. The Expodisc was basically re-purposed to make it relevant to the digital era.</p>

<p>Many cards will get you pretty close. This card, however, will get you as close as is possible:</p>

<p>http://www.whibalhost.com/_Tutorials/WhiBal/01/</p>

<p>http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?ci=0&shs=whibal&sb=ps&pn=1&sq=desc&InitialSearch=yes&O=jsp%2FRootPage.jsp&A=search&Q=*&bhs=t&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=submit</p>

<p>I like the <strong><a href="http://www.laurphoto.com/prdr/lastolite_ezybalance">Lastolite Ezybalance</a></strong>. It's got an 18% gray surface on one side (for metering), and a pure white surface on the reverse. It's one of those spring-steel hoops that folds down to about the size of a coffee cup saucer, and pops out to 12" wide (Lex is right - that's more than big enough since you don't need to be in focus to set a custom white balance). That's also enough surface area to simply have it <em>in</em> a sample shot (near a subject, for example) so that you can eyedropper the color during a batch white balance correction after the fact.<br /><br />Bonus: it makes a nice reflector. I pop it out of my bag to use as a bounce surface for speedlights, or to reflect a little sunlight into something table-top-ish like a food shot, etc. Very useful little tool to have around.</p>

<p>I think the basic Kodak R-27 card is fine. The small card has a plastic sleeve and fits in your bag nicely and as Lex said you don't need any bigger as the camera has no need to be focused for the WB shot. It is designed to be neutral. I've seen claims that it's not as neutral as others but they tend to be from companies wanting to sell more expensive stuff. And you can do white balance to a white card or a gray card as long as it's neutral and the exposure is set so you're not blowing out one of the channels. White is just a brighter gray (by 1 2/3 stop in the case of the Kodak card).</p>

<p>I think there is more room to get the color wrong with technique as opposed to the accuracy of the card. As an example, certain lights (e.g. vapor lamps used in gyms) flicker such that occasionally you'll get a dark, miscolored shot. If that happens on your WB exposure, all your shots will be off in the other direction. To prevent that, choose 1/50 or 1/60 as appropriate for the WB shot. Reflections from walls, floors, foliage all adds in so if you use the cards in a somewhat different location than your subject will be it may make a difference.</p>

<p>"I think there is more room to get the color wrong with technique as opposed to the accuracy of the card."</p>

<p>True, but that only adds to any errors that exist becuse your card isn't neutral. So, even with perfect technique, you'll get imperfect WB if your card isn't neutral. Yes, it may be 'close enough' for many purposes. But the OP did ask about the best card, so I've assumed that accuracy is very important.</p>