Color Balance for Strobe & Daylight with 580EX / 5D

[matt_k1]

I know the basics of fill flash and mixing flash and daylight. But

have always used other peoples strobes with manual control. To

balance out the cold flash color temp with ambient light, say at

sunrise/sunset, I would use warming gels and select a familiar film

and get great results. Now I would like to use a Canon 580EX with a

5D and I'm wondering what the best procedure is...Should I just use

it in manual mode and go the 'old-fashioned' way with gels or should

I take advantage of the technology and use some automatic mode?<p>

Is there a simple and reliable way to get correct color balance with

the 5D/580EX set to some automagic dummy mode? I realize I'll have

to use gels anyway because the equipment can't correct for two

different color temperatures (daylight and flash) in a single

exposure and I don't want to do a lot of post work.<p>

I guess basically I'm wondering which 'white balance' settings to

use on the camera when I have a warming gel on the flash and mixing

in some warm daylight.

<p>

Also, I would also like to move the flash off camera. I guess I lose

any Auto White Balnace funtionality when I do that unless I get some

special adapter or canon's wireless trnsmiter. So then I would need

to use manual mode. Or would the automatic stuff be worth it?<p>

I'm leaning towards just using the flash in manual mode with a

warming gel and setting the cameras white balance manually. I'd

check the temp relationship between flash/ambient on the LCD. I'm

sure there are better suggestions...<p>

thanks

[Ed_Ingold]

A set of amber waming gels for the flash are useful in many circumstances. You have to experiment to get the effect you want. You can't do this with a filter on the lens or with white balance.

 

Shoot in RAW mode, and adjust the white balance later. Once the flash and ambient light are matched, you can do everything else in post.

[e.m.]

You can definately gel the light. But I would highly reccomend the whilbal at whibal.com It's given me perfect white balance every time. You take a pic of it under the same light that you are shooting in. The expodisc is supposed to be excellent as well just a little pricier. Here's a sample of the whibal with daylight mixed with my strobe.

 

Good luck, Ed<div></div>