Achieving Natural Colors with Different Light Sources (White Balance)

White balance can also be adjusted via the [White Balance] item in the photo and movie shooting menus.

D ([Natural light auto]) may not produce the desired results under artificial light. Choose 4 ([Auto]) or an option that matches the light source.

To view white balance options, highlight [White balance] in the i menu and press J. If an option other than [Choose color temperature] is selected, white balance can be fine-tuned by selecting an option and pressing 3 until fine-tuning options are displayed. The results of fine-tuning can be previewed in the display.

The colors on the fine-tuning axes are relative, not absolute. For example, moving the cursor to B (blue) when a “warm” setting such as J ([Incandescent]) is selected for white balance will make photographs slightly “colder” but will not actually make them blue.

Any given change in color temperature produces a greater difference in color at low color temperatures than it would at higher color temperatures. For example, a change of 1000 K produces a much greater change in color at 3000 K than at 6000 K. Mired, calculated by multiplying the inverse of the color temperature by 10⁶, is a measure of color temperature that takes such variation into account, and as such is the unit used in color-temperature compensation filters. E.g.:

• 4000 K–3000 K (a difference of 1000 K)=83 mired

• 7000 K–6000 K (a difference of 1000 K)=24 mired

The perceived color of a light source varies with the viewer and other conditions. Color temperature is an objective measure of the color of a light source, defined with reference to the temperature to which an object would have to be heated to radiate light in the same wavelengths. While light sources with a color temperature in the neighborhood of 5000–5500 K appear white, light sources with a lower color temperature, such as incandescent light bulbs, appear slightly yellow or red (q). Light sources with a higher color temperature appear tinged with blue (w).

In general, choose lower values if your pictures have a red cast or to intentionally make colors colder, higher values if your pictures are tinged blue or to intentionally make colors warmer.

To view white balance options, highlight [White balance] in the i menu and press J. When [Choose color temperature] is selected, color temperature options can be viewed by pressing 3.

Preset manual white balance cannot be measured during time-lapse movie recording or while you are shooting a multiple exposure.

If the current preset is protected, the camera will be unable to measure a value for preset manual white balance; any attempt to measure white balance for a protected preset will be accompanied by a flashing 3 in the control panel and viewfinder.

• Selecting [Preset manual] for [White balance] in the photo shooting menu displays white balance presets; highlight a preset and press J.

• If no value currently exists for the selected preset, white balance will be set to 5200 K, the same as [Direct sunlight].

With preset manual selected for white balance, display the i menu, highlight [White balance], and then press and hold J to place the camera in direct measurement mode.

The selected preset can be fine-tuned by selecting [Fine-tune] and adjusting white balance as described in “Fine-Tuning White Balance” (Fine-Tuning White Balance).

To enter a descriptive comment of up to 36 characters for the current white-balance preset, select [Edit comment] in the preset manual white balance menu and enter a comment (Text Entry).

To protect the current white-balance preset, select [Protect] in the preset manual white balance menu, then highlight [On] and press J. Protected presets cannot be modified.