ExpoDisc or WhiBal?

[BlueArctos]

My Nikon D200 uses a Nikkor 18-200 mm lens. It generally does great with auto white balance, but I need something for scheduled shoots to help me with WB.

I'm a NAPP member, so I'm quite familiar with the WhiBal card and the ExpoDisc filter (almost every issue of Photoshop User magazine has full-page ads for both of these products).

If you were limited to one of the two products, which would you get? I should note that I don't mind taking the time to correct my images in post-production.

Thanks.

 

[failsafe1]

Do you need either? I have never seen a situation that you could not correct with the proper camera setting and post processing if you are digital. I have found on most of my pro digital bodies open shade works well for most sunny situations with a bit of selective color tweaking. The trick used to be to meter on your hand and open up two stops for down and dirty grey card shooting.

 

[BlueArctos]

Do you need either? I have never seen a situation that you could not correct with the proper camera setting and post processing if you are digital. I have found on most of my pro digital bodies open shade works well for most sunny situations with a bit of selective color tweaking. The trick used to be to meter on your hand and open up two stops for down and dirty grey card shooting.

Visually, I agree. I'm content developing by eye and with my camera's Auto/Preset WB. Unfortunately, some clients have demands which center on "absolutes." They want definitive (or as close to definitive as possible) color relationships. My limited photographic experience isn't enough for them.

I'm thinking I'll go with the WhiBal card. It's only about $30, and it's small enough to slip in my pocket. Worse comes to worst, I'll only be losing some space on my CF card to the RAW reference shots.

 

[ChrisBrightwell]

I'm thinking I'll go with the WhiBal card. It's only about $30, and it's small enough to slip in my pocket. Worse comes to worst, I'll only be losing some space on my CF card to the RAW reference shots.

If you're going to do things like color correction in post, you'll want to shoot RAW, not JPG.

 

[BlueArctos]

If you're going to do things like color correction in post, you'll want to shoot RAW, not JPG.

That's correct. My wording was foggy; I meant to write that by using the WhiBal card, the most I could lose would be some storage space on the card. I always shoot RAW regardless.

 

[failsafe1]

I have never used either product you mention so I don't really know how they work. Why would you not shoot a gray card or white card the balance from that either in camera creating a custom white balance or in post processing? Do either product you mentioned do more than that or is it just a new way to do an old thing?

 

[failsafe1]

Just followed both links and the whibal looks like a more useful system. Nothing to put on and remove from your camera. The pocket price is not outrageous either.