Custom White Balance

With custom white balance, you can set the white balance using an image captured under the same lighting as at the shooting location.

Registering Custom White Balances

To register custom white balances, you can either register a picture taken during this process or register an image recorded on a card.

Note

Registration from the Quick Control screen

Press the button.
- Select the [White balance] setting item.
Select [Custom].
- Select [*], then press .
Select a custom white balance number to register the white balance data to.
- Turn the dial or press left or right to select a number from 1 to 5, then press the button.
Shoot a plain white object ().
- The custom white balance is registered to the camera.
- To shoot with the registered custom white balance, see Selecting and Shooting with Custom White Balances.

Registration from the menu

Select [: Set Custom WB] (, ).
Select a custom white balance number to register the white balance data to.
- Press .
- Turn the dial or press up or down to select a number for [] (from 1 to 5), then press . The custom white balance will be registered to the selected number.
Select [Record and register WB].
Shoot a plain white object ().
- The custom white balance is registered to the camera.
- To shoot with the registered custom white balance, see Selecting and Shooting with Custom White Balances.

Shoot a plain white object.
- Shoot a plain white object as described in Shooting to register custom white balances.
Select [: Set Custom WB] (, ).
Select a custom white balance number to register the white balance data to.
- Press .
- Turn the dial or press up or down to select a number for [] (from 1 to 5), then press . The custom white balance will be registered to the selected number.
Select [Select image on card].
- Images recorded on the card are displayed.
Select an image to register as the custom white balance.
- Turn the dial to select the image captured in step 1, then press .
Register the image data as a custom white balance on the camera.
- Select [OK] after the message, and your custom white balance will be registered to the camera.
- To shoot with the registered custom white balance, see Selecting and Shooting with Custom White Balances.

Caution

If the exposure obtained in step 1 differs greatly from the standard exposure, a correct white balance may not be obtained.
The following images cannot be selected.
- Images captured with Picture Style set to [Monochrome]
- Multiple exposures
- Cropped images
- Images from other cameras

Note the following when shooting a plain white object to register the color as a custom white balance.

Your selected number (1) blinks in the upper left of the screen and on the LCD panel.
Aim the camera at a plain white object so that white fills the area in (2).
Set the camera to Manual Focus and shoot so that the white object has standard exposure.
You can use any of the white balance settings.

Caution

Correct white balance may not be obtained if the exposure of your image differs greatly from standard exposure.

Note

If [Correct WB may not be obtained with the selected image] is displayed, try shooting again from step 1.
Instead of shooting a white object, you can also shoot a gray card or standard 18% gray reflector (commercially available).
Images captured for this purpose are not recorded to a card.

Setting from the Quick Control screen

Press the button.
- Select the [White balance] setting item.
Select [Custom].
Select the custom white balance number.
- Turn the dial or press left or right to select a number from 1 to 5, then press .
Take the picture.

Setting from the menu

Select [: Set Custom WB] (, ).
Select the custom white balance number.

(1) Registered image
- On the [Set Custom WB] screen, select the number of the registered custom white balance.
Select [Set as white balance].
- The white balance setting changes to [*].
Take the picture.
- The picture is taken with the [*] setting applied.

You can add a name (caption) to the five registered custom white balances (custom white balance nos. 1–5).

Select [: Set Custom WB] (, ).
Select the custom white balance number.
- On the [Set Custom WB] screen, select the number of the registered custom white balance to add a name to.
Select [Edit WB name].
Enter text.
- Use , , or to select a character, then press to enter it.
- By selecting [], you can change the input mode.
- To delete single characters, select [] or press the button.
Exit the setting.
- Press the button, then press [OK].
- The information is saved, and display returns to the screen in step 2.
- The entered name is displayed below [*].

Note

As names, it may be helpful to enter the names of places where you captured the custom white balance images, or the names of the light sources.