Question for Canon 5D owners ONLY...

BeemerChef

I have already asked this with no pertinent reply. Maybe a 5D owner as I am will have the answer.
Copy and paste from my previous thread.

Hello... I don't know what is happening! I am getting too much red hue and also too much blue hue on for example gray cement or roads...
I use the "K" setting, generally at 5200, more if shady.
Same results with AWB.
I have settings on "standard" as landscape is a bit too much "fudgy" colors. Saturation is on 2 notches above the middle. Hue is in the middle.
Any help is appreciated.
Thank you...
Be well. Ara

Scott_Quier

I shoot with a 30D but I still think I can help - besides, "Signs only apply to literates:D. Have you considered acquiring a good gray target, shooting that, and using the result to set a custom white balance? I'm thinking that doing so may help take some of the guess work out of setting your white balance.

davev

I don't have a 5D either, but in my guess is your saturation setting.
The 5D puts out very saturated images without bumping the saturation up.

Try resetting the saturation back to zero and see if that helps.

Andy

Shoot in RAW and then have total control (easily) of the white balance and the color profile

jdryan3

Try Faithful or Neutral. Also Adobe RGB (not sRGB). But I agree with the others: use RAW.

On the K for white balance, it really only works if you 'know' what the actual light temp is. So a grey card is still needed to set the white balance accurately. The WB in the camera may be benchmarked to 5K but what about the actual light source?

LiquidAir

jdryan3 wrote:

Try Faithful or Neutral. Also Adobe RGB (not sRGB). But I agree with the others: use RAW.

Yep, Faithful and RAW for the win.

BeemerChef

Well, I guess there is no sense going around and around... I have to learn how to shoot in RAW! I think the Canon software has the program I need... Maybe I will take a class... the more I use a camera the more I realize I "know nothing"...

I have a gray 18% (hard to believe...), but I understand that for every light changes I need to recalibrate with that gray and I move around way too much to do that...

Well, for some reason I almost feel as I was happier with the 30D... but the 5D seems sharper, or maybe it is the 24~105mm "L" lens...

Thank you all... sorry to be so redundant...

Be well... Ara & Spirit

Andy

jdryan3 wrote:

Also Adobe RGB (not sRGB).

To advise someone shooting jpg, for the web, and for printing at a commercial lab like SmugMug's, to shoot in aRGB is incorrect

http://www.smugmug.com/help/srgb-versus-adobe-rgb-1998

Ara, use sRGB for your stuff, thanks.

jdryan3

Andy wrote:

To advise someone shooting jpg, for the web, and for printing at a commercial lab like SmugMug's, to shoot in aRGB is incorrect

http://www.smugmug.com/help/srgb-versus-adobe-rgb-1998

Ara, use sRGB for your stuff, thanks.

Agreed Andy. But OP didn't say anything about shooting for the web or using SmugMug to print. He was talking about his colors being off and problems with WB. I suggested he look at aRGB vs sRGB since aRGB is typically less saturated (or more 'flat').

Scott_Quier

BeemerChef wrote:

Well, I guess there is no sense going around and around... I have to learn how to shoot in RAW! I think the Canon software has the program I need... Maybe I will take a class... the more I use a camera the more I realize I "know nothing"...

I have a gray 18% (hard to believe...), but I understand that for every light changes I need to recalibrate with that gray and I move around way too much to do that...

Well, for some reason I almost feel as I was happier with the 30D... but the 5D seems sharper, or maybe it is the 24~105mm "L" lens...

Thank you all... sorry to be so redundant...

Be well... Ara & Spirit

If you shoot RAW, you can shoot a gray card for each light change - no need to actaully set a custom white balance in camera. Then, during processing use the gray card shot to adjust the WB in the others shot in that same light - easy stuff. If you have nothing else, you might want to check out Digital Photo Professional (DPP) that comes with your camera. It's free and pretty powerful. There's a pretty good video tutorial here.

BeemerChef

OK... now I am getting humourous... and yet... no reply...
So here is the scenario... We leave a few times a week on the motorcycle and the sidecar, Spirit is with me and we ride... we take pictures...
The light changes a zillion times, we come back days later or the same night with another gizillions pictures...
No time to process RAW... I thought I would, but not. No time to stop and photograph an 18% gray juggling Spirit's water... food... tourists tailgating us or speaking in foreign languages as they probably have never see a Pit wearing goggles and a helmet riding in a sidecar... Dah!

The question is still there... I almost by now feel like gicing out a prize to anyone that woudl give me an answer...

Why does an expensive camera such as the 5D Canon comes out with bkue cement colors and too much red hue?

Is there ANYONE that uses a pitiful 5D of Canon brand that has the same problem end has found a proper setting... That would be a 5D canon user.

Thanks in advance... you cannot blame me for trying a third time... do you?

Be well.... Ara & Spirit

kdog

Ara, you've gotten advice as good as you're ever going to get. The reddish tint means your shots are coming out too warm, most likely because of white balance. You can fool around with in-camera settings until your face turns blue, and maybe you'll eventually get what you're looking for. Personally, I don't have the time for that. It's MUCH simpler to shoot RAW and fergetaboutit. Then later on, after the sun has gone down, with a good beer or glass of wine at hand, play around with your white balance, and dial in your exposures to perfection. Here's the bottom line: Shooting RAW saves time when you're shooting.

And you don't need to shoot a gray card. Scott's a pro, and he gets paid the big bucks to get colors that are certifiably correct. You and I simply need to use the tint and WB sliders in the RAW converter to get the look we want. Absolute accuracy in color is not as important as what looks good to you. Later on, if you eventually decide you don't like WB in the shot, you can go back and change it -- as many times as you like. In fact, several years from now when your skills have improved, you can go back and reprocess your shots.

And sorry, but the no-time-to-process-raw argument is a smokescreen. If you have the time to download your pictures into a computer, you have the time to convert to RAW. Or shoot in both RAW and JPG. That way you can have your instant gratification, as well as being able to tweak that shot of a lifetime to perfection when you do get a free moment. Ara, you're a free spirit, leading a life we all dream about. You have the subjects to shoot, and the camera to do it with. Now turn on RAW mode and finish the job.

Cheers,
-joel

BeemerChef

kdog wrote:

Ara, you've gotten advice as good as you're ever going to get. The reddish tint means your shots are coming out too warm, most likely because of white balance. You can fool around with in-camera settings until your face turns blue, and maybe you'll eventually get what you're looking for. Personally, I don't have the time for that. It's MUCH simpler to shoot RAW and fergetaboutit. Then later on, after the sun has gone down, with a good beer or glass of wine at hand, play around with your white balance, and dial in your exposures to perfection. Here's the bottom line: Shooting RAW saves time when you're shooting.

And you don't need to shoot a gray card. Scott's a pro, and he gets paid the big bucks to get colors that are certifiably correct. You and I simply need to use the tint and WB sliders in the RAW converter to get the look we want. Absolute accuracy in color is not as important as what looks good to you. Later on, if you eventually decide you don't like WB in the shot, you can go back and change it -- as many times as you like. In fact, several years from now when your skills have improved, you can go back and reprocess your shots.

And sorry, but the no-time-to-process-raw argument is a smokescreen. If you have the time to download your pictures into a computer, you have the time to convert to RAW. Or shoot in both RAW and JPG. That way you can have your instant gratification, as well as being able to tweak that shot of a lifetime to perfection when you do get a free moment. Ara, you're a free spirit, leading a life we all dream about. You have the subjects to shoot, and the camera to do it with. Now turn on RAW mode and finish the job.

Cheers,
-joel

Hi Joel... I have never used RAW... we happen to be in Kingman, AZ. Can you believe it?...
Would you like to come over and teach me how? You can also meet my wonderful friends here... maybe dinner?
Be well... Ara & Spirit

kdog

BeemerChef wrote:

Hi Joel... I have never used RAW... we happen to be in Kingman, AZ. Can you believe it?...
Would you like to come over and teach me how? You can also meet my wonderful friends here... maybe dinner?
Be well... Ara & Spirit

See you tomorrow.

-joel

Andy

kdog wrote:

See you tomorrow.

-joel

so cool, thanks Joel!!!!!!!!!!!!

kdog

Andy wrote:

so cool, thanks Joel!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, who could pass up a chance to meet the famous Ara and Spirit?

BeemerChef

Karma is good!
I appologize if I seemed a bit short in my last post!
I am just one of those with a middle brain that needs to be shown and told...
This is going to be good...
Be well... Thank you Andy also...
Ara & Spirit

BeemerChef

Andy wrote:

so cool, thanks Joel!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well Andy, as a GM for this Forum you should be happy to known that Karma has its own way moving on through its own path... Not only I have now learned how to use RAW (awesome...) but we had a great and fantastic dinner prepared by Joel's better half... we find out that we are both motorcycle riders, have acqaintances in common and today he is turning me on a great Thai Restaurant for lunch... in turn I will teach him how to roast his own Coffee beans and also introduce him to my own Friend here that happens to ride the same bike as they both do their own maintenance...
How do you like that!!!

Too bad I cannot swing through Moab to meet you... but we are on our way to Texas... Big Bend is also a great destination... maybe we will see you down there sometime.

Be well... and thanks for the "push"!

Ara & Spirit

kdog

Ara, it was a pleasure and a privilege to meet you and Spirit. You were great company and my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed your stories.

Thanks for teaching me to roast my own coffee beans. And yes, it makes a big difference. Hey, I'll make a deal with you. You promise to keep shooting RAW, and I'll continue to roast my own beans.

Travel safe, my friend, and see you down the road.
-joel