# AWB vs Kelvin



## Ozarker (Jan 13, 2020)

Several months ago I got the chance to shoot at a Karaoke bar. I used AWB and the results really sucked with all the mixed lighting. Would I have been better off using Kelvin? Sorry for what seems like a very simple question, but this has never come up for me. I know there are some event/concert shooters here who can point me in the right direction. Thanks again! BTW: I have recently been using Kelvin at regular photo shoots with great results as compared to straight AWB.


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## Viggo (Jan 13, 2020)

For me I adjust Kelvin value manually everywhere. I can sit in Lr and spend hours and hours, never getting what I want, plus it’s sometimes hard to remember what it looked like where I shot. So I adjust kelvin where I stand to match as close as possible to the actual scene and shoot. I hardly ever adjust in Lr anymore, saves heaps of time and a lot less frustration. Doesn’t matter if I shoot with flash, indoor outdoor anywhere.


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## YuengLinger (Jan 13, 2020)

Imo, AWB and LR CC have improved so much recently that color temp is only rarely an issue. But choosing to match in camera better is an efficient technique in the type of situations Canonfanboy mentions here. Great reminder!

Canonfanboy, Viggo, how are you choosing your Kelvin values?


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## Kit. (Jan 13, 2020)

AWB is not designed for mixed lighting and for scenes with strong color cast.

With mixed lighting you may need to manually choose which lighting is your main one, then the other kinds of lighting will produce their color cast effects.

If your main lighting is incandescent or has an incandescent-like spectrum, selecting its incandescent color temperature (in Kelvins) should be enough. Otherwise, you may want to have two-dimensional control (red/green + blue/yellow) of the color cast.


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## Viggo (Jan 13, 2020)

YuengLinger said:


> Imo, AWB and LR CC have improved so much recently that color temp is only rarely an issue. But choosing to match in camera better is an efficient technique in the type of situations Canonfanboy mentions here. Great reminder!
> 
> Canonfanboy, Viggo, how are you choosing your Kelvin values?


I choose by closing and opening my eyes back and forth between the scene I’m shooting and the EVF until they look the same, takes about 10 seconds with a little practice .


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## YuengLinger (Jan 13, 2020)

Viggo said:


> I choose by closing and opening my eyes back and forth between the scene I’m shooting and the EVF until they look the same, takes about 10 seconds with a little practice .



Ah...So it's mirrorless making life easier then. Not those old bug-eyes or WB card.


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## Del Paso (Jan 13, 2020)

Viggo said:


> I choose by closing and opening my eyes back and forth between the scene I’m shooting and the EVF until they look the same, takes about 10 seconds with a little practice .


Thanks for suggesting to use the EOS R.
I just experienced a colorful disaster with my Leica M in an underwater show, about the Great Barrier Reef. Lighting was often changing, in many different shades too.
Next time, I'll use the R and your empirical method, which sounds convincing!


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## privatebydesign (Jan 13, 2020)

I used to always shoot with a fixed ºK as it makes batch changes much easier. I find AWB-W very good, but for difficult mixed lighting you have to use fixed ºK, if you shoot RAW the value is irrelevant and anybody not shooting RAW in mixed lighting is an idiot anyway.


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## Ozarker (Jan 13, 2020)

YuengLinger said:


> Imo, AWB and LR CC have improved so much recently that color temp is only rarely an issue. But choosing to match in camera better is an efficient technique in the type of situations Canonfanboy mentions here. Great reminder!
> 
> Canonfanboy, Viggo, how are you choosing your Kelvin values?


I usually choose between 4600 and 5600. After that it can all be adjusted in post for the right look. I find this helps to get a more consistent WB across several different frames. I've started shooting at a Kelvin Value most all times not. The higher the number the warmer the shot. The lower the number the cooler the shot. My starting place is usually at about 4800K. Kelvin seems to make things more consistent and less affected by color changes. Just my opinion. I should add that I never shoot in anything but RAW.


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## Kit. (Jan 13, 2020)

privatebydesign said:


> I used to always shoot with a fixed Kº


Sorry for nitpicking, but kelvin is a proper physical unit (and a base unit in SI), not a "degree".


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## Ozarker (Jan 13, 2020)

Kit. said:


> Sorry for nitpicking, but kelvin is a proper physical unit (and a base unit in SI), not a "degree".


Seems that depends upon when one was taught: In 1967/1968, Resolution 3 of the 13th CGPM renamed the unit increment of thermodynamic temperature "kelvin", symbol K, replacing "degree Kelvin", symbol °K.


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## Ozarker (Jan 22, 2020)

privatebydesign said:


> I used to always shoot with a fixed ºK as it makes batch changes much easier. I find AWB-W very good, but for difficult mixed lighting you have to use fixed ºK, if you shoot RAW the value is irrelevant and anybody not shooting RAW in mixed lighting is an idiot anyway.


   It's good to know I have gotten smarter... a little bit.  I've just started picking 4800K for the reasons you give. I learn a whole lot from you.


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## privatebydesign (Jan 22, 2020)

CanonFanBoy said:


> It's good to know I have gotten smarter... a little bit.  I've just started picking 4800K for the reasons you give.


You and me both!


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## privatebydesign (Jan 22, 2020)

CanonFanBoy said:


> Seems that depends upon when one was taught: In 1967/1968, Resolution 3 of the 13th CGPM renamed the unit increment of thermodynamic temperature "kelvin", symbol K, replacing "degree Kelvin", symbol °K.


I suppose I am showing my age, or more likely the age of the sources I learnt from! I'm happy to learn though and if ºK is dead (and has been for decades) I'm happy to adopt K as it's replacement.

ºK is dead, long live K.


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## Ozarker (Jan 22, 2020)

privatebydesign said:


> I suppose I am showing my age, or more likely the age of the sources I learnt from! I'm happy to learn though and if ºK is dead (and has been for decades) I'm happy to adopt K as it's replacement.
> 
> ºK is dead, long live K.


I still hear people refer to it as degrees Kelvin all the time.


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