# Video Camera Q: White Balancing

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-camera-q-white-balancing/494762>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 29, 2009, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-camera-q-white-balancing/494762 "2009-04-29T19:53:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TNWPsycho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/47e85d/32.png) [@TNWPsycho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TNWPsycho)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-camera-q-white-balancing/494762/1 "2009-04-29T19:53:40Z")

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I’ve just gotten a pretty high end “prosumer” video camera which allows me to manually white balance. I do a lot of nature filming and was curious on what the best way to white balance is when im outside in the woods, or in a field?

If i remember correctly, sunlight is slightly blueish, so if i white balance on a white sheet outside won’t i get an orange tint to the video? How can i successfully white balance outside?

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-camera-q-white-balancing/494762/2 "2009-04-29T20:06:19Z")

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> [@TNWPsycho](#):
>
> If i remember correctly, sunlight is slightly blueish, so if i white balance on a white sheet outside won’t i get an orange tint to the video? How can i successfully white balance outside?

This is the whole point of white balancing. If you white balance on a white object, your colours will be balanced for the lighting you have. So no, you won’t get an orange tint.

FWIW, sunlight is 5600°K and tungsten is 3400°K. So if you balance for tungsten and then go outside (or shoot through an open door), your image will appear blueish.

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**Author:** ![TNWPsycho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/47e85d/32.png) [@TNWPsycho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TNWPsycho)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-camera-q-white-balancing/494762/3 "2009-04-29T20:11:45Z")

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But if the white sheet is outside it won’t be a true white will it? It will be reflecting the 5600K sunlight. Making it a cooler color (correct?)

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**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-camera-q-white-balancing/494762/4 "2009-04-29T20:30:24Z")

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> [@TNWPsycho](#):
>
> But if the white sheet is outside it won’t be a true white will it? It will be reflecting the 5600K sunlight. Making it a cooler color (correct?)

But everything else outside will be reflecting the 5600K sunlight as well. That is the point of white balance - you calibrate the camera to something that appears “white” in the current lighting conditions, whatever they are.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-camera-q-white-balancing/494762/5 "2009-04-29T22:09:41Z")

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The problem with posting from the office is that sometimes it takes a while to get back to a post. 😛

So…

What **Absolute** said.