User Tag List

Thanks useful information Thanks useful information:  2
Results 1 to 12 of 12

Thread: Grey Cards

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    18 Jun 2011
    Location
    Mullaloo
    Posts
    241
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Grey Cards

    Just need to know if $22 is too much for grey,black.white card set.Im looking at the small dredit card style MicNova brand? Yjey are 5.5cm x 8.5cm so just wondering if these are any good.
    Graeme

    Nikon D90,Nikon 50mm f1.8D, Nikon 18-105 f3.5-5.6VR, Tamron 70-300 f4-5.6Di VC,Sigma 10-20mm f4-5.6 EX, Benro A2692TB1S tripod

  2. #2
    Administrator ricktas's Avatar
    Join Date
    24 Jun 2007
    Location
    Hobart
    Posts
    16,846
    Mentioned
    12 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    How much are you going to use them? Anything at any price is over-priced if you use it once and not again, but then if you use it every time you go out, it can be good value at 5x the price you are stating.

    The only thing I use is a microfibre lens cleaning cloth that is 18% grey (mid grey), so it gets used as a cleaner, as well as a grey card.
    "It is one thing to make a picture of what a person looks like, it is another thing to make a portrait of who they are" - Paul Caponigro

    Constructive Critique of my photographs is always appreciated
    Nikon, etc!

    RICK
    My Photography

  3. #3
    Member
    Threadstarter

    Join Date
    18 Jun 2011
    Location
    Mullaloo
    Posts
    241
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Thanks Rick.Good point

  4. #4
    Ausphotography Regular
    Join Date
    29 Nov 2008
    Location
    River Murray
    Posts
    728
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    usually for caucasians, metering off the back of your hand and adjusting one stop is pretty close - it's easy to test and use a different value if required. That way you should always have a "grey card" with you. It is not always conveniet (ie you want to leave the card in scene that is further away from your camera than the length of your arm), but does the trick most of the time.

  5. #5
    A. P's Culinary Indiscriminant
    Join Date
    21 Mar 2009
    Location
    Cronulla, Sydney
    Posts
    8,935
    Mentioned
    14 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Mongo agrees with Rick and Tom.

    Mrs Mongo meters off the palm of her hand with great accuracy (or even normal green grass which is in the same light as the subject)
    Nikon and Pentax user



  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    20 May 2010
    Location
    Gladstone
    Posts
    282
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Do the same as Riktas , Mong & Tom. Otherwise green lawn will also suffice..
    We didnt inherit this land, we merely borrow it from our Children

  7. #7
    Member
    Join Date
    22 Jul 2010
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    343
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Hmmm... are we talking about metering for exposure or white balance (or both)? I understand using your hand or grass for exposure metering, but I'd think they'd be pretty useless for white balance... ?

  8. #8
    Administrator ricktas's Avatar
    Join Date
    24 Jun 2007
    Location
    Hobart
    Posts
    16,846
    Mentioned
    12 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by achee View Post
    Hmmm... are we talking about metering for exposure or white balance (or both)? I understand using your hand or grass for exposure metering, but I'd think they'd be pretty useless for white balance... ?
    No we are talking about white balance. You can use a white sheet of A4 paper if you wish. It is about getting the camera to assess the scene and know what 'it is seeing', it is about what would look 18% grey, in a mono photo, which the back of your hand or grass does.

  9. #9
    Member KeeFy's Avatar
    Join Date
    18 Mar 2011
    Location
    Newtown
    Posts
    469
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    If you shoot in raw you can adjust the WB pretty easily but not for exposure even in raw. Raw is definitely more forgiving than jpg but best to get the exposure right the first time round.

  10. #10
    Member
    Join Date
    10 Jul 2010
    Location
    Gold Coast
    Posts
    6,346
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    IMHO I reckon you can get at least 1.5 to 2 stops (MAX) Exposure Adjustment in PP shooting RAW , White balance is easy fixable 1 stop easy , White balance just use the eye dropper tool (In Lightroom) To set the white balance on a neutral colour

    Just a quick Google backs my thoughts on RAW processing : http://www.lonestardigital.com/shooting_raw.htm
    Last edited by William; 16-10-2011 at 9:20pm.
    Canon : 30D, and sometimes the 5D mkIII , Sigma 10-20, 50mm 1.8, Canon 24-105 f4 L , On loan Sigma 120-400 DG and Canon 17 - 40 f4 L , Cokin Filters




  11. #11
    Member
    Join Date
    22 Nov 2010
    Location
    Gold Coast
    Posts
    36
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    I love the microfibre lens cleaning cloth idea. If you are going to have a cloth in your kit you might as well have a grey one.
    Doc.
    Always have been, and always will be a Canon man.

  12. #12
    Member
    Join Date
    27 Sep 2011
    Location
    Southport
    Posts
    22
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    of limited utility. Exposure determination is best done by capture and review (hey you use digital right?)

    Grey cards can be handy for professional work where you can set one in the scene (where you will crop out or taking a test shot) and used for determining colour balance in post processing (say you're using lightroom and RAW). White is problematic as it can end up clipped making it difficult to use for proper white balance. Of course a white sheet (make sure it is WHITE) can be used to set camera WB and that metadata can be used in post too.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •