Automatic White Balance; Preset White Balance - Minolta Dimage 7i Instruction Manual

R
ECORDING MODE
WHITE BALANCE
White Balance is the camera's ability to make different types of
lighting appear neutral. The effect is similar to selecting daylight or
tungsten film, or using color compensating filters in conventional
photography.
When setting the white balance, "Auto" (data
panel) and "AWB" (monitors) will be
displayed to indicate the auto white-balance
setting. An icon will be displayed on the data
panel and monitors if a setting other than
auto white-balance was chosen. See setting
the function dial section on page 44.
The AUTO setting will detect the type of light
No
AUTO / AWB
and adjust the white balance accordingly.
display
Daylight For outdoor and sunlit subjects.
For incandescent lighting: household filament
Tungsten
light bulbs.
Fluorescent For fluorescent lighting: office ceiling lights.
Cloudy For overcast outdoor scenes.
Custom setting For using the custom white-balance setting.
Custom calibration For manual white-balance calibration.
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AUTOMATIC WHITE BALANCE

The automatic white balance compensates for the color temperature of a scene. In
most cases, the AUTO setting will balance the ambient light and create beautiful
images, even under mixed-lighting conditions. When the built-in flash is used, the white
balance is set for the color temperature of the flash.

PRESET WHITE BALANCE

Preset white-balance settings must be set before the image is taken. Once set, the
effect is immediately visible on the monitors.
The built-in flash can be used with preset white-balance settings, but will create a
pinkish or blueish cast with the fluorescent and tungsten settings. The flash is daylight
balanced and will produce excellent results with the daylight and cloudy settings.
Shooting tips
The daylight and cloudy settings are primarily for outdoor shooting conditions. Daylight is used
for sunny weather when the light is relatively warm. The light during overcast conditions is
much cooler and requires a different white balance: cloudy. Office lighting will produce a strong
green cast in photographs; the fluorescent setting restores the natural color under these condi-
tions. Traditional household light bulbs emit very yellow light, which can be corrected with the
tungsten setting.
Auto, preset, and custom white balance will not change the color of neon signs. White balance
cannot correct high-energy vapor lighting: sodium-vapor (yellow highway lights), or mercury
vapor. For portraits under these lighting conditions, the flash can be used to overpower the
ambient light. With landscapes containing these types of lights, set the white balance to the pre-
set daylight setting.
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