Canon XL1SA Instruction Manual page 75

Setting the white balance
1. Turn the POWER dial to any recording program (except the [ Easy Recording
program).
2. Press the white balance selector knob so that it pops out. You can now turn it to choose
between A for auto white balance,
to the right (1, 2 or 3) to set the white balance manually.
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• / appears in the viewfinder when you set the white balance to the indoor/outdoor modes.
Setting the white balance manually
When you select the number by turning the knob to the right, you can set the white balance manually.
a) Point the camera at a white object (such as a sheet of paper) and if you are using a zoom lens, zoom in
until it fills the display.
• Keep the camera pointing to the white object until you have finished setting the white balance.
b) Press the WHITE BALANCE W set button.
• W flashes quickly in the viewfinder and then remains lit, to show that the camera has set the white
balance.
• Depending on the light source, the flashing may at times change to a slower speed, rather than remain
lit. The result will remain better than with the auto setting, and you can continue recording.
c) Turn the white balance selector knob back to A to return to the auto setting. Push the knob back in when
you have finished making selections.
d) You can recall any of the 3 manual white balance settings by turning the knob to the desired number.
Setting the white balance manually will probably work better than auto white balance when shooting:
• Subjects with one dominant color, such as sky, sea or forest.
• Close-ups.
• In rapidly changing lighting conditions.
• In places lit by certain types of fluorescent or mercury vapor lights.
Notes:
• If the lighting conditions change, reset the white balance by first returning to the auto setting, and then
reselecting the manual balance.
• Try to record with light from a single source. Correct white balance cannot be obtained for two types of
lighting at once.
• You cannot set the white balance manually or use the indoor/outdoor modes when the POWER dial is set
to the [ (Easy Recording) program. If you are already using a mode other than auto, the white balance
returns to auto while you are in the [ (Easy Recording) program.
• If you shoot with studio/video lighting, use the
• If you shoot under fluorescent lights use the automatic white balance or set the balance manually, since
the camera may not adjust the white balance correctly in the
• When you turn the camera off, the camera remembers your white balance setting.
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for indoor lighting,
T
(indoor) mode.
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mode.
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for outdoor lighting, or turn it
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