An easy way to set the custom white balance on your camera is to use a lid from a Pringles Can or a SlimJim Can. Basically a semi-translucent white plastic disc.
From
Wikipedia:
Quote:
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In digital photography, the translucent Pringles can lid can be used to "white balance" digital cameras. The lid is held over the lens and a photo is taken.The result is a whitish blur that is a diffuse image of the amibent light and its color temperature. The Pringles lid photo is then used to set the camera's manual white balance temperature, so that subsequent photos taken in the same light will have more accurate color reproduction. A search of photography lighting forums for "Pringles" will turn up numerous posts where the Pringles lids' color accuracy and usefulness is compared with other products such as dedicated white balance discs (the "ExpoDisc") costing in the USD $100 range. [3]
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I've also heard of coffee filters being used.
While I was thinking about where I could get some Pringles, I realized that I possibly had something right in front of me that I could use. I don't know if Canon uses the same sort of white semi-translucent covers on the back of their lenses, but many of the Nikon lenses come with a kind of cheap looking rear cover that happens to be made out of white plastic:
I tried to use this to do my custom white balance, and it gave a "Good" reading every time. Here were my results (Auto WB on Left, Custom WB on Right)
Personally, I think that the custom WB is actually just a little bit warmer, so I think that it actually did make a difference. Not bad for something that came with my camera.