White balance lens cap: Good tool or Gimmick?

[pcpchan]

Anyone here has used/owned the white balance lens cap like they sell on photojojo (not necessary this one, could be ebay equivalent)

http://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/white-balance-lens-cap/


I wonder whether how good/accurate these things get the WB. Is it a good investment or more a gimmick? Thoughts?

[xtracrispy123]

I just ordered 2 off ebay myself for like $3 each so I'll report back soon :)

One other trick that people do is to shoot the insides of their photo bag since many of them are actually 18% grey

[bhrm]

a second shooter of mine had this pop up collapsable grey card. It was awesome.

If you don't have time to edit/correct or time on the spot to figure out white balance, they're handy.

For amateurs/hobbyists, don't spend too much money on it.

[gotak]

For ad hoc shots I usually find a grey or white thing in my shot and white balance on that in post (if there's a person you can use the white of their eyes or teeth for example). I suppose if you work in really mixed lighting condition this can work. But if you are taking time to shoot a grey card it's likely you are in a studio situation which means doesn't matter if it's a lens cap or a card really.

[soupnazi]

My friend and I bought the imitation from Focal Price and it didn't work. The color of the plastic was too yellow/tungsten instead of grey/white. This caused the camera to overcompensate the white balance and make things too blue since the cap was too yellow. It was a waste a money.
http://www.focalprice.com/DI821B/62mm_White_Balance_DCDV_Camera_Lens_Cap_Black.html #.Tw5jPaUS29U

[asd913]

The clinically correct WB is often not the most pleasing. Assuming you're shooting raw, the most important thing is to use something to get you consistently in the right ballpark so you get a sense of what the results will look like. $45-$65 is a lot to spend when all you need is a $10 grey card.

A grey card takes no more space, is as easy to use and is compatible with every lens.

[dunderwood]

I love these things and they are fantastic. A must have.
I got the http://www.balens.ca/product.htm?Product=BN55&Source=Category&Category=BALENS_CA_MAIN version from Henrys when it was $39 and never looked back.

I leave it on my lens as my default lens cap and fire custom white balance in my Sony Alpha which automatically sets it without taking a picture.
Other manufacturers force you to browse to the photo and set it via the image.

The BRNO version has two center pieces. One for normal white balance and another for a bit warmer portrait shot.
I later needed another lens cap and ended up ordering one off EBay for $6 and it was an exact duplicate of the BNRO.
Using it just as a Lens cap replacement is great and it is good quality compared to a generic replacement I once bought from Blacks. Branded caps are somewhere around $20 - $40

When I get to Lightroom I am barely ever adjusting my White balance unless I need to warm it up a touch. If you shoot to JPeg it is a must.

Caveats

1. If you put your camera into your bag lens down you can sometimes detach the gray bulb from the center hole due to the weight of your camera.
Simple crazy glue addressed this and hasn't given me any more trouble.

2. You have to do spot metering when you set it. Makes sense.


Buy one and just aim at your subject, fire and your WB is set. No fuss with WB in post.

Proof is in the photos. Check out some recent Winter shots .

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dougunderwood/

[dunderwood]

Here was the EBay version I picked up.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/New-77mm-White-Balance-Snap-Cap-and-Exposure-System-77-mm-Camera-Lens-/190580605430?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c5f7d41f6#ht_500wt_1327

BRNO offers a warmer center piece option but you can achieve the same affect in post.

I bought this one on a whim and found it to be great.
I'll be buying more as I purchase more lenses in the future.

[ieGod]

many of them are actually 18% grey

<pedantry>neutral gray, at 18% reflectance</pedantry>

[NewsyL]

Buy one and just aim at your subject, fire and your WB is set. No fuss with WB in post.

Aim it at your subject or aim it at the light source (sun?) as they say on their web page?

[dunderwood]

I've done both and find aiming at the subject and the light falling on them works best.
The scene or subject could be shaded.
Could be shooting in mixed light (Indoor and window light)

[yellowmp5]

I've borrowed my friend's immitation BRNO Balens 72mm lens cap
on my 18-200 VRII on D90 w/ Hoya UV.
Spot Metering and Manual Focus.

after i set it to PRE on my WB, @ ISO 200 and 400...
while the cap is on the lens, i point my camera to the closest
tungsten light, and shot, it gives me NO GOOD signal....(less than 3 feet away)

tried it many times, and it still NO GOOD....

it was only GOOD if i was shooting at the outdoor daylight.

something i'm doing wrong here? or is this cap useless in interior w/
typical tungsten light?

please advise~

[cipher]

I prefer grey card whenever possible. I use a WB cap only in a pinch. I find the grey card much more accurate.

[yellowmp5]

I've tried again! and fiddle around w/ the exposure, it's gorgeous! i'm gonna buy it now!

[xtracrispy123]

I've tried again! and fiddle around w/ the exposure, it's gorgeous! i'm gonna buy it now!

did you just have to expose for longer to get enough light?

[yellowmp5]

pretty much....@ ISO 400, and F3.5 on my 18-200 lens, i need to adjust my shutter to 1/2, 1/5, 1/8, 1/10 sec...dependin' on my light source,
but if it's daylight outside, i can switch to ISO 200, 1/30 all the way to 1/100 is still GOOD....

i j/ went ahead and order these caps thru ebay....http://www.ebay.ca/itm/New-77mm-Whit...#ht_500wt_1327

[yellowmp5]

UPDATE:

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/4034/dsc0013resizeu.jpg


ISO400, F4.5 40mm Nikon-18-200 on D90

http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/6153/dsc0001resize.jpg
Auto WB

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/345/dsc0002resizet.jpg
Floursent WB

http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/622/dsc0003resize.jpg
White Balance Lens Cap


http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/3821/dsc0004resize.jpg
Auto WB

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/4522/dsc0005resizes.jpg
Tungsten WB

http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/32/dsc0006resizer.jpg
WB Lens Cap


ISO400, F4 35mm Nikon Prime on D90

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/8240/dsc0007resize.jpg
Auto WB

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/6499/dsc0008resizee.jpg
Floursent WB

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/3387/dsc0009resize.jpg
WB Lens Cap


http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/4954/dsc0010resize.jpg
Auto WB

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/904/dsc0011resizef.jpg
Tungsten WB

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/5535/dsc0012resize.jpg
WB Lens cap

I will take some more pics of faces when i get some chances this weekend!

[legendofxix]

Seems to work well and convenient.
The automatic white balance in Nikon's are pretty poor.
Always tend to be super warm. I miss my S5.