White balancing is one of the most important aspects of image-making, for both stills and video. If you’re shooting RAW you can tweak your white balance in post without penalty. However, for video shooters, there’s no option but to get it right in camera.
There are a lot of misconceptions about white balance, so before we specifically get into the a7S II, if you haven’t already, please watch the following video first:
https://youtu.be/vfKBoK8hmt4
Now that you have seen it, let’s see how to white balance correctly on the Sony a7S II:
Finally, we have Auto White Balance (AWB). It’s important to know how accurate it is and when you should use it. The following video gives you the answers:
Note: This was made with the a7R II, but it applies equally to the a7S II.
Takeaways
- Use custom white balance whenever possible. In my experience, even with fixed lighting (tungsten, HMIs, LEDs, fluorescents, whatever), you can’t depend on the standard presets, especially with older fixtures and bulbs.
- AWB works best for daylight balanced lighting (or sunlight). If you are near tungsten or mixed sources, avoid AWB.
- Do not use AWB in S-Log2 or S-Log3 mode. You’ll see a green WB error when you try to custom white balance when shooting log.
- Do not use the back LCD to judge color. If you need to tweak the color filters or white balance, make sure you connect the camera via HDMI to a broadcast monitor. Using a vectorscope as shown in the videos tells you everything you need to know.
FAQs
Q. What chart are you using?
For video work, I highly recommend the DSC Labs OneShot Pocket chart, which is more than enough for the working professional. Is it worth the price? Yes. Yes. Yes.
For still shooters, the X-rite ColorChecker Passport (B&H, Amazon) is good enough. X-rite have come out with a new video chart, too.
Q. What about the cheap grey cards you find on Amazon?
Sigh. Here’s the truth. It costs money and expertise to print a truly color-neutral grey or white card. I’ve heard Sekonic loses money on their charts. Most of the cheap products you see, even the ‘USA-branded’ ones, are just white-labelled Chinese (or similar) goods. If it works for you, go ahead.
But for professional use? No. A good chart will last for about 2-3 years with good care. After that point the print starts to wear off and you no longer are guaranteed accuracy.
