subject: Adjusting White Balance On A Digital Camcorder [print this page] The 'adjust white balance' facility is a very useful function on a digital camcorder. However, it is often neglected by both amateur and more advanced users. It is, nevertheless an extremely beneficial tool, worthy of consideration, and one that may notably benefit the visual quality of the captured video.
White is the colour that your camcorder uses as a basis to which the full colour range can be assessed. When you adjust white balance, you're essentially telling the camcorder what white looks like in the current filming conditions. This allows the camcorder to take a precise capture of the other colours - and this is why it is considered an useful function to perform.
When should the white balance be adjusted? The answer is simply any time that the lighting conditions significantly change between scenes. Between indoors and and outdoors is a typical example because the camcorder will need to recognise the difference of sunlight. This helps to get the best footage and accurate reproduction of the colour content.
Setting the white balance is very straight forward and can be done really quickly on most digital camcorders. Usually a simple button or an on-screen option, but you'll need to figure out how to find the feature; referring to instructions if needed.
To actually perform the adjust, basically you'll require an item that is white. Almost anything will suffice, although if you're on the move, something portable would be a good idea - like a piece of card kept inside your accessories bag. Zoom the camcorder onto the white item (covering at least eighty percent of the frame) and select the option on the camcorder. That's it!
If you've ever watched recorded footage from a digital camcorder where the colours just didn't seem to be quite right - perhaps an overly strong tint of blue or a strange and visually unpleasant yellowness across the scene - then there is a good chance this was caused by the camera person not utilising the camcorders facility to adjust white balance.
