Shelling top dollar has its privileges; to make
u feel better about yer $120+, u get a
presentation-type box, velvety protective
pouch, fancy lanyard & outrageously awful
user manual when you spring for the CBL
color balance lens.
u feel better about yer $120+, u get a
presentation-type box, velvety protective
pouch, fancy lanyard & outrageously awful
user manual when you spring for the CBL
color balance lens.
The 85mm version and 110mm version of
the CBL color balance side-by-side, along
with a compact disc for some perspective.
the CBL color balance side-by-side, along
with a compact disc for some perspective.
You'd never know it from my poor
Photoshopping efforts, but the rear of the
CBL color balance lens is a regulation gray
card surface, useful for determining exposure
once you've got your color balance down pat
for a shot. Just put your camera upon
spot/partial metering and fill the metering
area with the CBL's gray side, being sure that
the light is striking the CBL in the same
manner that it is striking your subject.
Photoshopping efforts, but the rear of the
CBL color balance lens is a regulation gray
card surface, useful for determining exposure
once you've got your color balance down pat
for a shot. Just put your camera upon
spot/partial metering and fill the metering
area with the CBL's gray side, being sure that
the light is striking the CBL in the same
manner that it is striking your subject.
Always relevant to the gram-obsessed; the CBL 110mm version weighs forty precious grams more than the 85mm
version, and generally produces identical results. Choosing between 'em for your application depends upon the
maximum magnification of your lenses and the format you're working with - if you haven't filled the frame at the
minimum focusing distance of your lens with the 85mm model, it would be beneficial to use the 110mm CBL instead.
version, and generally produces identical results. Choosing between 'em for your application depends upon the
maximum magnification of your lenses and the format you're working with - if you haven't filled the frame at the
minimum focusing distance of your lens with the 85mm model, it would be beneficial to use the 110mm CBL instead.
Getting proper color balance is a crucial element to
achieving satisfying results with your digital camera, or
even your digital video camera. Light is usually
imbalanced in its blue/amber & green/magenta
quantities, and we use white balance devices to tell
the camera or post processing software what the
imbalances were within the scene's lighting.
I dunno about u, but I don't want to tweak a damn
thing when I'm done shooting. Instead, I seek to have
a perfect exposure when I capture the image, because
making and observing images is the only fun part to
me. My life takes place in front of the computer
enough already!
There are many devices putting their hat in the ring of
this market, but the Korean CBL Color Balance Lens
and the California-based ExpoDisc have unique
advantages that make them king of the lot until I see
otherwise. They're the only devices measuring a
large swath of the light that is incident to your subject -
by far the most relevant and pure estimate of the
particular elements influencing the lighting of your
subject.
The ExpoDisc, while a fine product and the dominant
stud in the marketplace by a long margin, snaps onto
your lens' filter threads much like a filter screws in to a
lens. You then face the camera towards the lighting
source and take a 'blank' frame. With the CBL,
however, you focus upon the disc at arm's length and
it redirects light from all angles back towards the
camera. While both attempt to measure incident light,
the CBL measures a slightly broader angle. In a
sense, the CBL should theoretically be better in tough
mixed light.
Both ExpoDisc and CBL Color Balance Lens are
superior to flat devices such as white balance cards
and the like. Any flat white surface, or for that matter
any gray or colored surface, can't reflect a 'mixed'
variation of light back to the camera. However, in
scenes with one 'flavor' of a lighting source, the flat
devices work just fine the vast majority of the time.
But when light's more complex, with the sky's twilight
tingeing upon a busy scene replete with neon-filled
store windows and high pressure sodium streetlamps,
getting a proper compromise is a challenge. The CBL
makes it easier, and in some cases may be a
noticeably better choice than even the market leading
ExpoDisc. I found ExpoDisc a little hard to attach to
my lens with dedicated 'petal' hood attached, while
holding the CBL at arm's length works well for me.
At my disposal for a month or so were four leading
products; ExpoDisc, CBL color balance lens, a
Porta-Brace white balance card and Digital Image
Flow's Digital Grey Kard. I've tested all of them in
difficult lighting to establish the differences. These
pages assume you're familiar with the concept of white
balance, and know how to override the white balance
setting on your camera...click on for the particulars.
achieving satisfying results with your digital camera, or
even your digital video camera. Light is usually
imbalanced in its blue/amber & green/magenta
quantities, and we use white balance devices to tell
the camera or post processing software what the
imbalances were within the scene's lighting.
I dunno about u, but I don't want to tweak a damn
thing when I'm done shooting. Instead, I seek to have
a perfect exposure when I capture the image, because
making and observing images is the only fun part to
me. My life takes place in front of the computer
enough already!
There are many devices putting their hat in the ring of
this market, but the Korean CBL Color Balance Lens
and the California-based ExpoDisc have unique
advantages that make them king of the lot until I see
otherwise. They're the only devices measuring a
large swath of the light that is incident to your subject -
by far the most relevant and pure estimate of the
particular elements influencing the lighting of your
subject.
The ExpoDisc, while a fine product and the dominant
stud in the marketplace by a long margin, snaps onto
your lens' filter threads much like a filter screws in to a
lens. You then face the camera towards the lighting
source and take a 'blank' frame. With the CBL,
however, you focus upon the disc at arm's length and
it redirects light from all angles back towards the
camera. While both attempt to measure incident light,
the CBL measures a slightly broader angle. In a
sense, the CBL should theoretically be better in tough
mixed light.
Both ExpoDisc and CBL Color Balance Lens are
superior to flat devices such as white balance cards
and the like. Any flat white surface, or for that matter
any gray or colored surface, can't reflect a 'mixed'
variation of light back to the camera. However, in
scenes with one 'flavor' of a lighting source, the flat
devices work just fine the vast majority of the time.
But when light's more complex, with the sky's twilight
tingeing upon a busy scene replete with neon-filled
store windows and high pressure sodium streetlamps,
getting a proper compromise is a challenge. The CBL
makes it easier, and in some cases may be a
noticeably better choice than even the market leading
ExpoDisc. I found ExpoDisc a little hard to attach to
my lens with dedicated 'petal' hood attached, while
holding the CBL at arm's length works well for me.
At my disposal for a month or so were four leading
products; ExpoDisc, CBL color balance lens, a
Porta-Brace white balance card and Digital Image
Flow's Digital Grey Kard. I've tested all of them in
difficult lighting to establish the differences. These
pages assume you're familiar with the concept of white
balance, and know how to override the white balance
setting on your camera...click on for the particulars.
| 4 popular white balancing aids |
help a brother out!
If you find this
content useful &
appreciate
non-commercial
reviews, please help
me by using
merchant links found
on banners &
text-click-thrus within
these pages to buy
something.
My only goal here's
to help others & have
fun w/o it being a
'hobby'-I can't
continually lose $
buying/selling
unneeded gear, not
to mention paying
hosting fees.
The site's been a hit
machine relative to
my expectations, but
getting prison raped
on fees/equip. costs
isn't fun. Won't be
able to keep it up
much longer.
Thanks for any help
you can give!
If you find this
content useful &
appreciate
non-commercial
reviews, please help
me by using
merchant links found
on banners &
text-click-thrus within
these pages to buy
something.
My only goal here's
to help others & have
fun w/o it being a
'hobby'-I can't
continually lose $
buying/selling
unneeded gear, not
to mention paying
hosting fees.
The site's been a hit
machine relative to
my expectations, but
getting prison raped
on fees/equip. costs
isn't fun. Won't be
able to keep it up
much longer.
Thanks for any help
you can give!
