What is White Balance?

What is White Balance?

Sometimes the colour of light reflected from an object varies with the colour of the light source. We perceive the colour white as white whether it is seen in shade, direct sunlight, or under incandescent lighting. However, when an image is taken under such lighting conditions, they may appear different from what we see.

White balance is a function on the camera that compensates for different colours of light being emitted by different light sources. For natural colouration, the white balance setting has to be matched with the light source before shooting. Digital cameras can mimic this adjustment by processing images according to the colour of the light source.

White Balance Options

The following white balance options are available in our range of digital cameras:

Option		Description
	Auto (default setting)	White balance is adjusted automatically using colour temperature measured by the RGB sensor, image sensor and ambient light sensor. DSLR: For best results, use type G or D lens. With SB-800 or SB-600 Speedlight, white balance reflects conditions in effect when Speedlight fires.
	Incandescent	Use under incandescent lighting.
	Fluorescent	Use under fluorescent lighting. COOLPIX: There are two selections available in the COOLPIX cameras - FL1 and FL2. Select FL1 (White) or FL2 (Daylight White/Natural) according to the bulb types, and then press OK.
	Direct sunlight	Use with subjects lit by direct sunlight.
	Flash	Use with Nikon speedlights or internal built-in flash.
	Cloudy	Use in daylight under overcast skies.
	Shade	Use in daylight with subjects in the shade.
	Choose colour temperature (DSLR D1 and D2 series, D100, D200 and D80 cameras)	Choose colour temperature from list of values. Click here to view the Colour Temperature Chart.
	White balance preset	Use subject, light source , or existing photograph as reference for white balance. For instructions on using this function, please refer to your user manual.

Auto white balance is recommended with most light sources. If the desired results cannot be achieved with auto white balance, choose an option from the list above or use preset white balance.