IAC DISCUSSION FORUMS

Still hoping to resolve the insurance problem but meanwhile have got the camcorder back from repairer and would like to set one of the presets A or B for artificial light.
At the moment if the switch is on 'preset' the sun symbol appears for daylight but I can't follow the instructions to get say A to be standard artificial light.
I don't need more than Sony's basic tungsten light setting.
Can anyone help, please?

Peter, are you sure you want to rely just on those two settings? I don't know the camera but on most of the Sony cameras I've used you can manually set a white balance using a white card. This will give an accurate setting for the ambient lighting. If it changes then you can do another white balance. Alternatively, on some cameras (e.g. the EX 1 & similar) the menu allows you to set Kelvin numbers in a Picture Profile. This is welcome because you can grade your picture all the way from the daylight (5600 K) to tungsten (3300K). This is providing your screen is calibrated correctly or you are so familiar with it that you can judge what the result will be. Finally, when you make a mistake and forget to change the setting (often happens with me!) you should be able to correct it with your editing software. There is the well worn phrase that the professionals joke about "That's OK we'll fix it in post". Better though to get it right at the shoot if at all possible.

Thanks, Michael. I'm not up to your standard of artistry and the thought of adjusting to ambient light on every occasion would stop me filming anything again! I just want fixed settings, not auto balance that changes with every shot. To my eyes if there is daylight coming into the room, or of course when outside, "sun" is fine, also for fluorescent lighting as I have never detected the green tinge one is warned about, but tungsten lighting does need the right setting.

Peter, I don'y have the Z5 but I suspect the WB setting is little difference from the Z1, so here goes.
Switch the little W/B toggle switch down from B to A to Preset.

Turn the camera on into filming mode.
Go into the menu and under 'Camera Set' drop down to WB preset.

Push the scroll wheel in and turn it to the INDOOR position.
Push in the scroll wheel again to lock in this as the preset.

Peter, Tom has correctly advised as to pre set as you asked. However, I just want to correct your understanding of my suggestion concerning a manual white balance. This is also a fixed setting once you have completed it. The white card indicates a setting to the camera based on the ambient light and once set won't change as you thought it would. Auto setting is what does this and, as you say, we don't want that, it looks bad as the colour changes as you move the camera about. Not artistry, just using different methods to obtain what we all seek, properly exposed pictures!

Thank you, both. I get it now, Tom. I htought I should be able to set A to one and B to t'other but I guess they are for the more precise technique that Michael is recommending, I think, which, if I've got it right, entails a white card etc, and that's what I felt I couldn't be bothered with. I didn't think that this was auto and variable, Michael, I just gave the wrong impression.

As always so wonderful to have expert advice so readily and kindly available.


Peter.