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Level 1

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White Balance issue

I shoot in RAW and when I import my files into Aperture the RAW-fine-tune-engine changes my original settings.

I make timelapse-sequences and need to control the white balance manually. I do this on my Nikon D700 by selecting a specific value for the WB. On my camera mode is called WB K. Now, when I import my all my araw files into Aperture, the program automatically changes this setting to AUTO. When I read off the exif details for each photo, it says; AWB (meaning; auto white balance...) - but I do not shoot in this mode!!

It is very anoing and makes my timelapse sequence flicker... USELESS!!!!!!!

Please help me 🙂

Posted on Jan 24, 2012 8:48 AM

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léonie

Level 10

194,871 points

Posted on Jan 24, 2012 9:02 AM

You probably checked that option already, but just to be sure: have you disabled the automatic Adjustment presets in the Import panel? This may add an automatic white balance. I cannnot check right now, if that also will be applied to RAW, for I don't have a camera ready right now.

Regards

Léonie

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23 replies

DanielHarald Author

Level 1

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Jan 26, 2012 1:50 AM in response to Kirby Krieger

Hi Kirby

Ofcause I am using lifting and stamping.. I work with aprox. 400 images at a time... BUT it does not solve the flicker issue.. The RAW-fine-tune-engine does something to each image so that it looks like I have shot in AWB. But I don't. There is no way I can make an image have "manual white balance" in the EXIF data. Aperture simply currupts my original NEF.file

Thanks for your suggestion though 🙂

Jan 26, 2012 6:15 AM in response to DanielHarald

How are you making the time-lapse sequence? What is causing the flicker?

If I understand correctly, the problem isn't the Images in Aperture (where the WB is corrected and "normalized'), the problem is that outside of Aperture changes are being made to the images based on the WB that is recorded in the EXIF.

léonie

Level 10

194,871 points

Jan 26, 2012 6:32 AM in response to DanielHarald

Have you checked the EXIF tag that the camera writes to your images with a program like exiftool?

ExifTool by Phil Harvey: http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/

Before you blaim Aperture, make sure what the tags on your images are.

Also, Aperture sometimes is displaying phantom tags, if it does not understand them, but that does not necessarily mean, that Aperture is acting on these tags. I just remembered this recent thread:

Re: How can I search my photos by the White Balance Exif field?

White balance either is on or off, it is a binary tag.

DanielHarald Author

Level 1

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Jan 26, 2012 8:00 AM in response to léonie

As mr Endo suggested earlier I investigated the EXIF data on the NEF.file before importing it into Aperture. Using Preview I could see that everything was fine, reading off the "Manual White Balance" in the EXIF data. After importing it, it has suddenly changed to "Auto White Balance" in the EXIF data. That's why I blame Aperture.. I wish they would correct it, because I like the program very much..

It causes flicker in my timelapse because, whenever you change the White Balance just a bit, it automatically effects the light intensity just a bit.. This is shown very clearly when playing 24 fps. It is very annoying for the eye and looks very amature-iss..

I have discovered that it does not always have an effect on my sequence. Some scenaries looks just perfect. But others don't. That makes me even more confused...

léonie

Level 10

194,871 points

Jan 26, 2012 8:49 AM in response to DanielHarald

Daniel, I am not sure which program to trust:

I shot a series of RAW images, my camera set to White Balance: Auto.

Camera Model Name : Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Then I read the EXIF tags in Aperture, Graphic Converter, Preview, Exiftool.

Preview says: White Balance: Manual
Aperture says initially: Auto (which is correct), when I turn the WB adjustments off, it says "Fluorescent"
GraphicConverter and Exiftool both show the tag as "Fluorescent"

Three programs show results different from Preview. Check if Preview shows a different value, if you actually set your camera to "Auto".

Regards

Léonie

DanielHarald Author

Level 1

0 points

Jan 26, 2012 8:54 AM in response to léonie

When I make a NEF.file using Auto White Balance on the camera (Nikon D700) I can read off, using Preview; AUTO white balance.

I trust Preview. Aperture for sure is manipulating my NEF.file in an incorrect manner.

CDS1

Level 2

215 points

Jan 31, 2012 5:48 PM in response to léonie

The WhiteBalance (and other) metadata tag exists in more than one XMP Namespace. Take a look at the XMP Tags page on Phil Harvey's exiftool website. Tags exist within a different schema organized by Namespaces. This may help resolve the apparent discrepancies.

In this instance there is one field, XMP-exif:WhiteBalance that contains either the integer 0, indicating Auto, or the integer 1, indicating Manual.

There is also XMP-crs:WhiteBalance that can contain a string(text) with information such as Auto, Daylight, Flourescent, etc.

The evolution of standards for metadata in images has been a rocky road with various partcipating groups, manufacturers and software vendors each thinking their own way of handling embedded information was the correct one. Exiftool is the tool I've found that will reveal the metadata structure accurately.

Try using the each of the XMP- parameters shown above on one of your files in question and see if this helps give you some useful info. Example: exiftool -xmp-crs:whitebalance /path/to/the/file

Message was edited by: CDS1

Jan 31, 2012 6:46 PM in response to DanielHarald

I still think you should just use JPEG. (Try RAW+JPEG next time and see if the JPEG's are better controlled.)

White Balance issue