Hi all … is there a way to implement the white balance presets of a specific camera model ( Canon R1 in my case ) into the WB module of the lastest dev build of DT ??
I am running on macOS and use the dev build by M Straeten …
In that build are the WB presets of the Canon R5 II included .
Any help would be greatly appreciated … I am too dumb 
to get it myself done
Kind regards Andreas
The modern WB workflow does not use those presets at all. As long as the camera records the WB multipliers (and all do), you can process images with the same quality, whether you have the WB presets available or not. Or would you like to use the ‘legacy’ workflow, and set the white balance module manually to one of the presets? You’ll probably need to open a feature request on GitHub, and provide the multipliers extracted from the EXIF data for each preset (set the camera to ‘daylight’, ‘shadows’ etc, take a picture with each, and extract the EXIF). But the devs will tell you exactly what to do.
Thanx for your reply and details how to deal with it .
Yes plan was to go the old classical route with WB … instead of the new way .
Think it is giving me more consistent results … can’t really get my head around the new way . At least to date …
Regards Andreas
THX for the detailed procedure … not sure if I do understand everything , what and how to do it . But at least I might try it.
Regards Andreas
You can even use the old method, the presets are only needed for switching between them manually. Those are fixed values, always less accurate than adjusting by hand; handle them as ‘white balance for average daylight/cloudy day/shade’, not as some exact values. I never use them, neither in camera, nor in darktable.
I personally have no problems with people disabling the color correction module and using the drop down presets in the white balance module. The CC module offers options for illuminants such as daylight, incandescent and as shot in camera. I wish the CC module also offered shade and cloudy as these are very useful.
One big advantage of the CC module is that you can use multiple instances and localised adjustments through masking. You can also use area color mapping to sample color from image and apply it to other images. This can be handy to color balance pictures when skin tones are the priority (presuming you have a suitable sample of pleasing skin tone to set the target value to).
Another advantage for me with the CC module is that I may have the first instance set to something like as shot in camera or daylight but I am a little unhappy with the color. I create a second instance of CC module where I then set the area color mapping to default grey target and sample the image. The correction is often too strong so I use an opacity mask to apply only a percentage of the correction. This works nicely for me on many images. But if the colors from just using WB module alone are pleasing I see no advantage in making a simple task more complicated by using the CC module.
tHX for the reply kofa …
We all do have our own thoughts and workflows …the end product is what does count , IMHO.
After long use in camera of the auto WB , I started using the individual wb presets with tweaked fine tuning … depending on the situation .
Ending up ( from my POV ) … with a better starting point in DT or any other raw converter .
If opened straight in DT the issue is not that great … but if I do use DXO PureRaw in the process that WB does fall somewhat apart … and the colors do look not ideal ( again from my POV ) .
By using the camera profiles for WB … the overall effect is less obvious , for whatever reason , that said is for sure my personal experience . Others might see it different or have other thoughts about that .
Regards Andreas
THX Terry … for the feedback , much appreciated .
I do partly understand the advantages of this module … but it is rather complex , compared to the simple straight forward module with the camera presets and the mired option , which is giving me consistent results I want for the most part .
WB should be a simple step IMHO , so I do prefer the old school method .
THX again Andreas
If you mean tweaked fine tuning of the WB in camera, then those are already taken into account. The camera records the settings into the image file.
The presets are useful if you wanted to try ‘oh, I took this with auto WB or daylight WB, how would it look according to the camera’s cloudy WB preset?’
Not sure if I do understand that correctly … if have a fine tuned i.e. cloudy raw image open it in DT , the software will take this into account ??
How ?
If open the same image in Canon DPP … yes it will open with my cameras WB preset i.e. cloudy biased to blue !!!
This is not the case when I do open in DT … right ? Specially when I do not have the camera profiles embedded in the used build of DT ?
Cheers Andreas
The camera records the white balance coefficients in the EXIF info, which all raw developers read.
Ok … thx for shedding some light into this.
There are some nuances differences in the colors when opened the same image in different raw converters , regardless which one I do use .
I just love the option in the old school WB module with mired option to change the " fine tuning " on the blue/amber axis … when I have the camera profiles included , that’s all . Quite simple
Cheers Andreas
I have no problem with this approach. The CC module is complicating the issue and not everyone benefits from this. Sometimes I too turn of CC and just use the WB module, but it is not my default.
I have created styles for my cameras that include the color calibration module set to “as shot in camera” so DT does match the color of camera. I believe this option may be the default behaviour of DT 5.2 but I am unsure since my preferences were altered for many versions ago. However, when I struggle with the CC module is when I would like to change WB to cloudy or shade regardless of what was captured in camera as my camera is 99.99% of time set Auto WB. In this case I might disable the CC module and select a drop down option from the WB module. I wish the CC module offered cloudy and shade.
Well then I do run into an issue with the WB module , as not all of my actual or older cameras are listed in that drop down menu … meaning the presets are missing .
So I have to fiddle a lot more .
I do find it quite " difficult2 to use the channel mixer to get the colors right in the CC module .
It is way easier and more importantly quicker ( for me ) to work with the mired option in the WB module.
Sometimes I get too hung up on "perfection " … LOL.
That said … thanks for all your kind help !!!
Much appreciated .
Cheers Andreas
I sometimes just get the WB close and then do the final tweak with the RGB curve or levels module. I find this easier and quicker sometimes than trying to get the CC module or the WB module perfect.
I have also discovered the usefulness of using the shadows lift option in the 4 ways tab of color balance rgb to correct color shifts in the shadows such as the blue cast that sometimes happens.
THX Terry using that method as well from time to time.
