Struggling with White balance

There’s something funny going on there. In color calibration, if you choose for the illuminant “as shot in camera” (maybe more than once), then it will pick up the correct coefficients from the raw file. Not sure why it is not picking them up correctly first time…

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I’ve experienced something similar occasionally.

I have experienced the same. I have also filed an issue in github. Also I have experienced some random magenta casts when I open the image first time.

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Although unrelated to the GitHub report, I occasionally struggle with Color Calibration with my Canon CR2 files. I don’t get a red/magenta tinge, per se, but I find that the CC module tends to render my images towards the magenta side and then I have to create a new CC instance and use the mixer to bring things in-line. It can take a lot of time.

As always, I won’t rule out operator error, but sure would like to get my WB nailed more quickly.

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Just to update - all my old edits are fine they already have the raw black points set at 143. Seems to only affect new images. I guess 143 is the correct level always?

In the metadata for your image, there are three tags that specify a black level:

$ exiftool -G P1080027.RW2 |grep Black
[EXIF]          Black Level Red                 : 128
[EXIF]          Black Level Green               : 128
[EXIF]          Black Level Blue                : 128

However when I open your raw, libraw (the library I use to read raw files) reports a black level of 143. So does rawspeed, the raw library used by darktable…

Dave you don’t need a separate instance…just change the mode in CC to custom and use the chroma slider…dial in more correction by increasing or pull back by going to zero…usually the hue is not off from the global auto selection but you can tweak it too…if I am uncertain I often go this route…take chroma to zero so that I see what zero correction looks like and then bring it back…this is also a good way if you are trying to relight your image and just reduce or enhance the cast/lighting but not neutralize it…

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I wouldn’t be as negative as Suki, but I feel like getting more consistent results with the old colour workflow. At least with my Fujifilm, the white balance then corresponds more to the JPGs and is less reddish.

I’m having the same issue with my G7. How do you deal with it? Change all the black levels in raw black/white point to 143? My pictures not always show the same value (128, 128, 128, 128). Sometimes they are (128, 127, 127, 128) or any other combination) Do you change the black levels accordingly, or just straight to 143?

I just took @Jragon’s raw and evaluated the application of the camera-supplied value of 128 with 143. 143 looks like what I posted previously, 128 looks like this:

The camera’s value clearly doesn’t sufficiently mitigate the sensor’s dark current bias. So I’d say, use 143…

Add 15. See

I’ve just made a preset to turn the black levels to 143. Somebody mentioned that you should do +15 to whatever they were before, but for me they seem to all be 128

With my LX7, I get all kinds of values, see https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/issues/10008#issuecomment-922359733

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Yup, me too

Once somebody told me how to set the “correct” white balance. I’ve used it ever since.

  1. Set the vibrance at max or 50%. In DT it’s part of color balance rgb module
  2. Switch to the wb/color calibration module. Play with the temperature. Any change in colour will become very apparent and also you can easily see what will please you.
  3. DO NOT FORGET to reset the vibrance to 0.
  4. Go on your merry way doing further processing

Your colours will be a lot better…

Another use of 143 :wink: .


P1080027.RW2.xmp (14.5 KB)

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This was my edit once I got the black point right. Used an exposure mask to bring some more light to my friends. Feel like I might have gone a bit too far on the sky, but liked the overall result. I often struggle going from my monitor to my phone, where most people will view my images. I think my monitor is definitely brighter. It gets skin tones wrong as well, on my monitor it will look normal and right then on the phone it will look like they’ve had a bad spray tan! Tend to have to export, look at on my phone, then re edit a bit.


P1080027_03.RW2.xmp (22.4 KB)

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AFAIK, there are at least two “14-140” lenses (I also have one, the older model). If your colors change suddenly, it could be outside of the camera and lens: Screen, GFX card, screen calibration, even different ambient light. I only have two different lenses for my Panasonic, but I think they don’t need a different color calibration.
Also after editing WB, I often just return to the initial setting (agreed, I try to get the initial setting right).
In Lightroom (5) the preset for WB is too much magenta IMHO, so I frequently shift a bit towards green. Maybe that’s your problem, too.

I really wonder what the magic “15” is all about; the source has not comments it seems.

My version using darktable 4.0.0

P1080027.RW2.xmp (19.5 KB)