White Balance?

White Balance is one of the many settings that users have on DSLR, or sophisticated (digital) cameras can use. They assist the camera's lens and sensor capture more realistic, life-like images or creating artistic effects using the image captured.

The lens of a camera will not be as precise in the detection of white in various lighting conditions like our eyes. By default, the white Balance of most cameras is set to automatic or auto. This may result in various colors, giving the photo an orange, blue, or in some instances even a green tint. When you set your White Balance on the camera, images appear more natural and realistic. It can also be used to produce exactly the opposite.

The metadata of a photo can reveal the type of white Balance applied to the particular photo. This applies to camera RAW images, as well as raster images made from these. In most cases, the value of the White Balance corresponds to the name of the settings of the camera being used:

• auto
• daylight
• flash
• fluorescent

Some cameras have a specific and customized setting for white Balance. In this situation, it is also possible that the EXIF data provides an exact number utilized in the camera.

It is important to note that White Balance is not just used for photography, but it is also used in filming too. This is why white Balance information can be included in video files such as MP4 and MOV.