Billy,I have a question for you,It could start another thread
but I really wanted your advice first.I have used so many gadgets in hopes of getting the perfect white balance.My most recent ones were the expo disc and the Tri colored Target put out by photovision (Ed pierce)I returned the expo disc and am still working with the Target.It gives you the exposure reading(by checking your Histagram) and white balance.Ed Pierce includes a video with his targets, he says to follow same instruction as with a standard grey card but use the tri colored target.One thing he does say is to set camera in Manual mode while doing your custom white balance,My lantern guide to the D-200 says to set camera to A-priority when doing a custom white balance,Not sure this would make a difference...I then go to my pre-set D-0,focus on manual,place target in same light as subject,making sure I do not cast a shadow on target,fill frame with tri colored Target,release shutter...Good comes up and I think all is right with the world.That is until I put my subject
in that same lighting, go back to d-o snap a shot,then for comparison reasons change my white balance to a standard camera setting only to realize my "custom" white balance which I used the target to get has a blue cast,and the standard camera w/B setting is better!!!I tested both of my cameras
D-200 and D-300 and set up everything the same the D-200 seems to have more of the blue cast but even the D-300 had a hint of blue as well.(My test were done with out any Flash)I am only judgeing this by the view on my camera,I didn't put it up on my computer monitor.Have you ever used these Tri colored Targets and do you have any idea why I am getting this blue color cast?If anyone else uses these Targets let me know your experience with them,I'm wondering if the old (cheap)grey card is just as good as far as W/B goes,or am I missing an important step?

123, First I need a little information. Are you shooting NEF files? Is your monitor color corrected?

I often refer to the image on the back of the camera for color, but be aware that it is not color corrected.

After you set the custom white balance, what white balance setting do you choose in camera? Are you choosing your custom setting? Have you tried using auto with the D300?

Are you shooting with flash after setting the color balance? What kind of light are you shooting?

The "original" grey card was intended for exposure not color balance. I imagine all the new ones are color corrected now and are a neutral grey.

Have you seen this site (another one on color balance)? http://www.rawworkflow.com/products/whibal/index.html

I shoot NEF files,I am judgeing the color from what I see on the back of the Camera(only)I just got my target so when they had that blue color cast I didn't bother puting them on my monitor.They were just test shots.After setting the color white balance
in (pre-set)using the tri colored target for a custom white balance..D-0 I kept it in d-0 (custom)to do the test shot of my subject.Thats when I realized my (custom white balance wasn't that great.So for comparison reasons, I played around with the "standard" camera w/b setting like Auto and incandescent and yes the standard camera setting of incandescent was better than my (custom) one.After all I was under home lighting.But the point being,that custom setting (using my target should have been the best.Maybe I should just stick to my camera setting and forget all the new gadgets that are suppost to make life easy.
I keep searching because in the past the camera settings (even with alittle fine tuning did not give me the correct white balance in some situation,such as the strong orange cast from tungston which I deal with in churches and who has time to try and figure out what Kelvin I'm dealing with.I was looking for a quick and accurate way to set this (in camera)Guess this will be a problem of the past when I get CS2(PS).

Read this: http://www.rawworkflow.com/products/whibal/index.html

White balance is always a problem, but I think, my opinion only, that it's better to fix it in post. I use CaptureNX to set the color balance. If you have a D300, then you got CaptureNX free with the camera. I set my D400 on auto white balance (shooting NEF files) and it's right most of the time. I fine tune in CaptureNX or sometimes for quick changes on lots of files in ViewNX. To help fix it I may shoot the card from Whibal (see link).

It is a good thing to do the test you're doing. It's experience that gets the best shot and you are getting the experience and learing the camera menu at the same time.

Yes,I up loaded CaptureNX but have not used it much.Guess I need to spend some time with it.

I do use Elements but it is so limited.I guess I'll have to check in to some classes to bring me up to speed on the new (PS)and Lightroom.This learning curve never ends it doesn't even slow down,but I love it...............Kim

I do use Elements but it is so limited.I guess I'll have to check in to some classes to bring me up to speed on the new (PS)and Lightroom.This learning curve never ends it doesn't even slow down,but I love it...............Kim

Sigma 50-150 2.8 its a great lens, 2.8 all the way and beautiful color wish it had a tripod mount but other than that a perfect lens

Yes, for groups, I normally put the remote flashes in Commander Manual mode and set their power from the Commander on my D200. However, if I am pressed for time, I sometimes put the remotes in TTL and let them control their own power. TTL is pretty reliable and repeatable, so I don't see any major differences between images in a sequence, so Manual is not absolutely necessary.

Incidentally, don't get your umbrellas too far away from the camera when shooting large groups, or you will end up with the ends of the group bright and the center area dark. I put the umbrellas no more than about four feet right and left of the camera and about three feet above, pointed straight ahead. That maintains an even brightness across the widest possible area.

Russ

Billy - Interesting comment on white balance. You think it's better to fix it in post? Not being argumentative here, but isn't it better to get it right to start with, doesn't correcting the white balance after the fact do two things 1) increase the work necessary to output quality work (instead of out of the box) and 2) increase noise and possible hilight loss by correcting the white balance in post production?

Mike.