Color Temperature

Kelvin scale and built-in presets. Match WB to your light so whites stay white.

1000K Candlelight
2700K Tungsten
3500K Warm white
5000K Daylight
6500K Cloudy
8000K Shade
10000K Blue sky
← Warmer (orange) Cooler (blue) →

White Balance Presets

AWB

Auto

Camera analyzes scene and guesses. Usually good, sometimes inconsistent between shots.

☀

Daylight

~5200K

Direct sunlight, mid-day. Neutral baseline.

☁

Cloudy

~6000K

Slightly warm to compensate for blue cast of overcast sky.

◐

Shade

~7000K

Even warmer. Counters heavy blue in shaded areas.

💡

Tungsten

~3200K

Adds blue to counter orange indoor bulbs.

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Fluorescent

~4000K

Corrects green tint from fluorescent lighting.

⚡

Flash

~5500K

Matched to camera flash color temperature.

K

Custom / Kelvin

You choose

Set exact temperature. Full control for mixed lighting.

Shooting RAW? White balance is fully adjustable in post-processing with zero quality loss. You can set it to anything while shooting and perfect it later. JPEG shooters need to get it right in-camera.

Setting White Balance in the Field

Identify the light, match the preset, verify neutrals

  1. Identify the dominant light

    Sun, shade, tungsten, fluorescent, or flash. Mixed sources need a judgment call or custom Kelvin.

  2. Match the preset

    Outdoors in sun: Daylight. Overcast: Cloudy. Indoor bulbs: Tungsten. Use the presets above.

    Daylight 5500K Tungsten 3200K Shade 7500K
  3. Check a neutral reference

    Frame a gray card or white paper. On rear LCD, whites should look white, not cream or blue.

  4. Custom WB for tricky scenes

    Photograph a gray card under the scene light, or dial Kelvin manually. Essential for mixed indoor/outdoor.

Cheat Sheet

Quick answers for the field

Orange indoors? Switch to Tungsten (~3200K)
Blue in shade? Use Shade preset (~7500K) or Cloudy (~6500K)
Sunny outdoors? Daylight ~5500K; AWB usually fine
Mixed window + tungsten? Custom Kelvin ~4500K, or shoot RAW and fix in post
Using flash? Flash preset ~5500K; gel flash to match ambient if blending
Green office tint? Fluorescent preset ~4000K
Sunset warmth? Keep Daylight (~5500K) to preserve golden tones; do not correct to neutral
Batch consistency? Lock Kelvin manually; AWB shifts between frames

Common Questions

Quick answers on Kelvin values, color casts, AWB, and RAW adjustment.

What is white balance in photography?

The camera setting that neutralizes color casts from different light sources. Match WB to your light and whites render white, not orange or blue.

What Kelvin setting for daylight?

Direct sun: 5200–5500K (Daylight preset). Overcast: 6000–6500K (Cloudy). Open shade: 7000–7500K (Shade).

Why do indoor photos look orange?

Tungsten bulbs are ~3200K warm light. If WB stays on Daylight (~5500K), the camera under-corrects and the image looks orange. Switch to Tungsten or set 3200K.

Should I use Auto White Balance?

Fine for general shooting. Switch to a fixed preset or custom Kelvin when color must stay consistent across a series, or in mixed lighting.

Keep Learning

Exposure and scenarios where WB matters most