Do I need separate color profiles for different lenses, or can white balance correct lens color cast?
Asked 11/2/2015
4 views
2 answers
0
I’m creating custom camera color profiles using a color reference card. How much does the lens matter when shooting the target? For example, if I make a profile with one lens, will it still be accurate with another lens that has different glass or coatings, such as an older yellowing lens versus a modern lens? Is setting white balance from a grey card enough to correct those differences, or do lens transmission variations mean I should profile each camera-and-lens combination separately?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
4
Short answer: Yes, you need to create separate profiles for each camera/lens combination. Unless the light in your test passes through the same lens, the system has no way of knowing what characteristics for which to correct. Applying a profile created using one lens and then expecting it to properly correct a significantly different lens would be like putting a colored gel in the optical path and expecting the color profile you created without the gel to to somehow magically remove the changes the gel creates!
Long answer: There's no such thing as "perfect" white balance. Color management can only go so far in reproducing on a display medium what exists in the real world. Different materials that look the same color under one type of light will appear to be slightly different colors under different lighting conditions. And even if there were such a thing as perfect color correction, where are the perfect eyes that could see it? Everyone perceives color in their own unique way!
For all practical purposes if your lenses are very similar in terms of color transmission you won't notice a difference when changing lenses. Other factors will likely introduce more variation than that between two of your lenses. But if you wish to get as close to "perfect" as possible, then you need to go a step further.
And, having said that, the best way to create custom profiles is to use the same lens with the camera that you intend to use when that profile is applied. It is also important to shoot under the same light (or as close as is practical) when you create your reference files as what you plan to shoot under when you shoot the photos to which your profiles will be applied. The more different the light is between your profile shots and the shots to which you will apply those profiles, the less accurate your results will be.
And if you are truly interested in color management to the degree your question indicates, shoot more than just a grey card. Use a colorchecker chart such as the Xrite ColorChecker Passport
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
White balance can correct some overall color cast from the lens, but not all lens-specific color differences.
A grey-card or any through-the-lens white balance method does include the lens, so it can compensate for a general warm/cool shift. But white balance is basically a broad linear correction, while lens transmission can vary non-linearly across the spectrum. That means a lens with noticeably different glass, coatings, filters, haze, dust, or yellowing can still affect color in ways white balance alone won’t fully fix.
So if you want the best accuracy, profile the actual camera + lens setup you’ll use. A profile made with one lens is not guaranteed to be accurate for a significantly different lens. This matters even more if you use filters, especially tinted, graduated, or some ND/protective filters.
In practice, many modern lenses are close enough that the difference may be small, so whether separate profiles are worth it depends on how critical your color accuracy needs are. But for rigorous color work, yes: use separate profiles for different lens combinations, and include any filter you plan to shoot through.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI10y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
How can I create a camera color profile from an IT8 target on Linux for use with Darktable?
Can Capture One automate color correction from a ColorChecker or other reference card?
What causes color cast, and can a lens contribute to it?
How can I photograph the warm yellow color of sunlight on a wall without white balance neutralizing it?
How does Lightroom’s gray-card white balance work, and why doesn’t subtracting RGB from 128 match it?