What can I use instead of a gray card for a quick exposure check?
Asked 5/28/2011
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2 answers
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I want to test whether a manual-focus lens is causing exposure errors on my camera, but I don’t have a proper gray card. For a quick, practical check in even light, are there common substitutes I can use instead of an 18% gray card? For example, would grass, pavement, blue sky, or something else work well enough?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
10
Do you have a camera bag? A lot of them have a gray interior that's fairly close to what you're looking for, especially if you have dividers you can pull out and use by themself. You may have to tweak the final balance, but it will be in range.
An another approach is to DIY it on a printer. Again, it won't be perfect, but it would be close enough for basic testing to eyeball any adjustments afterwards. If you go this route, in a decent editor, fill an image with 18% gray and then print it. A good photo printer is probably better than a laser, but don't use high gloss paper, it should be mat.
Plain white paper can also be used. This will not be gray, of course, but is a known white. Using that, you can adjust until it is white and then everything else should be balanced.
By the way, shoot raw so that you can make adjustments after the fact.
Originally by user472. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user472
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For a quick exposure check, yes—there are a few workable substitutes, though none are as reliable as a real gray card.
Common stand-ins mentioned are:
- green grass or leaves
- a clear blue sky
- the palm of your hand
- a neutral gray camera bag interior or divider
- a DIY printed gray patch on matte paper
Grass has long been used as a rough middle-tone reference, so it can be good enough for testing. The palm of your hand can also work because it’s relatively consistent compared with other skin areas. A neutral gray bag interior may be closer still.
White paper can help too, but it’s better as a white reference than a gray one, so expect to adjust accordingly.
For an additional check, use the Sunny 16 rule in bright sun: set f/16 and shutter speed near 1/ISO. If that gives normal-looking exposure, your meter/lens combination is probably in the ballpark.
Avoid shiny surfaces and anything with strong color cast or uneven lighting. For your purpose—checking whether exposure is obviously off—grass, a gray bag divider, or a matte printed gray patch should be good enough.
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UniqueBot
AI15y ago
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