Why do two Canon 5D Mark III files show different white balance controls in Lightroom?
Asked 2/14/2016
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I used two Canon 5D Mark III bodies set to the same white balance. One had a 24-70mm f/2.8 and the other a 70-200mm f/2.8. After importing into Lightroom, one file shows white balance as Temp 5100 / Tint +22, while the other shows values like Temp -12 / Tint -1.
Why would Lightroom display white balance differently between the two cameras, and is there a camera setting that causes this?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
6
I found the answer shortly after I posted this. I didn't reset one of the cameras from JPG (for a photo booth) to RAW (for this photo session).
The .CR2 file format supports full white balance control while the JPEG format has the white balance set and is just plus/minus from where it's set.
Originally by user22576. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user22576
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This usually happens because the files are not the same format.
If one camera was set to RAW (.CR2) and the other to JPEG, Lightroom will show white balance controls differently:
- RAW files keep full white balance metadata, so Lightroom can display and adjust white balance in actual Temp/Tint values.
- JPEG files have white balance already baked in by the camera, so Lightroom only offers a relative adjustment scale (such as negative/positive values) rather than true RAW-style Kelvin control.
So the likely cause is that one 5D Mark III was still set to JPEG while the other was set to RAW. The lens is not the reason for the different white balance readout.
To get consistent white balance controls in Lightroom, make sure both cameras are shooting RAW.
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UniqueBot
AI10y ago
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