The ColorChecker White Balance target delivers accurate white reproduction. As lighting conditions change, your camera shifts the way it reproduces white; resulting in colour shifts in your photos or video footage. Most white balance targets aren’t neutral and could cause colours to shift under different lighting conditions. But the ColorChecker White Balance target is a scientifically engineered, absolute neutral white reference that prevents colour shifts and provides a precise, uniform surface that is spectrally neutral – in any lighting condition. That means you can be confident the image or footage you capture is as close to real-life as possible.

ColorChecker White Balance also gives you a way to adjust your digital camera’s colour sensitivity to exactly match the ambient lighting conditions; in effect, change what that the camera “sees.” The perceived colour of white changes based on ambient conditions—outdoor it is perceived to be cooler, indoor it is perceived to be warmer, and under fluorescent light, greener. Even in a controlled studio environment, this can be a problem. Whether on location or in your studio, establishing an accurate custom white balance before each photo session or video shoot ensures accurate colours from the start.

Setting a custom white balance for each lighting situation will make the previews on your camera’s built-in display more colour correct, make your histograms more reliable, and speed up post-production colour editing. Raw shooters can capture anytime during the session to gain these benefits, while JPEG shooters should make it your first shot.

Why can’t I use just any white object?

White balancing on a piece of paper or other grey elements in the scene may seem like a simple workaround, but most objects are not actually neutral under all lighting conditions, and they’re certainly not consistent. An inaccurate white balance will result in colour casts and a lack of consistency between lighting conditions.