How do I set the white balance on a Canon EOS300?

[stellarbeam]

Mine didn't come with a manual and I'm not sure how to set it. I've just run a film through it and quite a few have a blueish green tint. On my 400D I usually leave it to AWB, which I rarely have trouble with. Seems it won't be as straightforward on the 300.

 

[raathistle]

joking or serious? :shrug:

please say joking

 

[Nicos Rex]

You choose the right film for the lighting conditions or change the lighting conditions to suit the film.

 

[Lufbrarunner]

Use an appropriate colour filter or the correct film for the lighting.

 

[joxby]

What film did you use ?

 

[stellarbeam]

Apologies. I'm young and have therefore only ever known digital (kiddie point and shoots don't count)

I have a lot to learn...bloody digital age!

I was using just a 200iso film (but set the camera to various ISO's)

I have taken 2 photos taken just a few seconds apart and I would have thought same settings. One is fine and one is blue. What did I do wrong there?

I feel such an idiot right now

 

[joxby]

It's ok mi'luv, we all gotta start somewhere, there are tons of holes to fall down, that's half the fun

What film did you use, can you remember the name, ws it colour b/w, is it a positive or a negative image on the film, not the print ?

scratch the b/w...

 

[stellarbeam]

I can't remember the name. it in a bluey coloured box, made my Felenia (hmm...that's not right but the company that was the last to make 126 film if that helps) I just got it in Poundland. Colour and the negative was in negative

 

[joxby]

Well, you choose the film to match the lighting you'll be using, there's non of that choosing w/b stuff AFTER loading the film.
To be fair there's only really daylight temp or tungsten temp film, a tungsten balanced film will be marked with a "T", its for use under tungsten lights obviously, like ordinary 60w filament lamps.
You can't b****r about with iso either, the iso is what the film is, when you dial iso into that camera you're just telling it what iso the film is that you just put in so the meter can calculate the best exposure.
So if its iso 200 film, dial in iso 200, you can't change it, if you want to use a higher iso you need to load higher iso film.
I don't know what the colour problems might be with those particular images, but it might not be the film temperature, sometimes the processing can be a bit dodgy, sometimes it might be the film if its cheapy, or it could be daylight film with tungsten light leaking in from somewhere..:shrug:

 

[Nicos Rex]

I was using just a 200iso film (but set the camera to various ISO's)

Once you have set the ISO (which at first should be to the setting it says on the film box) you leave it alone.

When you get a bit more used to film there are some rare occasions when you can change the ISO mid roll - but for now just set it and leave it.

Since you can get big name films cheaply at your local supermarket (Fujicolour 400 is on a BOGOF at my local Morrisons) there is no reason to buy unknown brands of questionable quality.

It is also entirely possible that the fault is not the film (or the photographer's) but the printing. Before you go and kick their doors in try again with a roll of decent film exposed correctly and see what the results are.

 

[stellarbeam]

Thank you everyone. Hopefully the next roll of film will be better

 

[towershot]

And load the film to camera in a dark place,or at least away from sunlight
As sometimes it's possible to get a leaky seal.

 

[sprog]

This has actually raised an interesting point regarding colour correction.

As hardly anywhere uses tungsten filament lighting anymore, how's the best way to correct for the mouldy green caste of mercury flourescent tube lighting? And apart from using a colour meter, how's best the determine the the kelvin value of flourescents?

 

[joxby]

I don't think film renders discharge lighting in exactly the same way a sensor does.
Certain films perform better under certain lighting conditions, there are usually some pointers towards performance in the film spec sheets rather than on the box.
Fuji NPZ colour neg is supposed to be good under fluorescent lighting.
You can also use filters or gels like an FL-D fluorescent filter, which is good for slide film, trouble with filters is you're giving light away.
Colour casts can be minimized during printing from an enlarger.