# What is white balance?

> White balance is a camera setting that tells the camera what color the light source is so it can compensate and render white objects as truly white.

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## White balance is a camera setting that tells the camera **what color the light source is** so it can compensate and render white objects as truly white. Without correct white balance, photos shot under tungsten lights appear orange, and photos in shade appear blue.

## **How white balance works**

Every light source has a color. Candles are warm and orange. Daylight is neutral. Shade is cool and blue. Your brain automatically adjusts so a white shirt always looks white regardless of lighting.

Your camera cannot do this automatically unless you tell it what the light source is. White balance is that instruction — it adds the opposite color cast to neutralize the light’s tint.

Setting white balance to **tungsten (3200K)** tells the camera to add blue to counteract orange light. Setting it to **shade (7500K)** tells it to add warmth to counteract blue light.

## **White balance options**

**Auto White Balance (AWB):** The camera guesses the light source. Works well in most situations. Can be inconsistent between shots.

**Presets:** Daylight, shade, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent, flash — each calibrated for a specific light source.

**Custom/Manual:** You photograph a white or gray card and the camera calibrates precisely to that light. Most accurate method.

**Kelvin:** You dial in an exact color temperature number. Maximum control for professionals.

## **Cameras at Camera Shop Egypt**

## **White balance tips for better results**

If you shoot **RAW**, white balance can be changed freely in post with zero quality loss. Set it to auto and fix in editing — this is what most professionals do.

If you shoot **JPEG or video**, get white balance right in-camera because fixing it later degrades quality.

For **video**, lock white balance to a specific Kelvin value before recording. Auto white balance shifts mid-clip look unprofessional.

Use a **gray card** for critical work — custom white balance from a gray card is the most accurate method available.

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For video, never use auto white balance. Set a specific Kelvin value before you start recording. A white balance shift in the middle of a talking-head video is one of the most obvious amateur mistakes.

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