D2X White Balance and Adobe Camera Raw

[kwschang]

I captured a series of images with my D2X white balance set at 5000K.  When I opened these files in ACR, the as shot white balance displayed was 4650K for all of the images.
Can someone please explain why ACR is showing 4650K and not 5000K as the camera was configured?
Thank you,
Ken

[BernardLanguillier]

Ken,

I am by means an exper on this topic, but my understanding is that each raw converter uses its own model to represent colors as a function of the color temperature.

For each camera body, ACR does a callibration that determines what color temp settings are needed to get accurate colors. It so turns out that 4650 is the ACR K temp that corresponds to what Nikon calls 5000 K.

By the way, ACR used to be less color proficient on Nikon bodies than it is on their Canon equivalents. In other words, it takes quite a bit of work to get great colors out of Nikon bodies when using ACR, while it is easier with Canon bodies.

I believe that ACR 4.0 - since it is at least partially based on RSP color model - more friendly on Nikon - should improve on this.

There is no beating Capture NX for the most vibrant out of the box colors for the D2x though.

Regards,
Bernard

[Raw shooter]

I captured a series of images with my D2X white balance set at 5000K.  When I opened these files in ACR, the as shot white balance displayed was 4650K for all of the images.
Can someone please explain why ACR is showing 4650K and not 5000K as the camera was configured?
Thank you,
Ken
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=97256\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I used the D2X for years, and yes ACR is my favorite. White balance is one of the most important variables for those of us that shoot faces and skin tones.
With ACR, you need to use the 'Custom White Balance Tool.  Simply shoot a gray card (Gretag Macbeth is my favorite) as your first image.  Use the Custom White Balance Tool to measure the temperture and tint, then SAVE this setting.  You then apply the saved white balance to the whole shoot.  The result is absolutely perfect images - as far as white balance.  
ACR is a great tool for Nikon and Canons alike.  I see no difference is either camera system.  Just don't blindly accept the 'as shot' default as anything but training wheels for new users.  ACR 4.0 will add (as in Lightroom or CS3 beta) lots of new features, but white balance is already perfect, in my opinion.
Good luck!

[Jonathan Wienke]

I never use "as shot"; I leave my cameras with RGB histograms set to the WB setting that most accurately warns me about individual blown color channels. Auto WB gets close most of the time, and then I tweak by hand for the final setting. If I'm really anal about accurate WB instead of visually pleasing WB, I'll use a white reference and then the WB sampler tool in ACR. Since ACR/Bridge allows setting WB on hundreds of images simultaneously, this isn't as inconvenient as it sounds.

[bjanes]

I captured a series of images with my D2X white balance set at 5000K.  When I opened these files in ACR, the as shot white balance displayed was 4650K for all of the images.
Can someone please explain why ACR is showing 4650K and not 5000K as the camera was configured?
Thank you,
Ken
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=97256\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

This is normal and has been explained by Thomas Knoll (creator of Photoshop and ACR) on the Adobe Camera Raw forum. ACR and Nikon use different white balance algorithms and ACR produces the appropriate appearance of the photo rather than trying to duplicate the WB color temperature.

Bill