On Jun 10, 2014, at 2:22 PM, Roger Breton <graxx@videotron.ca> wrote:
However...both the WatchYourWhite target and Spectralon are overkill for almost all photographic purposes.
At the unbelievable low price WatchYourWhite was selling for, it was a no brainer.
Agreed. It may have been the most expensive such tool on the market...but it was also the only one that actually outperforms a styrofoam cup....
Besides, it is a useful tool against overexposure since, as you know, if the target is blasted in any of the three RGB channels, all bets are off.
You have no idea how much I long for a true RAW histogram + blinkies on a DSLR. (I imagine MagicLantern provides one, but it scares me.) Armed with such a tool, a *real* white reference like the WatchYourWhite is fantastic for quick-and-dirty exposure control in the field. Take a picture, make sure it's not quite clipping, and you're set for anything that's not specular or its own light source. Or, decide how much headroom you want for specular reflections and light sources and expose so the WatchYourWhite target is that much below clipping. Want two stops for highlights? Expose the WatchYourWhite two stops below clipping. Alas, the camera makers have not seen fit to give us such capabilities.... b&