Nigel Cooper wrote an article called The Art of White Balancing wherein he argues that it’s best not to use manual White Balance but use the factory presets instead. His case is founded on three points:
- White balance was invented as a way to counter color drift in old analogue tube based cameras. Modern cameras are perfectly stable, they do not need constant calibration anymore.
- Perfect white doesn’t exist in real life. You’ll always see some kind of tint in whites, be it amber, eggshell, or blue. Sunsets are perfect example of a situation where manual white balance will wreck the atmosphere.
- Manufacturers spend a lot of effort on getting the skin tones right in the factory presets. You wreak havoc on this delicate colour balance by using manual white balance.
I really don’t know what to think about this.