Video tips for stills shooters: Why white balance matters
In photography, Auto White Balance (AWB) is very convenient and often the best choice for most scenarios.
However, when it comes to video, using AWB can quickly become a problem.
The key reason is consistency. Unlike a still photo, video is a continuous recording. If your camera is set to AWB it may adjust the white balance mid-shot, especially if the lighting changes slightly or you pan between different scenes.
This results in noticeable colour shifts that are difficult to fix in post. Skin tones can suddenly go from warm to cool, or your background can take on unnatural tints, distracting viewers from your content. This is especially obvious if you are shooting from two cameras at different angles or if you are cutting between shots.
My advice is to set your white balance manually before you hit record. If you're in controlled lighting, use a custom Kelvin setting. If you're outside or under mixed light, consider using a white or grey card to dial in accurate balance.
If you are shooting in LOG or a flat profile, consistent white balance is even more important, since those profiles rely heavily on colour correction in post. Adjusting the white balance for video is more difficult than for photos due to its limited bit depth.
You can think of it this way: white balance takes control away from you. Lock it down manually, and your videos will look far more professional – it will also save you a lot of time in post-production! ❂
