User Guide

39
This manual is a provisional version only.
Removing from a computer
To remove the camera from a computer, simply disconnect the FireWire cable.
Initial general settings
Setting sensitivity (‘speed’) and white balance (‘colour temperature’)
e two digital settings that are most relevant for taking pictures are:
• the ISO setting and
• the white balance setting
ese are therefore available at the top level of the menu system so you can get to them
quickly and easily. ey are also shown on-screen in most preview modes, so you can
easily keep an eye on them as your work .
Selecting the ISO rating
e camera can be set to use a light-sensitivity rating equivalent to ISO 50, 100, 200 or
400 film. Note, however, that the “natural” sensitivity of the CCD is ISO 50, so you will
get best results with this setting if your lighting allows it. As with film, which becomes
grainer at higher ISO ratings, the camera will reveal progressively more noise in pictures
taken at higher sensitivities.
To set the rating, use the MAIN MENU > ISO entry in the sensor unit menu system
See e ISO Setting for a detailed procedure.
or
Make a setting on the camera grip menu. (MENU > DIGITAL > ISO)
Setting the white balance
When you are looking at a scene, your eyes naturally adapt to the ambient light colour
(provided it is nearly white) — your brain then interprets all other colours according to
how they relate to this “neutral” colour. However, this means that when you take a photo
and then look at it later, you might not get the colours you expect because the camera has
an absolute idea of what “white” is. e sensor unit therefore provides a white balance
setting, which sets the hue that it should consider to be white and interprets all other
colours proportionately.
Unlike many digital cameras, the H2D stores images as raw captures, which means they
contain an exact image of the CCD (including its original mosaic colour filter). You are
therefore able to adjust the white balance at any time to equal effect. When you set a
colour balance, your setting is saved with the image as pair of light temperature and tone
values — the colour values measured by each pixel are not altered. Your white balance
setting affects the way colours are shown in the sensor unit screen and will still have the
same effect when you first open images on your computer. You can change the setting
later using FlexColor or another program that reads DNG files and the effect will be the
same as though you had set it before shooting.
e H2D provides several options for establishing the white balance, including:
• A selection of presets for many common lighting situations, such as sun, shade
and indoor lighting.
• An adaptive function that measures the current lighting conditions by taking a
shot of a neutral card and sets the white balance accordingly.
e best solution for white balance will vary according to each individual situation and
the amount of time available. Oen, the automatic selection will work fine, while at other
times a preset will work better—especially in scenes dominated by a particular strong
colour. When you are working in a studio, with its controlled environment, you might
get the best results using the adaptive function together with a neutral test card.