Automatic White Balance

by GagandeepCheema
(Raipur,C.G,India)

Question:

What is Auto/Manual/Indoor/Outdoor Automatic White Balance ?

Answer:

White Balance is critical in any type of camera. The white balance is very important for how colors will be rendered in the camera.

For security cameras you usually have a few different options.

One would be Automatic. On an automatic setting the camera will sample whatever white it detects in the view of the camera and then sets the balance according to that. In most cameras this is fine.

If you have a fixed camera you can setup it up and check the colors for accuracy. Sometimes you can hold up a white piece of paper as well as part of the scene and that can help set the white balance. Again try it and check the colors.

You can also manually adjust the white balance as well as use default settings if they are available for Indoor or Outdoor. These are just options that are trying to consider certain conditions in order to get the balance better corrected.

I would setup the camera and test the scene and color first to see how well it works. I many cases it will probably get the colors just fine.

If not though then you can go and adjust the white balance by checking the accuracy of the colors you are seeing.

Thanks for the question.

Peter Brissette
Security Camera Expert