Manfrotto Lastolite XpoBalance User manual

LL B5000005 / APR 17

Possible Uses of the XpoBalance
Pre-Capture
The XpoBalance is an ideal location tool which can be used pre-capture to
white balance your camera, to balance your histogram for more accurate
exposure or to accurately set your exposure.
1. Using the Black/White/Grey side of the
XpoBalance, zoom in on the centre so
that approximately equal portions of
black, white and grey can be seen in the
viewfinder (as indicated by the green
square in the photo).
33. Examine histogram on camera
4. Decide on appropriate exposure and
change as required to highlight mid,
light or dark tones–the general aim is
to achieve a centred histogram.
2. Take photo (with camera on manual)
Custom White Balance—for calibrated colours
1. Select White Balance on camera menu
1
1
22. Fill viewfinder with white section (or
grey section depending on your camera
—refer to your camera manual) of the
XpoBalance (as indicated by green
square on photo).
3. Set white balance (refer to your camera
manual for specific instructions).
Balancing your Histogram—for best exposure on all tones.
This shows a histogram where some
of the details have been lost on the
light tones.

Possible Uses of the XpoBalance
2
Pre-Capture: Exposure Selection
The XpoBalance allows you to accurately set your exposure before you
shoot.
1. Select the spot meter on your camera, or
use spot meter.
2. Take a spot meter reading off of one of
the three greys. A reading off of the 18%
grey will give a mid exposure, the dark
grey will over-expose the shot by half a
stop and the light grey will under-expose
the shot by half a stop.
3. Turn your camera to manual and set your
exposure according to the most appropri-
ate reading.
Post-Capture
The XpoBalance is perfect for the photographer working under pressure e.g.
weddings, catwalk etc. By taking one photo in each different lighting situation
with the XpoBalance in shot the busy photographer can then continue shoot-
ing leaving the worry of perfect exposure and calibration until after the shoot.
Even then, exposure and calibration adjustments need to be done to only one
photo—the rest of the photos taken under the same lighting conditions, can
be batch processed.
Adjusting Tones: Post Capture
21. Take one photo in each different lighting
condition with the Black/White/Grey side of
the XpoBalance in shot.
2. Using image editing software such as Pho-
toshop® open up the image with the
XpoBalance in it.
3. Using Photoshop® you would go into
‘IMAGE’, ‘ADJUSTMENTS’ and ‘LEVELS’.
4. Apply the white dropper to the white sec-
tion of the XpoBalance to highlight white
tones e.g. the bride’s dress, the black drop-
per to the black section to emphasize the
dark tones e.g. the groom’s suit and the
grey dropper to the grey section to adjust
the mid-tones e.g. for accurate skin tones.
3

Mid
Grey for
mid
expo-
sure
Possible Uses of the XpoBalance
5. To batch process you can then save the
above action and apply it to all other imag-
es taken under the same lighting conditions
(refer to the instructions of your software
package for more details).
Adjusting Exposure: Post Capture
1. Take one photo in each different lighting situ-
ation with the 3 greys side of the XpoBalance
in shot.
2. Using imaging editing software such as Pho-
toshop® open up the image with the
XpoBalance in it.
3. In Photoshop® you would go into IMAGE,
ADJUSTMENTS then LEVELS or CURVES
(before you do this you may want to go into
FILTER, BLUR and apply GAUSSIAN BLUR to
make sure you get a true reading).
4. Place the grey dropper on each of the differ-
ent tones of grey which will change the expo-
sure of your image. Select the most suitable
exposure, click SAVE and name your saved
setting.
5. To batch process you can then save the
above action and apply it to all other images
taken under the same lighting conditions
(refer to the instructions of your software
package for more details).
1
Folding the Xpobalance
1. Hold the XpoBal-
ance with one hand on
either side.
2. Bring lower hand up
and upper hand down, to
twist into figure of 8.
3. Tuck in the ends
to form a circular
shape, slot into bag.
123
4a
4b
4c
Dark
Grey for
over-
exposure
Light
Grey for
under-
exposure