Either, depending on how you set the camera. Most cameras come with white balance set to "auto" and need to be changed accordingly to the lighting conditions if you're doing critical shooting. You can set the white balance accordingly to what you think the light source is, or you can set a custom white balance according to what the light source really is. Or ou can be lazy and leave it set on auto and not get accurate color.

I've actually been fairly impressed with the color accuracy of the Rebel XT's Auto White Balance. If the light is pretty "normal" then it works quite well. On the other hand when I shoot in low light, or particularly in dappled sunlight, I play with the custom setting. The fact that I don't really know what I'm doing with it probably contributes heavily to the steepness of the learning curve, but that too is part of the fun.

I don't know if the Rebel XT allows it, but if you can shoot in RAW mode, then when you convert the RAW image you can adjust the white balance at that time. That way, it doesn't matter what your camera setting for white balance is when you take the shot.

Frans Waterlander
pixographer

It does allow this and in the past few weeks (since I got the new lens) I've been trying it. Kind of makes me wonder what took me so long...

I'd really recommend using RAW mode to anyone who hasn't tried it before. It's a real eye-opener. What with the low cost of hard drives and flash chips these days, the large file sizes aren't nearly as onerous as they were just a few years ago.

thanks for the imput helped alot. Haven't tried raw yet
when i download raw to my laptop do I need to creat a seperate folder. I've purchase ps cs2.

Tom,

You don't need to create a separate folder. When you select a RAW file in Photoshop CS2, the RAW converter comes up and you can then make your decisions as to how the RAW file gets translated into tiff or Photoshop format.

Frans Waterlander
pixographer

is photoshop format like a jpeg file?

how big is your mem card in your camra

chipdoc do you use a light meter or let camera figure it out?

Tom,

The Photoshop format is uncompressed (lossless). Jpeg is compressed and some of the information is lost everytime you save the file. I use 1GB memory cards.

Frans Waterlander

thanks for info Frans, guess maybe should look for up grade on mem card from 256 to 512 or 1g

tompotter:
I'm running a 4gig Hitachi MicroDrive in my camera. I'm pretty certain that it slows down my burst rate, but since the only time I have shot with the "motor drive" it's been accidental, that isn't an issue for me.

I have been thinking of getting a light meter, but for the past seven months the camera has been figuring out the exposure. I just spent money on a new lens and have to limit myself to one expensive new toy at a time. Maybe this summer.

Tom

my 2 cents for what it's worth--
I've been going at this with a 20d hot and heavy for a little over 8 months-
get at least a gig card--look for deals on the web or in the store sales papers (officemax, computer plus, etc.)-
since you've got ps cs2, try using bridge--it will bring up any file in any folder and will rotate your verticals--moving to ps from bridge is a little weird but I've gotten used to it--
all I've read says save your raw files and if you can copy to cd or dvd for archives (beginning to see the reason-I plan on going back to some of the earlier pics and work on them again in ps)--
if you can, always shoot in raw (file format, not you, unless that's your thing)--I don't know if the rebel allows raw plus jpg (you can on the 20d)--
you can batch save your raw to jpg once you've got the pics the way you want them (can batch or synchronize settings in bridge, also)--
if you use raw, you've got a lot more info to manipulate and the greater possibilities of a good photo--

someone mentioned exposure meter--
I like the spot (partial) metering where I feel more certain I've gotten the exposure reading I want on the subject I'm shooting--might look at handheld if I get into portrait more-

george

thanks for everones imput on white balance and metering and also mem card, don't think I'll need 4 gig but I think I'll go 1 gig untra 2 though, And chipdoc one day maybe I'll get a better lense but right now I'll stick with the middle ground and hopefully the lense works great for you. And every one else happy photoing(?) and happy new year.