This NOT to start an ExpoDisc vs. Prangles war. It just to show that a good, white, BLEACHED coffee filter can be a great and dirt chip alternative.

The photo was taken under mixed fluorescent/incandescent light with a 50mm f/1.4 lens. Actually, I like the way the coffee filter balance rendered the colors, I think it's better than either gray or white card.

Yeah, I can just see the looks you'll get putting a coffee filter over the front of your camera... Seriously, however, it really looks like it does the job.

Hey, I might have to keep another filter in my bag. Great idea and the result looks good.

Man that works really well here are two pics. AWB

Edited by THicks on Jan 10, 2004 at 11:48 PM GMT

With coffee filter.

Holy cow, that's ingenious!

It even washes the dirt spots on the closet door!

Because I'm enamored by this concept, BUMP!

THicks, I'm glad you liked it. I guess, the next step is to decide which brand of coffee filters is better - Hoya or Maxwell House. Or Hoya is not in it yet? I was using IGA, btw.

Works great. You can buy a lot of coffee filters for the price of an expo disc.

Be sure to use decaffeinated, or else you'll need a tripod.

christo wrote:
It even washes the dirt spots on the closet door!

Man I knew someone was going to see those, I'll have to get onto the maid, Ouch , sorry honey I'll clean it right now.

WOW!!!! What a great idea! Because it's cone shaped, it will fit all my lenses too... woohoo!

Being new to this WB thing, what is the process you use? Point towards subjet/light source? Set custom WB prior to exposing, or change it in PS or other software? tks.

Ed, it's very simple. Put a cone filter on your lens (or double cone if you feel adventurous) point it toward the subject and snap a picture. Doesn't matter if it's in AWB or CWB. Then go to Menu, Custom White Balance, and set the pic as your reference WB. Don't forget to switch to CWB (if you're not already in it) before taking photos. Hope it helps

Do you think cutting the center out of a 77mm lens cap and fitting the filter paper to it would work as a poor man's expodisk?

Well, that proves the point: Canon AWB = Automatic Waste Basket. It's a sad day when a coffee filter beats the AWB algorithms...

After this, there's no doubt a product niche: 'L' coffee filters...

Harold, actually, I tried it too, it works. Put two layers if in doubt.

Christo, what next? Toilet paper might work too, now that i'm thinking about it

christo™ wrote:
After this, there's no doubt a product niche: 'L' coffee filters...

How perfect, they're even white!

I think I'll get out my Magic Marker (tm) and put a red ring on mine.
Or maybe a green ring for "DO" (decaf. optics)



Very clever idea and the best part is how small, light and cheap the solution is.

Thanks for sharing this one!


Edited by smaug on Jan 24, 2004 at 06:58 AM GMT

With Expodisk...

Yes, but you didn't use the 'L' coffee filter...I already filed the patent and the copyright...it runs "rings" around the regular coffee filters...

christo™ wrote:
Yes, but you didn't use the 'L' coffee filter...I already filed the patent and the copyright...it runs "rings" around the regular coffee filters...

Christo,
How much are you going to sell them for? I bought a hundred pack for $3.
Jim C.

Did a quick unscientific comparison using generic white coffee filters compared to my expodisc. Pointed at spotlight in kitchen and took one aRBG RAW shot. Brought RAW files into C1 to see what it said the white balance was in P mode aRBG.

Using Expodisc: 3900K -2 tone balance F2.8 1/45 sec

Two coffee filters: 4300 -1 tone balance F3.5 1/90

Three coffee filters: 4075 -2 tone balance F2.8 1/60 sec

Before taking the RAW files I tried two .jpgs, one using two coffee filters and one using the expodisc. PS CS showed that two coffee filters let 12% less blue light through than the expodisc. This compares fairly close to the RAW findings of two coffee filters which show about a 10% difference. Using three coffee filters narrows the difference to about 5%. This is far better than pringles lids or coffee can lids that I have tried in the past.

While I am sure that there are differences in brands of coffee filters and 50 trials averaged would give you a more accurate result, I think that if you used three coffee filters to set your custom white balance, you would be within 5% of what an expodisc will give you. Is that small difference worth the price of an expodisc? Only you can answer that. But one thing for certain, three coffee filters is a WHOLE lot better than AWB, a pringles lid, or a coffee can lid.

Anybody want to buy a like new 72mm expodisc?

Chief wrote:Anybody want to buy a like new 72mm expodisc?

I'm thinking the same thing Plus the coffee filters fit all my lenses.