Nikon COOLPIX 5000 Instruction Manual - Page 116

Taking Photographs-Advanced Photography Keeping Colors True: The White-Balance Menu What Is "White Balance"? The color of the light reflected by an object depends on the color of the light source. The human brain is able to detect and compensate for such changes in color, with the result that a white object will look white to humans whether viewed in sunlight, under overcast skies, or indoors under incandescent or fluorescent lighting. To a camera, however, the "whites" produced by these different sources of light vary in color, some being slightly blue and others yellow or red. A digital camera can adjust colors according to lighting so that colors that appear white to the human eye also appear white when viewed in the final photograph. This adjustment is called "white balance." Choosing a White Balance Setting In User Sets 1, 2, and 3, white balance can be chosen using the white-balance option in the SHOOTING menu (in User Set A, white balance is adjusted automatically). Viewing the Current White-Balance Setting At settings other than Auto, the current white-balance setting is indicated by an icon in the monitor. 102