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Light sources and color temperatures
When shooting a subject, it is necessary to adjust the white balance to a setting which matches the light source.
A light source is expressed using a color temperature (K). The bluer the light, the higher the temperature;
conversely, the redder the light, the lower the temperature. The table given below shows the correlation between
light sources and color temperatures.
Light source Color temperature (K)
Clear skies 10,000
Blue
Cloudy 8,000
Rainy 7,000
Fluorescent lights (daylight) 6,000
5,000
Sunshine at midday Mercury-vapor lamps White
Fluorescent lights (white)
1 hour after sunrise, 1 hour before sunset 4,000
Fluorescent lights (warm white) 3,500
Studio lights 3,200 Yellow
Halogen lamps, video lights 3,000
30 minutes after sunrise, 30 minutes before sunset
Incandescent bulbs 2,500
Sodium lamps
(Lighting inside tunnels)
Sunrise, sunset
Candlelight 2,000 red