What's in the Bag? Lastolite EZ Balance Collapsible White Balance Disc

Every digital photographer should have some kind of white balance system. This is especially true for those who use the histogram to determine exposure, because histograms are wildly affected by white balance. For accurate histogram readings, always perform a custom white balance before shooting. Raw shooters can set a custom white balance during raw processing.


This is the 12 inch Lastolite EZ Balance disc. I prefer a disc over a card because it can be folded to 1/3 size for better portability. Having previously used QP Cards for white balance, I am liking the Lastolite EZ Balance disc quite a lot. I have often been frustrated with the tiny size of the QP Card, especially when using longer lenses, which is why I ventured to find a better system. While the 20 inch disc is probably the more ideal size for portraiture, I chose the 12 inch version because it is big enough to do the job comfortably, but small enough to easily fit this portable kit without getting claustrophobic.

My measurements show the white side of the EZ Balance disc and the white patch of the QP Card are an exact match, so kudos to both companies for accuracy. The back side of the disc is middle gray with a white target at the center. This is intended for metering with reflected light, as most metering systems are calibrated to middle gray. At around $30 for the 12 inch and $45 for the 20 inch, the EZ Balance is not a low cost solution. However, if you can afford a camera body and lens system, then you should budget for a white balance system as well. The Lastolite EZ Balance is not the only game in town, but it is solid and among the lower cost alternatives.

Click Here to purchase the Lastolite 12-Inch EZ Balance disc from Amazon

Coming Next
A short post this time, but keep looking for additional postings covering more stuff from the bag.

Until then...

-Gene

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"Color and Neutral Density Filters"