WhiBal User Guide Now On-Line

[MichaelT]

It is not quite done, but it is about 90% there, so I have decided to publish the user guide. Sorry for the delay.

Rather than write something that no-one will read, I decided to go to the exta work and expense to produce a video User Guide...a series of movies that will explain all about WhiBal...what it is; why it is better; and how to use it.

I will imporve the screen shots by zooming in, and the White and Black point sections are missing. Other than that it is quite complete.

Please post your feedback, and what is not clear or not covered, so that these things can be included in the final release.

Also, my plan was to create this same content on DVD, and ship with each WhiBal (and make it available to WhiBal Owners. My question to you...is the DVD necessary?...or is the online version enough. They would be identical except that you could watch it away from the computer on a television with full screen full motion higher quality video (although the on-line quality is good as well).

Please let me know and post any and all comments, both good and bad. I want this to be useful to all WhiBal and potential WhiBal users.

Click for WhiBal User Guide (http://pictureflow.fileburst.com/_WhiBalManual/index.html)

Again, sorry for the delay...I hope that it was worth the wait.

Thanks...

Michael Tapes
Owner, www.RawWorkflow.com

[sbuttrick]

Michael,

Great job on the video, it was worth the wait. I know that I love my WhiBal and it sure has made my RAW workflow faster.

Thanks for a great product.

Regards,

Scott B

[dbower]

The video was nicely done, and I enjoyed putting a face to the man who seems to work tirelessly. Sometimes, in the anonymous internet world, we forget about the human side.

So, Michael: it was nice to meet you!

-Dave

[winnjewett]

Michael, your video was very informative, and has convinced me to purchase a WhiBal. I do have one suggestion, however. I didn't keep track, but you mentioned the benefits of shooting RAW over jpeg WAY more times than necessary. Overall, a good job though. Also, I know the video isn't complete yet, but the video and audio were not synched on my computer. If I stopped and started the playback, it looked pretty good for the first 5 seconds or so, and then fell out of sync.

-Winn

[MichaelT]

Thanks for all of the feedback. it is much appreciated.

Regarding the mention of RAW, I will see if some edits are needed. it is just that with RAW you can use WhiBal no-destructively, and with JPEG it is a destructive process (loss of data is involved).

Regarding sync, I have not had any problems but of course it will vary from computer to computer, and ISP to ISP, and time of day (load on the system). Once the player controls are displayed, it means that the entire video is resident on your computer, and it should be in perfect synch. So maybe wait for the player controls and then start and stop.

As I mentioned I have to decide whether or not to go the expense of producing DVDs, so i will wait for more feedback.

Thanks again.

[winnjewett]

Michael, as mentioned above, even when the video was on my system (the controls were visible), the program could not maintian sync.

Another option for you is to product vcds. These are playable in most dvd players, and the cds cost next-to nothing.

-Winn

[MichaelT]

I am leaning to the DVD. Just to do it right. In quantity the DVDs are not THAT expensive, but I will have to research more.

[mwalton]

Michael,
First, let me say that the online video is great and informative (humorous even!) And yes, the DVD is definitely wanted, the only problem I also
experienced a syncing problem, and I'm on a pretty fast cable connection.

So, now I'd love to part with my cash for a combo... when is the DVD going to be fully completed (w/ black/white point info)... I'd like to purchase
everything at once rather than following up on and paying shipping again for the Full DVD.

Also, are any of those accessories from the online video available in the shopping cart or elsewhere.

Great job as always
rgds, markw

[MichaelT]

Thanks for the kind words.

The DVD should be available mid january. it will be included with all WhiBal sales (at least that is the current plan).

The alternate mounting kits should be available by Monday. I have them in stock but need to photograph and build the web page.

Thanks again..

[robertsj]

Michael--loved the video, it's really good (as are the WhiBals!)

But the lanyard / connection system all the early adopters got wasn't nearly so slick. Any chance we'll get an upgrade offer? <g>

More seriously--will I be able to buy upgrade separately? Or should I just source equivalent hardware?

[MichaelT]

Free lanyard (just s/h) and not free rivet accessories will be on line today.

[ssandhaus]

Hi Michael,

Love the instructional video, and love the web design of the video page. Very nicely done. I use a cable modem as well here and the video and sound are sync'd perfectly even during the simultaneous load and play. I suspect the problems others are having must be at their ends (or else I just hit hit your site at a low usage time). These kinds of problems can be tough to track down (but will likely be fixed by viewing on a local DVD!)

As others have said, it's great to put a face with the typed words here. Don't yet see the rivet lanyard system.

By the way, Merry Christmas and congrats on the new home.

[Bruce]

I would prefer a text document manual....

[dandill]

Free lanyard (just s/h) and not free rivet accessories will be on line today.

Can you point me to where? Looking on the WhiBal product page, I do not see it.

Dan

[gstrong1]

Can you point me to where? Looking on the WhiBal product page, I do not see it.

Dan

Dan. Try here near the bottom:
http://www.pictureflow.com/products/whibal/index.html

-gary-

[MichaelT]

Rivet accessorues are still not online. Maybe later today :>)

[gstrong1]

Michael. I too think the video was done very well. Has the CD/DVD process been completed to the point where new purchases will include a copy of the video? I made my purchase of WhiBal yesterday, after watching the video & would love to get a copy. Thanks much for making this product available. --gary--

[MichaelT]

No gary,

I still want to add some sections and finish the ones that we did. There are a lot of insert shots missing that will help to tell the picture. So the DVD should be done End of Feb, so after production should be available by March 1 latest. We will make it available for s/h only for those who have already bought.

Also we are preparing the RawWorkflow DVD that will sell for $49.95 for version 1 and half that for all later revisions. That should be march 15 or April 1.

Thanks for your support. If you have ideas or questions for the Workflow DVD please email to me as per the thread that i posted on the C1 support forum here.

[quatermass]

In the RAW and Jpeg workflow guide online video you mention ACR.

Then further into the guide you mention 'Adobe Camera Raw'.

Perhaps you should mention what ACR is first or put on the bottom of the screen a glossary line of text? This will save you having to reshoot. :-)

Also this section requires a lot more inserts at the start. Everytime you mention the screen you should be zooming in with a insert!

[ATHiker95]

As you would probably guess, the videos take forever on a 56K modem (unfortunately, I live in the boonies on top of a mountain where cable isn't available). So will be great to get a copy on dvd.

Thanks,
Mark

[Ronnie]

Hi Michael,
I have this week ordered WhiBal. I do not have broadband and am having difficulty trying to view the video. Does WhiBal ship with some user guide?
Thanks
Ronnie

[KarenB]

As you would probably guess, the videos take forever on a 56K modem (unfortunately, I live in the boonies on top of a mountain where cable isn't available). So will be great to get a copy on dvd.


I live in the mountains, also, so no fast cable or DSL for me. I have a 128K ISDN connection, and it's painful to wait for the Flash download. I just can't take the time to wait for the entire video manual to download. I've been sitting here waiting for twenty minutes just to watch one segment, and it's only a fraction of the way downloaded. Very frusterating.

A quicktime version would be better than Flash. At least then you could pause the video until it is downloaded entirely. As it is now, with Flash, I get a spurt of voice every once in a while with no ability to pause until it is all downloaded so I can watch it all at once. Can your Flash programmer put in some controls for pause/play? It feels rather irritating to have the audio just blast out at you at irregular intervals in incomplete sentences. Also, on my computer (PowerBook G4 1.5GHz using Safari) the audio is also not in sync with the video, which I guess is not surprising, given my connection speed.

I realize that there may not be many of us left without a high-speed connection, but not everyone chooses to live in the city.

Anyway, I guess I'm just feeling a bit left out.
Karen

[MichaelT]

karen,

I will look into thsia and we will also issue this on DVD. I am just waiting for the trade show rush (6 recently) to end, so i can get onto this and many more video projects.

[Aspirine]

Hard time in the mountain !! I live way up in the french Alps and like others depend on a 56k modem. Just got my Whibal and the online video is a non doer here, especially flash, the worst of them all. I'm stuck at the first words of Assembling.. and after 30 min efforts gave up.

A pdf, even simple and basic, would be a blessing and prefered over a dvd.

[MichaelT]

There is a basic user guide in the FAQ section here...

http://www.pictureflow.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=43

Should answer 90% of your questions. Thanks for your patience and support.

We will be creating a Quick Start guide that ships with WhiBal.

[jamie C]

Hi Michael

just received my WhiBal pair, many thanks for bringing this little baby to market for us all. I haven't had any look casting a look at the online video yet; I've tried Firefox and IE6 browsers but the links appear disabled? could there be something wrong at my end or have you disabled it for the moment until it's finished?

regards, Jamie

[julkuphoto]

I have dial-up, cable or dsl not available. Satellite too expensive and not
reliable. Therefore I can't view the WhiBal on-line manual. At least where
can I download the Macromedia files? I've spent some good bucks
supporting this site, WhiBal, C1 Pro, Gretag Macbeth so please support me.

Thanks

[grant.smith]

Michael,

I thought the Videos were very informative and my WhiBal should be in the post! Obviously only you can tell me!

Anyway I thought they work great online but I have a good connection so can appreciate how frustrating it can be for those on dial up. So my two penith worth is, offer them online, but if someone wants a dvd charge them a couple of quid or dollars as you say over there. I'm sure people will not mind paying a small fee for the convenience of having a DVD?

So I have one question, and please excuse me if I am being dumb. I shoot in RAW and thus ill be using the light grey card, so what are the black and white cards for?

Thanks

Grant

[MichaelT]

Grant,

The DVD is planned. Thanks..

The Black and White are for setting dynamic range by using the Black and White point eyedroppers in editing programs. Not always useful, but many time they are.

Also Black and white serve as an exposure guide. Take a close up shot of the WhiBal in the lighting near the subject and make sure that the Blacn and White spikes are within the confines of the histogram.

[Canuck]

An online video is good idea, however I'm on dial-up. Would it be too much of a problem to create a user guide in PDF format for download? I have yet to purchase Whibal and understanding how to use it may encourage many to purchase.

[MichaelT]

Sounds like a plan. Thanks..

[wratz]

An excellent product. I finally found your written instructions - I use hearing aids and don't even have sound on my internet machine.

I bought two sets and gave one to my son at his birthday - he then left for a 9 day visit to NYC. I was a little embarassed there were no instructions - I can send him a single line of instruction (which will be adequate) to his hotel, I guess. - the white and black cards are obvious to experienced people.

Sure glad this simple if excellent item was the first product I bought from you - I am not interested in products that have no written instructions; too bad...some of your other products looked interesting. Oh well, life's like that, isn't it?

rennie12

[MichaelT]

There is a lot of written instruction in the FAQ section of this forum. i will take heed and create a PDF that is sent with each WhiBal, and also we plan to send the DVD with each when it is done in the next month or so.

[Millard]

Michael T:
I notice you have already mentioned the lack of screen shots - but another area you might want to evaluate is your description of how to batch process in RAW - I was so confused after looking at the on-line video, that I finally talked with my friend Scott Kelby at NAPP, and there are about four ways to do it, but one is very simple and direct. I would not presume to explain these to you, but there may be others who have or will have a problem. By the way, the WhiBal works very well, and is a valuable addition to RAW for all of us.
Millard

[MichaelT]

Millard,

While this is the first negative reactive to the on-line videos, I take it as valid criticism. I are re-doing the video as we speak and hope to have the new one done and available on DVD (free + s/h or with WhiBal purchase) in a month or so (I have been known to miss dates before so take this with a deep breath). But I am in full gear (or will be on Monday) to get this done and improved. I should even have CS2 installed by then :>).

Please say hello to Scott for me. While he got his WhiBal for free (because he is a big shot ;>), he uses it because it is works!

[rdijkers]

Hi Michael,

first my comliments on your instruction videos. They made me order the Whibal.

I don't know why, but I was a little disappointed when I found out they were not in the package. Is it possible to download the tutorial-clips?

thank you,

Rick, The Netherlands

[MichaelT]

Thanks for the kind words. It has always been our plan to inlcude a CD or DVD with the tutorials on it. I have delayed because i am going to redo the tutorial shortly. At that time we will make it available for a nominal price to cover shipping and handling. Sorry it is not ready now. I will look into creating a small version that can be downloaded. This should be possible.

[petermk]

Micheal, I received a WhiBal today -- a replacement for one that was stolen. Finding that it was not the same as my old one prompted me to read the leaflet, and it prompted me to look at your online video user guides.

This is going to sound churlish, but I was not as impressed with the videos as everyone else here seems to have been. There was too much of the talking head (and bad lip-synch). While it's good to see your face and hear your voice, enough is enough.

Tighter scripting, and more close up views of the things you are explaining, would improve the communication.

For a good example from a different field, look at the video "infomercial" at this site: www.hocktools.com

[Please don't take this as criticism of the WhiBal, nor of your speedy service!]

[MichaelT]

Peter,

All feedback is welcome, although I do no know how you are better served by posting your negative feedback here, rather than in a private email. But that being said, I appreciate your feedback.

As you will read in many places, that video is a draft. It was an experiment. I agree with all of your comments, and the WhiBal video will be redone and also included as a CD in each shipped WhiBal.

I have the choice of pulling it, because it is not as good as i want it to be. or leaving it to help the 1000s who have viewed it. Needless to say I get compliments each day. That does not make it better than it is, just proves the usefulness. The world is not perfect, I do not have endless resources, so i do the best I can.

Thanks for your comments.

[Cekari]

Hi Micheal,

I try to follow the workflow for PS CS2 but then it doesn't look the same as in your video so I get stucked, and then I have to start the video all over to get to the same part and it takes like 10-15 minutes and after 5-6 atempts to follow it I gave up.
Even let the video run to end hoping I should be able to have it all in the videoscreen to fast run it but at the end it just stops and I have to start over :/
Would realy like to be able to download it or a written tutorial as pdf would realy help out for me.

I get stuck after WB in the ACR, as it doesn't look the same or the same words on buttons when u press the alt-key...

I'm an old, slow learner kind of .......

Regards
Cekari

[MichaelT]

Cekari,

In CS2, when you have the WhiBal image in Adobe camera Raw, you click on the light gray Whibal card. Then you press DONE. Then in Bridge you can use the context menu to copy Camera Raw settings from the WhiBal shot, and then select the pictures shot in the same light and Paste the camera Raw settings (in this case the WB) to these other picture. Hope that this helps.

[Cekari]

Tanks Michael,

that is what I found out after some trial and error :)

WhiBal works just great now when I know how to use it,
even shoot some pics indoors with mixed light from a window and from fluorescent light from the roof (hard light situation) and ofc I forgot to use WhiBal but whent back 4 - 5 hours later and took a WhiBal shoot as i couldn't fix it manually and it was spot on after converting.
Realy great.

Thanks again for a great product.

[MichaelT]

Glad to hear.

[Robert Spoecker]

I just got my WhiBal in the mail and am a bit confused about the use of the three included cards and the black sticker. I went to the video page but as I have a sloooow internet dial up connection this was not practical for me. I would love a video CD but it would also be nice to have an on line text based tutorial with some jpg images of course. I think this would be appreciated by all of your dial up internet users.

Thanks

Robert

[MichaelT]

The plan is for a simple quick start printed sheet, as well as a CD that comes with the product. We are working on the printed guide now. If you have specific questions please create a new thread...... and make sure that you read through the FAQ forum. Thanks..

[Beni Rubinstein]

I shot an event recently with two flashes and a few different lenses and it brought this point home to me. I think that it's important to note and tell people to shoot a different whibal test shot if they switch flash mid shoot. I was using a 580ex and a Metz 54 and the colour temperatures were over 450k different, but I only realised when I got home that all the whibals were shot, before the event with the 580ex.

I also find that different lenses have different colour renditions, my 24-105L and 85mm are very noticeably different and the same thing applies, shoot your whibal with each lens at each aperture/shutter speed you've used for consistent colour balancing throughout your pics.

I'm a wedding shooter, for me Whibal, especially with the extremely poor AWB of the DIGIC 1 cameras, shaved off close to two hours from my wedding/event post processing. I can now, using my numerous whibal shots, get the colour perfect on 600+ shots in about 5 minutes flat. But this relies on me being extra careful with the above points otherwise I have to start tweaking to match the rendition of lenses so that two consecutive pictures in the album look the same!

Another point that I'm not sure you would be able to get away with saying in a tutorial; If the Whibal is making that much of a difference to me as far as my workflow timing goes and I have no doubt that I'm not the only one, surely a backup should be mandatory for serious photographers?

[MichaelT]

Yes...buy 2! We'll make more :>)

All points well taken. people do not believe the need, as they think there are shortcuts, but real world photographers such as yourself know the real truth. Thanks for sharing and have a great holiday!

[Enchant]

I just received my WhiBal and have watched the tutorial movies (which were great, not 'stuffy' and with a little bit of humor that made them fun to watch while learning) and am very pleased. I have tried another product which self destructed over just a few months and found out about WhiBal while looking into the Raw 2006 upgrade from 2005 essentials. Well, I love it. Its a great tool and just in the few days I'd had it, I can see how much easier it will make processing my photos.

As for the DVD and movies....I hope you make the tutorials downloadable for customers that have already purchased the their WhiBal. I'd love to have them available offline to refer to in case I can not get Internet access in my travels. My laptop goes everywhere I do as does my Camera and accessories.

Keep up the good work and I hope you keep the tutorial "non-stuffy" as I found the first ones.

[spiritman]

Couldn't agree more on "non-stuffy". I remember telling you this in an email Michael!

Please Michael, dont let the internet at large drive you nut's! I like it here. We are behind you Michael, I mean way, way, behind. So don't duck.

[MichaelT]

Thanks, guys. Appreciated...

[Robert Sants]

I just recived my wihbal today in Barcelona so fast thanks, and the good thing is that it work so greate or even more than that, the team whibal and adobe lightroom 1.0 is just perfect, once again thanks Michael.

I've read some post about the problem about picking the gray from the wihbal, on lightroom just make a zoom 8:1 and the colour that you pick it will be just perfect balance or at least so good.

One question: if i would like to work on jpg do i have to shot the wihbal shot on raw and the others on jpg and then sincronize isn't it, thanks a lot Michael and sorry for my english.

[MichaelT]

No. Do not shoot the WhiBal in RAW and synch to the JPEG. You must shoot the JPEG WHiBal shot to adjust the JPEGS shot in the same light and with the same WB camera setting. JPEG adjustments in LR are relative...raw adjustments are absolute.

[Robert Sants]

Ok now it's clear , thanks, one more thing, if I'm working with photoshop CS2 or lightroom do i need some of the software or plug that you have in yor web downloads?

[regjones]

Hi,
I have a new whibal card, looks like it is a great idea, I have downloaded the plugin for use with photoshop. I tried to use the plugin, but I get a message saying to reinstal the plug in, I have done that, many times, also tried re downloading and re installing. I get to see the changes that the plugin makes, but whenever I hit 'apply' I get the error message. I found a previous post from somebody who had the same problem about a year ago, no doubt you have already answered this question, but try as I may, I cannot find any other reference. Help please, I have a whibal card that I can't use.
Reg

[MichaelT]

You can download the Printer User Guide. The videos do cache on most machines. Perhaps it is a setting in your browser. You should be able to stop the video and go back and replay a section with no problem...