spyder cube

[cinvala]

I was looking at the spydercube, anybody using it, and if so what do you think?

[ricktas]

Spyder cube is designed to be taken with you on your shoots. You then hold it it front of the camera for one shot, then when post processing you use the white/grey/black parts of the cube to set your white/grey/black points, thus ensuring a correct white balance range of brightness levels in your edited photo.

They are a good idea, but you can just get a white balance card (cardboard) and use that, and it is much cheaper. Most Scott Kelby books have one in the back on them that has a perforated edge so you can tear it out.

[jev]

Spydercube does much more than just a gray card. For example, the black trap is very usable. I use one for commercial packshots (that is where it shines!).

[clm738]

Joost, what's a packshot.

[jev]

A packshot is a (usually commercial) picture of a product, often -but not always- including its packaging. Usually, the products are photographed against a smooth background that can easily be removed in post-processing. It's main purpose is to help sales. This type of photography can be very simple (just take a light tent, put the product in there and be done with it), or it can be deceivingly complicated (ever tried to shoot jewelry?).

Anyway, for packshots, one usually wants to make absolutely sure exposure is spot-on and there are no traces of any false colors anywhere. That's where the spydercube works wonders! It has, for example, a black-trap that is guaranteed to provide the deepest black in the image.

[ricktas]

Spydercube does much more than just a gray card. For example, the black trap is very usable. I use one for commercial packshots (that is where it shines!).

Ah..my gray card has white, 18% gray, 50% gray and black, should have explained that more.