Camera
White Balance Converter
Convert between Kelvin, mireds and gel/CTO values.
Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
How to use
- Set the source colour temperature in Kelvin, the light you are correcting.
- Set the target temperature you want to reach.
- Read the nearest correction gel and the exact mired shift between the two.
Examples
- Warming a 5600K daylight fixture to match a 3200K tungsten interior needs roughly a full CTO gel.
- Cooling a tungsten lamp toward daylight uses CTB, the blue correction, by a matching mired amount.
- Small mismatches under a few mireds need no gel, the eye and the camera will not see the difference.
Frequently asked questions
What is a mired?
A mired is one million divided by the Kelvin value. Gels shift light by a fixed mired amount, which is why mireds, not Kelvin, add up predictably when you stack corrections.
CTO or CTB?
CTO is colour temperature orange, it warms a source toward tungsten. CTB is colour temperature blue, it cools a source toward daylight. The tool picks the right family from the direction of your shift.
Why is this tool greyscale?
Kit is monochrome by brand, so warmth and coolness are shown on a position scale rather than coloured swatches. The numbers and gel names carry the full information.
