Opteka Pocket-Sized Reference Color & White Balance Grey Card Set With Quick-Release Neck Strap for Digital Photography

by Opteka

Product Details

• Item Weight: 4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B001G04VJO
• Item model number: OPT-DGC
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #22 in Camera & Photo > Accessories > Lighting
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 12, 2008

Product Description

The color values of Opteka Digital Grey Card set have been tested under varying light conditions and show a high degree of spectral neutrality. Using the industry-standard X-Rite spectrophotometer, LAB values of L* 63.8, a* -1.6, b* -0.4 are measured from the surface of the grey card under D50 standard illuminant. For optimum color correction, the black card achieves truly deep blacks (RGB 16,16,15). The grey card displays superior spectral neutrality with measured values of 162, 162, 160. The white card has a tested RGB value of (220, 224, 223). All three cards have excellent uniformity across a range of light sources.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost perfect in some surprising ways, January 19, 2010

By 

Edwin L. Chandler (Normal, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Opteka Pocket-Sized Reference Color & White Balance Grey Card Set With Quick-Release Neck Strap for Digital Photography (Electronics)

As you can see from the item description, you get three cards in the set; one black, one white, and one grey. I realize I could use the black and white cards, but the reality is that I'm only ever really going to use the grey one. Still, that's just fine with me. At that price, even if it had been just the grey card, I'd be satisfied. But it gets better ...

All three cards are exactly the same size as a credit card. So if you're like me and you're only going to use the grey one, that's perfect because you can just slip it in your wallet where a credit card would normally go and it fits perfectly. You don't have to bother with the neck strap. But it still gets better ...

The neck strap that comes with these cards is actually really nice. It's got a quick-release plastic buckle on the end. It's a pity to leave it lying around a drawer if you're carrying the card in your wallet, so you can use it for tons of other things. If you work at a place that makes you wear an ID badge, it'll work for that. If you want to carry your car keys around your neck, but still be able to quick-release them for driving or whatnot, it'll work for that.

So, to summarize, you get the grey card at a great price (which is probably why you're buying this anyway). You get a black and a white card that you're probably not going to use (no biggie). And you also get a pretty nifty neck strap that you can use for something else even if you don't use it to carry around these cards.

The only criticism I have is that the grey card comes with the company branded logo on a sticker on one side. Given that it's a small card, that sticker is pretty big and it means that you're going to be using the other side of the grey card unless you peel off the sticker ... except that the sticker is made of the kind of stuff that doesn't come off nicely. If you've got a bottle of Goo Gone, you'll be all set.

39 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Cheap and non-durable ---waste of money, June 3, 2010

By 

Douglas A. Stewart (New hampshire) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Opteka Pocket-Sized Reference Color & White Balance Grey Card Set With Quick-Release Neck Strap for Digital Photography (Electronics)

These color cards are only a thin veneer of color on a white core. Don't even think of keeping loose in a pocket. My cards are already transfering colors between cards from slight rubbing together. The gray card has also picked up a brown tint (making it useless for white balance) by simply sitting next to my leather wallet--and try as I might, I cannot clean this tint--it is pemanently stained it seems.
White card has black splothes that won't come off, black card has white showingvthru from wear, gray card stained. Pretty sad--especially since I kept these iny pocket just once.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I got what I paid for..., September 29, 2010

By 

Randal A. Harp (South Carolina) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Opteka Pocket-Sized Reference Color & White Balance Grey Card Set With Quick-Release Neck Strap for Digital Photography (Electronics)

I've used some great Opteka products before but this one turned out to be worse than I expected. I'm not going to say it won't work. It does exactly what it's supposed to do; help me get a better white balance at the shoot.

What I'm not happy about is the condition of the product when I took it out of it's own packaging. The box was cheap, clear plastic folded into a box shape. It offered no protection. Stuffed inside that were the cards, lanyard, and "instructions". The plastic box was scratched up and looked like it had been in the console in my truck for 6 months. The cards were scratched up pretty bad too and looked like they had been stuck to the bottom of my camera bag. If I buy something new, I want the chance to scratch it up!