The Auto White Balance on the Fujifilm F20 is finicky. I’ll be darned if I can determine why.

The other day I took some test photos of a black and white cover for our BBQ grill. The white came out white and the black was blue. The very next shot, it was purple. So I took a similar photo the next day in almost the exact same lighting, and the black was, er, blacker.

As of this writing , I haven’t determined the cause of the differences in colors using Auto white balance. I inquired in photography forums and asked other F20 users it they experienced the same. Yes!

I decided the best route was to use the manual (Custom) White Balance Setting. Easy-peasy, right? Maybe for others who are familiar with Fujifilm digital cameras, but not me.

Better instructions for setting the F20 White Balance

Anyway, after spending more time than I’m willing to admit, I finally figured out how to set the manual white balance on my F20. To me, the instructions on page 61 are quite vague.

For others who find them vague too, here’s how I’d write the instructions for Custom White Balance:

1. Select Custom from the White Balance settings
2. Hit the Menu/OK button
3. Place the white card/paper under the light source and point the camera on it
4. Press the shutter button to set the custom white balance.
5. “Completed” appears when the correct exposure is measured.
6. Press the Menu/OK button to confirm the setting.