Nikon D500 User Manual

165

A

During viewfinder photography, you can 
press the 

U button to adjust white balance 

settings in the information display. Rotate 
the main command dial to choose the white 
balance mode and rotate the sub-command 
dial to choose the color temperature (mode 
K, “choose color temperature”) or white 
balance preset (preset manual mode), or use the multi-selector to fine-
tune white balance on the amber (A)–blue (B) and green (G)–magenta 
(M) axes (other white balance modes).

A

The colors on the fine-tuning axes are relative, not absolute. For 
example, moving the cursor to B (blue) when a “warm” setting such as 
J (Incandescent) is selected for white balance will make 
photographs slightly “colder” but will not actually make them blue.

A

Any given change in color temperature produces a greater difference 
in color at low color temperatures than it would at higher color 
temperatures. For example, a change of 1000 K produces a much 
greater change in color at 3000 K than at 6000 K. Mired, calculated by 
multiplying the inverse of the color temperature by 10

6

, is a measure of 

color temperature that takes such variation into account, and as such is 
the unit used in color-temperature compensation filters. E.g.:
• 4000 K–3000 K (a difference of 1000 K)=83 mired
• 7000 K–6000 K (a difference of 1000 K)=24 mired