To the left of the visible portion of the scale is infrared. The visible spectrum of the Kelvin scale ranges from about 1700K to 12000K or more. The hot-or-cold Kelvin temperature scale starts at absolute freezing 0K (-273.15 ✬) while the hue-based Kelvin scale relating to color temperature starts with black as the zero point. We measure cold and heat with thermometers calibrated to show us degrees, so how come we are talking about color using the same unit of measure? Well, thanks to Lord William Thomson, the 1 st Baron Kelvin (a British engineer and mathematical physicist who was directly responsible for forming the first and second laws of thermodynamics) who heated carbon, an “incandescent radiator,” and noticed that as it got hotter, the color of the carbon changed as it heated, we have a color-temperature scale. Um, what does “temperature” have to do with “color?” Well, color temperature is a measurement of the hue of a particular light source.
What in the world is white balance, you ask? Well, basically, it is a setting that tells the camera how to register color temperature. In this discussion, we will talk about how and why you might want to adjust that setting so that, from this point on, I don’t buy a bunch of cereal bowls on the Web that are the wrong color. So, if you are shooting a digital SLR or mirrorless camera, or even an advanced point-and-shoot, you may have stumbled across a menu setting or button that allows you to adjust the white balance in the camera. White objects look white to our eyes unless heavy filtration is added to the light source or, in the case of a setting or rising sun, the sunlight passes through an abundance of atmosphere, causing the light to shift to a more yellow, or “golden,” cast. Your eyes, by the way, are incredibly good at removing color casts from the scene registered in your brain.
In photos, generally, we want white things to look white. This is not usually a big deal unless you are shopping for a ceramic bowl with a cream-colored center and the color cast of the shot makes the bowls with white centers look cream-colored. In fact, I pretty much know this because, when I shop on the Web, I see many examples of images that show a definite color cast. My guess is that many digital photographers do not give color temperature or white balance much thought, either. If you were paying attention back in those ancient times, you may have noticed that some film was marketed specifically for indoor or outdoor use or specific light sources. Those who did would carry around color-correction filters to screw onto the front of their lenses that would cancel out the color casts of the artificial or natural light illuminating a scene. For now, we’d say you can save some cash and skip the PS5 HD Camera as a result.Many years ago, back in the days of wired telephones and film, most photographers did not give white balance (WB) or color temperature much thought. And, if you’re looking to use your current PSVR headset for backwards compatibility games, Sony assures that it will work with the PS5, meaning its camera presumably will too. The one exception would be if it were a requirement for a next-generation PlayStation VR 2 headset, but that hasn’t been announced yet. There’s as-yet no specific in-game features that make use of it – though that may of course change in the future. At this early stage in the next-gen game, it could well be worth streamers waiting to see what other manufacturers have planned, as well as how services like Twitch and YouTube plan to integrate with the new console.įor everyone else, we think you can safely pass on the camera. However, we’ve yet to see that interface running, or alternatives from third-party manufacturers that could well offer more features for their respective price tags. It’s a made-for-PS5, Sony-built bit of kit, and will likely offer the most seamless way to get your videos made, shared, and edited within the PlayStation 5 console’s interface itself.
Do you need the PS5 HD camera?Īre you a hardcore game streamer, who likes to put their face, as well as their voice, over footage of you pwning your favorite games? Then the camera accessory may be for you. Have you been enjoying making use of video conferencing software’s fun virtual background options during the lockdown? Looks like the PS5 and the PS5 HD Camera will be able to offer something similar.Ī built-in background removal tool will let those using the PS5 HD Camera either crop around their environment to get just the essentials in frame, or remove it completely like a green screen, letting them sit right in front of the in-game action on their clips.