Deep Sky Stacker - RAW/FITS White Balance Setting

[Stickfarm8]

Good evening all.  I've gotten my first set of lights, flats, darks, and bias files captured last night.  In setting up Deep Sky Stacker, I have been using this as a guide - http://www.astropix.com/html/j_digit/using_deepskystacker.html .  The author said -

• Raw files with a custom white balance – Use Camera White Balance

• Raw files without a custom white balance – Use Auto White Balance

But on the RAW/FITS setup dialog page - the Use Auto White Balance is greyed out. The  Use Camera White Balance, which, if I understand the setup instructions, is for use when you have a custom while balance is the only one of the two options that can be selected. 

Am I missing a setting somewhere or is this the only option now available ?

Thanks for any assistance.

Rich

Edited August 6, 2019 by Stickfarm8

[wxsatuser]

The button was disabled in version 4.2.1

If you use an umodded camera or have an LP filter, set a custom white balance in camera.
If just a standard camera use daylight white balance, do not use auto white balance in camera.

In DSS just use camera white balance should be ok.

[Stickfarm8]

Thanks Mike.  Added that to my ever growing "check list". 

I have not had the 5D MkIII modified yet. However, the WB was set on Auto. This batch of images that I took of Eagle Nebula were so underexposed so I've got redo them anyway.  I've never been a fan of using histograms - but I've got to get over that, quickly <s>.

I am using a light polution filter - the Optolong L Pro, and it hit my exposures far more than I allowed for compared to the unfiltered stack I previously taken.  But at least I was able to have a complete set of images to finally try DSS, and even some of the steps in Photoshop to the DSS image.

Another question - I had followed the process outlined in Dark Art or Magic Bullets .  I did flats,  long with lights, bias, and darks - but not the dark flats that DSS includes as an image input type. Any  comment on the need to  do the dark flats as well as light flats ?

Thanks,

Rich

[wxsatuser]

Looking at the Optolong filter the colour balance on a Macbeth chart seems pretty good.
If it is that good I would just use daylight white balance, auto white balance will tend to
give a different balance every shot.

The length of the flats will determine if you need dark flats, if the flats are quite short second or less,
may be not needed, over a second possibly. Try both ways and see if it makes a difference.

The camera histogram is a very good gauge on correct exposure, 20>25% for the peak should detach the
the histogram from the lefthand side.