Must you absolutely white balance the camera when shooting in RAW format?

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. Only in post
• D. Not applicable

Answer: (B)

When you’re shooting in RAW, white balance isn’t locked into the captured data. RAW files contain the unprocessed sensor information, and white balance is stored as metadata that processing software can interpret and apply later. That means you can change the color temperature and tint after the shoot without losing image quality, so you aren’t required to set white balance in the camera.

You might still choose a reasonable WB in-camera to get a useful on-screen preview or to keep a consistent look across shots, but it’s not mandatory. The idea is that RAW gives you flexibility to adjust white balance during post-processing rather than needing it fixed at capture.