Photoshop users - what's your preferred method of color correction?

I'm probably just a knave, but how exactly do Levels differ from Curves? Or from Color Balance?

I confess my ignorance - I'm not exactly sure how these three methods of color correction differ from each other. Over the years I've been using Photoshop, I've used them all with what I would consider to be acceptable results.

But I want OPTIMAL results, so I'm curious to know what other photographers recommend? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks a lot for your time and help!

Photoshop users - what's your preferred method of color correction?malware

Think of it this way:

Levels gives approximately 3 points of adjustments. And even though you can adjust each color channels separately even every channels are separated into 3 broad points of adjustments.

Curves gives approximately 255 points of adjustments (or as many little adjustment points you can put on the curves. And the same goes for adjusting each color channels.

Color Balance (layers%26gt;new adjustment layer%26gt;photo filter) are ''preset'' color amount that photographers are used to using (like Warm filter (85)). Before photo filters were given in CS, photographers would have to fiddle with each color channels to change wrongly white balanced photos. Now we can just dial in the strength / density.

I have found that if I am CORRECTING white balance, I often use photo filter. If I am adjusting for slightly dark or light pictures I use levels. And if I am adjusting extremely off (dark or light) pictures I use curves. Some photographers will swear to you ONLY use curves. But in my experience that could be an over kill if the picture is only slightly off.