Filters for best results
Moderator: Andreas Wideroe
-
Guest
Filters for best results
Hey, I was just wondering what the best filter to have on would be when shooting 8mm in bright, snowy conditions, i.e. skiing. I have heard Neutral Density, also Skylight and some others, I was just wondering what the best would be for this circumstance. Thanks.
-
Carlos 8mm
- Posts: 980
- Joined: Tue Dec 03, 2002 11:24 am
- Location: going bald!
- Contact:
Hi, I've been shooting ALOT of super 8 in the snow over the past year, so I figured I'd give my 2 cents worth. I would highly suggest using a Neutral Density filter as well, either an ND 6 or 9, (2 or 3 stops comensation respectively). This will get you into around the f8 range on your lens. Even with super slow k-40 film, its so bright out there on a sunny day, you will be almost completely stopped down on your lens without them. If you are shooting plus-x or tri-x its an absolute necessity, (along with an orange filter to make your mid tone grays pop). A UV is advisable as well, but that already on your camera full time to protect the front element right?? As for a polorizer, I've found that with k-40 epecially in these conditions, that a polo will somtimes make the sky so blue, its almost black. This stock has so many vibrant color characteristics when shot properly that I've opted to not use a polo lately to achieve a more natural colored sky.
Really?, I never heard of a camera that already has UV protection on the lens, but I'm not sure....shralp wrote:A UV is advisable as well, but that already on your camera full time to protect the front element right??
Any colored lens or skylight lens will protect from UV rays anyhow, so if you are already using these lenses, no need to add an additional UV lens.
My 2 cents.
Tod
ie a UV filter left permanently screwed onto the lens.....Really?, I never heard of a camera that already has UV protection on the lens, but I'm not sure....
By the way beware of stacking too many filters on the lens - i did recently (UV, ND & Orange screwed on the front of the lens hood) - and I got slight vignetting at the corners of the frame... I suppose the way to avoid this is to use a stepping ring then use wider diameter filters.. or to check properly through the viewfinder at all focal lengths!
still I could always claim it was intentional...
what what
All good points for sure, I also have to watch vignetting on my Nizo Professional when stacking filters, especially when I use my Cannon C-8 wide adapter. Since its a different thread diameter than my front element I have to use a step up ring to get it to fit and the thickness of that ring is just enough to give me slight vignetting on my image. For this reason, I take all filters off when using my wide adapter, which is kind of a bummer. When I get into telecine, I have my colorist zoom slightly into the picture area to alleviate the problem.
Exactly Taqi, what I was inferring was the fact that you should ALWAYS have a skylight or UV filter on the front of your lens to protect it. Once a lens is scratched on a fixed lens camera, the whole rig is pretty much done. In reference to tod8's question, my nizo manual apparently says that the lens is already coated for UV protection so it says that you don't need to use a UV filter. Obviously, I don't think having a naked lens is a good I idea if you can help it.
Exactly Taqi, what I was inferring was the fact that you should ALWAYS have a skylight or UV filter on the front of your lens to protect it. Once a lens is scratched on a fixed lens camera, the whole rig is pretty much done. In reference to tod8's question, my nizo manual apparently says that the lens is already coated for UV protection so it says that you don't need to use a UV filter. Obviously, I don't think having a naked lens is a good I idea if you can help it.
-
pheboglobi
- Posts: 58
- Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2003 12:23 am
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Contact:
Hello Mr./Mrs. Guest,
IMHO, the circular polarizer is the most useful filter you can have. It cuts down polarized light - i.e. reflections from glass, blue sky, etc. - and as an effect of this, it can saturate the colors in your scene without altering the color balance. Although, its effectiveness can depend on everything from the angle to your subject(s) and/or scene, the weather, your altitude, and the rotation of the filter itself. For instance, high altitudes and pointing 90 degrees away from the sun on a clear day would give you very noticeable results - even possibly a black sky, while at lower altitudes and overcast weather the filter would have a lesser or no effect on the sky. It can be a neutral density filter too by simply rotating the filter until it has little or no effect.
If you are using B&W film, you have the additional option of using color filters such as the various Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue filters. They will cut down on the amount light overall, especially the Dark Red filter (4 2/3 stops), and modify contrast - i.e. a Red filter would lighten faces and darken foliage and skies.
A lot of filters already have UV protection built in too even if it is not their primary purpose. For example, my warming filter (81A) and my polarizer that I used for my Nizo have UV filtering as well. Well that is according to Tiffen anyway as I can't verify that being unable to see UV in the first place.
(Darn those invisible wavelengths! ) But from the results, they seem to work in that way.
Hope this helps...
--Garrett
IMHO, the circular polarizer is the most useful filter you can have. It cuts down polarized light - i.e. reflections from glass, blue sky, etc. - and as an effect of this, it can saturate the colors in your scene without altering the color balance. Although, its effectiveness can depend on everything from the angle to your subject(s) and/or scene, the weather, your altitude, and the rotation of the filter itself. For instance, high altitudes and pointing 90 degrees away from the sun on a clear day would give you very noticeable results - even possibly a black sky, while at lower altitudes and overcast weather the filter would have a lesser or no effect on the sky. It can be a neutral density filter too by simply rotating the filter until it has little or no effect.
If you are using B&W film, you have the additional option of using color filters such as the various Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue filters. They will cut down on the amount light overall, especially the Dark Red filter (4 2/3 stops), and modify contrast - i.e. a Red filter would lighten faces and darken foliage and skies.
A lot of filters already have UV protection built in too even if it is not their primary purpose. For example, my warming filter (81A) and my polarizer that I used for my Nizo have UV filtering as well. Well that is according to Tiffen anyway as I can't verify that being unable to see UV in the first place.
(Darn those invisible wavelengths! ) But from the results, they seem to work in that way.Hope this helps...
--Garrett