Red filters on scuba masks

[KeithG]

The other downside of the filter is that is reduces the amount of available light.

Filters are passive. The red filter "enhances" red color by blocking other colors. It does not increase red, it merely reduces everything else. So things look much redder, but they are also darker.

A noted by scuba noob the red filter also works best only under certain conditions. Too shallow and you get a red tinge to your world. There are actually two "standard" red filters, 1 for green water and a different one for blue water.

 

[JonOh]

I used to sell cameras and learned a lot about the biology and physics of sight over the years. If you look a photograph taken in an office using uncorrected film, the color that you see has a very strong green hue. The reason is that cameras and film (and modern CCDs) don't naturally color correct for the light source. Your brain does it quite well. This is one of the reasons that you don't notice that you are virtually color blind in low light and can walk into a walmart and not notice everything has a greenish hue. Digital cameras can't do the color correction that comes naturally to our brain.

It would be interesting if they made cameras that could do a spectral analysis of the light coming in and automatically color correct to the available light.

Yea wouldn't that be great. We still have so much to learn from nature. It would also be great if we can grow gills.

The other downside of the filter is that is reduces the amount of available light.

Filters are passive. The red filter "enhances" red color by blocking other colors. It does not increase red, it merely reduces everything else. So things look much redder, but they are also darker.

A noted by scuba noob the red filter also works best only under certain conditions. Too shallow and you get a red tinge to your world. There are actually two "standard" red filters, 1 for green water and a different one for blue water.

I tried it last night in the pool with a red filter. I see what you mean when you are too shallow and everything just looks weird and when I went deeper it was sometimes too dark because the pool lights were not on and it was an indoor pool

 

[ntmainstrm]

I ended up buying a mask in Coz. and mistakenly got one with a red tint. I had trouble seeing out of it because of something reflecting in the mirror like inner surface. Finally realized it was the reflection from my eyeball. Yikes!

 

[JonOh]

I ended up buying a mask in Coz. and mistakenly got one with a red tint. I had trouble seeing out of it because of something reflecting in the mirror like inner surface. Finally realized it was the reflection from my eyeball. Yikes!

LOL. Sounds like you got yourself a paperweight souvenir from Coz

 

[JohnN]

It would be interesting if they made cameras that could do a spectral analysis of the light coming in and automatically color correct to the available light.

Most higher-end cameras do. Its called manual white balance, but you can't make up for what is not there. Depending on which 'expert' you wish to reference, most all red light is gone below 15'.

 

[kelemvor]

I had been wondering the same thing. Unfortunately all I found was that ridiculously expensive sea-vision mask. Probably not a bad deal if you need a prescription mask. Way too much money to try something out that I might not like when my $30 mask otherwise works perfectly. If anyone comes up with a cheaper mask, I'd sure like to play with it sometime... I'm just not willing to spend $200. I guess I could use the 3d printer to make some clips and clip some translucent red plastic to the outside.

I did talk to one guy who had one at a dive site and raved about it. It was a sea-vision.

 

[KeithG]

I tried it last night in the pool with a red filter. I see what you mean when you are too shallow and everything just looks weird and when I went deeper it was sometimes too dark because the pool lights were not on and it was an indoor pool

And just think how well a red filter mask will work on a night dive....