Does use of "Magic filter" make sense on DSLR?

[Manta Buddy]

Hello everyone. I was wondering, while "Magic filter" is used on Point & Shoot cameras and gives good results within specific depth range, do you believe there is a benefit using it for DSLR or Post Processing is the best answer for WB when shooting DSLR ?

 

[kapula]

If you can shoot in raw I don't see any point in using magic filter. On the other hand I don't have a dslr

 

[Manta Buddy]

I have been shooting RAW on my 5D, but have not taken it UW yet, so I was interested to see how other UW photogs go about it. Also, 5D has a mode of storing both RAW+JPEG. Is this mode practical for trips like a liveaboard for quickly going through pictures and remove those that you think you would not want to keep? Obviously, this mode is not needed when previewing/sorting on the camera itself. May be use or a magic filter or presetting WB on the camera make sense when using RAW+JPEG? Otherwise if there is an opportunity to take a laptop computer to the trip, it would make sense to go with RAW only and sort either on the camera or using SW like RawShooter or LightRoom?

 

[rjsimp]

If you can shoot in raw I don't see any point in using magic filter. On the other hand I don't have a dslr

I have shot a magic filter on my D200. The reason you would want to shoot it is because it helps the colors and keeps the blue in the distant water much better than using WB alone. So instead of the blue water taking a "purple" hue to it when you white balance, it will still be a nice blue and the colors of the fish are much nicer looking.

I only shoot RAW and there is a value to having magic filters for natural light shots.

 

[kapula]

rjsimp:
Do you use magic filter and the colors it gives as a reference point when you start prosessing your photos? I thought raw saves all data and you'd be able to shoot without any white balancing or magic filters. So shouldn't you be getting the same blue if you just used auto w/b and post processed those colors? I haven't been able to experiment with raw because c-8080 takes nice 12 seconds to save a pic in raw

 

[rjsimp]

Kapula,

Actually, if you shot with a magic filter on and never do a manual WB and go shoot your pictures then take the magic filter off and never do a manual WB and shoot some more pictures, the ones with the magic filter will look MUCH better when you adjust your WB in post editing.

The magic filter has nothing to do with WB and RAW adjustment, and it is not a filter you use instead of WB (you still need to WB). It has the ability to filter out the blue in a way that gives you a much clearer picture and allows the colors to come out better. I don't really have any pictures that show the same subject with and without, but trust me you will definitely see the difference. But instead of seeing kind of "blah" colors after doing your WB and the water loosing it's nice blue, you get to keep that nice blue and the colors have a pop to them that you wouldn't have otherwise.

 

[Gudge]

The original Magic Filter was designed for dSLR users, the Auto Magic Filter available for point shoots came later. There is also a Green Magic filter available now for people who don't get to dive in nice clear blue tropical.

Here's the web page with information on the original Magic Filter:

http://www.magic-filters.com/magicindex.html

I use one occasionally and under the right conditions it is a great tool. As rjsimp says the colours are much better than simply doing a WB without the magic filter.

 

[mjh]

These were taken with the Magic Filter doing everything wrong. Obviously the main reasons you use them is to avoid backscatter or trying to get color past what strobes can light.

http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/33246/cat/500/ppuser/20590

http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/34226/cat/500/ppuser/20590

 

[kapula]

mjh: It's so wrong to have such photos Man those are jaw droppers

 

[Gilligan]

The down side to the Magic or Auto-Magic filters is they are inside the housing and not designed to be used with a strobe. Therfore, your entire dive is a non-strobe dive. Not a choice I would want to make.

I have a 67mm FL-B (for blue water) glass filter that can be threaded onto the outside of my Oly PT-010 housing thereby allowing me to make the choice underwater.

BTW I don't use it as I did not see much difference between calibrating it with Manual White Balance and just using calibrated Manual White Balance after post-processing in P.S.