Help with filters in Hawaiian waters

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Empty V

Empty V

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I'm going to be heading out to Hawaii in a couple of weeks and will be taking my new DVX100 rig http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/underwater-videography/214255-new-housing-mods.html out for the first time. Fortunately but unfortunately I've got a 6" wide angle dome port on the front which does not allow me to uses the standard wet equinox amber filter so I need to attach one directly the wide angle lens on the camera. Does anyone know which filter number to use. I'm looking for a glass threaded on the lens type of filter. it's the same lens thread and size that's on the HVX200 is that makes a difference. I have some amazing post color correction tools and I'm wondering if I should even use the filter, but I'm getting a lot of people saying that I should. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Billy
 
I recommend a URpro CY filter. You can order from them direct, just tell them the thread size on your cam. I MWB with the filter on most of the time unless lighting is very low. Sometimes the filter makes things a little too red, but I find it easier to remove red in post than to add it in.
 
Empty V:
I just realized something, should I even use a filter if I can white balance? What's the best way to do this, bring a small slate down and wb off of that? Do you white balance when using a filter?

Billy
Click to expand...

If you can MWB without the filter, go that route first. The reason for this is that the filter is taking away available light. Unfortanetly, that will probably only be an option down to about 20'/6 meters (depending on your camera, the ambient light conditions etc.) I can usually white balance with the red flip filter in my Gates Housing with the Sony HC7 above 20', but if there is a lot of sunlight or I am really shallow, I must remove the filter and MWB without it. If I am using my HID lights, I usually MWB without the filter.

As far as the can of worms "how to white balance" question - great question, I think there are as many approaches as there are people on this board. There's some good responses to that question here, and on other forums as well (wetpixel). I think a lot of it is personal preference, but a summary of the approaches I am aware of are:
1) MWB on Sun (shooting up directly into sunlight)
2) MWB on white slate (great if your subject is never more then an arm length's away from you)
3) MWB on specialized U/W slate (these are usually gray or lt. blue to try to solve the distance issue with #2)
4) MWB on your subject/scene, or as close as possible to your subject/scene.
5) MWB on your (or someone else's) white or gray fin
6) MWB on white sand (similar to #4)
7) MWB on the palm of your hand
I'm sure I left some out. I think it would be good to compile a list of approaches, and see what works best for you. I generally use #4 now, but have had to revert to other approaches, especially when the frame contains little or biased color variation.

Good luck - and strive to not have to use CC! :D


Some links:
Perfect White Balance - Wetpixel :: Underwater Photography Forums
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/underwater-videography/112770-white-balance-vs-filter.html
 
Thanks for the replies guys. Ron those filters are bout 1/2 the price of the Equinox filters sounds like much better deal and they seem to be able to make it for any size lens, awesome!

Hey Bob thanks for the MWB suggestions. Unfortunately with this setup the filter will be mounted bayonet style in between my camera's lens and wide angle adapter so removing it unfortunately isn't an option. I do have a question though, why would you MWB to anything that is not white? I guess if you did it to your hand it would be somewhat close but what's the point if you're not telling the camera what white is, wouldn't the colors still be off? Some cameras have a gray balance which would work with a color chart or an 18% gray card but a MWB to a gray or blue fin would seem to be counter productive. I'm curious because I've only shot topside and I'm not sure how white balance reacts UW. Thanks for the help and wetpixel link I'm about to check it out.

Billy
 
Hi Ron...those HD videos from Roatan....did you use any additional lighting? I'm a videographer on a budget and would like to survive without lights if it can be done. I made a homemade housing out of 4" PVC that my sony HDR-HC3 fits in. (barely) I added Ikelite controls to it from ebay auctions of old housings, and I can turn the camera on/off/select photo mode, take digital stills, manually set WB using the touch screen, and start/stop record. Also scored a lens port off of one of the ebay housings so I am recording through optic quality glass instead of lexan.

The lens port has threads for a filter, but based on the above comments...I see its not imperative to have one if I can access manual WB. Just wondering if your videos were filmed without extra lighting. Also...what software/workflow did you use to put your HD files on the web with such sharpness and clarity. I have Final Cut Studio and can output to just about any format.

Thank you for your time,
Brian

Also, ScubaBob...thank you for the links
 
Hello Brian. My Roatan videos were shot without lights. However, my camcorder (FX7) works pretty well in difficult lighting conditions and I my housing has access to manual white balance which is a huge plus.
 
Empty V. I've done a little video with a PC350 and below about 20 feet the filter helped quite a bit. I have the L&M Mako housing with the green water filter and just used that in Maui, I guess one for blue water would be even better. Be sure to wear the getup from your avatar, ladies love to be impressed! :)

//hijack

Ronscuba, your vids are amazing. I know you have the deluxe HD camera, but did you check out any other HD cams before your purchase? LIke the HC7??

// end hijack.
 
Billy, When I was in Hawaii last summer, I only used the red filter below 40-50 fst. I did MWB often useing method - MWB on Sun (shooting up directly into sunlight). The videos can out great. The poorly exposed videos were when I forgot the move the filter near the surface or when I forgot to MWB altogeather.

I am going back in July to try it all over again! have fun on your trip!
 
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