Magic Filter, or Red filters

[jfproul]

it may be a stupid question but if you do a white balance your slate or whatever
you use to make it doesn't have to be white ?? i just don' t get it ...

 

[PerroneFord]

Quite often they are NOT white. It is merely a way to tell your camera that what it sees in front of the lens it should PRETEND is white.

If you put something that really is white in front of it, then the camera will balance all colors naturally. In air this is wonderful.

If you put something in front of it that is slightly blue, the camera will think that things that are slightly blue are actually white, and things that are actually white, are slightly red. This is an excellent way to turn things more red than they are in real life. PERFECT for underwater.

If you put something in front of the camera that is slightly red, the camera will actually see true white as slightly blue. This is great if you want to simulate an early morning feel to your video, or an overcast day.

The benefit to doing white balance versus using a filter, is that white balancing doesn't cost you any lost light. You correct the camera without anything in front of the lens filtering light away. If you cannot white balance in the water, then doing it out of the water and then placing a filter on it, is probably the next best way. But you WILL lose light. It's a tradeoff that you have to make.

If you won't be going very deep, or the water you are in doesn't have much of a color cast, then you can simply not do anything and fix it when you get home. You might want to see my post from today called "Why do we white balance?"

-P

 

[jfproul]

well... Thanks ! i will look at your other thread but one more question
how far from the lens should i put my slate to do white balance ? ...it really depends of the lens i am using

 

[PerroneFord]

Put it close enough so that it fills the frame COMPLETELY, but as far away as you can. The more "water" you can shoot through the better, but you want the camera making it's decision on the card ONLY.

 

[jfproul]

thanks ... where is your other thread called : "Why do we white balance?"
i don't find it .

 

[jeraldjcook]

well... Thanks ! i will look at your other thread but one more question
how far from the lens should i put my slate to do white balance ? ...it really depends of the lens i am using

It depends on the camera. For my A620 I had to fill the whole frame. For my 40D I only need the fill the spot meter in the center of the frame.

Checking out your instruction manual online it doesn't seem you have a manual wb option, they're all preset.
FE-280 &gt Product Manuals

 

[jfproul]

i have an olympus E-510 ...i will look if i can use the spot meter ...it would be
nice !

 

[Willar]

Those Roscoe gel light filters were just what I was thinking about. I have a friend who manages a theater, I think I'll see if he has any damaged reds, or just buy one.

In looking at the Roscoe color chart, I'm just guessing here but I'd say #26 Light Red. However, wouldn't the exact color of red depend on the water color and depth? Each dive would be approximate and any medium red will help but you'll still need to set the white balance underwater.

 

[Boxcar Overkill]

You can do all of this in photoshop, methinks. Just another way to skin the cat.

 

[Ken20]

I'm a complete newbie to UW photos, i've been doing lots of reading on here and elsewhere.

I've got 2 questions

1--i see alot of good results with the magic filters, but from what i understand if you want to take topside photos between dives, you have to take the camera out of the housing, and pull the filter off the lens. Is this true, and are the filters a one time use type thing.

2--I've also read they that the magics are basically a red filter, so would i be better off just buying a red filter, or some other type of filter to fit over the front of the housing.

Just so every body knows what setup i'm using it's an oly FE-280, and PT-038 housing.

MPD525,
I use the filter to compensate for the loss of reds and yellows while shooting video. I think they are the long wavelength, could be the other way around. I do not use lighting and the filter. The filter is not needed until I get deeper than 10 to 15 feet and is effective until I get deep enough to need lighting. The UR Pro filter is not just a red. It is a mix of color specifically designed for underwater. I don't mess with gels. I have a 58MM which fits into a sleeve I slide over my lens port, (Must get water between the lens and port). This way I can add and remove it at will. My video housing did come with a red filter I could swing into place but I removed it so I could add a diopter to the lens. I just got a housing for my 8MP Sony N1 camera. I mount this on my video housing so I have both. I have a filter for this housing too, and will check it out later this year on my next trip. I will use the same techniques as with video.
Hope this helps, good luck, let me know how it goes.
Ken20