Polar Pro Red Filter vs UR/PRO Analysis

[toozler]

Buddy, your whole analysis doesn't have any theoretical basis and you don't have the know-how or background to be credible enough to discuss whatever you are discussing. The review and the discussion you present has no conclusion. You seem to ignore the whole material science and engineering behind it - and that is basically all the matters in filters, whatever you are [thinking] you are measuring are purely end results. You seem to enjoy more attacking people directly rather than what is being discussed.

I say this based on lengthy conversations with acrylic manufacturers. Through my job I have contacts at Evonik (manufacturers of Acrylite) and talked with one of their engineers about materials and their light transmission curves. I have also reached out to the manufacturers of Optix and Plaskolite, and spoke with people at Sabic. I still wasn't able to find a in-stock material with good optical and color absorption properties, these must be custom made usually (or you can just use a crappy one and deal with the sub-par results).

None of the end product manufacturers (URPro, Backscatter or Polarpro) have access to tools to measuring these things because they don't need to, that is the acrylic sheet's manufacturers job. Products have spec sheets, companies have engineers behind them to clarify things.

You explanation on number 3 still doesn't fly.

As of the "sales rep" comment, I am not related to any of those companies. Are you a PolarPro reseller?

 

[Interceptor121]

Buddy, your whole analysis doesn't have any theoretical basis and you don't have the know-how or background to be credible enough to discuss whatever you are discussing. The review and the discussion you present has no conclusion. You seem to ignore the whole material science and engineering behind it - and that is basically all the matters in filters, whatever you are [thinking] you are measuring are purely end results. You seem to enjoy more attacking people directly rather than what is being discussed.

I say this based on lengthy conversations with acrylic manufacturers. Through my job I have contacts at Evonik (manufacturers of Acrylite) and talked with one of their engineers about materials and their light transmission curves. I have also reached out to the manufacturers of Optix and Plaskolite, and spoke with people at Sabic. I still wasn't able to find a in-stock material with good optical and color absorption properties, these must be custom made usually (or you can just use a crappy one and deal with the sub-par results).

None of the end product manufacturers (URPro, Backscatter or Polarpro) have access to tools to measuring these things because they don't need to, that is the acrylic sheet's manufacturers job. Products have spec sheets, companies have engineers behind them to clarify things.

You explanation on number 3 still doesn't fly.

As of the "sales rep" comment, I am not related to any of those companies. Are you a PolarPro reseller?

Why are you having long conversation considering you don't even have an underwater video anywhere is a mystery but there you go. I look forward to your first underwater video. Till then stay in your garden

---------- Post added January 13th, 2013 at 04:05 PM ----------

I should point out that my technical vocabulary for cameras is about 25 years behind that of Marty or Interceptor but I speak in user terms only.

To this date I recorded about 200 hours worth of video footage. 90% with red lens filter so I know what to look for in a video and determine if video works for me. I will not complain about color temperature of it being 2500K vs 2600K because it is barely persievable so I look at the feel of the video and go by what I think is right.

After watching Reef.mp4 I noticed very minimal vignetting... nothing worth crying a river about. Video needs post edit color adjustment through brightness and contrast. My corel auto white balance does wonders to my footage so this video in its raw format is actually pretty good, heck it looks a lot better than I thought it would.

Reef1.mp4 is where we see some shenanigans but do not be discouraged because there is a lot of good material in video. Condemning a filter entirely for 20% of bad footage is probably not the best idea. Yeppers filter does struggle with sunlight. You can see red tint. In lamens terms there is too much sun light for it to handle. I was a little surprised to see red tint under shaded parts of reef... were you using a flashlight? If so that would explain why underside of reef appeared more red than it should... it should be dark brown-ish.

I do see quite a bit of yellow in 2nd video but that could be adjusted in a video editing software.

Based on (if this is a raw footage) raw footage that I saw I give this red lens filter a 7/10 which is a pretty darn good grade if you ask me. By comparison Backscatter filter gets a 7/10 and SRP gets 8/10

Right I think yarik83 has got it down to a tea there is not a lot of difference between all those filters, in fact in the go pro forum today there was a post of an SRP user there are as many orange hues in his videos then tiny magenta in the one from crossfire that by the way is very good

Onto the real issues: crossfire I believe at 3:59 of your reef1.mp4 you see a clear example of what NOT TO DO with a filter that is shooting the sunball. this is exactly what you do, the gopro goes crazy a little bit and then resume

When you use a filter you never point up always horizontal or downwards, the light should be be behind you not in front as that sends the camera nuts

The fact you have a gopro does not defeat all rules of photo or video the gopro has fixed aperture does not like to be suddenly shot in the lens with direct light

If this is the reason you are blaming the polarpro I have to say you will be equally disappointed with any filter you buy

It is always the fault of the equipment??? Not really

 

[yarik83]

This is my advice to you. Unfortunately there is almost no free information out there that shows you how to videotape under water. There are a few youtube videos but they are not worth their weight in gold. If you can rent/buy following video it will help you a great deal:

Underwater Video - How to Shoot Underwater Video Training DVD -Learn how to shoot Underwater Video - Annie Crawley | Annie Crawley | Phone 805-453-1947

She is a member on these very forums. I got my dvd when I bought replacement for my cracked housing for my old camera. Video is slightly 1980's style but was shot in 2006 I think. It will be of great help to you.

That aside you need to be aware of the fact that NO footage will be perfect. It is just impossible. Virtually every clip will require post editing of some sort.

If you took your footage in its raw format and went back in time and tilted your camera down 2.5 centimeters or 1 inch... most of that footage would have been very good. Sun angle was probably setting so sun was always behind you. No wonder every time you looked up and back it flooded your footage with extra sunlight. Just tilting your camera down a tiny bit would have solved that issue.

In my case my Bonica HDDV is front heavy meaning it ALWAYS tends to lean forward. I solved that issue very early in my filming "career" just by positioning negative buoyancy flashlights on the 2 hander tray by sliding them forward. Now that I removed my flashlights and added 2 gopros to the tray (mounted in place of flashlights) AND I got a wide angle lense for my Bonica camera is still front heavy meaning that I actually have to put some effort into not having my camera facing slightly down.

You can solve that issue by using a 2 hander tray and arranging weight accordingly.

 

[toozler]

Here's one, there's even some cheesy background music to calm your nerves:

[video=youtube;qdxmmZ0CGXE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdxmmZ0CGXE[/video]

 

[Interceptor121]

Here's one, there's even some cheesy background music to calm your nerves:

[video=youtube;qdxmmZ0CGXE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdxmmZ0CGXE[/video]

OK now that we have seen what you can produce I think we don't need your advice

Thanks very much

 

[yarik83]

What filter did you use? Looked like white balance needs to be corrected (but that's irrelevant) and you took something off the lens at the very last second. Footage overcompensated yellow... was that a SRP URPRO filter?

 

[Interceptor121]

What filter did you use? Looked like white balance needs to be corrected (but that's irrelevant) and you took something off the lens at the very last second. Footage overcompensated yellow... was that a SRP URPRO filter?

HAHAHAHAH years of material science in the bin!!!

Does anybody here doing the talking have more than 1 year holding a camera of any type underwater before telling others what is what?

Well done yarik83

 

[yarik83]

I started in early 2008 and my first 20 dives came out really bad. I was dialing in the camera, figuring out that I needed a filter, how to hold the camera, how to frame shots, how to not bore the viewer, how to capture something worth capturing. I have hours and hours of footage on my hard drives.

For me my filming got a lot better in 2009 and as of today I am happy to say I am almost there as a videographer. There is still a lot work to be done but that is why I purchased a sub $800 camera in the first place few years back so I could learn. Now that I also have 2 gopros I can start branching out. I also started recording my mountain biking videos (listed on my channel). I add and remove videos from all 3 of my youtube accounts (1 for family and is not listed, other is for scuba students and is not listed so they can preview and purchase my stuff). I guess I need to start adding more videos to my preview channel (link in my signature).

But aside from that... let's be civil boys and girls. I personally make my observations and statements from experience. I do not know how a carburator works but I know how to drive a car. I do not know how to rebuild a deraileur but I know how to ride a bike. I do not know how absorption curves work but I do my best filming. I think with footage I have seen I am going to go ahead and purchase polar-pro filters. I honestly do not see that much difference that warranties a huge price difference.

For now I am off to mountain bike. Will be back in a few hours to catch up on the thread.

 

[toozler]

OK now that we have seen what you can produce I think we don't need your advice

Thanks very much

Are you 12 y'o?

What filter did you use? Looked like white balance needs to be corrected (but that's irrelevant) and you took something off the lens at the very last second. Footage overcompensated yellow... was that a SRP URPRO filter?

No filter, didn't have one. That hitting the lens was the lens cap, it was wrapped on the tray with it's lanyard and came loose.

 

[Interceptor121]

No filter, didn't have one. That hitting the lens was the lens cap, it was wrapped on the tray with it's lanyard and came loose.

Are you buying a filter eventually or you are conducting quality inspections to acrylic plants to carefully perform a due diligence before spending $50?