RED Filter with Lights and white balancing GOPRO 10

[diverdiverdive]

Hi guys,

I'm planning on buying dive video lights with 6500 lumens and the flip pro 10 red filters with a macro lens for my go pro. The idea is to use the red filter to film subjects far away in the blue and use the lights with a macro lens to film subjects on the reef, in dark areas or close up.

My question is

1. Can I use the red filter and dive lights at the same time?

2. I usually adjust my white balancing to the Kelvin the temperature of the lights. If I use the red filter can I apply the same white balancing as the Kelvin temperature or should I use auto?

3. Is it worth me to spend $$$$ and buy the filters and the lights for my next dive trip? I'm going to Thailand Andaman sea.


Any help and tips guys, please?

 

[Manatee Diver]

Not using a filter will pretty much always provide better imaging with the right GoPro settings (native white balance and flat color profile) and good post processing technique as you’ll have more light to work work with than if you used a filte

I disagree, you are talking as if we are putting a five stop filter on the camera. The type of filter that the GoPro needs to get a kick into the right direction is probably a one stop filter. These don't look even remotely as dark as the old three stop red filter that I played with a few times for a project.

 

[Joneill]

I disagree, you are talking as if we are putting a five stop filter on the camera. The type of filter that the GoPro needs to get a kick into the right direction is probably a one stop filter. These don't look even remotely as dark as the old three stop red filter that I played with a few times for a project.

OK - we'll just have to agree to disagree. A red filter robs light and and is only "accurate" in a narrow depth band and water type. If one is willing to post process, you can accomplish the exact same thing as a filter (and more as you have ALL of the available light to work with). Lights are a different story and useful in many situations where a filter or post processing can't help!

 

[Manatee Diver]

and more as you have ALL of the available light to work with

I think it more a lack of understand of what is considered normal in photography. I have a whole stack of filters from what I was shooting slide film, the stack got smaller when I went digital (WB/raw eliminated the color filters). But they were still used, yes they robbed light but you use a higher ISO, wider aperture, or a faster shutter speed to get things back into balance. The camera (well modern cameras with TTL metering) compensates, it only becomes an issue when the light level gets too low that it can't compensate and last to push things into an extreme as in too high of an ISO, too wide of an aperture, too slow of a shutter (not an issue with video) or simply makes an under exposed image.

 

[Joneill]

I think it more a lack of understand of what is considered normal in photography. I have a whole stack of filters from what I was shooting slide film, the stack got smaller when I went digital (WB/raw eliminated the color filters). But they were still used, yes they robbed light but you use a higher ISO, wider aperture, or a faster shutter speed to get things back into balance. The camera (well modern cameras with TTL metering) compensates, it only becomes an issue when the light level gets too low that it can't compensate and last to push things into an extreme as in too high of an ISO, too wide of an aperture, too slow of a shutter (not an issue with video) or simply makes an under exposed image.

I fully get that and very much understand as I've got a whole collection of Nikon DSLR's (D850 , D500 and D4s) and have been a hobbyist for many years now (digital, not so much film).

In my opinion, the real issue is that the GoPro uses a very small sensor with very limited dynamic range and useful ISO range - it's actually not a great low light camera, so you need as much light as possible. When not using lights, I find filters do not provide any better results and can actually leave me with a file that is less flexible to adjust/salvage in post processing. I shoot -0.5 EV, native white balance and flat color and if I can't get a good video in post, a filter would have been even worse - but it does take time, so I get why people use filters!

 

[Manatee Diver]

I fully get that and very much understand as I've got a whole collection of Nikon DSLR's (D850 , D500 and D4s) and have been a hobbyist for many years now (digital, not so much film).

That makes sense you probably had access to raw cameras the entire time. As a broke college student when I got my first digicam and later DSLR I had to shoot jpegs for quite a while as the lower end cameras that I could afford couldn't shoot raw. And learned quite quickly that I needed to be as close to the captured image as possible as you have little room for editing if you are picky about quality.

I treat the GoPro the same way, I want the file saved to the card to only require very minor editing to get the colors I want. So I use filters to help GoPro white balance to get pushed into the right direction. It doesn't take much with the 10, you don't need those thick red filters like earlier GoPros required.

One of these days I will save enough pennies to get something like a Nikon Z9 or a Sony A7SIII that can shoot raw/HDR video. That way I have room to work with when publishing 8bit color video. Then combined with white balance I do away with filters underwater.