Now, these aren't perfect examples with a identical set-up but they are real world shoots. I have consistently added 5600 K spots to counter hotel lighting to speakers and find that you can control, a bit, what the camera records. Both speakers showed up as brown suits ... hence, I added the filter on the one example.
p.s. just goes to show you that these high rollers are all wearing synthetic suits!

No examples attached in the 2nd one either (thx for updating the 1st).

Since they're not the same image and from different perspectives (and possibly different lighting) I'm not exactly sure what to look at to compare. I DO notice, however, a fading in the image with the filter on... that may perhaps be a little greenish.

No examples attached in the 2nd one either (thx for updating the 1st).

Since they're not the same image and from different perspectives (and possibly different lighting) I'm not exactly sure what to look at to compare. I DO notice, however, a fading in the image with the filter on... that may perhaps be a little greenish.

The situations were completely different ... but both set-ups were tungsten hotel lighting! You can nit-pick all day long on this or that difference ... I don't care. I'm providing you with examples that I have shot so that you can see the difference in real event shoots. I would love a filter that removes the IR contamination completely without any other aspect of the image being effected ... I await the day that happens!

this example is from the same shoot as the first T1 IR filter example with the same basic problem re: synthetic black suit. Now, I have to say the background wall on that shoot had a similar tint as skin ... I like more contrast but you cannot control these situations and have to do the best you can ...

I think the shot without the filter looks better in comparison. Odd, as I've been burned as well by blacks going muddy brown. Just the light and contrast is better in the first. Bad choice of examples if you're pro filter I think.

I think the anti filter thoughts overlook the practical issues. I have a client who has thousands of staff issued with a corporate uniform that is green. My EX1 turns the corporate colour to maroon - fit a TIR filter and the clothing stays green simple as that.

I haven't noticed the excessive green even after color balancing with the T1 but I haven't used it very much. My suggestion if you have that problem is very simple. Get a Lee or Rosco color swatch book that is about 2" square and add a slight green ( 1/8 or 1/4) to the lens when color balancing. That should eliminate the problem. Or simply carry a piece of 1/8 green in your bag and use it single or doubled or whatever till you get rid of the green. Problem should be solved.

In fact mixing 1/8 green & 1/4 blue is generally my favorite way to balance anyway. The predeccessor to "Warm Cards" and still a superior system in my opinion.

Re ND:
I was one of the people testing for Tiffen on the T1 and I noticed a number of things. First although I heard alot about how you needed more IR filtration with increasing ND I didn't see it when I used the T1. It seemed to solve the problem completely in my tests. Second - ordinary ND filters vary greatly in whether or not they filter IR (actually the right term is Far Red) at all. I've noticed that every internal camera ND I tested had no Far Red problems. However in looking at Tiffen, Format, Schneider, Heliopan and B&W, only my little 82mm Heliopan and B+W filters did not have Far Red problems. With the others I could see varying far red contamination with my naked eye (often alarming amounts) - regardless of the EX-1's increasing sensitivity. Obviously video camera makers were hipper to this problem than we expected.

If the Schneider Platinum is the new one for Far Red contamination I have not used it so I can't comment. (Where's my test filter Ryan????)

So test your own filters. Look at a piece of black material by eye behind your ND filters and get a piece of green gel.

And yes color balancing in camera of course reacts to green and magenta - otherwise how would we deal with Flourescents.

Lenny Levy

Yep ... the best to have for color balance ... but I've found the warm cards to do the trick with regard to this filter and well ... other situations.

Help me see if I understand this right Leonard (and I may not, so please bear with me). Is the idea of white balancing through the 1/8 green a sort of "overcompensation" so that when the 1/8 green is removed the green tint of the T1 has been effectively "balanced out"?

Anthony

Yes it is a common ancient videographers trick. Warm Cards picked up on the idea and marketed it without the flexibility of mixing green and blue. Everyone I know carries a swatchbook.

In fact many Sony video cameras used to have a tendency toward green and under flourescents I would always balance through an additional green. Still like to mix a blue and green for balancing toward a nice warm look.

Lenny

Can I ask you to recommend the actual green gel you use? Rather than a swatchbook with tiny 1.5 x 2.5 swatches I think I'd like to hold up the appropriate get in front of my matte box while balancing.

Its probably slightly different name for each brand but its just the fractional green gels used to balance lights to flourescents . Lee calls it "Plus Green" . My Lee swatchbook is called "Cinematographers Edition" but its ancient. They're usually paired with the same fractions in magenta and CTO(85) and CTB. Not the same as the theatrical gels with individual numbers. Ask a lighting place if they have a swatchbook with larger square samples or just buy a piece of 1/8 if you need to then you could double it if needed. 1/8 - 1/4 should do it.

Hmm. If it IS the solution, the only place I can even find part number 68-060356 (Schneider IRND .3 4 x 5.65) is at FilmTools and they aren't expecting any until mid-August. And this seems to be the only place to get them! The rare nature of this filter is making me lose confidence in it as my "perfect plan".

Anthony and all;

We here at Schneider are working very hard to produce the Platinum IRND filters. In our quest to make the perfect IRND filter (ie, truely neutral gray and cuts IR on most all cameras), we have had to delay production a couple times. We do not yet have an ETA on these filters but hope to have them available by the end of this year.

All patience will be well rewarded when these filters are available and we know that we will have the finest IRND as well as ND replacement available. We beleive that these new IRND filters will replace NDs as they have no properties other than a slight increase in price that would warrant using a regular ND.

Ryan Avery
Schneider Optics

Good news Ryan. I assume you will be making them in the various standard sizes for matteboxes.

And a big thank you Ryan, for dealing with my warranty issue a few months back. I was impressed by how quickly it was resolved. In this business there is a lot of value to a company, like Schneider/Century, that stands behinds it's products and resolves issues with their clients in real time.

-Andrew Stone