what sort of filter?

[Spike Spiegel]

Would you guys recommend for shooting out in extremely sunny conditions? Will any polar filters supplied wi/ camera accessories work? Or is there a better choice that you guys can point out.? Thanks

[Rob Lohman]

You really didn't ask your question. You say you are shooting in
really sunny weather and need a filter. A filter to do what? Or to
remove what? To get what kind of look?

If you are looking to block out the sun you usually use flags etc.
to create shadow areas. A little tent can help as well. If you want
to soften the sun there are silks etc. to do that.

There was a tutorial on the web that clearly showed the difference,
but I can't seem to find the link to it at the moment. Hopefully
someone else will respond with that.

If you still think you need a filter, please describe why you think
this and what end result you are looking for.

[Spike Spiegel]

sorry for my ambiguity, :|

I thought filters, especially polarizing filters were meant to block out harsh levels, and bring a more natural tone or look.... I just want to know which sort of filters remove that hazy effect that birght sunlight can cause in outdoor situations.. As for "look" that you were mentioning, I ddint' know filters were used to create looks, I thought their o nly purpose were to protect the lens and remove sun glaze... Hmm, now i'm a bit more confused :))

[Rob Lohman]

There are various filters that can change how things look. Like a
promist (do a google search). There are also filters to cut incoming
light levels (ND filter), a graduated version (grad ND) to only lower
levels on certain parts of the picture.

The polarizer you mention also changes the look since it amplifies
things like reflections or partly/completely removes them.

A polarizer is most usefull on shiny surfaces like metal, water and
glass. It is a good filter to have regardless and might work for
what you want or not. Usually it is a matter of trying out and
seeing what does or doesn't work.

I'm not too familiair with this "hazy effect" since I don't think we
have that here in my part of Europe. Is that the look where you
see heat ripples in the air or is it more that you are seeing smog?

I am not too sure if a filter can help with those sort of things. I
have a basic knowledge of some basic filters, but am by no means
an expert in that area. Hopefully others will chime in.

If you can't resolve this with a filter or other thing you may want
to go after this in a creative way, change the angle you are
shooting at, or try some different locations. A park underneath
some trees might work better in regards to the light etc.?
Sometimes such changes that are forced by other issues may
end up getting you some nice angle or locations you otherwise
would not have thought of.

Good luck!

p.s. take a look at Tiffen's filter collection. They are one of the most
often used filters and contain all sort of effects etc.:

http://www.tiffen.com/Header_page_tiffen_filters.htm

It might even give you ideas for your problem or have a specific
filter for it, most have samples of how it changes the look.

[Spike Spiegel]

wow thanks for that reply, been very helpful. Really appreciate it. I'll do some more research on it and get back to you. Its 2am here, so gotta get some sleep. thanks again, will reply soon

[Glenn Chan]

A polarizer filter might be useful here. If you set it in the right orientation, it will darken the sky and make it more saturated. This avoids the sky from turning into a big white blob, which tends to happen a lot with video's limited dynamic range.

A polarizer will also act as a ND too, which may be desireable. It might let you use a slower shutter (less strobiness) or wider iris/lower f-stop (shallower depth of field; makes focus harder; less/no diffraction if you're coming from a really high f-stop).


A lens hood of some sort can also be useful for cutting down flaring from the sun hitting the lens and causing a 'haze' over the image (reduces contrast). To test flaring, go outside and use your hand as a lens hood to block out the sun from hitting the lens elements at an angle and reflecting around in there.

[Spike Spiegel]

thanks for the replies, any places that you guys would recommend to get the filters from? B and h? or is there a better deal goin on at ebay?

[Spike Spiegel]

Hi, I was planning to buy the agdvc 30, from its brochure, it said that the filter diameter is 43mm. I checked out some pro mist filters/polarizers, these things are meant for 58 and 72mm diameters only. Is there a n adapter i can get, or is this not meant to be?

[Glenn Chan]

You should be able to get step-up adapters to fit the larger filters. One advantage of this is that if you change cameras, you can just get another step-up adapter and all your filters will still work. The downside is that larger filters tend to be more expensive.

B&H lists 43mm Tiffen filters by the way.

2- Filters are generally a high-margin item at camera stores and don't really cost that much. It might really pay off to shop around, although I wouldn't know where you'd be able to get em cheap.

eBay would be a good place to try as things are usually cheaper there. You might want to watch out for scratched/used filters.

There's always froogle.com and pricegrabber.com, although B&H looks pretty close to the lowest prices around (shipping might affect things...). *This information only applies to the US.

3- You might need a circular polarizer (instead of a linear one) to get your camera's autoexposure and autofocus to operate correctly. This can be the case with still cameras... I don't know about video.

I really don't know all that much about this stuff as I don't even own a polarizer. The following website might help though:

http://www.geocities.com/cokinfilter.../polarizer.htm

[Spike Spiegel]

hey guys, i was wondering, now that i have an idea for what sort of filter to get, is a 43mm sized set the right one for my camcorder? i'm asking this because theres some ambiguity, most retail stores that sell after market filters are saying 43mm, but the brochure lists 30something mm for the lense diameter for the panasonic. Also, the lese has a rectangular rubber type casing, wouldn't this not let me put a filter on? Any agdvc30 users? Pls help! Thanks

[Greg Boston]

Spike,

You should visit the Tiffen website. They have a good explanation of what the different filters are, and what their application is. By the way, for that 'haze' look that you are trying to remove, it's called a UV filter. It helps increase contrast by cutting out a part of the uv light spectrum that causes the hazy look. When you wear them on your face, they are called 'blue blockers' The shorter wavelengths of this part of the spectrum cause them to focus in front of the retina/ccd and this washes out the other colors which is the 'hazy look'. I have had some of those glasses and they really do make things stand out(trees and foilage especially). Many filters can be had in 43mm or you can use a step up ring as Glenn suggested. Your lense hood will likely have 43 mm threads or may be a bayonet mount. In any case, you should have some method of getting a filter on the front of your lense.

-gb-

[Jack Smith]

Filters are available in a wider size range than they indicate to you .Likely those are the ones they stock.eg I have a passel of 49mm filters(Mamiya twinlense).
Also check out a matte box.It attaches to various size lenses but uses large filtration.Advantage ..... you can use it on just about any lense even if you upgrade Disadvantage......cost

[Spike Spiegel]

thanks for the info guys. One more question, If i get a wide angle lens for my camera, and the wide angle doesn't have front threads, does this mean i cant get filters to work with this setup??

[Rob Lohman]

That is correct. Also keep in mind that the more glass you add,
you may get light bouncing inbetween glass etc.

A solution if it doesn't have threads is to reverse it, so mount
your filter to your lens first and mount the wide angle to your
filter. That should solve your problem.

[Spike Spiegel]

yeah that sounds reasonable Rob, thanks!