Color correction filters

[Pablo Chin]

Hello,

I recently purchased a Sony VX2000 camcorder. I am fairly new to the field of videography and video editing.

I'm trying to build my collection of filters for the camera.

I already own a UV, ND, and polarizer filters. However, I wanted to know if it is worth it to get color correction/conversion filters (i.e 81 & 85 series, 80 & 82 series) or can the same effect of these filters be achieved using an NLE program. Does doing the color correction on a computer degrade the quality of the originally shot video?

Thanks,

Pablo Chin

[Rob Lohman]

Basically tampering with a signal will always introduce some loss.
Although it is mostly non-visible. I'm using color correction only
in post because I like to have the option on working with the
most clean signal and then having the option to really fine tune
it on the computer.

Some people like working with filters more. I would suggest to
try your hand at post-production color correction in the computer
first. If that isn't working out for you then start looking at
additional filters.

[Pablo Chin]

Thanks Rob!!! I will try that.

Regards,

Pablo Chin

[Charles Papert]

Pablo:

The white balance feature on all video cameras neatly covers all of the filters you mentioned. By using a free gel swatchbook and holding complementary color filters in front of the lens, you can recreate the effect of the partial correction filters in camera.

There are reasonable arguments that asking the signal processing in the camera to introduce large amounts of, say, red to compensate for a deeply saturated blue environment can cause additional noise, but the same argument can be applied to color correction--I think. Or maybe not--Rob, is that what you are suggesting?