Lenses & Filters

[bishopm]

I have never been one to dabble in the lens and filter side of videography. But watching videos on Vimeo I can tell that all of those amazing HD videos are being shot with filters and lenses on the camera. So may someone enlighten me on the uses of different lenses and filters, Also which ones are best for my JVC Everio?

Go to the accessories tab below the item to see all the lenses and filters for my camera it is a 37mm lens.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/749399-REG/JVC_GZHD520BUS_GZ_HD520_HD_Everio_120GB.html

[birdcat]

You should keep a UV Haze filter on every lens for protection.

A nice filter to have is a polarizing one – Use it when working with reflections in glass or sky with clouds.

A Neutral Density filter (or three) will be helpful when trying to get shallow depth of field outdoors on sunny days.

If working with a single, unchangeable lens, wide angle and telephoto adapters will be helpful.

There are more but these are your basic toolkit.

[DARTHDOUGY]

Birdcat mentions some good filters to buy. I would also consider filters that can help change the color temperature too (i.e. warming filter).

[bishopm]

Okay this is what I’m looking at, mostly because it is affordable.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/408006-REG/Hoya_GIK37GB_37mm_Introductory_Filter_Kit.html

[D0n]

polarizer, nd, and graduated nd, and color graduated filters are the main ones.

I’m not a believer in putting uv’s on for protection…. unless I’m sure something will hit the lens like water or mud or sand spray…. there are pros and cons of course, but for me the cons are these:

1 think about how thick a lens element is compared to how thick the filter is… now imagine that filter breaking and shards of broken filter glass scratching up the lens under circumstances where the lens might have got off scott free….

imagine busting your lens while trying to remove a damaged uv filter ring that got dinged or overtightened just enough to jam it onto the lens threads…

every element of glass between the sensor and the subject is another layer of flare inducing, image softening, dust collecting, scene wrecking well you get the idea…

read up on polarizers… and buy one for sure, GOOD quality, brand name, don’t skimp unless you like purple color tints in your videos.

get at least on nd 4 and maybe even an nd 8…

one grad nd for darkening your sky to even out a landscape scene that woul otherwise over expose the sky and underexpose the land.. and get a blue or tobbaco grad nd to add color to a dull overexposed sky.

[David Forrester]

I second all the above. I know, I know, the ‘rule’ is to put on a UV filter. Rubbish! I use Zeiss glass and I take every precaution to protect it and to make sure that nothing gets in the way. Dirt is dirt. In 30 years, I have had only 1 small scratch and that was because I did not have the lens cap on in the bag. Meanwhile, polarizers give rich colour, reduce glare, reduce reflections and reduce small iris settings. That I will buy into. And a variable ND is a great way to go. There you have it – now go shoot some movies and spend your money on making films.

[D0n]

yeah, I don’t fault people that choose to go with the uv for protection… it’s a choice… but if money was a major consideration…. I’d say skip it, be careful and put your money into a decent polarizer… circular polarizers are a safe bet if you’re unsure about your cameras af… a rigid lens hood will protect your lens very well and add flare control as well.

but buy the best filters and filter systems you can afford. B+W, hoya are good brands that I trust. for polarizers and nd’s. I also have a cokin system that I use for thier effect filters..and color grads and grad nd’s…

Oh, and newest weapon for me… Go-pro. for the cost of a decent filter, the Hero 960 can go places you know your regular camera might not survive.

;0)

[birdcat]

All this talk of filters brings back my old work in 35mm photography that you now do in post (Photoshop or NLE) – We used to take a UV filter and spread a little vaseline around the outside to get a nice vignette and color correction is much easier done in software nowadays.

I used to have a couple of dozen filters for all sorts of things that are now three mouse clicks.

[composite1]

When not using other specialty filters, I keep a UV on. 3 years in a Combat Camera Unit confirmed that ‘no filter invites disaster’. I’ve never had to say, ‘Dang! If I’d only not used that UV Haze filter!’ Now I hear you on the GoPro. I’ve been using a Canon PnS and strapping or suction-cupping that badboy to all kinds of stuff! Only drawback is the waterproof housing costs more than the camera! Now that the GoPro has the optional viewer, I’ll be taking a hard look at it.

[David Forrester]

The advantage of the linear polarizer over the circular is that you can dial in the precise amount of glare reduction that works for you. It can change a scene dramatically. The colors are richer too. I am not sure if post can do the glare reduction like a polarizer, but it is so easy on the camera. I guess I have always been one of those guys that says – get it right the first time – on the field. From my still days.

Ya, Mr. Moderator, if i were in a combat zone, trust me, I would be using something over that Zeiss glass – fer sure! But when I want the absolute best picture quality possible, outside of a polarizer, I remove everything from the lens and keep the glass clean. It’s a Dave thing.

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