Color Correction Filter

[DaFireMedic]

I am new to underwater videography, but have been doing topside videography/editing for a while now. I have been reading up on underwater color correction and trying to learn everything that I can. I dive Southern California waters mainly, and it seems a red filter is what is used here. As far as a red filter goes, does it have to be a red filter made for underwater videography or can other resources, such as red gels be used, or even red tinted lexan (I know, its a stretch). I have even seen Tiffen "color conversion" filters in red colors that are far less expensive.

Are underwater filters a highly specialized tint of red? Underwater filters seem to be relatively expensive and this is strictly a hobby for me that I am testing the waters in (no pun intended).

I know, I am sending my $1200 camcorder underwater in a housing, whats an extra $100 for a filter? Well, I will spend it if necessary, but I have just about tapped out my "fun fund" and the wife wants new flooring so I am exploring every avenue....

Thanks.....

 

[robint]

which housing do you have??? Most housings come with a removable red filter or built in filter with a flip switch. I can't think of too many without a filter these days. Most are a thick plastic/acrylic.

I have an Ikelite and it came with the filter. Thank goodness for that filter too.... I took a nasty spill/face plant in June in Bonaire trying to get out to the Hilma Hooker and my camcorder housing was all I could use to keep my head and face off some nasty coral debris on shore, waves crashing me back and forth, uggghhh, but my housing and that red filter on protecting my lens saved me. I have a couple of nasty scratches on the red filter BUT was told it didn't matter as the light refraction of the filter is the same as water (filter is acrylic) so underwater the scratches are filled in and don't affect the picture.

robint

 

[limeyx]

As the other poster said, a lot of housings come with built-in red filters.

Here has been my experiences so far (in SoCal):

1) If you are really shallow(10-20 feet), the red filter makes things "too red" so I leave it off.
2) 20-70 feet, the red filter can help, but it reduces the amount of light considerably that the camera sees. If it's "dark" on the dive, or much below 70 feet, the filter blocks too much light.
3) Generally you want to have a little bit too much red in the footage rather than too little.

In theory frequent manual white-balancing can help a lot here, but I am only just starting to experiment with that. Also for closeup stuff, good lights can help (but only op to 3-6 feet from the lens on a typical dive)

 

[diversteve]

UR Pro also sells a green water red filter(GR) and a blue water red filter(CY). I'd guess in SoCal the green one would be correct but I'm not sure. More here:

http://www.urprofilters.com/content.do?region=FilterInstructions

 

[robint]

I have heard discussed about the "green water" filters not working well in Calif, maybe the water seems green but isn't green enough. I think the calif water is actually blue but when it is full of so much kelp it appears green at a distance on video.

I would bet up in Seattle area it would work well though as the water is very lime green.

 

[DaFireMedic]

which housing do you have???

I have a used Hypertech housing from Ebay. I have adapted the controls for the HV20, but there is no flip filter. I bought it for 2 reasons:

1. It was cheap, but watertight
2. When I bought it, the HV20 was a new model and no manufacturers had yet made a housing for it. Housings are just now being brought to market for it.

With the controls, On/Off and Start/Stop record are no problem, and I should be able to get access to the menu for manual white balance.

I have heard discussed about the "green water" filters not working well in Calif, maybe the water seems green but isn't green enough. I think the calif water is actually blue but when it is full of so much kelp it appears green at a distance on video.

The water at the islands is noticeably bluer in tint than at the shore, such as Laguna or the San Diego area beaches. Laguna water definitely looks green.


Thanks to all for the help

 

[limeyx]

I have a used Hypertech housing from Ebay. I have adapted the controls for the HV20, but there is no flip filter. I bought it for 2 reasons:

1. It was cheap, but watertight
2. When I bought it, the HV20 was a new model and no manufacturers had yet made a housing for it. Housings are just now being brought to market for it.

With the controls, On/Off and Start/Stop record are no problem, and I should be able to get access to the menu for manual white balance.




The water at the islands is noticeably bluer in tint than at the shore, such as Laguna or the San Diego area beaches. Laguna water definitely looks green.


Thanks to all for the help

Yeah, you can definitely get bluer water by the islands, and on the oil rigs etc.

I have had reasonable results "adding the blue" back in in final cut. Not an ideal situation, but somewhat workable.

PM me your email address and I can send you some links to show the differences with the blue added etc.

 

[DaFireMedic]

I have had reasonable results "adding the blue" back in in final cut. Not an ideal situation, but somewhat workable.

PM me your email address and I can send you some links to show the differences with the blue added etc.

Thanks for the info, and the links. Nice videos, gives me a good start on experimenting in post.

I was just fishing through a grab bag of "junk" that came with my Ebay housing (cables for a hi-8 camcorder and some other out of date stuff) and there was a red underwater color correction filter, happens to be 62 mm so it screws onto my wide angle lens. The ring was broken and the red lens just fell right out, but I used a little JB weld and some aquarium silicon and its like new (well, ok, it doesn't LOOK new) but it should work.

Now to try it out.....

 

[robint]

we just got back from diving in Calif and I have some videos for you to see regarding our discussion on water color and red filters, etc.
I have the HC42 and Ikelite housing, red filter only.

be sure to right click on link and "save target as" to your computer and play it from there! Big file.
http://www.rnrscuba.net/Calif_07/CaliforniaTrip_2007_kelp_forests.wmv
this is not HD, not even close, and no way to white balance with my housing, so the color is all from using the red filter. It helps to have good vis like we did.
I posted a few more of the videos over on the Calif kelp divers forum.

robint

 

[DaFireMedic]

Wow, Very nice videos, nice color reproduction. Thanks for posting them.

BTW: The filter that I found amongst my stuff is a UR Pro red filter