White balancing/color correction problem

[ronscuba]

..... Using a filter and filming raw does not make any sense to me tbh.

Probably because you are thinking of photo. Video raw is not the same and is more limited in adjustment range than photo raw.

I used to get into many debates about video filters. I'd show video examples and people still would not believe a small gel plastic filter that cost pennies to make could produce good video. It wasn't until a known name in UW photo/video released their $50+ external filter with bells and whistles that people decided to give it a try and then found out for themselves a filter is the most economical and easiest way to improve UW video color.

Get a filter. Don't want to spend a lot or want to do your own experiment before buying an expensive filter ? Buy a 20" x 20" gel filter sheet for $8. That's big enough to make hundreds of drop in filters. $8 is pretty affordable for an experiment that might end up solving your problem.

 

[EL Pistoffo]

I am actaully quite decent at after effects but it just doenst do it for me with the raw files. Some files i have i can grade for a while and get good results, but i want the white balance to atleast give me something to work with which it isnt. I will try it with sony vegas tomorrow and get back to you. Using a filter and filming raw does not make any sense to me tbh.

You pretty much need a red filter. Not many cameras can even correctly manual white balance UW. The colors just aren't there. A red filter reintroduces (?) the missing spectrum of colors. It will save you a lot of grief.

I use a Panasonic LX7 like Ron Scuba. I had to get a red filter because I could not get a good manual WB without it.

 

[Pajjpen]

I have a filter and I use it on basically all my dives. This does not help me restore the color to a satisfactory level at all and only makes video more noisy and dark. It's the white balance issue that is bugging me, since I see other people correcting it and I can't seem to get it right, even tho I'm doing the correct things. I'm gonna try it on Sony Vegas once I get off work. It I really doubt there will be anydifference from my after effects results.

 

[ronscuba]

I have a filter and I use it on basically all my dives. This does not help me restore the color to a satisfactory level at all and only makes video more noisy and dark. It's the white balance issue that is bugging me, since I see other people correcting it and I can't seem to get it right, even tho I'm doing the correct things. I'm gonna try it on Sony Vegas once I get off work. It I really doubt there will be anydifference from my after effects results.

The original you posted was shot with a filter ? Which filter ? I'm a PC guy. Use Vegas and Adobe.

 

[EL Pistoffo]

The original you posted was shot with a filter ? Which filter ? I'm a PC guy. Use Vegas and Adobe.

I 2nd this. That must be a crummy filter.

 

[tamas970]

After seen this video, +1 vote for filters: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/go...owing-underwater-colors-komodo-indonesia.html

Probably because you are thinking of photo. Video raw is not the same and is more limited in adjustment range than photo raw.

I used to get into many debates about video filters. I'd show video examples and people still would not believe a small gel plastic filter that cost pennies to make could produce good video. It wasn't until a known name in UW photo/video released their $50+ external filter with bells and whistles that people decided to give it a try and then found out for themselves a filter is the most economical and easiest way to improve UW video color.

Get a filter. Don't want to spend a lot or want to do your own experiment before buying an expensive filter ? Buy a 20" x 20" gel filter sheet for $8. That's big enough to make hundreds of drop in filters. $8 is pretty affordable for an experiment that might end up solving your problem.

A red filter reintroduces (?) the missing spectrum of colors. It will save you a lot of grief.

To put it right: it kills the overabundance of blue & green. To reintroduce u need lights.

Some research has been done on the color of the ocean - this study is fully scientific, but the plots speak for themselves - one tropical example:

I drew a line at 10% intensity, which is 3F-stop loss - a realistic limit, before the lack of light/noise eats up the picture. At 20m/65', red (600-700nm) drops below this level,
meaning that going deeper one needs lights. Also, the shape of the curve gives a hint, which filter to choose. Something with strong absorption in green and a tad less in blue,
like the #008 Dark Salmon or the #779 Bastard Pink Lee gels, should do the job. Actually the gopro filters quoted to be the best have very similar color... These gels, as Ron
said, can be bought for pennies.

 

[Mason22]

You need a gray card. To use:
take a picture of the gray card at the location your at.
go into your camera setting then go to white balance.
go to custom. and choose your picture
gray cards is what professionals use for their white balance. here is one:
Amazon.com : 12x 12" Inch (30x30cm) White Balance 18% 18 % Grey Gray Reference Reflector Card with a Carry Bag : Camera & Photo

 

[Pajjpen]

The original was not shot with a filter, it was shot Using the raw setting on the gopro. The thing is that Jim, who helped me out in testing manual white balancing here actually got it looking really good with just a couple of clicks, where as i on the other hand DO NOT get good results at all, it is only when i color grade for a long time in after effects i get something semi decent, not even close to being good tho. Jim uses a mac and I use a PC..

 

[EL Pistoffo]

The original was not shot with a filter, it was shot Using the raw setting on the gopro. The thing is that Jim, who helped me out in testing manual white balancing here actually got it looking really good with just a couple of clicks, where as i on the other hand DO NOT get good results at all, it is only when i color grade for a long time in after effects i get something semi decent, not even close to being good tho. Jim uses a mac and I use a PC..

I guess that Jim is pretty proficient at color grading. Since you are not and it takes quite a bit of practice, get yourself a red filter. They are relatively inexpensive and provide excellent results. 90% of the good looking UW GoPro videos out there are done with a red filter. Trust me, it will make color correction way, way easier.

I use a better camera than the GoPro and still need a red filter myself.

 

[Pajjpen]

I guess that Jim is pretty proficient at color grading. Since you are not and it takes quite a bit of practice, get yourself a red filter. They are relatively inexpensive and provide excellent results. 90% of the good looking UW GoPro videos out there are done with a red filter. Trust me, it will make color correction way, way easier.

I use a better camera than the GoPro and still need a red filter myself.

How hard is it to understand? We used the same method using the same programs and his result was way better, hence my question, is pc rly that bad compared to macs?