Good evening, gang! As I am stretching out my legs so to speak with the A1 I just picked up, I just downloaded the presets that have been posted on the forum. Thanks and props to all who contributed and making it a little bit easier for the rest of us! I got my start in still photography (anyone remember the venerable "old" Canon F-1?) and pretty much grew up using filters. So my question is: what opinions does the group have regarding the use of filters versus presets? Thoughts? Comments?

Thanks everyone!
Terry

Hi Terry ..

filters and presets are 2 totally different things on the A1. Selecting a custom preset sets the cameras internal parameters for a custom look to the pix. With the standard A1 you need a couple of favourites for each type of scene.

I have 5 available, PANALOOK-VIVIDRGB-PANAVISION-PFVISION and PANALOOK2. I wrote those titles on a small piece of paper and stuck it to the end of the battery .. to get used to each preset.

There are only a couple of filters necessary for the A1. A UV to protect the lens, a 2stop ND for really bright days, a graduated ND filter and maybe a tobacco grad. Everything else you can do in post.

A polarizor is Ok for static shots but soon as you pan you lose the effect.

HTH Cheers.

I'm curious about this, too. This is a great article about filters, and they talk about how some of these things can't be recreated in post.

When To Use A Camcorder Filter (http://www.videomaker.com/article/14209/)

Does anyone here use filters? If so, which ones, and is there a good "set" available for purchase that work well with the XHA1?