Variable ND Filter Quality? Need help to decide.

[Noa Put]

I didn't even knew lens hoods existed that go on to the front of the nd filter but I just found this which might be what Adriano is looking for?

LightCraft Workshop Digi Pro ND + Rubber Lens Hood - YouTube

[Adriano Moroni]

Yes, I liked that video even if I don't like to add adapter rings for the filter.

[Cliff Totten]

Originally Posted by Adriano Moroni

Do you mean this one?
https://www.amazon.it/SLR-Magic-Refl...agic+ND+filter

Then .... if I have a Leica 12-60mm lens 62mm, it is better I buy a larger ND variable filter (for the problem of vignetting) or 62mm is better?
I think you don't use lens hood, right?

I have this lens too. I got it in 77mm so I can use it on all my lenses. I use the Xume magnetic system so I can swap lenses fast.

Yes...its limited to 6 stops which, I guess, is why its quality is high. Im OK with warmer color cast as im color grading in post anyway. My biggest fear was losing resolution as that is something that you cant recover or correct in post.

So, no X pattern and maintains resolving power. Color shift is an easy fix for me. I always warm or cool my stuff anyway.

CT

[Simon Chan]

Reducing temperature in camera or in post is digitally raising the blue channel from its native temperature at 5600k. This will increase blue noise in the shadow. Cooling filters or lighting are preferable.
Unless you are really after the look caused by colour shift and no intention of correcting it then this should be considered a negative side effect.

[Donald McPherson]

This is an older comparison but I am sure it still stands good.

YouTube (Short URL)

[Cliff Totten]

Originally Posted by Simon Chan

Reducing temperature in camera or in post is digitally raising the blue channel from its native temperature at 5600k. This will increase blue noise in the shadow. Cooling filters or lighting are preferable.
Unless you are really after the look caused by colour shift and no intention of correcting it then this should be considered a negative side effect.

This is true but this exact argument can be made about almost ANY color grading technique in post. Manipulating almost any aspect of an image can theoretically bring you unwanted artifacts. Just grading ANY simple log footage in post can do what you say.

However, this doesnt stop Hollywood or anybody else from lifting, twisting, bending, saturating and stretching the Hell out their videos. I often use six vector editing in post to push colors I want to stand out or suppress ones I dont.

How many people do a rigid "what you see is what you get" work flow? I'd bet that a huge portion of your favorite looking videos/movies were corrected and color graded (often quote a bit) in post. They almost never looked exactly that way right out of the camera.

This is an incerdably normal thing to do.....especially with a 10bit GH5

[Adriano Moroni]

I read SLR Magic gives a problem in the center of the image (dark halo) when you rotate it to the maximum, then it has only 4 stops. I'm considering whether to buy this SLR Magic or B&W BW1075251
You know I'm going to Africa ..... in your opinion, which is better to buy between them?
This is the link of B&W filter: https://www.amazon.it/BW1075251-Neut.../dp/B00GRQE0ES

[Cliff Totten]

I can only speak for my copy. I'm a pixel peeping fool and I have gone over mine pretty obsessively and I'm verry happy with how it looks. I also have a Tiffen variable ND which is OK but I like the SLR Magic better.

Your milage may vary.

CT

[Adriano Moroni]

If you should choose between the two options, would you shoot "like 709" or "Standard"?

[Adriano Moroni]

What could it happen if I shoot 50p 8bit and I make video editing at 25p?
Will my documentary look like as it was shot at 25p? Thanks.

[Keith Rollinson]

Originally Posted by Adriano Moroni

What could it happen if I shoot 50p 8bit and I make video editing at 25p?
Will my documentary look like as it was shot at 25p? Thanks.

No, it will look "different." You need to test this yourself, both with relatively still and moving subject/camera. Then you can describe to yourself what you see - by far the best way to learn the difference.

[Adriano Moroni]

I accidentally did a test with the GH5 with the "Hybrid Log Gamma" profile. It's a very flat and faded profile that seems like vlog. Then I added the "Primary Color Correction" filter to the clip on Edius Timeline clip and the miracle appeared as if by magic. I got a very good, almost excellent image in a tenth of a second. Of course, then you can change the color as you wish on that image obtained. Have you ever made this test? Is it convenient to shoot with that profile? I could never imagine that I could get that quality with just one mouse move. I also tried to add "Primary Color Correction" to other clips I shot with other profiles, but nothing happened. They don't even see that filter. That filfer seems to have been procreated for the "Hybrid Log Gamma" profile.What do you think about it?

[Keith Rollinson]

Originally Posted by Adriano Moroni

I accidentally did a test with the GH5 with the "Hybrid Log Gamma" profile. It's a very flat and faded profile that seems like vlog. Then I added the "Primary Color Correction" filter to the clip on Edius Timeline clip and the miracle appeared as if by magic. I got a very good, almost excellent image in a tenth of a second. Of course, then you can change the color as you wish on that image obtained. Have you ever made this test? Is it convenient to shoot with that profile? I could never imagine that I could get that quality with just one mouse move. I also tried to add "Primary Color Correction" to other clips I shot with other profiles, but nothing happened. They don't even see that filter. That filfer seems to have been procreated for the "Hybrid Log Gamma" profile.What do you think about it?

There are many different LOG settings possible. It's always two-stepped - 1) knowing how to set up to shoot for log, under which circumstances, and knowing how to monitor it, and 2) applying the correct LUT in post, tweaking as necessary.

If not experienced in shooting LOG, I would not advise you to do so. If you want to learn more about LOG, go shoot a bunch of LOG footage under different lighting situations, and research it yourself online - google, bing,etc. are all your friends.

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Adriano Moroni

I could never imagine that I could get that quality with just one mouse move.

Normally pcc in edius doesn't do anything if you just add it to a clip but what I think happened is that edius recognised the colorspace and added it's own correct lut or it changed the source colorspace.
You can check this by looking in the pcc window and look at the tab colorspace, normally it says that under source: auto (bt.709) and under destination lut: project color space (bt.709) and base says "display light. Compare that to the properties in your clip and probably you have got a other values that edius assigns automatically.

[Adriano Moroni]

In your opinion is it possible to get better results shooting "Hybrid Log Gamma" profile and to apply that LUT in post or shooting "Natural" and adjusting a bit the colors in post?