Buyers’ guide
If you are an enthusiast photographer making the move into shooting video with your DSLR or mirrorless camera, you need to think about filters – but not in the usual way. Here’s our take on filters for video
THE FIRST AND most essential buy is either a set of ND filters or a variable ND to control the exposure. And it’s in changing exposure where there is a key difference between stills and video. In photography, shutter speed is set to control blur – often with fast shutter speeds to freeze motion or prevent camera shake. Or a slow shutter speed to create the sense of movement, such as panning a subject like a car, or allowing clouds or moving water to evoke a soft, blurry sense of movement. In video, it’s very different. A high shutter speed makes any movement look false and staccato – almost like recording someone moving while illuminated with a strobing flash. You actually want some blur on each image to give the impression of movement. Since the dawn of cinema, the golden rule has been to fix the shutter speed at approximately twice the frame rate to give a realistic look to your footage. Of course, rules are meant to be broken, but this doubling of frame rate is a great place to start. If you are recording at 24fps for a cinematic-style look, set a shutter speed of 1/50sec. In the UK, most video is shot at the UK TV standard of 25fps – so, again, 1/50sec is ideal. Faster frame rates are often available, usually 50, 60, 100, 120fps or even higher. These are most commonly used for a slow motion effect, enabling footage to be played at 25fps, but in slo-mo. So, 50fps gives half-speed slow motion
polarising filters, which – just as in stills photography – cut down on unwanted reflections and can boost saturation, especially in the sky. While many stills shooters want every shot to look as pin-sharp and detailed as possible, oversharp, highly detailed images in video can have a very ‘digital’ look about them. This makes diffusion filters popular, as they soften the feel. A number of filters simply screw into the filter thread at the end of your lens, so you have to buy the right size for each one. Or use step-up or step-down rings, watching for any vignetting. If you are using a mirrorless or DSLR camera, try drop-in resin or glass filters. These slide into filter holders, which fit to each lens using an adapter ring. Most filters are either 100mm or 150mm wide. However, it’s more common for serious filmmakers to use filters in a matte box. These are similar to a photo filter holder, but usually have an adjustable ‘flag’ at the top to prevent flare. The filters are dropped into slots, which can be turned around at different angles independently. These traditional filters commonly come in 4x5.65in size – the Panavision standard – and are typically 2mm thick, super-white optical glass, so won’t fit into regular stills-style holders. Here, we take a look at some of the best options to suit all budgets, needs and uses.
VERSATILITY Filters in video shooting play a different role compared with their use in stills photography, but they are just as important – perhaps even more so if you’re striving for exceptional results
and 100fps quarter speed. Using the rule previously mentioned, shooting at 50fps is best at 1/100sec, and 100fps calls for a 1/200sec shutter speed. With shutter speed fixed, and your aperture set for the required depth-
of-field, you get the exposure right by either altering the ISO, or using ND filters. Often, you can’t get a low enough ISO, especially when it’s bright, so an ND is a must. The majority of filmmakers use a variable ND filter,
which is where you alter the amount of light coming through by simply turning the filter. It’s best to get a good-quality, name-brand variable ND, as cheaper filters can lead to awful colours and nasty banding. The same is true for
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as eight other colour options, including clear. Schneider also has rainbow, confetti and the Star True-Streak filter to really give a whole different look. And that’s just one filter type out of a catalogue of hundreds. Schneider also offers polarisers in circular and linear varieties, and lots of softening filters, too. These come in different versions – such as black or white frost – which change how the image is softened. The choice is massive, the quality incredible, and it proves why Schneider filters remain a top choice for professional filmmakers.
other world out there of truly professional cinema filters in the 4x5.65in size that need a genuine matte box holder. Schneider has hundreds of filters. Some for creative effects and others for highly technical colour correction. One creative example is the True-Streak, with 136 variations, including subtly different colours and effects. Many of the filters are available in 1mm, 2mm, 3mm and 4mm thickness to suit a variety of requirements. The True-Streak filters aim to recreate the classic anamorphic lens streak effect, which is traditionally blue. True-Streak filters come in blue, as well
Photo-style filters that drop into regular filter holders are fine for many DSLR or mirrorless cameras if you just want the basics, such as ND, grads or a polariser. But there is a whole
30 Photography News | Issue 89
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