Want a sharper image from your HVX?

TimurCivan

TimurCivan

Director of Photography
Staff member
shoot without a UV filter.

I have been shooting hapily with my HVX200 for 9 months. Then i had the oppertunity to shoot with one that was not mine on a job. When i reviewed the footage it looked incredible. just sharper, and tighter over all.

Ithought the HVX had been secretly upgraded, perhaps a better DSP or somehting.... but it tuns out that wheni bought my camera, in a paranoid rage, i put on a tiffen UV filter, and havent taken it if since. Big mistake. ive been sacrificing resolution eversince.

so kids, take off your UV filters until its absolutly neccesary.
 
Hmmmm-

I bought a circular polarizer shortly after getting my HVX and due to shooting a lot of outdoor "dark blue sky" footage have left it on most of the time. And have wondered a few times why my footage looks a bit soft compared to some- mainly at full zoom- hmmmmm
 
You should consider getting a better filter. Tiffen is pretty much the lowest qulity stuff you can buy. Spend some money on a multicoted B&W and you should not have any problems.
 
I'm using a Hoya HMC Super, haven't compared it any others or compared it to not using a filter though.
66c2_12.JPG
 
Those filters make everything look smudged...

wouldn't it just be better to shoot with ND filters? You're really losing quality..look at the comparison pics from BH
 
mcgeedigital said:
This one.

Its great optical quality and SLIM.
Click to expand...

Whew! When Jack asked me why I spent so much on one of these, I pointed to this one and said: "I saw that Barry Green recommended this one on the board. And when I don't know, I just do what Barry says."

I should probably just do what Barry says even when I DO know, but...
 
I shoot with no filters because of the risk of a speck of dust or a smudge ruining my shot. DOF is so extreme that this is just too risky.

The only filters I will apply (and only when absolutely neccesary) are a Polariser or a ND Grad. These are the only filters that I can not achieve in post.
 
blckhawk542 said:
Those filters make everything look smudged...

wouldn't it just be better to shoot with ND filters? You're really losing quality..look at the comparison pics from BH
Click to expand...

Those comparison pics are the same on every UV filter BH sells. Nothing wrong with ND filters, but most people have a UV on and leave it on for protection. Wouldnt want to keep an ND on all the time. At least I wouldnt.
 
Now what exactly does the UV filter do for the camera lens? or CCDs?

I've been told its for protection..but it's not like it would burn the CCDs like it would our eyes if we didn't wear UV filtered sunglasses..right?
 
Excellent findings, Timur.

I know everyone accepts it as a truism or axiom that you must always put a UV filter on immediately and never take it off. I don't subscribe to that; I say only use the filter when you need it. If I'm doing a mounted-on-a-car shot, or from a boat or at a beach or something, the filter goes on. But in controlled circumstances I never use any filter that's not necessary.

Different brands are definitely at different quality levels; B+W is about the best, they're the same as Schneider (Schneider uses the Schneider name for 4" filters, and the B+W name for circular screw-in filters IIRC). Never scrimp on something that's going in front of your lens.
 
slim b+w uv is great

slim b+w uv is great

I can't tell the difference with this filter on or off, but it keeps my front element safe...:thumbsup:
 
you would be able to tell a difference when shooting a hazy sky. that's about all a UV is good for, except for the lens protection.
 
I've been shooting with the HVX since Jan. and haven't put a UV filter on it yet. I just keep that cover on it when I am not shooting.
 
sure Dick, I mean in relation to image softening or artifacts, not that the UV has no effect :happy:
Tommy, how's your front element? ;-)

-I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top