Filter recommendation for the GH1

I

ironsceptor

Member
There are few filters (polaroid, UV, etc) available for the GH1 on the Panasonic website.
What type of filters are recommended for the GH1?
Are the Panasonic brand preferrable over the generic brands?


Thanks
 
on the same note, if im using a vari or fader ND i dont need a polariser do i? because they are in actuality polarisers. or does the old playground rule come into play where two of the same (two polarisers stacked in this case) cancel each other out..ha
 
Ultra contrast (tiffen) can often be stunningly beautiful and do great things for your DR.
There are situations that it can work against you, but many where it can work for you in big ways...
The Arri Alexa uses a low contrast filter (albeit higher quality implementation) in front of its sensor to achieve its dr.

UC3.jpg
 
A UV filter is good for protecting the lens, since it doesn't really do much. Any other lens filters would be fine if it does something you want to do, but we don't know what you want the filter to do.
 
Sage,
I don't want to hijack the thread, but I've been thinking of getting an ultracon filter. What are the situations where it can work against you, as you say? Also, does it really lower contrast without giving things a milky look? Does it soften skin tones at all?

Responding to the OP, I think you mean polarizer not polaroid filter. I'd say a good polarizer and an 8x (3-stop) ND filter are very valuable for shooting outdoors. They are essential in my kit. Buy the size for your largest diameter lens, and buy inexpensive step-down rings (or is that step-up rings?) to fit your filters onto smaller diameter lenses.
 
The situations I can think of right away are:
-light source in the frame can create a reverse reflection
-too many strong light sources can lower contrast too much, so either a lens hood is needed, or a lower # UC
-during a moving shot, a light source moves past the 'plain' of the filter, causing a sudden difference in contrast

The practice follows from the idea that optics' artifacts, not its precision, are what create a beautiful, organic, and non-clinical image.
The effect is akin to 'smoking' a room; the shadows are raised with the same color of the light, and blow out points are lessened.
It does not soften the image (in fact tiffen got an oscar for these). It is not the same as purely extended DR, but its awesome nonetheless, when used correctly and graded.
Graeme, Red's wunderkind color science guy, was fond of using them back in the day to shoot night club scenes... It can have the effect of raising film speed (or lowering noise).
 
Sage,

Wow, reading more about the Ultracons, they sound really cool. Kind of like flashing negative film. What "strength" do you use? On another forum, cinematographer David Mullen said it was a good idea to have several strengths to fit different lighting situations. BTW, for a totally different reason, I've had fun using Schneider Classic Soft filters. Janusz Kaminski, Spielberg's DP, is a big fan of those. They create a pleasing halation around light sources, which can look really cool in the right context.
 
Yes, I meant to say the polariser filter.

I have the 14-140mm lense and I am interested taking scenic photos or short nature clips.
Once I saw the blue ray demo of a high end Samsung LCD TV and the movie clips that they were playing was stunning in detail, great contrast, and the color was vivid such as sky being pleasant blue and the rose being bright red. I always wondered if such quality can be attributed to the filters (UV or polarised).

Hence I was thinking about getting one or two useful filters (and for the lense protection) but the price are vastly different from the lower end to the high end stuff. Unfortunately I don't have any experience on the filters so I simply don't know what to get.

I'm not planning on spending too much for that minute details only a pro of the pro could tell the differences.
On the other hand, I'd rather spend few more to get a decent but not necessarily disposable filters that will be effective as the swissarmy knife.

I did check the filters some of you folks mentioned and I like it.
A filter that cost few hundred dollars is out of my range. Are there any filter that are considered must have for the pros and the semi alike?
 
If you are budget conscious, I'd recommend a 62mm circular polarizer in the $50-$60 range. Hoya and Tiffen are good brands. The higher priced versions reduce reflections, etc. but, if money is an issue, the entry-level versions are a good buy. Make sure to get a circular polarizer and not a linear polarizer, as only the circular kind works with autofocus.
Make sure the filters you buy are made of glass and not plastic. Plastic filters affect your image quality. Both Hoya and Tiffen are made of glass.
 
I use a 3 - though you may find it a bit on the strong side. The trick with the 3 is just to avoid any strong light sources reaching the filter surface directly.
If you want to use it with a strong light source, a 1 or 1/2 would be nice to have on hand.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top