In Camera or In Post

[Gopher_Greene]

This has been a topic of discussion alot lately I was just wondering the pros and cons of each. Post effects are so advanced is there any reason for in camera effects any more. Some instances I thought worth discussing would be Graduation filter, color enhancement filters and soft filters.

For instance if I want a nice blue sky I put a graduated blue in the matte box and viola I have a nice blue sky, isn't that easier then in post. However if I move framing that may become an issue. How hard is it to make a blown out sky turn blue in post? Heres the filter;

http://www.schneideroptics.com/filt...ure_&_broadcast_television/graduated_filters/

Next what about color enhancement filter, let's say the sin city black and white but the car stays red. Wouldn't it be good to enhance the red in camera? The color enhancing effect is at the bottom of the page;

http://www.schneideroptics.com/filt...ture_&_broadcast_television/color_filters/#c3

What about softening the image? Here I think post would rule, so would I ever want the classic soft or frost filters anymore? What advantage would they offer over softening in post?

http://www.schneideroptics.com/filt...roadcast_television/soft_&_diffusion_filters/

Polarizers, don't see how this could ever be effective in post, once the image is recorded I don't think you could take the glare off of a windshield to see in the car. But maybe some of you editing gurus could enlighten us on how much of that can be done in post.

http://www.schneideroptics.com/filters/filters_for_motion_picture_&_broadcast_television/polarizers/

 

[HybridCreations]

If we're negating all the other reasons to make adjustments in camera (discussed in this recent thread) and just talking about the image, the examples you gave are valid with the exception of two IMO. I would be hesitant to use an enhancing filter for the red car just because of the way the chips would handle the additional red information (I would think it might tear the edges a bit). Also the softening of the image, I'm not really positive, but I'd think it would be advantageous to use a softening filter on the camera so highlights would bloom the way they're intended to and possibly be more subtle and organic than doing it in post. Just my 1.5 centavos.
-Ryan

 

[Petrus]

Some effects you should do in post, some in camera.

Graduated filter: if you use a graduated ND filter to darken the prearie sky there actually will be some texture in the sky in the footage. If you try to darken the sky in post only, you just get grey skies, as there probably is no detail in the over exposed (cloudy) sky. If you use a filter, you can make the sky darker or lighter in post as needed, with detail.

Polarizer you have to do with a filter, impossible to do in post.

Softening you can do in post, you can spread the highlights or shadows with plugins. If you use a softening filter on camera, it is impossible to reverse the desicion in post. You can make the image softer but really not sharper in post (it might look sharper, but it it is artificial).

Of course it is never EXACTLY the same to do things in post/camera, but youshould consider the finality of the effect. Things done in camera are more final, but the quality is often better.