ND filter question

twerp

twerp

Active member
i was shooting the other day and had to put my ND on 1/64 with an f-stop of 5.6 just so the shot wasn't blown out. it looked great on the lcd. however when i put it onto my computer there was A LOT of noise. is this caused by the ND filter? and if so what can i do to avoid using the 1/64 ND on a really sunny day? thanks!
 
Use a polarizer filter or expose for what you really care about and forget the rest, otherwise you will have an underexposed image which means not enough lights coming to the sensor, therefore causing noise. It also may have been your viewing angle of the lcd. Using the zebras can really help you. Many computer monitors are factory set for high sat, contrasty images. Computer monitors are the worst places to watch your footage. Plug your hvx component out into your hdtv and you will see a world of difference. Or use a kona card to see your edited version.
 
are there any polarizers that are quality glass that screw directly onto the stock hvx lens? or am i going to need to invest in a chrosziel mattebox? if so the mattebox option, what's a quality polarizer for it?! any advice would be awesome!
 
Did you only get noise in your shots when you used the ND? Or was there noise in your other shots as well? You may want to take a look at your scene settings in addition to considering a polarizer.
Jim
 
twerp said:
i was shooting the other day and had to put my ND on 1/64 with an f-stop of 5.6 just so the shot wasn't blown out. it looked great on the lcd. however when i put it onto my computer there was A LOT of noise. is this caused by the ND filter? and if so what can i do to avoid using the 1/64 ND on a really sunny day? thanks!
Click to expand...

Is it possible... that you mistakenly, or unknowingly, had the gain turned up to 6 or 12 db, thus requiring the extra ND? I've never seen extra noise just because I used the ND option but have noticed it with gain dialed in.
 
The only way I could think of where ND would "introduce" noise, would be if you didn't need the amount of ND you used and therefore artificially needed to add too much gain.
 
By the way, twerp, you don't have to cough up 2 grand for a matte box just to use a polarizer. Plenty of manufacturers make them to fit the HVX; just search around for 82mm polarizer. I have one made by b+w that is fine. I also have a .9 grad that threads right on there too.

I have the same filters for my matte box, but for lots of purposes you don't need to have the whole matte box, follow focus, etc. If I'm shooting reality-style or doc-style outdoors, often it's really handy to screw on the grad, screw the pola on top of that, and go to town. Or forget the grad if the situation is changing a lot.

Here's a cheap pola for you. $52 total. I haven't had the best of luck with Tiffen though.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004ZCJ9?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=cnet-ce-20&linkCode=asn

Here's the one I own, and it's crystal clear and beautiful:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/11288-REG/B_W_65062142_82mm_Top_Polarizer_Linear_.html

It's a linear one. I also have a Schneider 4.5" round linear polarizer for my matte box (Arri MB-17b), and it's fantastic.
 
In general the HVX seems to have some organic grain in the darker parts of the image. If you can expose with a monitor, you'll be able to control exposure better, and therefore noise.

There are two philosophies, the first is to shoot as close as possible to what you want the final project to look like. That saves time in post and can prevent generational loss and noise. The second is to flatten contrast where possible, overexpose where possible, fix it in post, and reduce noise in the process. Google "expose to the right", it's an idea that still photographers have been using for years.

I would pay an extra $500 to have a -6dB gain feature on the HVX.
 
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