situation of high dynamic range. Example : the sun. Do you use a ND filter? ?

D

deleuze3

Well-known member
Hi,
Here is a sample clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kj1wrXWSibE&feature=youtu.be

I use manual lenses.
I was in a situation where the sun was making clip the highlights. I didnt know how to expose properly.
Do i need an ND filter in these situations?
The ground seems to blown-out.
Maybe i should have recorded it a little darker. Maybe using z-finder could help ?

Thanks in advance for any advices.
 
The image is a bit overexposed. In general, you will need an ND filter in order to maintain a 180 degree shutter angle in sunlight, especially with older manual focus lenses that can't stop down that far. You can also noticeably start to lose resolution with some lenses when they are stopped down below about f/13.
 
Yeah, you cooked those clips.

Are you checking exposure with the histogram or WFM? If this is a DSLR (guessing so since you don't have ND), most cameras will let you shoot a couple seconds of footage, and view a histogram of the preview frame. I'm guessing you don't have much experience with exposure? Google up info on what a histogram expresses and see if your camera has one. Your screen may be way off. (But yes, a loupe/finder, esp. in bright sun? Should be the first thing a DSLR shooter buys. The Kamerar is great for under $100, there are nicer ones if you can affprd it).

As for lens sharpness - kind of a moot point. You shouldn't be forced into an aperture choice, you should choose it based on the look you want. That's where ND comes in handy.

As far as generalities of lenses losing sharpness at F-whatever - all glass is different. Get a tripod and print out a focus chart or just set a cereal box on a table, something with crisp black & white text and line work. Test each of your lenses (just shoot stills for now). Adjust your shutter speed (not your ISO) so each shot has the same exposure level. Check the shots in photoshop, zoom in to 100% and look for sharpness and chromatic aberration. Check the center and the corners. With zooms, test at several FOVs. Take some post-it notes and get the data in the frame (zoom at 50mm, F8, etc) or use a small dry-erase board so you'll have the info in the image. In an hour you'll know exactly how each of your lenses performs and where the best range is as far as sharpness goes.

TEST TEST TEST!!!
 
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